Part Two
Title: How to make the Track Team (part 2/?)
Pairing: Riku/Roxas
Prompt: Wooing by ice cream
Words: 789 words
Rating: PG 13, for language
Summary: Part one Roxas experiences scrambled eggs
The track team was only comprised of fifteen or so members. Each was, as Roxas had reminded himself nearly every day, taller, older and better than him. Roxas hated thinking in these terms- they were nothing if not discouraging.
“Wish me luck,” Roxas said suddenly as he spotted the members walking into the gym.
“Good luck,” Hayner replied but Roxas could barely hear him over the pounding of his own heart.
The leader of the team was Roxas’ own fraternal twin brother, Sora, and his best friend, Riku. And as Roxas met up with them, only Sora seemed to be eager for his company.
“Nervous?” Sora asked as his arms folded behind his head.
“A bit,” Roxas replied, clenching his hands. He couldn’t help but glance around the gym- the other track members were wearing their tracksuits and talking among themselves, waiting for the meeting to start. “Sora, thanks again for setting up this try out, I really appreciate it,”
He waved it off. “No problem!” Suddenly, Sora turned to Riku and playfully hit his arm. “You should welcome my brother, you know,”
Roxas tried to remain composed as Riku glanced at him (despite through his ridiculously long fringe). His green eyes stood out behind the curtain of white hair in a way that gave him goose bumps every time.
“If you’re anything like your brother,” Riku said, pulling on a plain hair elastic on his wrist. “You’ll do fine,”
“T-thanks,”
“Great!” Sora exclaimed. “That’s the best advice you’ll ever get from Riku, so we should get started, okay?”
Roxas nodded as he did his best to look firm, but on the inside, he was scrambled eggs.
***
Perhaps scrambled eggs were the best way to describe Roxas before and after he ran the one hundred metres.
Running, by itself, was not much of a problem. Roxas had run before. He practiced and ran everyday for the longest time in preparation for this day. No, that wasn’t the problem.
The problem was that Sora volunteered to send the track team to the outdoor track while Riku evaluated his tryout. Apparently Sora didn’t want to be biased. Riku was the problem. Not necessarily a bad problem, but a problem in general.
When Roxas finished, he came to a light sprint as he finished. Riku stood at the end, holding the stop watch. “And?”
He frowned slightly- as if what he was staring at was something particularly unpleasant. “Fifteen,”
Roxas groaned, putting his hands on his hips. “Shit, really?”
“A bit too slow for the team,”
Swallowing hard, Roxas couldn’t stand to look up. Shitshitshitshit- really? He couldn’t get over it- he was only a few minutes off, just a few off and . . . His hands clenched, Roxas didn’t want to get discouraged . . . but-
“Sorry,” Riku replied, stuffing the stop watch in his pocket. “Better luck next time-“
“Wait!” Roxas said suddenly, a brilliant idea was brewing. “When - when can I try again?”
Riku tightened his lips and glanced upwards to the bright lights. “Maybe next month?” he replied, now squinting his eyes.
He stood up straight. “So if I improve my time by then- can I be on the team?”
“You’ll have to get ten minutes, minimum,” Riku replied, considering him. “Nothing more than that- could you do that?”
Inhaling, Roxas nodded. He wanted this, more than anything. He wanted to be on the team, he wanted to cheer on his team, and he wanted to run.
“So, why do you want this so much?” Riku asked, catching Roxas off guard. “Being the fraternal twin of Sora . . . you must not want to do everything he does or be compared to him, right?”
Suddenly, the usual answer didn’t seem right. “I want to do this,”
Riku raised an eyebrow. “Really? Is that all?”
“I need a reason?” Roxas asked.
“You need a goal,” Riku began. “And if you answered my question, you would have a goal. But you didn’t,”
The one goal Roxas had in mind was one he didn’t want to share with Riku- not yet, anyway- not at all. Roxas was already embarrassed; he didn’t need to make a complete ass of himself again.
“I have a goal,” Roxas muttered.
“Really?” Riku asked, leaning forwards. “What is it?”
He looked away, his face hot, but not from the running. “It’s personal.”
“So you’re not completely aimless?”
“No, I’m not,”
“That’s good to know,” Riku replied, heading towards the doors.
“Wait, so . . . I can try again next month?” Roxas asked, running his hand through his hair.
Riku stopped as his hand resting on the door. “Sure,” He pushed the door open and left- leaving Roxas alone in the gym.