Fan Fiction ❯ Wings ❯ Return ( Chapter 4 )

Usual disclaimer: I don't own anyone or any place featured in this fic. OK, I made up a couple of rooms, but hey - you never see the bathrooms in Star Trek either.

 

Warnings: This fic is currently shounen-ai and will be yaoi by the time I'm through. If you can't handle two guys making out, I'm surprised you made it this far. Riku is over 18 by the time this happens - I like `em hot and legal.

Chapter 4

 

Riku stared at the feather. It stood out against the lighter stone like a slash of pure midnight. He hadn't heard a wingbeat or felt any stirring in the breeze, but Sephiroth had to be near. Fascinated, he picked it up, wondering if it had fallen by accident or if it had been left deliberately.

Riku examined the feather. It was easily as long as his forearm, with a shaft almost as thick as his little finger. He turned it back and forth, feeling the resistance as the breeze caught it, and seeing the sunlight coax forth deep highlights of blue and purple. The surface of the feather was soft, like a fine velvet. He remembered the caress of the night before, and absently stroked the end of the feather against his cheek.

With a deep breath, he brought himself back to the present. He scanned the horizon, looking for any sign of the winged swordsman. The light breeze was hardly conducive to flight, though, and he turned back toward the castle. Suddenly, the ornate architecture offered another possibility. Riku's eyes traced the lines of the wall upward until the sensation of vertigo was overwhelming. Still, there was no sign of Sephiroth. Suddenly uneasy, he retreated to the relative safety of his room.

As he walked toward the door to the hallway, he realized that he still had the feather in his hand. He'd never be able to explain that to the others if he ran into them. After some thought, he tucked the feather into the desk drawer and headed out to test his recollection.

* * * * * * *

The castle hadn't changed that much since he'd last been here. Most of the communal rooms had quietly served the same purpose regardless of what beings walked through them. Heartless may have subsisted on their victim's heart energy, but most of Ansem's other recruits had still needed more conventional nourishment.

Riku made it to the kitchen without running into the castle's other occupants and, thanks to the odd hour, he found that the kitchen itself was deserted. He threw together a quick meal, and left several coins in exchange. Heartless disintegrated pretty much the same way everywhere, so for the moment he could at least contribute in this manner.

As he finished eating, Riku considered going down to the library to find out more about Sephiroth. Since this was “his world,” it stood to reason that there might be some information available. Unfortunately, the library was also about the closest thing that the castle had to a commons area, so it was likely that somebody would be there to be curious about his research. Shaking his head, he made his way back towards his room.

Riku spent the remainder of the afternoon in his room. There wasn't much to it, but he was determined to make it as much of a home as he could. He stowed the few possessions he had managed to keep over the years, and rearranged the furniture to a more comfortable configuration. Periodically, he called the Keyblade and ran through some practice moves, but it was more for the reassurance that it would come than for the exercise.

As the sun began to set, he retrieved the feather from the drawer. In the slowly brightening artificial lights, the rich iridescence was barely visible and the feather seemed to absorb the light that fell on it. Riku was reminded of the Darkness that Ansem had brought forth, its blackness more than just an absence of light. But how could he reconcile that with what happened last night? He had to know for sure.

Summoning the Keyblade, Riku stepped out onto the lower terrace. He scanned the horizon again. The wind was picking up again, but the sky was clear. It was perfect weather for flying, but there was no sign of Sephiroth. He took a deep breath, and made his way up the staircase.

The upper terrace was deserted as well, but Riku needed answers. Determined not to be taken by surprise this time, he kept to the area just across from the stairs. The Keyblade was reassuringly solid in his hand this time; no chance of betrayal.

Despite his vigilance, Sephiroth still managed to take him off guard. His arrival on the terrace was nearly soundless. Only the faint contact of boot-leather on stone disturbed the croon of the wind. The winged swordsman had landed on the far end of the terrace, leaving Riku's path to his room unimpeded - for the moment.

“I see you decided to stay.”

Riku shrugged. “I decided not to run,” he countered.

Sephiroth chuckled. “As you say.” He looked out over the precipice, showing no concern over the blade in Riku's hands.

Riku felt a tightness in his chest. “What game are you playing?” He held the blade firmly, drawing courage from its solidity.

“What game?” Sephiroth arched an eyebrow and turned his head to face Riku. “There is only one `game' that I ever play.” He looked at the Keyblade as if noticing the massive weapon for the first time. “Do you really think that's going to be useful?”

Riku stilled the tremor that threatened to reveal itself. Sephiroth was turning now, measured steps bringing him closer to the younger man. Riku swallowed hard and raised the blade between them. “Don't try to confuse me, Sephiroth. I know you've been following me. I found your calling card.”

“Perhaps I meant you to.”

“A threat?”

“A promise.” That half-smile played across Sephiroth's lips again, and Riku's heart began to pound. Sephiroth took another step forward. Suddenly, Riku saw the tip of the Keyblade waver, and the weapon disappeared in a shower of sparks.

“What - How did you - ?”

A soft laugh rippled across the breeze. “The Keyblade can only be controlled by a Keyblade Master.” The ebon wing swept forward, and Riku was trapped in its dark embrace. He felt dizzy and gasped for breath.

Silver hair obscured his vision as Sephiroth's lips descended on his own. He inhaled the scent of leather mixed with - something else. The world outside the enveloping wing suddenly seemed miles away.

Without warning, Riku felt Sephiroth's tongue slide between his parted lips. His eyes widened in surprise as the other man explored his mouth, every contact sending an almost electric jolt through him. His knees felt unsteady, and he blindly grasped for any support. Strong arms encircled him as his fingers clutched at the supple leather coat.

A warmth began spreading through him, and the tightness in his chest sank lower. Reflexively, he pushed back with his own tongue, and felt Sephiroth's lips curve slightly. The other man chuckled deep in his throat, and the vibration seemed to drive the tightness even further down.

Surprised by his own reactions, Riku pulled back, breaking the embrace. His heart was racing, and his breath came in ragged gasps. Sephiroth smiled and stepped backwards, his hands spread. Then, with a powerful sweep of his wing, he launched into the darkness. His last words drifted back to Riku.

“Sleep well, fledgling.”

 

::fans self:: Whew! Sorry this took so long. It took me a bit longer textwise to catch that special moment. That and the feather research. ^_^> I do have a reason behind a lot of my little reoccurring bits. The good news is, I have an outline in my head for the rest of this, including how I want to end it. I'm thinking this brings me halfway or a little less. The tricky parts are always the build up, but that's what I get for wanting to read something with a little bit of a plot and some conversation with my action.