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If you were my Valentine's

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Title: If you were my Valentine's
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Time-frame: Random happy point post KHII
Characters: Sora, Riku, Kairi
Pairings: Sora/Riku, one sided Kairi/Sora
Summary: "I love you" can mean nothing at all until it's said by that one person that matters the most.




When it came to romance and confessions, Sora wasn't all that ashamed to say he hadn't the faintest idea of where to even start. Getting the timing right, looking out for the mood, just the right place, with the sun's at its zenith or not. Take care of the weather, maybe put on some music, get our hair done the day before, or maybe that very morning - just thinking about what needed to be thought about got the poor boy's head spinning and his eyes into swirls.
He obviously wasn't the type for that as the field as a whole seemed foreign to him. It didn't matter how many confessions he was forced to witness, or how many times he was confessed to - he just didn't get it. Sure, it was awkward and certainly embarrassing, but Sora failed to see the need to make a show out of it.
Like, for instance, the scene unfolding in the middle of the schools shoe-locker-room right then. Sora was busy minding his own business and changing into his in-door shoes when such a scene took place right next to him.
The confessor? A senior girl Sora saw on occasion.
The confessed-to? Sora knew him somewhat better, the way only a best friend could, in fact.

Some people said Riku was the most confessed-to guy in school, if not all around, and Sora found it easy to believe that; he certainly heard Riku complain often enough to give that claim credibility. He was bound to hear of this time as well later that day, Sora thought as he closed his locker and kept a safe distance while still watching the scene.
The two were standing in the middle of a circle of spectators. The girl was holding tightly onto a decorated box and Sora spied a heard sticker on the side of it. She was holding out her offering, face flushed and head bowed. Sora could already hear the angry gossiping whispers from girls who either lacked the courage to try or were already turned down in the past, but he didn't look at them. Instead he kept his eyes set on Riku's face which were set in an unreadable expression - that is, if you weren't Sora.
Valentine's never was a day to celebrate for Riku, and one thing was made clear since they came back - Valentine's for Riku was bound to be a disaster. And judging by the look on Riku's face, things were already worse than they feared.

"You... what?" Riku asked, his voice low and quiet. This piqued Sora's curiosity as well as his concern - it didn't take being him to tell that sounded dangerous.
What did that girl say that upset Riku this much?

"I- I said 'please accept this!'... didn't I?" The girl answered and tried to look up at Riku, who only seemed more upset by this.

"Before that..."

At that the girl finally straightened up and held the would-be gift to her chest.
"I- I meant it, you know! I really do-"
And then Sora knew it was bound to get worse.
"-Love you, Riku!"

Sora pursed his lips, eyes set on Riku's face. For a long moment his friend was still and silent but Sora knew it wasn't a good sign. Had Riku been able to escape, he probably would've already, or so Sora thought at first. The way in which Riku faced the girl showed he had other ideas in mind when he finally tilted his head and pushed his bangs away from his eyes.
Sora couldn't help but shudder; the look in Riku's eyes reminded him of a different time, one where they were at odds' ends and Riku wasn't quite himself.
On one hand Sora was sorry for the girl. He could he not be? There she was, putting her heart on her sleeve and tying a ribbon around it. On the other hand, was he ever so grateful that look wasn't aimed at him. Whatever Riku was going to say, couldn't have been good.

"What about me?" Riku asked, catching the girl by surprise. She blinked and tried to regain some composure by pushing her hair behind her ear.

"We- well, I think you're cool, and- and handsome-"

Ignoring her blush, Riku shook his head and continued.
"What're my hobbies? My favorites?"
Sora caught himself idly numbering the numerous answers in his mind.
Before the girl could even try to answer, Riku pushed one hand into his pocket and held his bag over his shoulder, radiating a cold, indifferent front as he went on.
"My bad points, how about them? Do we have any common interests? What are my interests? My birthday, do you know the date? What I'd like? What cake do I eat? My favorite color, what about-"

"Of course I don't know all of that!" The poor girl exclaimed with tears stinging her eyes and cheeks flushed with humiliation and anger. "How am I supposed to know that?! Is there anyone who knows that?!"

