Fan Fiction ❯ Trials and Tribulations ❯ T&T (11) ( Chapter 11 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: MercuryGoddess 
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.20.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 322 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.20.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 322 | Status: Completed
Author Notes: Now this is the chapter you have been waiting for. Some Sora/Riku lovin'! I can't wait to read your reactions to this chapter since it's such a big, eventful chappie. Don't want to keep you guys from reading the chapter so onward ho!
Clarification for Princess of Mirrors: I laughed when I read your review. Me, get rid of my favorite original character Taiyou?? NEVER! Taiyou will be in the story through the very end, and him getting with Kairi is not happening. That's WAY too predictable for my tastes. Who he gets with and who Kairi gets with will be revealed much later. Anyways, I'm glad to see you back reading this story; for a minute I thought I lost one of my more insightful readers. Welcome back!
Special Thanks To: Kairi099, kawaiidark, Kyari, Rinoki Rio, kurai neko, diamond_princess06, Princess of Mirrors, myredraincoat, Ariana, Twinstar1, onlyHAUNTED, Uzumaki-sama, Black Magician Girl1, Crimson-cruel, Iniku, KaoruFan, sorariku, Kiki, Turok-Han, Aiva_Kitty, inumoon3, yamichaos, CLOud, CLOUD-FANATIK88, and my Mediaminer reviewers -fake wings-, HotsummerYami, Blackrose Thorn, and Silveriss!
Extra Thanks To My Beta Reader Crystalline Tears!!
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!
Rating: I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...
Reminder:
"..............." Means talking
(...............) Means author notes
*..............* Means an action
~..............~ Means thinking
'...............' Means past sayings
>.............< Means a place
Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Eleven
Taiyou crossed his arms and sighed, glaring in the direction of Sora and Riku. He pretty much figured out that this meeting was about his behavior towards Sora, and frankly, he really didn't care. The fact of the matter was that he was Riku's boyfriend, and Sora was his 'best friend'. More time should automatically be spent with him. "Well, I just think more time should be spent with me since I'm your boyfriend, Riku," he said softly, deciding to voice his thoughts aloud.
A snort came from Taiyou's left, gaining the attention of both Taiyou and Riku. Sora was sprawled out on the bed, looking up at the ceiling while throwing one of Riku's pillows up in the air. "And do you know why Riku is spending so much time with me?" he drawled. "It is, of course, because he's fucking me behind your back."
Taiyou stood up with a growl and headed to the bed. "I've had just about enough of you, Sora."
"Yea well I've had enough of your stupid ass jealously. What the hell is wrong with you? My girlfriend gets raped and I almost lost my damn mind back in middle school."
Sora sat up from his laying position, rage and annoyance etched in his features. "For the longest time, I've been alone because I was afraid that if I trusted someone again, it would end up back in my face like the last two fucking times! And you, the one who all of a sudden just appears back in Riku's life, have the nerve to be jealous?"
"Sora..." Riku whispered. "Slow down for a minute, please?"
"NO!" Sora yelled, standing up and facing Riku. "This bastard has been giving me a hard time for the last two weeks, and it is time to stop! Isn't this what you wanted us to do? Let it all out?"
Riku nodded, causing Sora to swing around and face Taiyou. "Then let's do it. Let's get it all out now."
Taiyou's eyes narrowed. "I know about your attraction to Riku, Sora, and the fact that you guys spend hours at a time doing Kami-knows-what at Kami-knows-where really gets me suspicious."
He moved forward until he was the closest he could get to Sora without touching him. "I know about the looks, the full body scans you give him when he walks in the room or leaves the room. I know about it all."
Riku shifted his gaze to Sora, who seemed unfazed by all the accusations just thrown his way. For some reason, his heart couldn't help but swell when he heard about Sora's attraction for him. He didn't know why, but he wasn't going to focus too much on that.
"I am attracted to Riku. I mean, who isn't? He's pretty damn hot."
As a tinge of red spread across Riku's face, he cursed himself for being so pale. He felt Taiyou's calculating gaze on him, and even though he was used to the intimidating stare, he kept his eyes on the floor. To make things worse, Sora didn't stop there.
"I've been attracted to Riku ever since we met the first day of school. Sure, I was scared of him, but it was probably because of the way he always seemed to inspect me. Still, even though I am attracted to Riku, I'm content being his best friend. I have Kairi, and unfortunately for him, he has you."
Taiyou crossed his arms at the 'unfortunately', but nevertheless stayed quiet. "Before you got back together with Riku, he promised me that he would be the shoulder I could cry on if I needed to during the time I was in the hospital. This has been a rough time for me, and all he's been doing is fulfilling his promise to me."
Shocked, Riku openly stared at Sora. He didn't know why this shocked him so much, however, what Sora said was true. Then...why was this unexplainable feeling pooling in the pit of his stomach? Why did he feel happy almost to the point of giddiness?
"Besides, you have no right to be jealous of Riku when you're the one who left him in the first place."
Whether the audible gasp came from Taiyou or Riku, it still caused the room to grow deathly silent. Wide, shock-filled amber eyes stared at the spiky-haired boy, but there was no anger. An icy sheet of shame and sadness clouded them over, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. Taiyou turned his head to the side, squeezing his eyes as shut as he possibly could. He hoped Sora was satisfied because he had never been as right as he was now. Who was he to get jealous? He was the fool who broke Riku's heart back in freshman year because of his father. He was the coward who told his father he would get married and carry on the family name like a good son was suppose to.
