[08.] Eternal Optimism
Title: Eternal Optimism
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Claim: Cloud/Riku
Theme: [08.] Young
Word Count: 1,576
Rating: R/M
Summary: Riku was too young to be caught up in all this darkness. He’s messed up, lost, confused, but eternally optimistic, and Cloud can’t help but feel that if Riku can find hope, so can he.
Disclaimer: If I was affiliated with Square Enix or Disney, I wouldn’t be writing fanfiction. I am not making any money off this trifle of a story.
Author’s Note: This didn’t come out at all the way I thought it would. I mean, at all. When I started writing this, Leon and Yuffie were not in this segment, but . . . now they are. I love when characters pop their heads in and push me out of the driver’s seat.
Refer to the prompt table for previous installments. Thanks!
A nagging, empty feeling traveled through Cloud when he packed up his things to board the Gummi Ship. It used to be a relief to leave Hollow Bastion; gratitude for not finding Sephiroth in this decrepit town overwhelmed him. These days, Hollow Bastion was more like home than it had been in ages. Things almost felt the way they used to before the Heartless came, when Hollow Bastion was a place of comfort. Then again, Hollow Bastion was the place where he’d met Riku, and Riku had a way of reminding him of times when things weren’t so dark, when Cloud himself was less jaded.
In a way, Riku had a way of making him feel like a love-sick teenager again.
At the rate Sora was sealing keyholes and knocking out Maleficent’s cohorts, though, Cloud figured it was only a matter of time before Sora sealed up Hollow Bastion and wiped out Maleficent for good. At least Cloud could hope. Maybe then everyone could come back and they could start rebuilding Hollow Bastion-make it the way it used to be.
Then Riku could be free from Maleficent, he and Sora could make up, and home would really be home again.
Cloud stood at the hatch on the Gummi Ship and looked across the town before entering.
~*~
Olympus Coliseum seemed like a good place to start for his travels. Phil had said Cloud could stop by any time to participate in the games, and Cloud thought it might be a nice distraction. Thoughts of Sephiroth, Riku, Hollow Bastion, and Maleficent itched at his thoughts. Fighting in a tournament might be fun.
He couldn’t thank Cid enough for the warp gummi; it beat taking days or weeks to travel across worlds. Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out the cell phone. He had three messages.
Aerith, Yuffie, Aerith.
No Riku.
Cloud sighed. He really ought to head back to Traverse Town and let them know he was still alive. Going into the contact menu, Cloud allowed his finger to hover over Riku’s number. It was pointless to call. There was that emergency meeting today now that Jafar was defeated, and for all he knew, Maleficent was occupying Riku’s time with orders about kidnapping princesses while stringing him along with empty promises.
He was too young for this. Riku was only fifteen years old. Young enough to have spats with Sora over new friends. Young enough to confuse Sora’s intentions as self-centered when surely Sora hadn’t realized he’d even offended his friend.
Sora, if you asked Cloud, was too young at fourteen to be a Keyblade master as well, but no one seemed interested in Cloud’s opinion.
Then again, Cloud was acting like a child himself, obsessing over his phone messages like a little girl waiting for her boyfriend to call. He supposed he had little to no place to talk.
When the Gummi landed in Olympus Coliseum, Cloud grabbed his bag and stepped out of the ship. He just latched the hatch and turned around when a small body barreled into him, shrieking loudly enough to make Cloud wince.
Cloud knew that shriek all too well.
“What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you for a while! Squallie boy and me are participating in the Pegasus Cup. What have you been up to?”
“Yuffie, why don’t you let Cloud catch his breath,” said Leon.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry,” said Yuffie, releasing her grip on Cloud and taking a step back.
“So what are you two doing here?” said Cloud.
“Yuffie was getting bored just hanging around in Traverse Town,” said Leon. “Sora mentioned fighting in the last tournament here, and Yuffie started getting ideas.”
“I wanted to fight, too!”
“And I got dragged along for the ride. So now we’re competing in the Pegasus Cup. What are you doing here?”
“I was coming to see about the games, actually,” said Cloud.
“I think the Pegasus Cup’s full, but Phil’s taking names for the next tournament already.”
“I’ll see about that, then.”
“Aw, but I wanna fight with Cloud,” said Yuffie. “You can enter with us! Then we can all fight together!”
“I don’t think that would be very fair,” said Cloud. “You and Leon as a team is already a lethal combination without throwing me into it.”
Cloud took off towards the doors to the Coliseum.
“Sure,” said Leon, catching up with him. “Leave me alone with Yuffie.”
Cloud smirked.
“I’m not leaving you alone with her. I’ll hang around and watch you guys fight.”
