Fan Fiction ❯ Where I'll Return ❯ Riku's Resolve ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Where I'll Return
Part 3: Riku's Resolve (Revised & Reposted)
A Kingdom Hearts Fanfic
By Meruhesae
Pairings: Riku x Sora
Rating: R
Warnings: Yaoi, shounen-ai, AU-ish.

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Squaresoft, Disney, Sony, Tetsuya Nomura, the guys in the animation department that do the really cool CG effects, and a partridge in a pear tree.

NOTES: You may have noticed that I've bumped up the rating to R because eventually there will be lime, and there's a bit of nudity in the next few chapters but nothing graphic really. Also, I ended up revising a lot of stuff in this part. I think I'm really starting to like this revised version a lot better than the original one. Also, as I forgot to last time, I want to apologize for the delay in getting the last chapter out. I really did mean to have it up sooner. ^^; But yay, I have this part posted much faster! ^_^

Once again, thanks go to Lost Angel who edited the first version of this fic, and to Uzumaki-sama, my latest beta, who has got to be one of the best (if not the best) KH writers I know. And if you haven't heard of her and her awesome fics... WHAT KIND OF RIKU/SORA FAN ARE YOU!? Go read and review her stuff! ^_~

Happy reading!

=||=

Riku looked out of the Invincible's panoramic window, amazed by what he saw. Gaia was huge. To think that one world could be this big... it was incredible.

"Feeling overwhelmed?" Kuja asked him.

"I've never seen anything like it," Riku admitted.

"Yes, it is quite vast. However I don't know if you're going to be able to act the happy tourist or not, depending on how the doll feels," Kuja drawled in a slightly mocking tone.

"Will you stop calling him that already?" Riku snapped in annoyance, hoping that he wouldn't end up killing Kuja before Sora even had a chance to get well.

"Oh, don't take it so personally. You really are a jealous one, aren't you?" Kuja teased.

"Look, can we get serious for a minute? Now that we're here, we should take Sora to a doctor," Riku said.

"That won't be necessary. I assure you we will have all the provisions needed to care for him, so don't worry," Kuja assured him.

"But..."

"You should lay low for the time being, Riku. Especially considering..."

"Considering what? You said that they wouldn't find us here."

"They won't, I just don't favor being around lots of people. I also doubt you'll be able to find your way around Gaia without getting lost, especially since you have no idea where to go, do you? Sora will be fine in my palace, trust me. Or..." Kuja threw that mocking smirk at him again. "Do you doubt your own ability to care for him?"

Riku stiffened. "Fine, but if he's not better within a few days, we're taking him to a doctor. Understand?"

"Hn, I guess I can agree to that. But your presence alone seems to have calmed him," Kuja said with a smile.

Riku looked down at the one he loved, realizing Kuja was right. He did seem more relaxed now than he had been lying in that bed. It only further proved that Sora being away from his friends was hurting him. Although Kuja was cocky and a pain to listen to, Riku was glad he'd teamed up with the man, at least for the time being.

"Anyway, let's get going, shall we? Since you've got your hands full, I'll carry the girl," Kuja suggested.

Riku looked at him levelly. "You'd better not do anything to her."

Kuja gave an exasperated sigh. "Will you relax already? What's it going to take to convince you I'm on your side? No harm will come to anyone, I swear it to you."

Riku studied him for a moment, then simply nodded. Kuja had not broken any of his promises so far, but Riku wouldn't be so defensive if the man would stop acting like a stuck-up prick for more than two minutes.

Kuja had gone into the cabin to retrieve Kairi, then called for Riku to follow him to the transport pod. As they exited the airship, Riku noticed that they were surrounded by a huge desert. Once again, he felt awed, as he had never seen a desert in his life. The heat in the air felt different than the humid tropical climate he was used to, and it seemed so... empty. Nothing but sand and rocks. He frowned a little at the bland atmosphere, which Kuja did not fail to notice.

"Something wrong?" Kuja asked.

"Not really, it's just... your world looked so big from the airship. This isn't really what I was expecting," Riku told him.

"Well, this isn't the only place to see in Gaia, Riku. My palace is here because it's isolated and difficult to find. I like it that way. But the sunsets in this desert are very beautiful, and the stars are very clear at night. Tonight I could give you a little tour, if you like," Kuja offered, giving a seductive smile.

Riku glared. "I think it can wait until Sora gets better, thanks. Even then, your company isn't preferable."

"Oh, I'm only teasing you, dearest," Kuja chuckled. "I know very well what our priority is. The transporter inside is up ahead. Just follow me, and watch your step."