He was the heartless bastard who took Riku to their favorite place to break the news to him.
Taiyou unconsciously slid down the post of the bed to the floor, eyes still squeezed shut in painful reminisce. Riku watched as Taiyou painfully remembered his past mistakes, and he wanted to just walk over and comfort him as best as he could. But...something was holding him back. Deep in his mind, he knew that Taiyou needed to experience this as a lesson...
Sora watched Taiyou slide to the ground, no sympathy displayed in his now cold, unmerciful sapphire eyes. In fact, he had a hell of a lot more he wanted to say to this boy. "You're the coward who ran away from the relationship, and now you sit here and think that Riku should be with you more? Have you forgotten, dear Taiyou that you broke his damn heart before and you came damn near close to doing it again? Or are you a changed man after only two fucking years?"
Riku shot a warning glare at Sora, but he promptly ignored it. The brunette was too enraged to think about anything or anybody else except for Taiyou. "You don't deserve Riku! Crawling back on your hands and knees and screaming to an EMPTY street that you love him. Bullshit! I know about guys like you."
The rest of what Sora said was a blur as he focused on the last thing he just said.
'I know about guys like you.'
Studying Sora, Riku instantly recognized the glazed over look of sad reminiscence. Only this time it wasn't sadness. It was burning anger, an enmity so strong that Riku himself stepped backward. He had seen Sora angry - angry at little things like their argument about the fight with Kado and getting with Kairi, or extreme anger like the anger shown when Sora first walked in the basement to find Kairi there dangling from the ceiling. But this anger...this anger was combined with so many built up negative emotions that the hate seemed to radiant off of him in waves. It was frightening to say the least, but curiosity pierced through that emotion.
Why?
Why would this situation get Sora so upset? What did he mean when he said 'I know guys like you?' When? Where? How? Who?
So many questions raced through Riku's mind, but he was distracted when he saw Sora inching toward the now curled up boy on the floor. Riku stepped forward as well, making sure that no physical fight was getting ready to break out; and by the looks of Sora, one was definitely going to take place soon.
Sora didn't stop until he was a few feet from Taiyou, then crouched down until he reached his eye level. Nothing was said until Taiyou lifted his head to meet Sora's strong gaze. As angry sapphire blue met pain stricken amber, a nonverbal rule was made between them. From that day forward, they were neither enemies nor friends. Sora was Riku's best friend, and Taiyou was Riku's boyfriend. Any connections between them had been severed.
After a few moments of silence, Sora spoke the last statement he was willing to say to Taiyou tonight.
"Once a coward, always a coward."
The fierce amber eyes that had been full of determination and pride dulled immensely at the phrase. Taiyou was set on not letting Sora's words slice through him like they did, but that last phrase was the final slash that cut his resolve in half. Shifting his gaze to the floor, a single tear rolled down his cheek and hit the floor. Sora's mask of coldness faltered as he watched the stone dam finally crack, but his anger swelled once more and the coldness came back full force.
Riku, however, did the exact opposite of Sora.
Never in his time spent with Taiyou had he seen the older boy cry. He was, of course, raised the same way Riku has been raised, except more cruelly so. Taiyou showed emotion, but he was never the one to feel a large wave of his emotions. He controlled his thoughts, feelings, and desires much like a ventriloquist would do his dummy, and because of that ability, he had been able to show as little or as much emotion as he wanted. Now, for the first time, Taiyou lost control.
It was as if he was separated into two different entities, and one was participating while the other watched. He knew he was running to Taiyou, he knew he was pulling him into a fierce hug, and he knew that he was screaming at Sora to leave. But what he couldn't figure out was why he was doing the things he was doing.
A soft thud was heard from his left, causing his eyes to dart to the window. It had been closed, obviously by Sora, and he let out a string of curses before looking down at Taiyou. The older boy was sobbing silently, eyes fixed on the wall behind Riku. Apologies laced with guilt and shame came out in slurred whispers as Taiyou buried his face in Riku's chest. Riku only tightened his embrace in response, staring at the closed window. This was far from what he actually expected to happen, and he knew that from this point on, things were a lot more complicated than they needed to be. A fight was expected, but certainly not to this extent. Everything was running as planned until Sora began the accusations. He never thought of Sora to be resolve-breaker, at least in a negative sense. Of course Riku knew that by his charm, good sense of humor, and carefree attitude, Sora could break down the defensive walls anyone put up. But digging up someone's past mistake, then throwing it back in their face was cruel; like picking at an old wound and then pouring salt in it when it was opened. Taiyou didn't deserve that - everyone makes mistakes that they're ashamed off, and they shouldn't be used as a tactic to hurt someone. This had gone too far.
Sora had gone too far.
Grabbing Taiyou by the waist, Riku picked the older boy up and laid him down on the bed. Taiyou instantly buried his face in the pillow, crying no longer, but still filled with shame. Riku growled at the condition Sora put him in and planted a small kiss on Taiyou's cheek, stomping to the window. He could have easily walked out the front door, but the last thing he needed right now was to talk to his father. Climbing out the window onto a small ledge, Riku jumped down from the ledge and headed to Sora's house.
There were quite a few things he had to say to him.
>Sora's House<
Sora laid in his bed, curled up in a ball facing the far wall under his comforter. He realized how harsh his words were, but Taiyou need to hear the truth. People like him were the heartbreakers of society; therefore, Riku had no business going back to him in the first place. Sora sighed. Why was he caring so much anyways? Riku should be able to go out with whomever he chooses. He only cared so much because he was Riku's best friend, nothing more nothing less, right?