“You’re leaving me alone with her and you know it.”
“I suppose.”
“I hate you.”
“I’m still here, you know!” said Yuffie, stomping her foot.
“Not my problem you followed us,” said Cloud. Leon chuckled.
“I’m not that bad!”
“I never said you were. I just don’t know where you get all that energy.”
“You just say that because you’re old and I’m still young.”
“Sora’s young; you don’t see him bouncing.”
“Actually . . .” said Leon.
“Good point. Never mind.”
“Fine. You two be cold, unfeeling boys since you’re too grown up for me. I’m off to practice.”
Yuffie skipped past them and ran for the Coliseum doors before disappearing inside.
“What have you been up?” said Leon.
“Not much. You?”
“Teaching the baby Keyblade master everything he needs to know and dealing with Yuffie. You got off easy.”
“Right, because Sephiroth is a picnic.”
“You know that’s not what I mean.”
“How is Sora doing?”
“Eternally optimistic. I think it’s being fourteen.”
“Doubt it. We were always the eternal pessimists.”
“Maybe it’s the Keyblade.”
“Must be.”
“Aerith’s been concerned about you.”
“Aerith is always concerned about me.”
“She thinks there’s something going on with you. Don’t take this the wrong way . . .”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“She thinks you’re acting like you used to with Zack.”
Cloud snorted.
“Before he died or after?”
“Before.”
“So what way am I supposed to take that?”
“Are you seeing someone?”
Cloud bit his lip. Sometimes he hated having friends who could read him so well.
“They’re involved with the darkness, aren’t they?”
“Aerith say that, too?”
“No, but she’s thinking it. I’m inclined to agree with her.”
“So what if I am?”
“Just be careful, Cloud. I thought this Sephiroth thing was about finding your light and battling your darkness.”
“That is what it’s about.”
“So what are you doing with someone in the darkness?”
“It’s not like that, Leon. He . . . yeah, he’s with the darkness, but . . . he’s not evil. There’s a lot of light in him, too. He’s just . . . young. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, yet.”
“You sound like you’re babysitting.”
“I’m not babysitting.”
“How young are we talking about?”
Cloud sighed.
“Fifteen.”
“Holy shit.”
“He’s just young, that’s all. I mean, he acts older than that, but there are some things about him that are just . . . well, like a fifteen year old boy. He’s not afraid of the darkness. He handles himself like an adult. It’s just . . . he tends to look at things without realizing the full extent of the consequences. He’s a little too trusting. He’s mixed up in the darkness the way I am; he doesn’t think he has another option right now.”
“He’s using the darkness, you mean.”
“Yeah. It’s the only resource he’s got. If I were in his position, I’d do the exact same thing.”
“What’s his name?”
“Can’t tell you that.”
“That worries me.”
“It shouldn’t. It’s just . . . I promised him I wouldn’t. And I’d prefer if you didn’t tell Aerith or Yuffie about this, either.”
“Cloud, just tell me one thing.”
“What?”
“Are you in love with him?”
Cloud sighed.
“I don’t know. I suppose . . . I suppose I am.”
“Just be careful, okay?”
“This is just between us, right?”
“Sure. When have I ever spilled your secrets?”
“Never. Just hoped you weren’t planning on starting now.”
“Don’t worry about it, just look after yourself.”
“I am.”
~*~
Cloud pressed end on his phone and looked up at the sky hanging over Olympus Coliseum.
They were under the same sky. He liked that idea.
Riku was young-too young to be caught up in so much darkness, but there was still so much light in him yet. Cloud hoped that light wouldn’t burn out. Riku had a way of helping him see the light in himself; a way of making him feel young again, too.
“That your boyfriend?” said Leon, walking up beside him. Cloud nodded. “So that’s why you wanted the phones.”
“Yeah.”
“How’s he doing?”
“As messed up as ever.”
“Which is why you’re smiling-“
“No, I’m smiling because despite being all messed up, he’s still eternally optimistic.”
“Maybe it is being young then, and we just grew up too fast.”
“It would explain why Yuffie never stops bouncing.”
“Does your boyfriend bounce?”
“He’d probably stab his eyes out first.”
Leon smiled.
“I like him already.”
They stood in silence staring up at the sky.
“He makes you feel like there’s hope, doesn’t he?” said Leon. “He’s only fifteen, and fucked up, and lost in the darkness, but he’s still optimistic. Makes you feel optimistic.”
“Yeah.”
“And the age doesn’t bother you?”
“Nope. Too much bad shit going on right now to be concerned with a number.”
“I hope this works out for you.”
“Me too.”