Riku did so, and soon they were standing on a platform with strange markings on it. A bright light suddenly shone around them, and within moments, they were standing inside what he assumed to be Kuja's palace. Once again, Riku took in his surroundings... and blinked.

Kuja's home was... interesting, to say the least. While Hollow Bastion had been quite a sight, this place had a different feel and beauty to it. There were many statues of gargoyles, angels and seraphims, and brightly polished gold ornaments and chandeliers hanging from the high vaulted ceilings. The palace adorned large glass-stained windows everywhere he looked, and it seemed more like a sanctuary or a holy shrine than a palace. Still, this place was quiet and the settings quite extravagant, and he had no doubt that Sora would rest quite comfortably here.

"Nice place," Riku remarked quietly.

"Why, thank you. I trust you're impressed?" Kuja asked him.

Riku shrugged. "Doesn't matter, so long as Sora will be comfortable here."

"He will, I assure you. Now, where are those two stupid clowns?" Kuja said, irritated that his servants were nowhere in sight. "Zorn! Thorn!"

As if on cue, a group of people entered the room, two of whom were extremely short, and a few other weird-looking ones wearing pointy hats.

"Master! It is good to have you back!"

"Master! Good to have you back, it is!"

Riku frowned at the two strange... well, he didn't know what to call them. They were two midgets dressed up like... clowns? Well, that's what Kuja had called them, and it wasn't far from the truth. Weird... but I've seen worse, he thought, thinking back to that stupid duck and the dog Sora had been with. He also had no idea what to make of the guys with the pointy hats, he could only assume they were all Kuja's servants.

"Right, right, I get the idea. Are the accommodations for my guests in order?" Kuja asked them.

"Yes Master, two guest rooms, ready to go!" the twins said in unison.

"Good. This is Riku," Kuja said, pointing at the green eyed boy. "He will be taking care of his sick friend you see there, and they will remain here until the boy fully recovers. Give him anything he requires. This girl is in a comatose state and is to rest and not be bothered. Understand?"

"Yes, Master!" Zorn and Thorn chimed, while the other servants nodded silently.

"Good, now go see about getting some dinner served. One of you black mages, come with us and lead us to the rooms that have been prepared," Kuja ordered.

Riku could only stare as Kuja spouted off orders to everyone, seeing for the first time a sense of authority and, to his surprise, seriousness within the man. Nevertheless, his servants seemed loyal to him and followed his orders without hesitation. Riku found himself wondering once more just what kind of role Kuja played in this world, and why he wanted its Keyhole sealed.

"Just follow me, Riku. There are many stairs and passageways, so it might be a little easy to get lost," Kuja said. They walked further inside the palace, and again Riku stared at the place in fascination. More statues, more windows like in the last room. His parents had liked artsy stuff like this, but it all looked far more elaborate and expensive than anything that had ever been in his house. All this luxury, and Kuja claimed it was just him and his servants living here? The man certainly was materialistic.

"Kuja, if this place is underground, how is it you have so many windows?" Riku asked him.

"This palace is built on the inside of a mountain. It's also surrounded by pools of quicksand, guarded by Mist monsters," Kuja told him.

"Mist monsters?"

"Remember when I told you Gaia already had its fair share of monsters? Those would be Mist monsters. It's hard to go anywhere without bumping into one, and many of them are very strong. Sometimes you can run away and avoid them, but other times you won't be so lucky."

"Why do I get the feeling you have more to do with that than you're letting on?" Riku said, glaring at him.

"You're accusing moi? Riku love, I'm hurt," Kuja remarked with a pout.

Riku rolled his eyes, taking note to pulverize Kuja the next time he called him another pet name.

They climbed a long, transparent staircase that had a strange look to it, almost as if it were made out of the sunlight itself. They went down a corridor, until they reached two sets of double doors.

"I'll put the girl in here to rest. I promise you she'll be safe and undisturbed," Kuja said. As the black mage opened the door, Kuja addressed him. "Let Riku into the other room, and bring him a medicine chest and some towels."

"Yes, sir." The mage left and Kuja made sure Kairi was safe in the bed before heading next door.

Riku had already put Sora under the covers, who was still sleeping but his breathing had become heavy and he appeared to be sweating.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Riku dear, but you'd better strip him. Those clothes look awfully thick and it can't be helping his fever."

Riku glared at him. "Don't call me dear."

Kuja laughed, that familiar smirk appearing on his face. "Anyway, do make yourself comfortable. Through that other doorway is the bathing room, which I am sure you will find to your liking. I could have prepared a third guest room but I figured you'd want some quality time with lover boy here. The bed certainly is big enough," he added with a sneer.

