(Untitled)

[biggestnobody]

Characters: Sora, Riku, Kairi, (open to neighbors, people who see them)

Location: Casualty Communal -> Tartarus Terraces

Rating: G

Time: Dec. 24, after lunch

Description: Riku spends most of his time disappearing and getting chased after. Being world-bound doesn't change that fact. Or rather, moving houses.

Comments

[blue_wayfinder]

Winters in the Land of Departure were wet and rainy; snow was something she'd only ever encountered in books.

Which was why Aqua had stopped middle of the side walk, one hand held out to catch the falling snow, something very close to awe in her expression. A day later and she still struck by how beautiful it was.

[biggestnobody]

He noticed her first, a bright shade of blue on the way to the shopping center.

"Aqua?" He blinked, glancing around and trotted up to talk to her. What was she doing?

[blue_wayfinder]

She turned, at the greeting.

"Riku." She smiled, lowering her hand. "Good afternoon."

[biggestnobody]

"Afternoon." He greeted back, looking at her smile and expression before tipping his head back to look at the sky and the falling snow.

"You like it, I'm guessing."

[key_0f_light]

The pResonance event had been fun; a real Christmas party like that Sora hadn't experienced in many years, and it made him miss his family a little. But this year he was going to get to spend Christmas with Riku and Kairi, and he was thoroughly looking forward to that

[waitingseaside]

"Huh?" Kairi peered around her friend to glance into the tiny apartment she has been occupying with the two of them for her time here. Oh. It was empty. She shook her head at Sora, trying to sound reassuring. What came out wasn't the most encouraging, but she was sure Riku wouldn't have up and left them like that. "I-I don't know! But if he really went somewhere far, I don't see why he would bother packing up our stuff too."

She stepped inside and looked around the bare space, searching for some hint of where the other boy could have gone. Approaching their bags full of stuff she crouched down and began rummaging through them. He had to have left some kind of hint.

[key_0f_light]

Sora didn't immediately follow her over. He was looking around the rest of the appartment for other clues; but it really did seem as if everything had been taken. By Riku, or some mysterious other force. Probably magic.

He had to concede that she made a good argument though, if Riku really was leaving them, why would he pack their stuff?

"I guess that makes sense but... why do it at all?" Sora was honestly baffled. This wasn't a normal kind of thing to come home to. Especially with no note or anything, he pondered, as he surveyed the empty kitchen cabinets.

[waitingseaside]

Kairi bent down and began poking through their bags, seeing if there was anything hidden among the luggage. She patted them down and then ran her hand along the floor around them. "I'm not sure." She finally answered, looking back up at her friend curiously. "Do you see a note anywhere?"

It was like Riku to just take off without telling them anything, but she wasn't so sure that was the case this time. He was set on looking out for the two of them, he must have had something in mind he didn't feel like telling them.

[much later that night, almost midnight]

[key_0f_light]

Being that it was very nearly almost the most exciting day of the year (the minutes were passing more slowly than a turtle reading War and Peace) Sora was still very much awake, and in the midst of all manner of joyful feelings. Riku had given them a wonderful present - a new place to live; bigger and able to feel more like theirs. Sora had already thanked him many times, but he suddenly thought that he might also be able to thank him again by giving him one of his presents a bit early.

Returning quickly from where in his new room he had stashed the ring Riku had pretended not to want, Sora approached him, unable to hide his grin. He whole-heartedly assumed that Riku was going to love this. "Hey Riku, I got a present from you early, so it's only fair you get one of yours early too." Still grinning, though perhaps now with the slightest hint of hesitation and worry creeping in around the edges, Sora held out the little box, wrapped inexpertly.

[biggestnobody]

Riku looked away from the window, curled up as he was on the sill of their new apartment when he heard Sora address him. He'd heard his friend move about but didn't really pay it much heed, not when he knew they were safe in this space that he got them, a little haven just for them in a world that wasn't their own.

How much longer, though, were they going to be here?

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he returned Sora's grin with one of his own. So getting the tree delivered here instead was a stroke of genius. "Hm?"

An early present. And one of many. Paling slightly at the thought of what Sora would give him -- mostly something that wouldn't be appropriate but Riku himself would treasure, he stared at the box.

"Thanks. But shouldn't we wait until tomorrow when Kairi's about?" He took the box and looked amused at the sight of the tape sticking out everywhere. Taking one between his fingers, he looked up, meeting Sora's eyes with humor. He honestly wouldn't mind it if they waited.

[key_0f_light]

Sora was especially happy to see that Riku himself was in such a bright mood. It certainly made a nice change from times past, when Riku was more likely to get angry than he was to relax and smile.

He shook his head, "No, I want you to have it now. You'll get more presents tomorrow when Kairi's awake for it too!" Sora did his best to sound demanding, but he knew it wasn't exactly a strength of his, not when he wasn't properly angry about something or in the midst of defending someone from some horrid heartless or other.

"Plus you can always show her later." He added, hoping that might help convince his friend.

[biggestnobody]

Sora seemed highly insistent about the topic, making something in the back of Riku's mind to sit up and take notice the same way that pranks might have. But this is Sora, who had absolutely no malicious bone in his body and his embarrassment wasn't something Riku was going to pass on.

So with his eyebrows raised high, Riku drew out a thoughtful hum, picking at the wrapping slowly. Very slowly.