When she stopped to wait for a reply and catch her breath, Sora looked back at Riku only to find the older teen's cyan eyes looking intently at him. Riku looked away as soon as their eyes met and let his bangs cover his eyes again.

"Yeah, there is."
The enigmatic declaration got the audience puzzled enough to let Riku make his escape. That left the girl to be comforted by some onlookers, other witnesses to complain to Sora about his jerk of a best friend, and Sora himself to try and make his own get-away as quietly as possible.

Riku was right, he thought as he recalled their talk the previous day; they should've skipped school that day.



"-And I just don't get it at all!"
It was during lunch. Riku was nowhere in sight, leaving Kairi and Sora to have lunch on their lonesome. The momentary awkwardness of being left alone on that day of all days was something Sora couldn't be bothered with, and the two settled down on a bench they frequented during their breaks. The boy did manage to open his boxed lunch but more than chewing he was busy retelling that morning's event. The girl on her part listened quietly, pondering it as she ate her lunch. That left her as the only one not too busy to notice the somewhat dirty looks the various people in the yard were giving them.
Sora was perhaps the only one who didn't care about their situation; everyone else were frustrated with how their being together made them unapproachable to any potential suitors.

"Really, he's gone a bit too far this time." Sora growled at last and blew bubbles into his juice. Kairi chewed quietly for a while more before looking at nothing, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Sora, you... you're been confessed to before, haven't you?" She asked, voice low as she pushed a red strand behind her ear.
Sora blinked at the question, a blush watching the one on Kairi's face painting his own.

"We- well, yes, a couple of times... but what does that have to do with this?"

Nodding to herself, Kairi tilted her head to better look at the boy.
"How many of those people actually knew you?"

At the question, Sora looked away as he tried counting. Fingers went up and down but at the end he was left with a clenched fist and a frown.
"...do distant classmates count?" He tried and looked at Kairi hopefully only to find the girl wrinkling her nose.

"Let's say no, for argument's sake at least."

A growl concluded the matter, at which Kairi nodded.
"Then you know what it feels like, being confessed to by complete stranger."

"Well, I wouldn't say complete strangers..." Sora tried without really expecting a response.

"But it's about the same, isn't it?" The girl countered and Sora looked down with a forlorn expression on his face.

"Yeah. I never do know how to break it to them, that... well-"

"You don't even know them?" Kairi helped gently, making Sora laugh uneasily.

"...yeah."

Kairi nodded before looking out at the yard; she ignored the looks that were averted when she did.
"They don't know you, either. Nor do they really..."
She stalled for the briefest of moments, eyes darting in Sora's direction before looking away.
"-care for you. They build this fantasy version of you in their heads and imagine all the things they'd do and say to you, and all the things you'd do and say to them without giving you a say in the matter. And it's that non-existent person they really want to say-"
Another pause, and this time Kairi's cheeks reddened.
"'I love you' to."

Sora nodded, mostly oblivious to Kairi's reaction to her own words. It sounded close enough to what he's been through, and certainly relevant to what happened that morning.
"When you put it like that... it almost makes her to be the bad guy here."

"Bad guys are a matter of perspective, Sora." Kairi corrected in an attempt to keep the conversation neutral. "There's no good or bad guys here - just shattered hopes and broken hearts." She finished and leaned back against the back-rest.
For a moment the silence stretched before Sora shook his head and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"This is messed up." He huffed and leaned back as well. "When we grow up, they always make it seem like we should want to have it said to us - as often as possible, too. That it's a good thing, not something that brings people to tears and hurts them so much."

Kairi nodded slowly in agreement before turning to study Sora's face. The boy was understandably upset, but she was running out of things to say that could help.
Well... maybe other than that one thing...

"I'm sure it'll be alright if you said it, Sora." Kairi declared while refraining from looking at him, thus making his curious gaze meet the back of her head.
"After all, who knows Riku better than you do?" She asked and smiled once she finally gathered the courage to look at him.
Sora blinked twice before reaching to rub the back of his neck.

"Well, sure, but- but say that?"

"You used to say it all the time when we were kids, remember? What's the point of being embarrassed about it now?"

Sora nibbled on his lower lip as he weighted his options.
"Well, that was when we were kids... and isn't it obvious by now?"

