✦ he does confess he feels himself distracted ✦
Title: Star Gazing
Prompt: #19: Distracted // Thinking of you the whole time
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Characters: Riku/Sora
Word Count: 1316
Rating: G
Author's Notes: Takes place after the second visit to Land of the Dragon. "It helps to think we might be wishing on that same bright star" - Sora and Riku may be apart, but even though the stars they look at may be different, and even though the worlds they're on are far apart, their thoughts of each other couldn't be more close. Unbeta'd.
He does confess he feels himself distracted
But from what cause he will by no means speak - William Shakespeare; Hamlet, act III, scene i
It was uncommonly quiet as the ship took off, once their farewells were said. Usually there was an air of excitement in leaving for new worlds, or even for seeing old friends, but not this time. As they zoomed through dark and infinite space, the loudest sound was the hum of the engines, and the occasional quack from Donald if unexpected space trash fell into their path.
Since the duck enjoyed piloting the gummi ship on his own, Goofy didn't have much in the way of distraction, and the usually perky and energetic Sora was sitting in the back, face turned to the window. The dog tried doing that too, at first, but it was rather the same scenery and not very entertaining monotony either. He looked behind him at the young man, then to his right, where Donald, who was still making angry ducky noises, piloted the ship. Goofy looked back at Sora, then said, "Gawrsh, it sure is quiet in here."
Sora started, looking back inside the ship at his friend, a dazed expression on his face. "H-huh?" he said, blinking.
"I said 'Gawrsh, it sure is quiet in here'," Goofy replied.
"O-oh..." Sora's eyes looked past Goofy for a brief moment, then fell down to his lap. Finally, they looked back out the window, when Sora turned back around.
Goofy didn't mind Sora's absent-mindedness, though he was concerned to see his friend looking so distant. He must have had a lot on his mind, and whatever it was seemed to be bringing him down. If there were something he could do...none of them liked to see Sora sad, after all.
Climbing into the back seat with the boy, Goofy gave a soft guffaw when he nearly fell face-first into his seat. Sora turned to look at him again, and Goofy grinned over at him in return. "Hey," he said, straightening himself out, "remember what Donald told you right before we set off on this journey?"
Sora frowned. "He...said..." He paused, trying to recollect what exactly the duck had told him, way back then.
"'He said'?"
With a pout of confusion, Sora finished. "He said...that the gummi ship runs on happy faces?"
"A-hyuk! That's right!" Goofy said with a grin. "And with that face you have on now, how do you expect her to run?"
"Huh?"
Goofy pointed at Sora's frown. "You look worried about something. What is it?"
"Oh..." Sora gave a heavy sigh. "It's...nothing."
He turned away. Goofy watched him, and waited.
Then...
"It's Riku," he said, voice sharper than he had meant to sound. "It was Riku up there, on that mountain. I know it."
Still Goofy waited, but Sora didn't add anything more to that. After a long moment of silence, Goofy spoke again.
"There are a lotta them out there, huh?"
The boy turned away from the window again, a puzzled look on his face. "Wha-?"
"Out there," the dog said, pointing out Sora's window. "A lotta worlds out there."
Sora looked back out. "Oh. Yeah."
Goofy swung around in his seat, sitting sideways and on the edge, so he could lean forward and block the glare of the light on the glass surface. He could see more of them now, all the brilliant little worlds twinkling in that dark and wide space. "Why, we've barely seen any of them!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Wonder what they're all like, and who lives there."
Sora shrugged. "I...suppose?"
"What d'you think's out there, Sora?" he asked.
"Um...I-I don't know..." he said. He thought for a moment, and Riku came to mind. But he held his tongue, and didn't say it.
"Whatever else is out there, the King's there too!" Donald suddenly said from the pilot's seat. Sora's eyes grew wide and Goofy chuckled.
"That's right, the King is definitely out there somewhere," he repeated. Their thoughts turned to Hollow Bastion, and Ansem's study.
"Bet he knows where..." Sora muttered to himself, then shook his head with a sigh.
"But what else is out there?" Goofy mused, breaking into Sora's wandering thoughts. "We've been to a world with actual dragons, and another where we swim under the sea. There's a world where carpets fly and lamps grant wishes, and even one where you're a lion!" Goofy was really grinning now, and it was a wonder that Sora wasn't too, but Sora wasn't looking at him. "What else? C'mon Sora, what other kinds of worlds are there?"