Sora lay down on his back and stretched his legs out in an attempt to get comfortable. Gazing at the ceiling, Sora scolded himself for having this problem. If he had stuck with the original plan to not trust anyone, he probably wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. The problem with Taiyou only served as proof that trusting anyone does more damage than healing. Yet he had given into the temptation, despite his better judgment, and now he had a new, mind you- easily avoidable, problem placed on his shoulders with all the other issues he had.
And of course, that's just what he needed right now.
Along with watching his mentally distraught girlfriend recover, along with keeping up his grades in all his honors classes to meet his parents' expectations, and along with dealing with his own mental torment, he had to separate himself from his only source of comfort because of his jealous boyfriend. Life really couldn't get any better, could it?
"Sora."
Great. Life just got better.
Sora brought the comforter over his head. "I really don't feel like talking, Riku."
"Well I do." Riku yanked the comforter off of Sora and - thank goodness - Sora was still clad in his school clothes. Glaring at him with annoyance, Sora sat up and crossed his arms. "What do you want?"
"Sora, how could you? The things you said were completely uncalled for!"
Sora looked Riku straight in the eye, disbelief etched in his features. The older boy's sea-green eyes were flickering with anger and disappointment, causing irritation to fill Sora as he stood up. "Please tell me you're not serious."
It was Riku's turn to look at Sora in disbelief. "Of course I'm serious!"
"Unbelievable!"
The irritation that Sora quickly transformed into anger, and as much as he tried, he couldn't stand facing Riku right now. "Just get out, Riku."
Riku growled and took a step forward. "What?"
"You heard what I said. Get out. I don't need this right now."
Only Sora could evoke such a rush of emotions like he did. Riku felt an emotion beyond anger; no words could describe how he was feeling. However, he was determined to solve this problem tonight with a conversation that was long overdue. "Taiyou is not a coward. In fact, he is one of the bravest people I have ever met."
"Oh really?" Sora drawled sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. "He wasn't so brave when he left you now was he?"
With lightning fast reflexes, Riku pinned Sora against the far wall. His left hand trapped both of Sora's wrists above his head, and his right hand was against his chest, pushing him against the wall. Gazing into his unfazed sapphire eyes and raising his fist to hit the younger boy, Riku snarled, "If you ever -"
"Ever what?" Sora questioned flippantly as he lifted his right leg to catch Riku's left, effectively knocking him off of his feet. "Tell you the truth? Because that's what I'm doing!" He straddled Riku's waist while holding his wrists together. "Taiyou ran away with his tail in between his legs and left you alone. I can see the pain in your eyes, Riku, I'm not stupid."
Riku flipped them around so that Sora's back was against the floor. "TAIYOU SAVED MY LIFE!"
It was as if time froze except for the heavy breathing coming from Sora and Riku. The confession was followed by a tension-filled silence. Neither boy moved, only after countless minutes, Riku decided to speak once more. "My mother was a young beautiful lady who succeeded in raising two boys while working as a business executive for a top company. She was literally the ties that held our family together, and no one expected what happened three years ago."
Sora didn't move, but did the best thing he could do in this situation: listen. Riku laid his head on Sora's chest. "I was the best pitcher for the Destiny Island Sharks, and we had finally made it to the championship. It was the moment I had been waiting for ever since I found out what baseball was. To make it even better I thought everyone was going to be there: my father, my mother, and my older brother with his wife. I wanted nothing more than to win the championship with them there cheering me on.
"A week before the game, my mom dropped the bomb. She couldn't make it to the game. I was furious and stomped up to my room, yelling at the top of my lungs that I hated her and that she didn't care about how important this was for me. For the rest of the week, I treated her like shit. I wouldn't talk to her; acknowledge her presence, or anything. My dad convinced my mom that I would get over it, but I didn't, and now I wish I had."
A gasp erupted from Sora as he felt the wetness of where Riku laid his head. He leaned up slightly to see Riku crying silently. Meeting his gaze, Riku let the tears that he held in for so long stream down his cheeks. "She died because she tried to make it to my game, Sora, and it wasn't a car accident. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was shot three times: in the eye, in the stomach, and in the heart."
Sora sat up fully now and embraced Riku, his own tears running down his cheeks. He knew he couldn't imagine what Riku went through, nor did he try to. He just embraced Riku and rubbed his back the way Riku had done so many times before.
Sometimes, all it took was someone actually being there to start the healing.
"She died two days after arriving at the hospital. I was the one who found her dead."
Riku tightened his grip around Sora's waist.
"I turned into a heartless bastard after that. No one could, or even tried, to save me from my downward spiral. My brother moved off the island after the funeral, my dad stayed isolated in his room with a bottle of scotch, and my friends patted me on the back and said 'Everything will be okay, Riku, just you wait.' I expected the same reaction from everyone. Then Taiyou came along. He taught me how to feel again and that life wasn't something you just put up with. He saved me from myself, Sora."
Silence greeted them once more, and the two boys were just content with the embrace. Heart pounding, Sora ran through the traumatic event Riku just told him. Riku had suffered as much as he has, and he's dealt with that alone; no support, no encouragement, and no one to confide in. He's had this inner battle that he's been fighting and the people around him have done nothing but stand by and watch. Taiyou didn't even seem to be doing anything to help Riku right now even though it's clear that Riku is still suffering. Sora felt angry and disappointed at the people who were supposed to be his friends. Riku's voice was laced with so much pain and anguish, and he knew first hand that after two years, some of the pain should have been taken care off. Sora knew his own torment hadn't particularly been dealt with, but that was because no one knew of what he actually gone through. Not even Kairi. But with Riku, Taiyou was supposed to be the one to help ease some of that pain.