"It's never obvious, Sora, you're the first person who should know that." The girl reminded gently and Sora looked down. The same mental image from that morning came back, the one where Riku didn't exactly consider him a friend.

"On the other hand-" Kairi interrupted, voice and smile cheerful and bright.
"It's always nice to hear!"

The troubled boy looked at his friend for a long moment before he nodded, a grin slowly creeping over his lips.
"Yeah... yeah, you're right! It has been a while since I said... anything like it." He hummed and reached to pack his things.
"Now to figure out how and when to say it..."

"I'm sure you'll manage." Kairi reassured. "That's why you're Sora."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora mock-huffed as he turned to leave, only to stop a step away. Kairi tilted her head and frowned in slight confusion, especially when a pale blush rose to the boy's face.

"So-"

"-you too." He said and Kairi blinked before her own cheeks painted.
"I don't say it to you either, so." The boy stuttered lightly but Kairi's bashful smile and reassuring nod let him know he could get away with this much.

"So- you too!"

Before she could ever attempt a reply, Sora escaped, leaving Kairi to stare down at her lap for a moment. The blush eventually faded as did her smile, and all that remained was the awkward, lonely twitch of her lips.
"But it's different, isn't it?" She whispered softly as she pulled out of her bag the small chocolate-filled box she never managed to deliver.
"Because you never care when I get confessed to, no matter how well it goes."



It was an odd feeling Sora was experiencing later that day. Riku was nowhere to be found after lunch and Sora suspected he skipped the rest of the day without being really able to blame him. Neither did he feel the need to look for him - it was a rough day; Riku was better left alone for a while.
Sora waited until school was out before he made his way to the playground island. As expected, Riku's boat was there, and yet Riku himself wasn't anywhere near the Paopu tree.
Of course, Riku didn't have to always be there, Sora mentally berated himself and took a look around. He found no footprints leading to the other side of the beach or to the water. That meant Riku was nearby, Sora concluded and turned to look at the cliff-side with its many wooden bridges and crevices. He was halfway through thinking where Riku might be when his eyes wondered to the greenery next to the waterfall. There was usually a hole there, but they usually tried to not damage the plants on their way in and out. Right then the leaves and branches were pushed aside violently and some were discarded on the ground, torn. Someone passed through there not too long ago, and he wasn't happy.

"Gotcha." The brunet huffed victoriously as he made his way towards the cave that was the secret place he and Riku found together all those years ago.
Sora found Riku leaned against one of the larger stones, back pressed against the side less scribbled on. He was busy staring at a heart-shaped box when Sora walked in; the item was soon discarded on a pile of things much like it as Riku looked up at the newcomer.

"Yo!" Sora greeted with a raised hand only to be met with a bitter smile.

"Another survivor?" Riku asked and tilted his head. "Or are you like me - a refugee?"

"Hm, a little bit of both, I guess." Sora replied as he sat down next to Riku. He stretched before leaning back against the stone, hands over the back of his neck.
"When did you take off?"

"During lunch." Riku hummed. "I figured now one'd bother come this far, and if they did - they wouldn't find this place."

Sora looked around at the various wall paintings, a warm smile on his lips. Only six people on the islands knew of this place, and of those six, only three dared enter.
"The safest place in this or any world." He cooed fondly.

A blink followed the next moment when Riku leaned forward, forehead resting on his upraised knee.
"Sure, now."

Sora chuckled nervously but when he turned to Riku the other hand his eyes closed and a tired expression twisted his face.

"If I hear anything even remotely resembling ~I love you~ one. More. Time." Riku growled and bit his lower lip as though the three words which were said in a high-pitched voice stung his tongue.
Sora watched him for a long moment before looking down. He somewhat understood what Riku was going through and couldn't quite blame him for it. He tried to come up with anything to do or say that would help, at least lighten the mood, but kept thinking back instead to what he came there to do.
But didn't Riku just say he wanted no more of that? Then-

It'll be alright if you said it, Kairi's words echoed in his ears and the strangest sense of warm confidence began bubbling in his chest. Breathing deeply, he looked once at Riku before turning away with a light humph.

"Well, that's just too bad. Because it just so happens that-" He swallowed quickly, gritted his teeth, and swallowed no small amount of pride.
Because what good did that do him when Riku was looking like that?