Reluctantly, Sora realized that he had to go along with Goofy, because his friend was trying to distract him, and wouldn't let up, in that gentle way of his, until Sora was smiling. Still looking out the window, he murmured, "We've been to a world where we can fly, and another where the dead walk. We've been to the town of Halloween, and visited Santa Claus. We've been to a world where opening a door can lead anywhere, even onto another room's walls, and a world where teapots and candlesticks and clocks talk." As he thought about the various worlds, Sora remembered all his friends there, the adventures they had, and how much fun it had been. Flying with Peter Pan, and fighting onboard the Black Pearl with Jack; falling down the rabbit hole and fighting playing cards, and helping the Beast and Belle get together again. They had fought gods next to Hercules, and swung through the jungle with Tarzan, and helped a lowly street rat rescue a princess. What other adventures waited for them, amongst that multitude of stars?
Sora's lips twitched upwards. There really were so many many worlds, weren't there? So many possibilities, so many friends to meet and to help, to laugh with and fight beside.
Goofy beamed when he saw Sora begin to smile. And he didn't let up until that smile became a full-on grin, feeding Sora's memory with stories of what they'd already seen, and what more was to come.
Far away, in another world, Riku sat on a grassy hill, looking at the stars. Though his hood covered his head, the bright lights above still reflected in his eyes. He sat there, mind thinking of Sora, as he often did when he looked at the stars. There was no one here to distract him from thinking about his friend, no one to try and make him smile.
And yet, he too found himself thinking out loud in contemplation of all the tiny worlds unseen. What more was out there? What other worlds stood between him and the light he sought? He knew he was darkness now, but he knew that the dawn would come. In which world would he find it? He wondered...
...and he wondered in which world he could be the Riku his friend sought.
"Which tiny little light up there," he whispered, as though by saying it out loud he would understand this thought better, but as though by saying it softly, he was still keeping his heart's secret, "will be the one where I can say hello to you again?" Sighing, he fell down in the grass and folded his hands behind his head. When he fell, the hood slipped off, and bright silver hair caught the moonlight. His dark face was lost in the night, but his bright golden eyes seemed to be on fire.
"Which is the world where I can be Riku again? Your Riku again." He blinked and licked his lips. He was ready to say it, even if it was only to himself. "Which is the world where I can love you?" He closed his eyes against the lights, against the infinite possibilities.
There were so many worlds out there. Was there one where that was possible?
✤ End ✤
x-posted at ✦terza_teabeef ✦30_confessions ✦kingdom_hearts ✦riku_x_sora
✤ The Complete Challenge ✤
Prompt: #19: Distracted // Thinking of you the whole time
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Characters: Riku/Sora
Word Count: 1316
Rating: G
Author's Notes: Takes place after the second visit to Land of the Dragon. "It helps to think we might be wishing on that same bright star" - Sora and Riku may be apart, but even though the stars they look at may be different, and even though the worlds they're on are far apart, their thoughts of each other couldn't be more close. Unbeta'd.
He does confess he feels himself distracted
But from what cause he will by no means speak - William Shakespeare; Hamlet, act III, scene i
It was uncommonly quiet as the ship took off, once their farewells were said. Usually there was an air of excitement in leaving for new worlds, or even for seeing old friends, but not this time. As they zoomed through dark and infinite space, the loudest sound was the hum of the engines, and the occasional quack from Donald if unexpected space trash fell into their path.
Since the duck enjoyed piloting the gummi ship on his own, Goofy didn't have much in the way of distraction, and the usually perky and energetic Sora was sitting in the back, face turned to the window. The dog tried doing that too, at first, but it was rather the same scenery and not very entertaining monotony either. He looked behind him at the young man, then to his right, where Donald, who was still making angry ducky noises, piloted the ship. Goofy looked back at Sora, then said, "Gawrsh, it sure is quiet in here."
Sora started, looking back inside the ship at his friend, a dazed expression on his face. "H-huh?" he said, blinking.
"I said 'Gawrsh, it sure is quiet in here'," Goofy replied.
"O-oh..." Sora's eyes looked past Goofy for a brief moment, then fell down to his lap. Finally, they looked back out the window, when Sora turned back around.
Goofy didn't mind Sora's absent-mindedness, though he was concerned to see his friend looking so distant. He must have had a lot on his mind, and whatever it was seemed to be bringing him down. If there were something he could do...none of them liked to see Sora sad, after all.
Climbing into the back seat with the boy, Goofy gave a soft guffaw when he nearly fell face-first into his seat. Sora turned to look at him again, and Goofy grinned over at him in return. "Hey," he said, straightening himself out, "remember what Donald told you right before we set off on this journey?"
Sora frowned. "He...said..." He paused, trying to recollect what exactly the duck had told him, way back then.
"'He said'?"
With a pout of confusion, Sora finished. "He said...that the gummi ship runs on happy faces?"
"A-hyuk! That's right!" Goofy said with a grin. "And with that face you have on now, how do you expect her to run?"
"Huh?"
Goofy pointed at Sora's frown. "You look worried about something. What is it?"
"Oh..." Sora gave a heavy sigh. "It's...nothing."
He turned away. Goofy watched him, and waited.
Then...
"It's Riku," he said, voice sharper than he had meant to sound. "It was Riku up there, on that mountain. I know it."
Still Goofy waited, but Sora didn't add anything more to that. After a long moment of silence, Goofy spoke again.
"There are a lotta them out there, huh?"
The boy turned away from the window again, a puzzled look on his face. "Wha-?"
"Out there," the dog said, pointing out Sora's window. "A lotta worlds out there."
Sora looked back out. "Oh. Yeah."
Goofy swung around in his seat, sitting sideways and on the edge, so he could lean forward and block the glare of the light on the glass surface. He could see more of them now, all the brilliant little worlds twinkling in that dark and wide space. "Why, we've barely seen any of them!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Wonder what they're all like, and who lives there."
Sora shrugged. "I...suppose?"
"What d'you think's out there, Sora?" he asked.
"Um...I-I don't know..." he said. He thought for a moment, and Riku came to mind. But he held his tongue, and didn't say it.
"Whatever else is out there, the King's there too!" Donald suddenly said from the pilot's seat. Sora's eyes grew wide and Goofy chuckled.
"That's right, the King is definitely out there somewhere," he repeated. Their thoughts turned to Hollow Bastion, and Ansem's study.
"Bet he knows where..." Sora muttered to himself, then shook his head with a sigh.
"But what else is out there?" Goofy mused, breaking into Sora's wandering thoughts. "We've been to a world with actual dragons, and another where we swim under the sea. There's a world where carpets fly and lamps grant wishes, and even one where you're a lion!" Goofy was really grinning now, and it was a wonder that Sora wasn't too, but Sora wasn't looking at him. "What else? C'mon Sora, what other kinds of worlds are there?"
Reluctantly, Sora realized that he had to go along with Goofy, because his friend was trying to distract him, and wouldn't let up, in that gentle way of his, until Sora was smiling. Still looking out the window, he murmured, "We've been to a world where we can fly, and another where the dead walk. We've been to the town of Halloween, and visited Santa Claus. We've been to a world where opening a door can lead anywhere, even onto another room's walls, and a world where teapots and candlesticks and clocks talk." As he thought about the various worlds, Sora remembered all his friends there, the adventures they had, and how much fun it had been. Flying with Peter Pan, and fighting onboard the Black Pearl with Jack; falling down the rabbit hole and fighting playing cards, and helping the Beast and Belle get together again. They had fought gods next to Hercules, and swung through the jungle with Tarzan, and helped a lowly street rat rescue a princess. What other adventures waited for them, amongst that multitude of stars?
Sora's lips twitched upwards. There really were so many many worlds, weren't there? So many possibilities, so many friends to meet and to help, to laugh with and fight beside.
Goofy beamed when he saw Sora begin to smile. And he didn't let up until that smile became a full-on grin, feeding Sora's memory with stories of what they'd already seen, and what more was to come.
Far away, in another world, Riku sat on a grassy hill, looking at the stars. Though his hood covered his head, the bright lights above still reflected in his eyes. He sat there, mind thinking of Sora, as he often did when he looked at the stars. There was no one here to distract him from thinking about his friend, no one to try and make him smile.
And yet, he too found himself thinking out loud in contemplation of all the tiny worlds unseen. What more was out there? What other worlds stood between him and the light he sought? He knew he was darkness now, but he knew that the dawn would come. In which world would he find it? He wondered...
...and he wondered in which world he could be the Riku his friend sought.
"Which tiny little light up there," he whispered, as though by saying it out loud he would understand this thought better, but as though by saying it softly, he was still keeping his heart's secret, "will be the one where I can say hello to you again?" Sighing, he fell down in the grass and folded his hands behind his head. When he fell, the hood slipped off, and bright silver hair caught the moonlight. His dark face was lost in the night, but his bright golden eyes seemed to be on fire.
"Which is the world where I can be Riku again? Your Riku again." He blinked and licked his lips. He was ready to say it, even if it was only to himself. "Which is the world where I can love you?" He closed his eyes against the lights, against the infinite possibilities.
There were so many worlds out there. Was there one where that was possible?
✤ End ✤
x-posted at ✦terza_teabeef ✦30_confessions ✦kingdom_hearts ✦riku_x_sora
✤ The Complete Challenge ✤