"How thoughtful of you," Riku snorted as he began to peel Sora's clothing off. He tried not to stare at Sora's slender body as he stripped the boy down to a pair of white boxers, but then gave in to the temptation. Gods, Sora was so beautiful, even in his ill state. Now that he had Sora with him again, he would not let him go, ever. He'd die before he was separated from the one he loved again.

"He really is cute," Kuja purred, and Riku fumed, realizing that he too was enjoying the view. He covered Sora's mostly naked form with a sheet and threw Kuja a death glare.

"Don't you dare get any ideas, you bastard, or I'll kill you slowly," Riku promised, his eyes narrowing.

"Ooh, so protective! Really, is that any way to talk to the person who is so generously opening his grand home to you? You should learn to be more appreciative," Kuja taunted.

Riku was about to snap back at him when the black mage from before came back into the room with the items Kuja requested. Kuja instructed him to place everything on the table, and dismissed him.

"Let me show you the potions. After all, we don't want you to go giving him the wrong ones." Kuja opened the chest and removed a few bottles. "This one is a Vaccine potion, it will help with his fever. Let him rest for now, but when he's conscious enough, try to make him drink at least half of it. The other bottles are Hi-potions, not so different from the ones you've probably seen. Concentrate on breaking his fever first, then give him these. If you need more, just put your hand on that blue orb in the corner, and you will talk to one of my servants. Think you can handle it, or should I have a servant help you?"

"Don't bother, I can do it," Riku said, examining the bottles closely.

"Fine. I'll see about having some food sent up. I doubt he will wake up anytime soon so I'll just tell them to send enough for one."

"Thanks... I guess."

"Hn. Don't mention it. Just make sure you hold up your end of the deal. As soon as he's well, we look for the Keyhole and lock it."

"Sora will have no problem with your request. When I went into the hotel and told him I was taking him, he said he couldn't go, that he needed to seal the Keyholes. He'll probably be ecstatic."

Kuja smiled. "Good, then. Remember to use that orb if you need anything. I have some work to do in my study, so enjoy your quality time with the little doll."

Riku glared at him as he left.

=||=

"Kidnapped?"

Cloud had a surprised look on his face, while Hercules and Phil weren't nearly as good at containing their shock.

"How did this happen!?" Hercules asked.

"And right before the tournament, too! Who in Zeus' name did this?" Phil said.

"It was Riku, a friend of Sora's. I really don't think Sora's in any danger, but we do need to find him," Goofy said.

"Why did he take him?" Cloud asked quietly.

"Because he's crazy, that's why!" Donald spat.

"Donald!" Goofy scolded.

"Why don't you think he's in danger?" Cloud asked Goofy.

"Well, ya see... Sora got sick, and he was out of it for two days and not getting better. Riku found out, and figured we weren't taking care of him properly, so he took Sora away thinking he'd do a better job," Goofy told him.

"Yeah, and we also think that he's been siding with the Heartless! Can't forget that little detail!" Donald snapped.

"Well, I still think Sora's gonna be okay. And you heard what Merlin said, we don't have to worry."

"THINK, Goofy! Didn't you hear what Riku said? Even if we do find them we're gonna have to fight him to get Sora back, and who knows what that'll lead to?" Donald said.

"Sure sounds like he went to a lot of trouble to take the kid. And you say this guy was a friend of his? Rather protective of the little squirt, ain't he?" Phil remarked.

"Ha! Obsessed is more like it!" Donald amended.

"We'll keep an eye out for the kid. Don't worry," Hercules told them.

Meanwhile, Cloud was deep in thought. So, Sora was missing. If the kid really was the true Keyblade Master, this didn't bode well for the future. He didn't want to admit it, but he really liked the kid. He had lots of potential, and after fighting him, he knew that Sora would be able to hold his own. Idly, he wondered if this "Riku" was the person Sora said he'd been looking for.

Cloud spoke quietly. "Did Sora find what he was looking for? His light, I mean."

Donald and Goofy blinked at the question.

"He said he was looking for someone. Did he find them?"

"Uh, well... Sora was looking for two friends, and Riku was one of them. I don't think he's found the other yet, but Riku pretty much said he knew where she was. So he could be with both of them now, but... we don't know for sure," Goofy told him.

Saying nothing to this, Cloud only looked upwards. You'd better not forget what I told you, Sora. If you've found your light, don't you dare lose sight of it.

=||=

As soon as Kuja left, Riku set to work. Sora was still in a deep sleep, so he decided to wait until later to make him take the medicine. He took the towels into the bathroom to dampen them, surprised to see a large tub that could fit five adults easily, and a shower stall that could probably fit just as many. When Kuja had said "palace" he wasn't kidding.

Returning to the bedroom, he put a smaller towel on Sora's forehead, and one of the larger ones across his chest. Looking down, he noticed Sora's boxer shorts were damp with sweat, and he contemplated on if he should take them off or not.

Riku gulped. He knew he would be sleeping in the same bed as Sora, and if Sora was... naked, right there next to him... dear gods, he didn't know if he'd be able to control himself. The thought of it drove him crazy.

Still... he doubted those damp boxers felt comfortable. Giving in, he carefully removed them, trying to keep his eyes averted. But his control didn't last, and he found himself staring at Sora's naked form.

You really are beautiful, Sora, Riku thought, studying every muscle, every curve of that petite frame, trying to drink in as much of Sora as he could without touching him; which was getting harder to do by the second.

And worse yet, Riku felt his body beginning to respond in an almost uncomfortable way, making him clench his teeth in frustration. He had wanted Sora for so long, and here the boy was, naked and bare before him like some kind of forbidden fruit he longed to taste.

A knock on the door halted his fantasies, and he quickly covered the lower half of Sora's body with the sheet before telling his visitor to come in. It was another of Kuja's black mage servants, bringing him his dinner. The servant also brought some books and other reading material on Gaia, compliments from Kuja. After setting everything on the table, Riku excused him, glad he now had something else to focus on and get his mind off of... other things.

When Riku uncovered the lids to the dinner plates, he realized just how hungry he was when he saw all the food. It was some kind of meat dish with steamed potatoes on the side, some bread rolls and a large slice of cake. Before eating, he checked once more to make sure Sora was resting comfortably, and then dug into his meal. Everything was quite delicious, especially the cake. It seemed like it had been so long since he'd had sweets. Since leaving home he'd tried all sorts of different foods, and suddenly found himself longing for one of the pies Sora's mother would always make for them. Still, one thing he didn't miss was having to eat fish constantly; having meat and potatoes was a welcome change.

After finishing his food, he went to replace the wet cloths he left on Sora's body, wiping his brow and face.

"Hnn..."

"Sora? Sora, are you awake?"

Sora's eyes opened just slightly, trying to take in the surroundings. His blurry vision could make out a familiar pair of green eyes looking at him intently.

"Ri...ku...?"

"I'm here, Sora. You're safe now. Do you think you can sit up for me?"

"I..."

Riku noticed the boy was still extremely groggy. "I'll help you. I need you to drink a little bit of this medicine for me, okay?" Riku reached for the bottle of Vaccine potion and opened it, then supported Sora's back as he lifted him off the bed.

"Open up," he said as he brought the bottle to Sora's lips. Sora seemed to obey despite his confused state, and Riku tilted the bottle to let its contents slide down Sora's throat. The medicine made the boy cough and gag slightly.

"It's okay, Sora. Try to drink a little more."

Riku managed to get Sora to drink half of the bottle like Kuja had told him to, and lay him back down on the bed. "Good boy. Just take it easy, okay?"

"Riku... are you still... mad at me?"

Riku caressed his friend's face softly. "Of course not, Sora. I could never stay mad at you. Get some more sleep now, and you'll be back to normal. I promise."

Riku stood up to take the potion back to the medicine chest, when a hand flew out to grasp his arm.

"Riku, don't go. I'm sorry. Don't go..."

Hearing the pain in Sora's voice, Riku grasped his friend's hand and leaned down to embrace him, whispering in his ear.

"It's okay, Sora, I'm here. I'm right here. Everything's going to be fine now."

The tensing in Sora's body seemed to cease, and the he relaxed, curling up closer to Riku as if his friend's presence was the only thing that could give him peace. Riku tightened his embrace on Sora, stroking his fingers through brown hair as he soothed his friend back to sleep.

Riku was happy, just being able to hold Sora like this. He so desperately wanted to tell Sora how much he loved him, but at the same time, he wanted to keep quiet, because he was terrified that Sora would be disgusted by his feelings. Or, if by some miracle he returned them, Kairi might be hurt. He knew Kairi always liked Sora better than him, and true, sometimes Riku was jealous of the girl and the way Sora sometimes doted on her; but she was still his friend and he didn't want to hurt her.

But his love for Sora had been bottled up for too long, and now it was spurting out uncontrollably and knew he just had to confess to the younger boy.

At that moment, looking down at Sora and seeing how peacefully the boy slept in his embrace, Riku decided. Once Sora was better, he'd tell him his feelings, he would keep Sora by his side and this time, and he would surely kill anyone who tried to separate them again.

And if that does happen... then heaven help whoever gets in my way.

END PART 3.

Wee! Another chapter done! The last part got less reviews than the first one, and it made me sad, so... everyone, please review, pretty, pretty, pretty please??? Thank you!