[KH] FIC: Wherein Riku is finally learning to come see Sora when he's upset
I've been trying to be good and NOT gush excessively about the RP I'm involved in because I know from long fannish experience how obnoxious it can be. Take it as a given that I'm having a blast and that conversations with Abii are generally responsible for what I post here. When I talk about how "we" were discussing something, I'm generally referring to her and our blithering about the game, the RP or our boys. ^_^ And now I AM going to natter on a bit but it's MY journal and I can do that. I want to remember where all of these came from, anyhow.
One of the aspects that fascinates us both is the development of their relationship because both of these kids have been through hell and back. They're a near-perfect match and I love them to pieces but it's not as easy as "I love you!" "I love you too!" "And they lived happily ever after." Especially not with Riku's multitude of issues. Anyhow, we were talking one night and musing about the difficulties Sora would face in trying to offer comfort to someone as fiercely independent as Riku. At this point, we're both just kind of hoping that we can eventually prod Riku into going to Sora when he's unhappy, rather than just locking it up inside and going off to mope by himself. Well, I couldn't get that conversation out of my head so instead of writing her the reply I owed her, I wrote this:
Sora brightened when he heard the door open. Riku was home! He listened to the usual sounds of someone coming in and kicking off their shoes but frowned at the sound of slow, heavy footsteps coming down the hall. You never usually heard Riku coming; he made about as much noise as a shadow did. Unless something's wrong, Sora fretted, waiting anxiously for his friend to appear in the doorway. When Riku finally did, Sora found himself biting back an exclamation of dismay.
Riku looked tired. Not in a way that had anything to do with how little sleep he'd gotten this week but in a way that spoke of having a very bad day. Sora pressed his lips together and gave Riku a quick lookover from his spot on the couch. To his relief, Riku didn't seem to be hurt, despite the dried blood staining the white band around his wrist. Cure magic was pretty amazing stuff and times like this, Sora was especially grateful for it. He just wished there was some way to erase the brittle look from his friend's face. They stared silently at each other from across the room before Riku sighed and looked away.
"Today was not a very good day," he said conversationally.
Sora fought the urge to ask questions. "Doesn't look like it," he agreed mildly. The flash of relief that passed across Riku's face made him glad he'd held his tongue, no matter how hard it was to keep silent. He was furiously thinking of what he could do for Riku instead - tea? food? a hot shower? - when Riku pushed himself away from the doorframe he'd been leaning on and trudged across the room to the couch where Sora sat. He looked down at Sora for a long moment, expression blank as shadows moved behind his eyes. Finally, he sighed again and moving with something less than his usual grace, folded himself to sit on the couch beside Sora.
Sora's heart lightened a bit at that. At least Riku was here with him, not hiding somewhere licking his wounds. His breath caught in his throat when Riku didn't merely slump into his usual backbreaking sprawl but slid sideways along the cushions, gingerly laying his head in Sora's lap. They were both perfectly still for a moment - Sora afraid to move and wondering if the tension he could feel in Riku's muscles meant he was every bit as afraid - and then Sora carefully lifted one hand and laid it on Riku's head, gently stroking his friend's silver hair. Riku's breath left him in a shivery sigh at that and Sora felt the tension seep out of his muscles.
"Come on, lie down properly," he quietly urged Riku, relieved when he obeyed the gentle prompting. He kept petting him, his own worry dissipating as he felt Riku relaxing, breath evening out.
He hated that Riku had had a day bad enough that it left visible signs on him. He hated not knowing what had happened. Keeping silent was a painful effort but he'd do it, for now. Riku wouldn't want to talk about it - he never did - but he'd come home looking for some kind of comfort for once. That was something Sora could give him and be grateful for the chance to do it. He'd let Riku nap on him until the inevitable dreams woke him up, then he'd get him into the shower and into bed. Maybe by then, Riku would let Sora help them both feel better.
Abii seemed to like it well enough but it made her sad. (Apparently I am meaner to Riku than I realize at times.) She said she hoped that someday Riku would cuddle up just because he wanted to, not because he was hurting. (And that it would make Sora the happiest boy in all of the worlds.) So I took her lovely mental image and wrote this:
When Riku walked into the living room, Sora nearly jumped out of his skin because he hadn't even heard the front door open.
"You're kind of spooky sometimes, you know that?" he asked dryly, fully expecting the smirk he got in return.
"What're you watching?" Riku asked as he threw himself down on the couch next to Sora. "Oh, that," he answered his own question upon catching sight of the screen. "Aren't you sick of this thing? We've watched it a million times!" he complained.
Sora shook his head. "I could never get sick of this movie!" he replied, knowing Riku didn't really mean that complaint anyway. Sure enough, he settled in to watch right alongside Sora without another word.
When Riku dropped his shoulder and leaned into Sora's side, Sora looked down in concern. Riku was practically plastered to his side, head tucked into his shoulder. "What's wrong?" he asked, anxiety leaking into his tone.
Riku barely glanced at him. "Nothing," he replied offhandedly.
Sora blinked at that and then grinned so wide that it almost hurt. He spent the rest of the evening staring at the tv with a glowing smile and Riku's hand tucked into his.