"Sparring. And swimming. And being out here during sunsets. And playing hide and seek, and who cares we're teens now."

Sora kept looking away, effectively missing the way in which Riku's eyes widened and he turned to look at him, oh so slowly uncurling.

"Your favorite colors are yellow and blue. You're an evening person and you like winter more though you hate the cold. I'd name our common interests if I could even tell what our uncommon interests are. You'd like something not too fancy for your birthday, and lemon cakes. Either that or orange ones. And your bad points are that you can be an insensitive, egotistical prick sometimes."

"I'm insensitive-" Riku breathed out with awe, now sitting upright and staring at Sora with a look that meant he had no idea where this was going or how to feel about it.

"But-" Sora started as he turned to look back at Riku and upon meeting his gaze faltered. He looked down and then away before shutting his eyes altogether, but managed soon enough to look at Riku, letting their eyes meet.
"But because of a lot of it... and despite a lot of it... it's ok for me to say it, right?" He half begged before swallowing a lump in his throat.

"That I like you."

The wind blew through the nooks and holes in the cavern. From outside came the distant echo of the waves and the seagulls. They could distantly hear the treetops in the wind.
Finally, they also spoke.

"Kairi told you to say that, didn't she?" Riku asked with the hint of a teasing smile, making Sora blush fully and look away, shoulders hunched.

"So- so what if she di-" He began protesting, unable to keep from regretting saying what he did. There he was, genuinely worried, being all honest, and of all the things Riku had to say to him-! He had half a mind of taking it back when Riku put his hand over Sora's head, making Sora blink before glancing in his direction.
What he found was Riku sitting with his eyes closed, and a smile - a proper, honest, warm smile, the first Sora's seen that day - grace his lips. Instantly Sora deflated, body relaxing.
Maybe it was worth it after all...

"Then I'll have to thank her later." Riku concluded as he opened his eyes and for a good while let his hand trail slowly through Sora's chocolate-hued spikes.
The air was light and the mood was soothing, but eventually Sora let himself shift just a tiny bit. Yet before he could even open his mouth -

"Well, since I got all this chocolate, why not help me get rid of it?" Riku asked as he brought the pile of gifts to sit between them. Sora blinked at the tokens as he picked one up and for a moment felt silly.
Riku didn't say it back...
Then again, it took so much out of him, and he knew Riku well enough to know that such displays of affection were something somewhat rare and awkward, and perhaps they just weren't there yet.
And maybe he'd get something back for White Day...
At any rate Riku was smiling and offering him chocolate, and that was good enough for Sora who unwrapped one of the chocolate hearts and bit at it.

It kept him preoccupied enough to miss the way Riku was watching him constantly, as well as those two words that eventually passed his lips.

"Me too."

"Did 'ou shey shomefing?" Sora asked between mouthfuls, but when he turned to Riku he found the other stuffing his own mouth. With his hair ruffled, cheeks puffed and lips covered in chocolate, Sora was one of the more moment-wrecking things Riku had ever seen in his life.

"No' rili." Riku replied with a shrug as he chewed on the sweet treat. They turned to eating their sorrows and stresses away, sharing the occasional light-hearted laugh.

Oh well. He could always try again for White Day, right?
This fic had me struggling with myself a bit. On one hand Sora's KHII incarnation kept popping up, demanding I made him more awkward around Kairi.
On the other hand all of his incarnations - KHII self included - were much louder about him ultimately being much more clingy to Riku and repeatedly leaving Kairi behind. So.

This also sounded somewhat better in my mind where instead of "love" and "like" I just used the Japanese word "Suki" which is more freely used instead of both English words but means the same either way.

So yeah. Bromance to romance - this is why I love those kids :heart:
They really remind me of Ellen and Danny from Boston Legal - two men who love each other more than they love anyone else, even - even if they were both straight.
Which isn't necessarily the case for SoRiku. But the depth of the bond remains <3

Poor Kairi. But I suppose it's better to accept a pairing in its one-sided, unrequited form than not at all, eh?

Happy Forever Alone day, everybody! :dummy:
© 2012 - 2024 Suffering-Angel
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mixy-shiru's avatar
:heart: I---I'm speechless...
You're one of those persons who can make me fall in love again.

I believe in love right now. :heart: