Shorties

Riku had tried to distance himself from Sora.  Really, he had.  It was a distance he felt sharply, Sora the bright hero, his childhood best friend, that he’d let himself be turned against.  There wasn’t a day that went by, not a minute, when he didn’t think about the mistakes he’d made.

But, he realized, he’d started to move past them.  Started to rebuild himself, to repair the damage he’d done back then.

Still, he wasn’t sure he deserved Sora’s unconditional friendship, his forgiveness.  So he tried to stay away.

Of course, he didn’t have a say in it when Sora called in the middle of the night, or showed up on his doorstep in the early mornings.  He didn’t have it in him to refuse Sora anything.  And that was how Riku ended up being dragged along to the old play island one foggy morning.  It wasn’t far, and the sea was calm, so that they were able to navigate the waters without much trouble, tying the little boat to the dock before ditching their shoes to dig bare feet in the sand.

Sora was the one to challenge him to a race, across the beach, pushing through the door to the run-down shack, up the stairs, and across the bridge to the paopu tree that leaned over the water.  Riku’s height gave him a slight advantage, and he slid to a halt a few seconds before Sora crashed into him, toppling them into a breathless heap on the ground.

“Sora!”

Sora gave him a brilliant smile, only a few inches from his own face.  “Rikuuuu!”

When he saw Sora’s smile, he couldn’t help but smile back.  “Get off, you’re heavy.”  It had no bite to it, the way it might’ve a few short years ago.

Sora chuckled and sprang to his feet.  “Am not.”  He held his hand out to help Riku up.  “It’s in fruit.”  Sora pointed at the star-shaped fruit hanging over the water, a hint of…what?  Wistfulness, in his voice?

The paopu fruit was only just turning yellow at its tips, the center a pale green.  “It’s not ripe yet,” Riku murmured.

Sora nodded.  “Hey Riku?”

“Hm?”

“Let’s go to the Secret Place.”  Riku glanced over at Sora, who was still staring at the yellowing fruit.  His voice had softened, and Riku tried not to frown.  Instead, he opened his mouth to reply, only to close it again when Sora added, “I want to make new memories there, you know?”

“Yeah.”

He let Sora lead the way back over the bridge, their pace slow.  Even though they’d crossed to get to the paopu island, it had been quick, not enough time to saver the smooth wood under their feet.  It was already warm from the sun, the fog burned away since they’d set out.  Then the relative cool of the darkened shack.  Sand between their toes.

Riku tried to focus on anything except where they were going.

Vines had grown over part of the entrance since they’d last been here, years ago, and it took some effort to pull them away.  Riku remembered, when they were small, how much easier it had been to just slip through the gap, between the vines.  Back when things had been simpler.

But now was okay, too, he decided.  Sora was right about making new memories.

It was anti climatic, when they were finally inside.  Mundane, even, aside from the faded drawings on the cave’s walls.  Riku watched Sora turn in a circle in the center.  Swung his own eyes over the bare patch of wall where the Door to the Darkness had once opened.

“You know.”  Riku’s attention turned back to Sora, who’d stopped abruptly, biting his lip.

“Sora?”  He put his hand on Sora’s arm, gently prompting him.

“You know,” Sora said again, “I know this might come as a surprise, given all that’s happened, but I don’t regret it.  I’m glad.  I’ve learned a lot.”

“Sora…”

“One thing I learned,” Sora continued, “was how much you care for your friends.”

Riku closed his eyes, breathing deep.  “Sora, stop.  You don’t need to say this.”

“You got hurt protecting me,” Sora whispered.  Riku opened his eyes to see Sora’s hand hovering over his chest.  “Did it scar?”  Because, Riku realized, he hadn’t bared his chest since then.  At least, not when anyone could see.

“Yeah.  Don’t worry about it.  It’s fine.”

“Can I see?”  Riku hesitated a moment before shucking his shirt.  Sora’s gaze focused on the pink mark that remained from Xemnas’s blade.  He studied it quietly, and then, “Is it okay if I touch you there?”

