Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ Untitled ❯ Chapter 1

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Title: Untitled as of yet
Author: Christina/AquaianGoddess
Rating: PG-13, I guess.... no porn or anything (which is rare from me)
Pairing(s): RikuxSora/SoraxRiku
Summery: After locking the door to Kingdom Hearts, Sora had terrible nightmares.
Warnings: I completely ignore the existence of both Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II in this as a) they don't fit into the way I wished the story to go and b), I haven't played Kingdom Hearts II yet (and won't until it comes out on March 28th TT_TT) and am not comfortable writing about something I've never actually played through to it's entirety. Also, as I was a Final Fantasy VII fan long before Kingdom Hearts was a twinkle in Squeenix's eye, I use the spelling of Aeris, rather than the one of Aerith, as old habits die hard. There is also a point where I completely part ways from canon, and venture into the realm of speculation. So, uh, stuff. It's also written from Donald's perspective...I figured this needs a warning all its own.
 
Also, it is un-beta'd, and a gift for my friend torsui for her birthday. Happy birthday!
 
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After locking the door to Kingdom Hearts, Sora had terrible nightmares. Donald knew this, of course, because he was the one that was woken up by them (Goofy could sleep through anything, the lazy bastard). Soft, pitiful, soul-sick sobs of the name of the one person Sora couldn't save. The name of Sora's friend, no, his best friend, Riku. It hurt Donald to hear those soft whispers and sobs, not because he was jealous (not like Riku had been when Maleficent had him convinced that Sora had replaced him with Donald and Goofy. HAH! Like that would happen, all Sora had ever talked about was Riku. Riku this, and Riku that and this reminds me of that one time when Riku and I…), but because he knew he couldn't do anything to stop it. And maybe, just maybe, the whole situation was his fault, for forbidding Riku to fly with them. If he had just asked Cid to alter the gummi so there was room for one more, would the boy ever have turned into Ansem's puppet? Would he ever have listened to Maleficent's lies? Donald told Sora none of this though. Nor would he admit to worrying about the boy and his feeling of guilt over the fact that not even the strongest of his curative spells could ease his hurt. Of course, Donald also knew of Sora's other dreams about the boy; dreams that all young men his age had, that Sora had had ever since the beginning of their journey. It was how Donald found out about Sora's crush on Riku. He would've found out anyway, as after the fourth or so time Donald was woken by the boy's moans, the boy himself woke up soon after, panicked and frightened by his feelings, though more-so of the thought that he may never see Riku again (it disturbed Donald, the look of relief Sora got whenever he saw the boy, even after Riku had become not entirely himself). Donald helped calm the boy down, before he woke Goofy (like that could happen, but Donald really didn't need Sora's arm flailing and voice-cracking screeches the whole time they were talking) and helped him through his feelings. Talking to Hercules had helped too (he, unlike Goofy, could not sleep through anything, thanks to his “hero training” and was woken by Sora's screeches), as Hercules was of the belief that sex between fellow warriors was a sign of respect for them (Donald made sure never to leave the two alone after that, as the idea of Hercules trying to seduce Sora with that lame line made him shudder, and Sora was too innocent to sense his virtue being threatened, no matter what kind of dreams the boy had about Riku!).
 