( Prompt Table) 08/100 Completed
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Claim: Cloud/Riku
Theme: [08.] Young
Word Count: 1,576
Rating: R/M
Summary: Riku was too young to be caught up in all this darkness. He’s messed up, lost, confused, but eternally optimistic, and Cloud can’t help but feel that if Riku can find hope, so can he.
Disclaimer: If I was affiliated with Square Enix or Disney, I wouldn’t be writing fanfiction. I am not making any money off this trifle of a story.
Author’s Note: This didn’t come out at all the way I thought it would. I mean, at all. When I started writing this, Leon and Yuffie were not in this segment, but . . . now they are. I love when characters pop their heads in and push me out of the driver’s seat.
Refer to the prompt table for previous installments. Thanks!
A nagging, empty feeling traveled through Cloud when he packed up his things to board the Gummi Ship. It used to be a relief to leave Hollow Bastion; gratitude for not finding Sephiroth in this decrepit town overwhelmed him. These days, Hollow Bastion was more like home than it had been in ages. Things almost felt the way they used to before the Heartless came, when Hollow Bastion was a place of comfort. Then again, Hollow Bastion was the place where he’d met Riku, and Riku had a way of reminding him of times when things weren’t so dark, when Cloud himself was less jaded.
In a way, Riku had a way of making him feel like a love-sick teenager again.
At the rate Sora was sealing keyholes and knocking out Maleficent’s cohorts, though, Cloud figured it was only a matter of time before Sora sealed up Hollow Bastion and wiped out Maleficent for good. At least Cloud could hope. Maybe then everyone could come back and they could start rebuilding Hollow Bastion-make it the way it used to be.
Then Riku could be free from Maleficent, he and Sora could make up, and home would really be home again.
Cloud stood at the hatch on the Gummi Ship and looked across the town before entering.
~*~
Olympus Coliseum seemed like a good place to start for his travels. Phil had said Cloud could stop by any time to participate in the games, and Cloud thought it might be a nice distraction. Thoughts of Sephiroth, Riku, Hollow Bastion, and Maleficent itched at his thoughts. Fighting in a tournament might be fun.
He couldn’t thank Cid enough for the warp gummi; it beat taking days or weeks to travel across worlds. Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out the cell phone. He had three messages.
Aerith, Yuffie, Aerith.
No Riku.
Cloud sighed. He really ought to head back to Traverse Town and let them know he was still alive. Going into the contact menu, Cloud allowed his finger to hover over Riku’s number. It was pointless to call. There was that emergency meeting today now that Jafar was defeated, and for all he knew, Maleficent was occupying Riku’s time with orders about kidnapping princesses while stringing him along with empty promises.
He was too young for this. Riku was only fifteen years old. Young enough to have spats with Sora over new friends. Young enough to confuse Sora’s intentions as self-centered when surely Sora hadn’t realized he’d even offended his friend.
Sora, if you asked Cloud, was too young at fourteen to be a Keyblade master as well, but no one seemed interested in Cloud’s opinion.
Then again, Cloud was acting like a child himself, obsessing over his phone messages like a little girl waiting for her boyfriend to call. He supposed he had little to no place to talk.
When the Gummi landed in Olympus Coliseum, Cloud grabbed his bag and stepped out of the ship. He just latched the hatch and turned around when a small body barreled into him, shrieking loudly enough to make Cloud wince.
Cloud knew that shriek all too well.
“What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you for a while! Squallie boy and me are participating in the Pegasus Cup. What have you been up to?”
“Yuffie, why don’t you let Cloud catch his breath,” said Leon.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry,” said Yuffie, releasing her grip on Cloud and taking a step back.
“So what are you two doing here?” said Cloud.
“Yuffie was getting bored just hanging around in Traverse Town,” said Leon. “Sora mentioned fighting in the last tournament here, and Yuffie started getting ideas.”
“I wanted to fight, too!”
“And I got dragged along for the ride. So now we’re competing in the Pegasus Cup. What are you doing here?”
“I was coming to see about the games, actually,” said Cloud.
“I think the Pegasus Cup’s full, but Phil’s taking names for the next tournament already.”
“I’ll see about that, then.”
“Aw, but I wanna fight with Cloud,” said Yuffie. “You can enter with us! Then we can all fight together!”
“I don’t think that would be very fair,” said Cloud. “You and Leon as a team is already a lethal combination without throwing me into it.”
Cloud took off towards the doors to the Coliseum.
“Sure,” said Leon, catching up with him. “Leave me alone with Yuffie.”
Cloud smirked.
“I’m not leaving you alone with her. I’ll hang around and watch you guys fight.”