Sora looked down. Riku's eyes were closed, his breathing was steady and light, and for the first time today, he looked completely at peace. The signs of stress, pain, and inner torture had melted away, making Sora smile softly at the sight.
It was...beautiful to see Riku this way.
Scooting over to the bed and leaning against it with Riku still in his arms, Sora settled for a small nap himself, hoping that Riku could finally have some inner peace.
^*^
"You really have been helpful, Joyce."
"Well, I do what I can, Kairi dear, but where is your boy toy and his sexy silver-haired friend?"
Kairi laughed aloud, amusement twinkling in her eyes. Joyce had quite the crush on Riku, to Taiyou's dismay, and the fifty-two year old nurse asked about him everyday. It was the funniest thing she'd encountered since her bad English lesson.
"They had some business to sort out. Sorry Joyce."
Even though her tone was playful, Kairi couldn't help but worry about what events transpired during their meeting. She knew for sure that someone was going to get hurt, and none of those boys deserved that. Life was actually starting to become tolerable for Kairi: the nurses and doctors took great care of her, Sora treated her like a queen, and her friends instantly cheered her up by showering her with presents and stupid, but funny jokes. The nightmares were still there, but Sora was always there to help her pull through.
Her staying here didn't make her feel like 'damaged goods' as Kado put it.
She frowned. It was going on 7:00 and she hadn't received any calls from Sora, Riku, or Taiyou. Were they still talking or did something happen to them? ~Please let them be okay.~
"Kairi, are you alright?"
Joyce watched Kairi with concern, causing the girl to smile with appreciation. "I'm fine."
She prayed that Sora, Riku, and Taiyou were fine as well.
^*^
Soft breath tickling his ear was the first thing he noticed as he opened his eyes. He felt light for the first time in ages - like a burden was lifted - and he knew exactly who to thank for that. Sora did the one thing no one else has done in a long time: he embraced him and just listened. No interruptions for advice or comments of sympathy. Those were his confessions, and after all they had gone through and after all the things he said, Sora was still here, still going strong when he had the chance to walk away and say 'Everything will be fine, Riku, just you wait.' It was truly admirable.
Riku looked up and studied the sleeping boy. Even though he was the one who comforted Sora most of the time, Sora had understood in a way that no one else could. Their conversations over the past couple of weeks were ones that he cherished simply because Sora understood and acknowledged his opinion without disregarding it like so many others have done. Taiyou was even guilty of doing that - interrupting him by making suggestions of his own. With Sora, he could talk for hours on end, and the boy would still listen without interruptions. Perhaps it was this reason that drew Riku closer to Sora.
Besides his beauty - which Riku was intently studying right now - Sora had the ability to see through his facades and coax him out of them. There were times when Riku had to smile when he didn't feel like smiling or move at a fast pace when he felt like slowing down.
No one could recognize and help him out like that except Sora.
Caressing his cheek, Riku chuckled when Sora drowsily opened his eyes. The drowsiness, however, was quickly replaced with surprise, causing Riku to chuckle once more. He leaned up and placed a chaste kiss on the surprised boy's lips. The kiss was achingly slow, but it was definitely one of the more intense kisses the two boys shared. Already shocked, Sora shocked himself even more by responding, which in turn, scrambled his already confused thoughts. Riku pulled away and smiled, caressing his cheek again. "Thank you for listening to me."
He untangled their limbs and walked to the window when he heard loud footsteps behind him. He turned around to meet angry blue eyes. "Why did you kiss me? Our friendship- "
"What about our friendship, Sora?" Riku stated calmly. "Who or what defines what we can do in a friendship or any relationship for that matter?"
"W-Well," Sora stuttered, shifting on one foot to the next, "no one, but -"
"But what? I'm not allowed to kiss you as a thank you?"
If Sora was confused before, he was certainly a mess now. "I-I guess..."
"Since there is no rule stating that I am not allowed to kiss you as a thank you," Riku said ignoring Sora's answer, "I'll do it when I please. Of course that'll have to be ok with you. Our relationship is already in a category of its own so what harm could this do, right?"
Sora looked at the floor. It was true; most boys didn't hug or make as much physical contact as they did, nor did they talk about the things they usually talk about so this shouldn't be much of a problem for them, right?
Right?
"Yea," Sora agreed while walking to Riku. If this was going to be a deal between them, he might as well make the most of it. "You're right.
There is no rule."
Sora wrapped his arms around Riku's waist. Looking up, he gripped Riku's hair with his right hand and brought him down for a kiss. This kiss was the exact opposite of the kiss shared minutes earlier. It was fast, lacking tenderness, but making up for it with passion. Sora even dragged his tongue along Riku's bottom lip before thrusting it inside, causing the older boy to moan softly. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's shoulders to deepen the kiss. After breaking away and planting a kiss on Sora's forehead, Riku began to climb out. "That was one hell of a goodbye kiss, Sora."
And he was gone. Sora had the good graces to smile sheepishly while blushing. He leaned back against the wall next to the small open window, suddenly feeling giddy. Then a horrible realization stuck him like a bolt of lightning.
Kairi. Taiyou. They might find out about this arrangement.
He slid down the wall and muttered the first two words that came to mind: "Oh shit."