Of course, being the brilliant mind that he was (not just anyone could learn magic, no matter that that lunk-head Sora had an aptitude for it), Donald began to piece a few things together even before that, and after listening to Sora's stories of he and Riku's (and occasionally Kairi's) adventures on their little island home, he had learned from Sora's stories that Riku had changed slightly when Kairi arrived, the two boys competing more-so than ever after that. Sora had thought it was because Riku was trying to show off to Kairi because he liked her. After having a run in with Riku in Traverse Town, Donald knew better. It wasn't Kairi's attention Riku was seeking, it had been Sora's, based on Riku's quick dismissal of the girl's whereabouts. And then, after seeing the eerily perfect shadow-replica of Sora (or has they had come to call it, the “Anti-Sora”), Donald's idea of Riku's feelings towards Sora were cemented. No one could possibly create a replica that perfect without lots and lots of practice, which made one wonder why Riku would spend the time practicing making a replica of someone he “hated” (Donald had hoped it was not for sexual purposes, as attempting to make out with a Heartless was like telling Cid his gummies were low-quality junkers; after having just barely survived that experience, Donald was sure that making out with a Heartless would be ten times as hazardous, if not more). Donald deduced the fact that Riku didn't hate Sora, so much as he missed the boy and felt betrayed that Sora seemed to have new best friends (Donald would never admit that Sora was his friend even under normal circumstances, so stating that he was one of Sora's best friends seemed like a bit of a stretch to Donald, but whatever), which lead Donald to believe that Riku had had a difficult time really warming up to people (oh he was admired and respected, that much was certain from Sora's stories, but did anyone on their little island other than Sora, and possibly Kairi, really, truly, like the boy?) and that Riku seemed to thrive on attention, specifically Sora's attention. Oh yeah, Donald had figured the two out. Each had “it” quite bad for the other, and neither knew about the other's feelings (once Donald actually got around to explaining this all to Goofy, the taller of the two had laughed and told Donald that he had figured it out a long time ago, but didn't say anything `cause it was Sora's personal business and while they were friends, good friends at that, Goofy wasn't about to go muddling - meddling! - in Sora's private business.).
 
This was why Donald didn't complain when Sora decided that they were going to hunt down Riku (He hid this under the guise of “Riku's with The King” as his reason for agreeing to go, whereas Goofy had simply said “Of course! We're friends aren't we?”).
 
And thus, their search began. For two years, Sora looked for a way into Kingdom Hearts to find Riku, and after finally finding it, the reckless idiot dove right in to look for his friend. With Donald's staff lit their path, they didn't not stop to rest for three days, eating as they walked, and using what Sora once referred to as “Green Gooshy Manna Balls of Justice” (the boy was running on no sleep at the time, and while the body nor mind wasn't truly feeling the affects of sleep deprivation, the dementia it caused certainly still happened.) to help ease the fatigue and weariness caused by lack of sleep. When they finally found Riku, battling off Heartless, but very close to losing, Sora had leapt into the fray with a loud cry, startling Riku (and more importantly, the Heartless), which gave Donald time to heal Riku's injuries (though not all of them, some were too old, or already healing badly, for his spells to hold) and while the four of them finished of the Heartless surrounding them with ease, Riku collapsed shortly after (from exhaustion, no doubt. Donald was exhausted just from being in the dark place for four days, and Riku had been here for nearly two years!), and Sora carried the boy out, snarling at Goofy when he offered to help (though a quick whack with Donald's staff changed Sora's attitude pretty quickly), and clinging to him protectively even after they got to Traverse Town (perhaps even more-so after that, for once they stepped into the afternoon light of Traverse Town, Riku began screaming, even in his unconscious state. Later they found out Riku had become photosensitive, what Cid had explained as having an extreme sensitivity to light). The two had stayed in the hotel in the 2nd District for a week, Riku clinging to Sora in sleep, for he still had yet to truly wake up, trembling and tense from constantly waiting for an attack. Sora had stroked the boy's hair, murmuring softly to him that he was safe, and that he was there to protect Riku from any harm, even though he, too, was asleep. The two boys had cried into each other's hair (something both boys would deny fiercely when asked) once Riku finally became aware of where he was, and who he was with, apologies spilling from their lips as they clung to one another. Donald had not known about just how guilty Sora felt, for not locking himself inside Kingdom Hearts in Riku's place. He had figured on Riku's guilt for allowing himself to be deceived, for doubting Sora's feelings, his friendship, long enough to allow Ansem to take control over his body and use him to hurt his friend.
 
