Heart & Soul Five ♔ Sora & Roxas ♔ Video

[skyofreverie]

[Sora’s sitting on the ground while slumped up against a wall in the biodome, blood covering him from head to toe because let’s be honest - a person can’t just explode and not come back covered in the stuff. He looks utterly exhausted and like he’s not going to move anytime soon. Thankfully he’s not alone in the biodome as there’s obviously someone

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[the_daybreak]

[He's working.

It's all he can do. He can't just -- not do anything.

Roxas freaked out at him, Mera made him freeze up -- but being alone has its limits, and he can only do nothing for so long.

So he works and works and drives himself into a frenzy. He remembers still that he told everyone he wanted to have a party for Mera -- but he's doing everything himself right now. He's not resentful -- he's doing it by himself because he hasn't followed up with anyone. He hasn't asked anyone to help him, reminded them that the event is still going to happen.

He's just working. It's therapeutic, really, using things snagged from the rec room to create little silly things. But his heart really isn't in it, and inspiration is drying up quickly.

Riku has been ignoring the network. He doesn't see Sora post, he doesn't see Roxas collect him. He just... can't care.

Tonight, observations went up. He does not look to see if Sora is terminated -- he can't. It would make him shut down even more.

So he works. Something will happen eventually.]

[skyofreverie]

[If by 'something will happen eventually' Riku means Sora will eventually go back to their room then he's completely right. It may have taken a while considering Roxas made him stay until he got more healing and it's such a long trip up to their room even on a good day but hey, he's here lingering in the doorway.

Oh, and that's Sora's shoe whipping by Riku's head.] I missed.

[Don't mind the little bloody Keyblader mess leaning heavily on the doorframe.]

[the_daybreak]

[The shoe smacks against the wall behind him. Riku's nose is filled with the scent of the sea and magic and just Sora, but it's mixed with blood and exhaustion and his eyes widen. His entire body goes rigid, and he doesn't look up.

This isn't real.

This can't be real -- it can't be... Sora can't be here. Sora's dead right now. Sora could be terminated for all he knows.

But that was his voice, and his scent, and his presence is filling the room. And suddenly, he's scared. Because what if he looks up and the boy isn't there?]

[skyofreverie]

[At this moment Sora can completely relate to what Riku's feeling having been through one of Riku's deaths and a termination. There's disbelief and suppressing that urge to hope that it might be real - a deep ache that it might not be real. It's a jumble of emotions making a stomach churn but Sora can't close the last few steps because he's sure he'd become a crumpled kid on the floor if he tries. So Sora's completely intent on getting Riku to come to him.]

I'd throw my other shoe but I don't have the energy or the aim so get your butt over here so I can hit you with it.

[the_daybreak]

[He drags in a breath, trying so hard, so hard not to get his hopes up. He's terrified, to say the least -- so scared that this won't be what he wants. Why would it be? What did he do to deserve something so wonderful? He hasn't done anything but hurt everybody else's feelings lately.

He sits, silent, hands in his lap. The party implements beneath them seem insignificant -- they're crumpled little happy things, but they seem very distant. Riku isn't sure what to do. If he looks up, he'll dispel the illusion. He wants to hear that boy's voice some more.]

[skyofreverie]

[Sora can't stay on his feet anymore so he slides down to sit on the floor using the doorframe for support. His remaining shoe is dangling in his hand between his legs. There's a loud thunk of his head resting very heavily on the wall.]

Snap out of it, Riku. I wanna get clean and just sleep for days but I can't do it by myself.

[the_daybreak]

[He moves, then, and the paper rustles to the floor. He doesn't seem to notice as he steps on it, moving toward Sora. Even now, though, the idea that this is really Sora seems like a mean-spirited prank to him -- it's just his sleep-deprived brain, making up something that he wants. Tomorrow, he'll wake up and Sora will be gone again. But even so, he gathers the boy into his arms, careful not to jangle him up too much. Slowly, without a word during the trip, he returns to the bed and deposits the other there. Then, quietly:]

... I'm sorry.