^*^
Finished! I had planned to have Leon and Cloud in this chapter, but I decided to make their appearance bigger in the next one. Please review. Constructive criticism welcome.
~MercuryGoddess~
Clarification for Princess of Mirrors: I laughed when I read your review. Me, get rid of my favorite original character Taiyou?? NEVER! Taiyou will be in the story through the very end, and him getting with Kairi is not happening. That's WAY too predictable for my tastes. Who he gets with and who Kairi gets with will be revealed much later. Anyways, I'm glad to see you back reading this story; for a minute I thought I lost one of my more insightful readers. Welcome back!
Special Thanks To: Kairi099, kawaiidark, Kyari, Rinoki Rio, kurai neko, diamond_princess06, Princess of Mirrors, myredraincoat, Ariana, Twinstar1, onlyHAUNTED, Uzumaki-sama, Black Magician Girl1, Crimson-cruel, Iniku, KaoruFan, sorariku, Kiki, Turok-Han, Aiva_Kitty, inumoon3, yamichaos, CLOud, CLOUD-FANATIK88, and my Mediaminer reviewers -fake wings-, HotsummerYami, Blackrose Thorn, and Silveriss!
Extra Thanks To My Beta Reader Crystalline Tears!!
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!
Rating: I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...
Reminder:
"..............." Means talking
(...............) Means author notes
*..............* Means an action
~..............~ Means thinking
'...............' Means past sayings
>.............< Means a place
Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Eleven
Taiyou crossed his arms and sighed, glaring in the direction of Sora and Riku. He pretty much figured out that this meeting was about his behavior towards Sora, and frankly, he really didn't care. The fact of the matter was that he was Riku's boyfriend, and Sora was his 'best friend'. More time should automatically be spent with him. "Well, I just think more time should be spent with me since I'm your boyfriend, Riku," he said softly, deciding to voice his thoughts aloud.
A snort came from Taiyou's left, gaining the attention of both Taiyou and Riku. Sora was sprawled out on the bed, looking up at the ceiling while throwing one of Riku's pillows up in the air. "And do you know why Riku is spending so much time with me?" he drawled. "It is, of course, because he's fucking me behind your back."
Taiyou stood up with a growl and headed to the bed. "I've had just about enough of you, Sora."
"Yea well I've had enough of your stupid ass jealously. What the hell is wrong with you? My girlfriend gets raped and I almost lost my damn mind back in middle school."
Sora sat up from his laying position, rage and annoyance etched in his features. "For the longest time, I've been alone because I was afraid that if I trusted someone again, it would end up back in my face like the last two fucking times! And you, the one who all of a sudden just appears back in Riku's life, have the nerve to be jealous?"
"Sora..." Riku whispered. "Slow down for a minute, please?"
"NO!" Sora yelled, standing up and facing Riku. "This bastard has been giving me a hard time for the last two weeks, and it is time to stop! Isn't this what you wanted us to do? Let it all out?"
Riku nodded, causing Sora to swing around and face Taiyou. "Then let's do it. Let's get it all out now."
Taiyou's eyes narrowed. "I know about your attraction to Riku, Sora, and the fact that you guys spend hours at a time doing Kami-knows-what at Kami-knows-where really gets me suspicious."
He moved forward until he was the closest he could get to Sora without touching him. "I know about the looks, the full body scans you give him when he walks in the room or leaves the room. I know about it all."
Riku shifted his gaze to Sora, who seemed unfazed by all the accusations just thrown his way. For some reason, his heart couldn't help but swell when he heard about Sora's attraction for him. He didn't know why, but he wasn't going to focus too much on that.
"I am attracted to Riku. I mean, who isn't? He's pretty damn hot."
As a tinge of red spread across Riku's face, he cursed himself for being so pale. He felt Taiyou's calculating gaze on him, and even though he was used to the intimidating stare, he kept his eyes on the floor. To make things worse, Sora didn't stop there.
"I've been attracted to Riku ever since we met the first day of school. Sure, I was scared of him, but it was probably because of the way he always seemed to inspect me. Still, even though I am attracted to Riku, I'm content being his best friend. I have Kairi, and unfortunately for him, he has you."
Taiyou crossed his arms at the 'unfortunately', but nevertheless stayed quiet. "Before you got back together with Riku, he promised me that he would be the shoulder I could cry on if I needed to during the time I was in the hospital. This has been a rough time for me, and all he's been doing is fulfilling his promise to me."
Shocked, Riku openly stared at Sora. He didn't know why this shocked him so much, however, what Sora said was true. Then...why was this unexplainable feeling pooling in the pit of his stomach? Why did he feel happy almost to the point of giddiness?
"Besides, you have no right to be jealous of Riku when you're the one who left him in the first place."
Whether the audible gasp came from Taiyou or Riku, it still caused the room to grow deathly silent. Wide, shock-filled amber eyes stared at the spiky-haired boy, but there was no anger. An icy sheet of shame and sadness clouded them over, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. Taiyou turned his head to the side, squeezing his eyes as shut as he possibly could. He hoped Sora was satisfied because he had never been as right as he was now. Who was he to get jealous? He was the fool who broke Riku's heart back in freshman year because of his father. He was the coward who told his father he would get married and carry on the family name like a good son was suppose to.
He was the heartless bastard who took Riku to their favorite place to break the news to him.