Donald felt like beating his head against a wall for months after rescuing Riku, because while Sora risked life and limb of not only himself, but Donald and Goof - well, no, Goofy didn't really risk anything too vital - to go rescue Riku, and Riku himself had locked himself in Kingdom Hearts to atone for what he had done (granted it was only part of the reason, but it was a really big part), neither had any idea what the other felt for him! Still! Donald was tempted to lock the two in a room together and - oh no, wait, that already happened, and nothing came of it! Nothing! Donald was tearing out his feathers in frustration until Goofy had patted him on the shoulder and told him that things would happen in due time (Donald wanted to punch him for that, but settled for zapping him with a lightning spell to make himself feel better).
 
They danced around each other for months, Riku's eyes slowly healing so that he only needed his blindfold during the daylight hours (Sora, apparently, thought Riku looked even hotter in it, which Donald later found out after listening to the boy panic more - “Oh God, what if I'm pushing him for something he doesn't want? What if I lose his friendship if I tell him how I feel?! DAMN THAT STUPID BLINDFOLD THAT MAKES HIM LOOK SO DAMN SEXY, ANYWAY!” - And it was times like that that Donald wished the boy had not chosen him as his confidant on the matter. Aeris was so much better suited to these things), and sunglasses at night (which had made Leon of all people snicker as Cid began humming a tune that Donald didn't know). Whenever the two Keyblade Masters got together, their talks were either hushed and somber, or loud and cheerful in a way they must've been before the whole mess with the Heartless started, though sometimes they just spoke quietly as proof of how much each of them had grown, when they spoke of Riku's job in the Accessory Shop, working with the Moogles of the Synthesis Shop to make Cid's merchandise and also helped Cid with his gummi business (Donald had absently noted that Cid had gotten more female customers once Riku started working there, which made Sora bristle with jealousy). Sora was often found at the Accessory shop's workshop, helping Riku with his job, or just hanging around and talking with him while he worked (when Sora wasn't running off to the Coliseum to fight in the games and earn some pocket money).
 
Just when Donald was about to crack and force the two to admit their feelings, the two had beaten him to it, and in the worst way possible. Donald wasn't keen on the details (Goofy had sat on him to keep him from spying on the two boys, and Aeris had distracted Yuffie with the quest of trying to steal Leon's belts without him noticing), but from what he gained from Aeris, Sora had confessed to Riku, albeit a bit drunkenly (apparently saving the known universe earned even an under-aged boy a few drinks), and kissed him. Riku hadn't responded to the confession well, and hadn't brought it up the next morning when Sora woke with a hangover and didn't clearly remember what had happened the night before until after a cup of coffee. Sora had fled from where he and Riku had stayed in the hotel and holed himself up in the house that Aeris, Yuffie, Leon, and Cid shared for hours, until after Aeris spoke to Riku to find out what the hell had happened. When confrontation was forced between the two boys, no thanks to Cid and his rather blunt method of dealing with things, it ended up with Riku claiming he needed time to think things over, and Sora fleeing off world to the Coliseum, freaking Riku out even more because he thought he'd never see Sora again (not that he actually freaked out, though Cid said Riku's reaction to the whole thing was basically his equivalent of breaking down into hysterics and wreaking his apartment in a fit of rage).
 
In the end, Donald had found out that Riku's real problem was that he feared he had lost part of his heart in Kingdom Hearts, and, of course, being the reckless idiot that he and Sora both were, he went back into Kingdom Hearts to get it back (Sora had neither eaten, nor slept the whole time Riku was gone, and merely sat in Riku's apartment, curled around his pillow). And of course, upon Riku's return, the silver haired boy had confessed that it wasn't the Heartless that had taken his heart, it was Sora. Cheesy, yes, and Donald will always be proud of the fact that Sora had beaten the crap out of Riku, healed him, and beat the crap out of him again before accepting his apology and confession of love.
 
Now all Donald had to do was just stop walking in on the boys at inopportune moments, and remind Sora and Riku that they still had to find King Mickey, but, well, one thing at a time.