[skyofreverie]

[Normally Sora would struggle if he got picked up by Riku because a lot of the time his husband did it just to have him struggle or pout or get some other sort of reaction out of him but this time he just lets himself be carried. Once he's on the bed there's that shoe he said he was going to hit Riku with, only it might as well have been a light tap to the older boy's shoulder.]

You're forgiven. [He drops his shoe onto the floor and starts peeling off his gloves carefully. Roxas' spell helped and closed up a lot of the wounds but they are still pretty tender which is why he got rid of his shoes a long time ago. Once the gloves are off he raises his fingers to Riku's cheek.] I'm sorry I was gone for so long.

[the_daybreak]

[He settles onto the bed beside him, the lump in his throat tight. He deserved so much more than that little tap -- but really, there's nothing he can do.

He twitches lightly when Sora touches him

(it's not real, it's not real)

but he doesn't move. He simply breathes, irregular and trembling. He's not sure what to say to that -- how is it Sora's fault at all, when he...]

[skyofreverie]

[When Riku doesn't say anything it makes Sora frown deeply. Why wasn't Riku mad at him for dying? He had to be a little mad about it - Sora would have been - had been when Riku died.

For a moment he doesn't say anything before wrapping his arms around Riku's waist and hugging him as tightly as he can. The wince of having his wounds pressed tight against fabric is hidden in Riku's chest. His voice is muffled.] Say something, jerk.

[the_daybreak]

[Why would he ever be... mad? Dying wasn't something that Sora could have helped. Riku... had asked to be killed.

The weight of the boy startles him -- startles him so much that he makes a small little noise, a choke. His eyes are prickling, he realizes -- but he refuses to cry, refuses to let Sora see that. He simply bites down on the inside of his cheek, hard -- and when the sensation of wanting to break passes, he... finally lets out the breath he was holding.]

I'm sorry. I -- if I... you'll go.

[skyofreverie]

[Maybe because if there had been a choice Sora would have offered himself up in someone else's place during that trap.

Sora wouldn't say anything if Riku cried. Zeus knows that he's cried plenty of times in this place over people dying. Without breaking his hug Sora pinches his husband as hard as he can as if proving a point.]

I'm not going anywhere. [Despite sounding so weary Sora's voice is filled with truthfulness and determination.] Do I need to pinch you a bunch of times to prove it?

[the_daybreak]

It's... it's okay.

[That really hurt, though, and he sits quietly, a hand over the place Sora pinched him. He doesn't mean to be this way -- he's not sure what to do about it. He wants to explain that everything is, somehow, his fault -- if he'd been there, maybe he could have changed things, but he wasn't.

Eventually, his thoughts cease -- he simply... pillows his head on Sora's shoulder. All this moping and worrying has honestly tired him out, but he... doesn't want the boy to go anywhere. He doesn't want to be alone anymore, going days at a time without a word to anyone else.]

[skyofreverie]

Good.

[This was exactly why he wanted to get to Riku rather than just sitting around because ever since they were little it always seemed as if Riku thought he was responsible for Sora's well-being. It would probably always be that way and Sora didn't really mind it a lot of the time but when things went wrong Riku had this tendency to want to beat himself up for it. So he just stays like that, arms around his husband, Riku on his shoulder for a good while.

Then he pulls back a little, still close enough to feel the heat radiating off of his husband but the chill of his blood cooling against his skin and clothes makes his shiver.] Help me get these clothes off before they start sticking to me. I wanna take a bath before bed.

[the_daybreak]

[He lets in a shuddering breath, then nods, disentangling himself from the boy. He's scared to turn around, to stop looking at him -- what if he disappears? But he has to help Sora out. And so he nods, standing to help him out.]

I'll bring you to the bathroom.

[skyofreverie]

[Sora can just tell how Riku feels, mostly because he feels the same way and it's not the first time he's just wanted to keep hold of someone. Except Sora doesn't think he can physically move another inch on his feet so he lifts both arms and smiles at Riku innocently - even though it's not all that innocent and more playful.]

Carry me? [He's always been such a baby when he got sick - obviously it's the same when he's severely injured.]