Taiyou unconsciously slid down the post of the bed to the floor, eyes still squeezed shut in painful reminisce. Riku watched as Taiyou painfully remembered his past mistakes, and he wanted to just walk over and comfort him as best as he could. But...something was holding him back. Deep in his mind, he knew that Taiyou needed to experience this as a lesson...
Sora watched Taiyou slide to the ground, no sympathy displayed in his now cold, unmerciful sapphire eyes. In fact, he had a hell of a lot more he wanted to say to this boy. "You're the coward who ran away from the relationship, and now you sit here and think that Riku should be with you more? Have you forgotten, dear Taiyou that you broke his damn heart before and you came damn near close to doing it again? Or are you a changed man after only two fucking years?"
Riku shot a warning glare at Sora, but he promptly ignored it. The brunette was too enraged to think about anything or anybody else except for Taiyou. "You don't deserve Riku! Crawling back on your hands and knees and screaming to an EMPTY street that you love him. Bullshit! I know about guys like you."
The rest of what Sora said was a blur as he focused on the last thing he just said.
'I know about guys like you.'
Studying Sora, Riku instantly recognized the glazed over look of sad reminiscence. Only this time it wasn't sadness. It was burning anger, an enmity so strong that Riku himself stepped backward. He had seen Sora angry - angry at little things like their argument about the fight with Kado and getting with Kairi, or extreme anger like the anger shown when Sora first walked in the basement to find Kairi there dangling from the ceiling. But this anger...this anger was combined with so many built up negative emotions that the hate seemed to radiant off of him in waves. It was frightening to say the least, but curiosity pierced through that emotion.
Why?
Why would this situation get Sora so upset? What did he mean when he said 'I know guys like you?' When? Where? How? Who?
So many questions raced through Riku's mind, but he was distracted when he saw Sora inching toward the now curled up boy on the floor. Riku stepped forward as well, making sure that no physical fight was getting ready to break out; and by the looks of Sora, one was definitely going to take place soon.
Sora didn't stop until he was a few feet from Taiyou, then crouched down until he reached his eye level. Nothing was said until Taiyou lifted his head to meet Sora's strong gaze. As angry sapphire blue met pain stricken amber, a nonverbal rule was made between them. From that day forward, they were neither enemies nor friends. Sora was Riku's best friend, and Taiyou was Riku's boyfriend. Any connections between them had been severed.
After a few moments of silence, Sora spoke the last statement he was willing to say to Taiyou tonight.
"Once a coward, always a coward."
The fierce amber eyes that had been full of determination and pride dulled immensely at the phrase. Taiyou was set on not letting Sora's words slice through him like they did, but that last phrase was the final slash that cut his resolve in half. Shifting his gaze to the floor, a single tear rolled down his cheek and hit the floor. Sora's mask of coldness faltered as he watched the stone dam finally crack, but his anger swelled once more and the coldness came back full force.
Riku, however, did the exact opposite of Sora.
Never in his time spent with Taiyou had he seen the older boy cry. He was, of course, raised the same way Riku has been raised, except more cruelly so. Taiyou showed emotion, but he was never the one to feel a large wave of his emotions. He controlled his thoughts, feelings, and desires much like a ventriloquist would do his dummy, and because of that ability, he had been able to show as little or as much emotion as he wanted. Now, for the first time, Taiyou lost control.
It was as if he was separated into two different entities, and one was participating while the other watched. He knew he was running to Taiyou, he knew he was pulling him into a fierce hug, and he knew that he was screaming at Sora to leave. But what he couldn't figure out was why he was doing the things he was doing.
A soft thud was heard from his left, causing his eyes to dart to the window. It had been closed, obviously by Sora, and he let out a string of curses before looking down at Taiyou. The older boy was sobbing silently, eyes fixed on the wall behind Riku. Apologies laced with guilt and shame came out in slurred whispers as Taiyou buried his face in Riku's chest. Riku only tightened his embrace in response, staring at the closed window. This was far from what he actually expected to happen, and he knew that from this point on, things were a lot more complicated than they needed to be. A fight was expected, but certainly not to this extent. Everything was running as planned until Sora began the accusations. He never thought of Sora to be resolve-breaker, at least in a negative sense. Of course Riku knew that by his charm, good sense of humor, and carefree attitude, Sora could break down the defensive walls anyone put up. But digging up someone's past mistake, then throwing it back in their face was cruel; like picking at an old wound and then pouring salt in it when it was opened. Taiyou didn't deserve that - everyone makes mistakes that they're ashamed off, and they shouldn't be used as a tactic to hurt someone. This had gone too far.
Sora had gone too far.
Grabbing Taiyou by the waist, Riku picked the older boy up and laid him down on the bed. Taiyou instantly buried his face in the pillow, crying no longer, but still filled with shame. Riku growled at the condition Sora put him in and planted a small kiss on Taiyou's cheek, stomping to the window. He could have easily walked out the front door, but the last thing he needed right now was to talk to his father. Climbing out the window onto a small ledge, Riku jumped down from the ledge and headed to Sora's house.
There were quite a few things he had to say to him.
>Sora's House<
Sora laid in his bed, curled up in a ball facing the far wall under his comforter. He realized how harsh his words were, but Taiyou need to hear the truth. People like him were the heartbreakers of society; therefore, Riku had no business going back to him in the first place. Sora sighed. Why was he caring so much anyways? Riku should be able to go out with whomever he chooses. He only cared so much because he was Riku's best friend, nothing more nothing less, right?
Sora lay down on his back and stretched his legs out in an attempt to get comfortable. Gazing at the ceiling, Sora scolded himself for having this problem. If he had stuck with the original plan to not trust anyone, he probably wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. The problem with Taiyou only served as proof that trusting anyone does more damage than healing. Yet he had given into the temptation, despite his better judgment, and now he had a new, mind you- easily avoidable, problem placed on his shoulders with all the other issues he had.
And of course, that's just what he needed right now.
Along with watching his mentally distraught girlfriend recover, along with keeping up his grades in all his honors classes to meet his parents' expectations, and along with dealing with his own mental torment, he had to separate himself from his only source of comfort because of his jealous boyfriend. Life really couldn't get any better, could it?
"Sora."
Great. Life just got better.
Sora brought the comforter over his head. "I really don't feel like talking, Riku."
"Well I do." Riku yanked the comforter off of Sora and - thank goodness - Sora was still clad in his school clothes. Glaring at him with annoyance, Sora sat up and crossed his arms. "What do you want?"
"Sora, how could you? The things you said were completely uncalled for!"
Sora looked Riku straight in the eye, disbelief etched in his features. The older boy's sea-green eyes were flickering with anger and disappointment, causing irritation to fill Sora as he stood up. "Please tell me you're not serious."
It was Riku's turn to look at Sora in disbelief. "Of course I'm serious!"
"Unbelievable!"
The irritation that Sora quickly transformed into anger, and as much as he tried, he couldn't stand facing Riku right now. "Just get out, Riku."
Riku growled and took a step forward. "What?"
"You heard what I said. Get out. I don't need this right now."
Only Sora could evoke such a rush of emotions like he did. Riku felt an emotion beyond anger; no words could describe how he was feeling. However, he was determined to solve this problem tonight with a conversation that was long overdue. "Taiyou is not a coward. In fact, he is one of the bravest people I have ever met."
"Oh really?" Sora drawled sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. "He wasn't so brave when he left you now was he?"
With lightning fast reflexes, Riku pinned Sora against the far wall. His left hand trapped both of Sora's wrists above his head, and his right hand was against his chest, pushing him against the wall. Gazing into his unfazed sapphire eyes and raising his fist to hit the younger boy, Riku snarled, "If you ever -"
"Ever what?" Sora questioned flippantly as he lifted his right leg to catch Riku's left, effectively knocking him off of his feet. "Tell you the truth? Because that's what I'm doing!" He straddled Riku's waist while holding his wrists together. "Taiyou ran away with his tail in between his legs and left you alone. I can see the pain in your eyes, Riku, I'm not stupid."
Riku flipped them around so that Sora's back was against the floor. "TAIYOU SAVED MY LIFE!"
It was as if time froze except for the heavy breathing coming from Sora and Riku. The confession was followed by a tension-filled silence. Neither boy moved, only after countless minutes, Riku decided to speak once more. "My mother was a young beautiful lady who succeeded in raising two boys while working as a business executive for a top company. She was literally the ties that held our family together, and no one expected what happened three years ago."
Sora didn't move, but did the best thing he could do in this situation: listen. Riku laid his head on Sora's chest. "I was the best pitcher for the Destiny Island Sharks, and we had finally made it to the championship. It was the moment I had been waiting for ever since I found out what baseball was. To make it even better I thought everyone was going to be there: my father, my mother, and my older brother with his wife. I wanted nothing more than to win the championship with them there cheering me on.
"A week before the game, my mom dropped the bomb. She couldn't make it to the game. I was furious and stomped up to my room, yelling at the top of my lungs that I hated her and that she didn't care about how important this was for me. For the rest of the week, I treated her like shit. I wouldn't talk to her; acknowledge her presence, or anything. My dad convinced my mom that I would get over it, but I didn't, and now I wish I had."
A gasp erupted from Sora as he felt the wetness of where Riku laid his head. He leaned up slightly to see Riku crying silently. Meeting his gaze, Riku let the tears that he held in for so long stream down his cheeks. "She died because she tried to make it to my game, Sora, and it wasn't a car accident. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was shot three times: in the eye, in the stomach, and in the heart."
Sora sat up fully now and embraced Riku, his own tears running down his cheeks. He knew he couldn't imagine what Riku went through, nor did he try to. He just embraced Riku and rubbed his back the way Riku had done so many times before.
Sometimes, all it took was someone actually being there to start the healing.
"She died two days after arriving at the hospital. I was the one who found her dead."
Riku tightened his grip around Sora's waist.
"I turned into a heartless bastard after that. No one could, or even tried, to save me from my downward spiral. My brother moved off the island after the funeral, my dad stayed isolated in his room with a bottle of scotch, and my friends patted me on the back and said 'Everything will be okay, Riku, just you wait.' I expected the same reaction from everyone. Then Taiyou came along. He taught me how to feel again and that life wasn't something you just put up with. He saved me from myself, Sora."
Silence greeted them once more, and the two boys were just content with the embrace. Heart pounding, Sora ran through the traumatic event Riku just told him. Riku had suffered as much as he has, and he's dealt with that alone; no support, no encouragement, and no one to confide in. He's had this inner battle that he's been fighting and the people around him have done nothing but stand by and watch. Taiyou didn't even seem to be doing anything to help Riku right now even though it's clear that Riku is still suffering. Sora felt angry and disappointed at the people who were supposed to be his friends. Riku's voice was laced with so much pain and anguish, and he knew first hand that after two years, some of the pain should have been taken care off. Sora knew his own torment hadn't particularly been dealt with, but that was because no one knew of what he actually gone through. Not even Kairi. But with Riku, Taiyou was supposed to be the one to help ease some of that pain.
Sora looked down. Riku's eyes were closed, his breathing was steady and light, and for the first time today, he looked completely at peace. The signs of stress, pain, and inner torture had melted away, making Sora smile softly at the sight.
It was...beautiful to see Riku this way.
Scooting over to the bed and leaning against it with Riku still in his arms, Sora settled for a small nap himself, hoping that Riku could finally have some inner peace.
^*^
"You really have been helpful, Joyce."
"Well, I do what I can, Kairi dear, but where is your boy toy and his sexy silver-haired friend?"
Kairi laughed aloud, amusement twinkling in her eyes. Joyce had quite the crush on Riku, to Taiyou's dismay, and the fifty-two year old nurse asked about him everyday. It was the funniest thing she'd encountered since her bad English lesson.
"They had some business to sort out. Sorry Joyce."
Even though her tone was playful, Kairi couldn't help but worry about what events transpired during their meeting. She knew for sure that someone was going to get hurt, and none of those boys deserved that. Life was actually starting to become tolerable for Kairi: the nurses and doctors took great care of her, Sora treated her like a queen, and her friends instantly cheered her up by showering her with presents and stupid, but funny jokes. The nightmares were still there, but Sora was always there to help her pull through.
Her staying here didn't make her feel like 'damaged goods' as Kado put it.
She frowned. It was going on 7:00 and she hadn't received any calls from Sora, Riku, or Taiyou. Were they still talking or did something happen to them? ~Please let them be okay.~
"Kairi, are you alright?"
Joyce watched Kairi with concern, causing the girl to smile with appreciation. "I'm fine."
She prayed that Sora, Riku, and Taiyou were fine as well.
^*^
Soft breath tickling his ear was the first thing he noticed as he opened his eyes. He felt light for the first time in ages - like a burden was lifted - and he knew exactly who to thank for that. Sora did the one thing no one else has done in a long time: he embraced him and just listened. No interruptions for advice or comments of sympathy. Those were his confessions, and after all they had gone through and after all the things he said, Sora was still here, still going strong when he had the chance to walk away and say 'Everything will be fine, Riku, just you wait.' It was truly admirable.
Riku looked up and studied the sleeping boy. Even though he was the one who comforted Sora most of the time, Sora had understood in a way that no one else could. Their conversations over the past couple of weeks were ones that he cherished simply because Sora understood and acknowledged his opinion without disregarding it like so many others have done. Taiyou was even guilty of doing that - interrupting him by making suggestions of his own. With Sora, he could talk for hours on end, and the boy would still listen without interruptions. Perhaps it was this reason that drew Riku closer to Sora.
Besides his beauty - which Riku was intently studying right now - Sora had the ability to see through his facades and coax him out of them. There were times when Riku had to smile when he didn't feel like smiling or move at a fast pace when he felt like slowing down.
No one could recognize and help him out like that except Sora.
Caressing his cheek, Riku chuckled when Sora drowsily opened his eyes. The drowsiness, however, was quickly replaced with surprise, causing Riku to chuckle once more. He leaned up and placed a chaste kiss on the surprised boy's lips. The kiss was achingly slow, but it was definitely one of the more intense kisses the two boys shared. Already shocked, Sora shocked himself even more by responding, which in turn, scrambled his already confused thoughts. Riku pulled away and smiled, caressing his cheek again. "Thank you for listening to me."
He untangled their limbs and walked to the window when he heard loud footsteps behind him. He turned around to meet angry blue eyes. "Why did you kiss me? Our friendship- "
"What about our friendship, Sora?" Riku stated calmly. "Who or what defines what we can do in a friendship or any relationship for that matter?"
"W-Well," Sora stuttered, shifting on one foot to the next, "no one, but -"
"But what? I'm not allowed to kiss you as a thank you?"
If Sora was confused before, he was certainly a mess now. "I-I guess..."
"Since there is no rule stating that I am not allowed to kiss you as a thank you," Riku said ignoring Sora's answer, "I'll do it when I please. Of course that'll have to be ok with you. Our relationship is already in a category of its own so what harm could this do, right?"
Sora looked at the floor. It was true; most boys didn't hug or make as much physical contact as they did, nor did they talk about the things they usually talk about so this shouldn't be much of a problem for them, right?
Right?
"Yea," Sora agreed while walking to Riku. If this was going to be a deal between them, he might as well make the most of it. "You're right.
There is no rule."
Sora wrapped his arms around Riku's waist. Looking up, he gripped Riku's hair with his right hand and brought him down for a kiss. This kiss was the exact opposite of the kiss shared minutes earlier. It was fast, lacking tenderness, but making up for it with passion. Sora even dragged his tongue along Riku's bottom lip before thrusting it inside, causing the older boy to moan softly. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's shoulders to deepen the kiss. After breaking away and planting a kiss on Sora's forehead, Riku began to climb out. "That was one hell of a goodbye kiss, Sora."
And he was gone. Sora had the good graces to smile sheepishly while blushing. He leaned back against the wall next to the small open window, suddenly feeling giddy. Then a horrible realization stuck him like a bolt of lightning.
Kairi. Taiyou. They might find out about this arrangement.
He slid down the wall and muttered the first two words that came to mind: "Oh shit."
^*^
Finished! I had planned to have Leon and Cloud in this chapter, but I decided to make their appearance bigger in the next one. Please review. Constructive criticism welcome.
~MercuryGoddess~