Riku knew his heartbeat was beginning to race as he nodded.  Could practically hear it pounding in his ears as Sora’s fingertips tentatively traced the outline of the scar.  Felt himself shaking.  “Sora, I’m sorry.”  It came out in an exhale, fast, quiet, but there.

Sora’s eyes snapped up to his, lips in a pout.  “No, I’m sorry.”  His hand withdrew.  “I meant to make good memories, not bring up old ones.”  His brows drew together in thought.  “I wanted to—shit, forget it Riku.  I just want to kiss you!”

Riku’s eyes widened as Sora followed through, rising on his toes to press their lips together.  He held his hands uncertainly at his sides at first, but the heat behind Sora’s lips encouraged him.  He kissed back, fierce, let his hands fist in Sora’s shirt as Sora wrapped his arms around him.

Their breaths stuttered as they drew apart, eyes dark.  Riku was startled when Sora disengaged from his grip, but it was only to pull his own shirt off, before he closed the distance between them again.  Sora steered Riku so that he was pinned between a wall—the doorway, he thought distractedly—and Sora’s own compact body.

Sora was strong.  He’d always known, but he felt it as Sora pinned him, pressed against him.  It tore a moan from his throat when he realized what was pressed against him.

“Sora,” he gasped, letting his head fall back against the wall.  Sora had moved to pressing open-mouthed kisses against his neck, traveling down.  Down.  Placed a kiss over Riku’s scar.

Sora’s hand hesitated again, this time at the fly of his jeans.  “Is it okay if I touch you here?”  His voice had deepened, and Riku bit his lip to stop his own voice from spilling out.  He nodded his assent instead.

Sora pressed a finger against Riku’s mouth, easing it open to release his lip, and the whimper that slipped out on its heels.  Replaced his finger with another kiss, so that both hands could work Riku’s pants open.  Riku hissed when Sora’s hand slipped under the fabric, caressing the hot flesh he found there.

Sora’s breath stuttered against Riku’s lips.  “Riku,” kiss, “Riku.  God, you’re so hard.”

Riku could only groan in response, couldn’t bring himself to form any kind of coherent reply with Sora’s hand curled around his arousal.  Could only clench his fists to stop himself from clutching Sora tight enough to hurt.

Sora’s other hand found his lips again, and this time Riku sucked his fingers in eagerly, losing himself to sensation.  The tip of Sora’s tongue on the shiny skin of his scar.  “Thank you,” murmured against him.  The involuntary buck of Sora’s hips knocking against him.  Or maybe not so involuntary, Sora fumbling to undo his own pants one-handed, and Riku finally unclenched a fist to help him.  Shaking.  Sora’s voice low between breaths.  “Me too, Riku, I’m hard.”

They both gasped when Sora pressed his own erection against Riku’s, hand cupping them both.

“Riku.”  Sora’s lips were on Riku’s again, his hand stroking them together.  “I’ve wanted you,” pant, “since you came back.”  Sora’s forehead falling to Riku’s shoulder, Riku’s head dropping against the wall behind him.  “So beautiful.”

Riku’s fingernails were digging into his own palms, hips twitching as Sora drew them close, closer to release.

“S-Sora!”  The name spilled breathy from his lips when he tripped over the edge, pulsing in Sora’s hand, Sora right there with him, groaning Riku’s name.  Gasping to catch their breath, inhaling the scent of each other.

Riku wrapped his arms around Sora and pulled him into a fierce kiss; Sora squeezed him tight, then pulled back.  Tapped the wall behind Riku, where the door had been.  “Don’t leave me again, Riku.”  Blue eyes wide, intense.  “Promise me.”

Riku pressed his forehead to Sora’s, nodding. “Okay.”  Because he couldn’t deny Sora anything.

Sora’s hands pressed against his waist, kneaded his bare hips.  “When it’s ripe, will you share the paopu with me?”  The question was hesitant, a contrast to how certain Sora had been just moments before.

Riku pressed a kiss to Sora’s forehead, eyes fluttering closed.  “Of course.”  And though he felt the door at his back, he knew he wouldn’t go through it again without Sora.  Without their bond stronger than ever.