Just in case anyone has missed the blindingly obvious? When I dabble in KH, I am all about Sora, Riku and Sora/Riku. With the occasional exception, I am usually devoted to inconsequential fluff. Not in line with everyone's interests, I know but they make me happy.
One of the aspects that fascinates us both is the development of their relationship because both of these kids have been through hell and back. They're a near-perfect match and I love them to pieces but it's not as easy as "I love you!" "I love you too!" "And they lived happily ever after." Especially not with Riku's multitude of issues. Anyhow, we were talking one night and musing about the difficulties Sora would face in trying to offer comfort to someone as fiercely independent as Riku. At this point, we're both just kind of hoping that we can eventually prod Riku into going to Sora when he's unhappy, rather than just locking it up inside and going off to mope by himself. Well, I couldn't get that conversation out of my head so instead of writing her the reply I owed her, I wrote this:
Sora brightened when he heard the door open. Riku was home! He listened to the usual sounds of someone coming in and kicking off their shoes but frowned at the sound of slow, heavy footsteps coming down the hall. You never usually heard Riku coming; he made about as much noise as a shadow did. Unless something's wrong, Sora fretted, waiting anxiously for his friend to appear in the doorway. When Riku finally did, Sora found himself biting back an exclamation of dismay.
Riku looked tired. Not in a way that had anything to do with how little sleep he'd gotten this week but in a way that spoke of having a very bad day. Sora pressed his lips together and gave Riku a quick lookover from his spot on the couch. To his relief, Riku didn't seem to be hurt, despite the dried blood staining the white band around his wrist. Cure magic was pretty amazing stuff and times like this, Sora was especially grateful for it. He just wished there was some way to erase the brittle look from his friend's face. They stared silently at each other from across the room before Riku sighed and looked away.
"Today was not a very good day," he said conversationally.
Sora fought the urge to ask questions. "Doesn't look like it," he agreed mildly. The flash of relief that passed across Riku's face made him glad he'd held his tongue, no matter how hard it was to keep silent. He was furiously thinking of what he could do for Riku instead - tea? food? a hot shower? - when Riku pushed himself away from the doorframe he'd been leaning on and trudged across the room to the couch where Sora sat. He looked down at Sora for a long moment, expression blank as shadows moved behind his eyes. Finally, he sighed again and moving with something less than his usual grace, folded himself to sit on the couch beside Sora.
Sora's heart lightened a bit at that. At least Riku was here with him, not hiding somewhere licking his wounds. His breath caught in his throat when Riku didn't merely slump into his usual backbreaking sprawl but slid sideways along the cushions, gingerly laying his head in Sora's lap. They were both perfectly still for a moment - Sora afraid to move and wondering if the tension he could feel in Riku's muscles meant he was every bit as afraid - and then Sora carefully lifted one hand and laid it on Riku's head, gently stroking his friend's silver hair. Riku's breath left him in a shivery sigh at that and Sora felt the tension seep out of his muscles.
"Come on, lie down properly," he quietly urged Riku, relieved when he obeyed the gentle prompting. He kept petting him, his own worry dissipating as he felt Riku relaxing, breath evening out.
He hated that Riku had had a day bad enough that it left visible signs on him. He hated not knowing what had happened. Keeping silent was a painful effort but he'd do it, for now. Riku wouldn't want to talk about it - he never did - but he'd come home looking for some kind of comfort for once. That was something Sora could give him and be grateful for the chance to do it. He'd let Riku nap on him until the inevitable dreams woke him up, then he'd get him into the shower and into bed. Maybe by then, Riku would let Sora help them both feel better.
Abii seemed to like it well enough but it made her sad. (Apparently I am meaner to Riku than I realize at times.) She said she hoped that someday Riku would cuddle up just because he wanted to, not because he was hurting. (And that it would make Sora the happiest boy in all of the worlds.) So I took her lovely mental image and wrote this:
When Riku walked into the living room, Sora nearly jumped out of his skin because he hadn't even heard the front door open.
"You're kind of spooky sometimes, you know that?" he asked dryly, fully expecting the smirk he got in return.
"What're you watching?" Riku asked as he threw himself down on the couch next to Sora. "Oh, that," he answered his own question upon catching sight of the screen. "Aren't you sick of this thing? We've watched it a million times!" he complained.
Sora shook his head. "I could never get sick of this movie!" he replied, knowing Riku didn't really mean that complaint anyway. Sure enough, he settled in to watch right alongside Sora without another word.
When Riku dropped his shoulder and leaned into Sora's side, Sora looked down in concern. Riku was practically plastered to his side, head tucked into his shoulder. "What's wrong?" he asked, anxiety leaking into his tone.
Riku barely glanced at him. "Nothing," he replied offhandedly.
Sora blinked at that and then grinned so wide that it almost hurt. He spent the rest of the evening staring at the tv with a glowing smile and Riku's hand tucked into his.
Just in case anyone has missed the blindingly obvious? When I dabble in KH, I am all about Sora, Riku and Sora/Riku. With the occasional exception, I am usually devoted to inconsequential fluff. Not in line with everyone's interests, I know but they make me happy.