“You’re leaving me alone with her and you know it.”
“I suppose.”
“I hate you.”
“I’m still here, you know!” said Yuffie, stomping her foot.
“Not my problem you followed us,” said Cloud. Leon chuckled.
“I’m not that bad!”
“I never said you were. I just don’t know where you get all that energy.”
“You just say that because you’re old and I’m still young.”
“Sora’s young; you don’t see him bouncing.”
“Actually . . .” said Leon.
“Good point. Never mind.”
“Fine. You two be cold, unfeeling boys since you’re too grown up for me. I’m off to practice.”
Yuffie skipped past them and ran for the Coliseum doors before disappearing inside.
“What have you been up?” said Leon.
“Not much. You?”
“Teaching the baby Keyblade master everything he needs to know and dealing with Yuffie. You got off easy.”
“Right, because Sephiroth is a picnic.”
“You know that’s not what I mean.”
“How is Sora doing?”
“Eternally optimistic. I think it’s being fourteen.”
“Doubt it. We were always the eternal pessimists.”
“Maybe it’s the Keyblade.”
“Must be.”
“Aerith’s been concerned about you.”
“Aerith is always concerned about me.”
“She thinks there’s something going on with you. Don’t take this the wrong way . . .”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“She thinks you’re acting like you used to with Zack.”
Cloud snorted.
“Before he died or after?”
“Before.”
“So what way am I supposed to take that?”
“Are you seeing someone?”
Cloud bit his lip. Sometimes he hated having friends who could read him so well.
“They’re involved with the darkness, aren’t they?”
“Aerith say that, too?”
“No, but she’s thinking it. I’m inclined to agree with her.”
“So what if I am?”
“Just be careful, Cloud. I thought this Sephiroth thing was about finding your light and battling your darkness.”
“That is what it’s about.”
“So what are you doing with someone in the darkness?”
“It’s not like that, Leon. He . . . yeah, he’s with the darkness, but . . . he’s not evil. There’s a lot of light in him, too. He’s just . . . young. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, yet.”
“You sound like you’re babysitting.”
“I’m not babysitting.”
“How young are we talking about?”
Cloud sighed.
“Fifteen.”
“Holy shit.”
“He’s just young, that’s all. I mean, he acts older than that, but there are some things about him that are just . . . well, like a fifteen year old boy. He’s not afraid of the darkness. He handles himself like an adult. It’s just . . . he tends to look at things without realizing the full extent of the consequences. He’s a little too trusting. He’s mixed up in the darkness the way I am; he doesn’t think he has another option right now.”
“He’s using the darkness, you mean.”
“Yeah. It’s the only resource he’s got. If I were in his position, I’d do the exact same thing.”
“What’s his name?”
“Can’t tell you that.”
“That worries me.”
“It shouldn’t. It’s just . . . I promised him I wouldn’t. And I’d prefer if you didn’t tell Aerith or Yuffie about this, either.”
“Cloud, just tell me one thing.”
“What?”
“Are you in love with him?”
Cloud sighed.
“I don’t know. I suppose . . . I suppose I am.”
“Just be careful, okay?”
“This is just between us, right?”
“Sure. When have I ever spilled your secrets?”
“Never. Just hoped you weren’t planning on starting now.”
“Don’t worry about it, just look after yourself.”
“I am.”
~*~
Cloud pressed end on his phone and looked up at the sky hanging over Olympus Coliseum.
They were under the same sky. He liked that idea.
Riku was young-too young to be caught up in so much darkness, but there was still so much light in him yet. Cloud hoped that light wouldn’t burn out. Riku had a way of helping him see the light in himself; a way of making him feel young again, too.
“That your boyfriend?” said Leon, walking up beside him. Cloud nodded. “So that’s why you wanted the phones.”
“Yeah.”
“How’s he doing?”
“As messed up as ever.”
“Which is why you’re smiling-“
“No, I’m smiling because despite being all messed up, he’s still eternally optimistic.”
“Maybe it is being young then, and we just grew up too fast.”
“It would explain why Yuffie never stops bouncing.”
“Does your boyfriend bounce?”
“He’d probably stab his eyes out first.”
Leon smiled.
“I like him already.”
They stood in silence staring up at the sky.
“He makes you feel like there’s hope, doesn’t he?” said Leon. “He’s only fifteen, and fucked up, and lost in the darkness, but he’s still optimistic. Makes you feel optimistic.”
“Yeah.”
“And the age doesn’t bother you?”
“Nope. Too much bad shit going on right now to be concerned with a number.”
“I hope this works out for you.”
“Me too.”
( Prompt Table) 08/100 Completed