[ That gets Riku to raise a brow at the mention of Ventus but he doesn't say anything about the blond. Instead, he casts his gaze down while Sora tends to his shoulder. ]
[ There's something that's been on his mind... something that's been mentioned to him, mostly by Arden, that he hasn't thought to speak to Sora about but with people leaving this world... ]
[When Riku says that Sora's fingers stop. He always avoided telling Riku that he'd been here before for his own reasons. How painful that had all been, he wanted to forget it all so badly.
He gets uncharacteristically quiet for a second before he gets a faint nervous smile.]
[ Riku knows that something is wrong with the way Sora falls so silent all of a sudden and that's enough to make him wonder if something had happened... the last time he had been here.
Gently, he reaches out, hand touching Sora's face as he stares to him through the blindfold. ]
[ That... more or less confirms his suspicions and fingers slip away from Sora's cheek as he stares to him. Was he... right to assume that he needed to stay away from Sora then when he first arrived? Keep to the shadows, watching him from a distance... to think that he had hurt him the first time around... again even after what he's already done...
Riku falls silent, hands curling into fists at his sides on the couch... and ice beginning to spread within his chest. ]
[ There's... something inside him. Something that swells up from deep within his heart but... it's not the darkness. It's... something else... something sad. ]
I...
[ Maybe it's the fact that he's not only physically but emotionally drained from his encounter with Vanitas and while healing had gently been done on him thanks to Sora, his body was still so tired, much as his heart was. ]
I can't speak for that guy. The one who was here before, just like I can't speak for the me who ruined everything and betrayed you. That's not... that's not who I am, not who I am right here.
[ Fists curl tighter despite Sora's hand over them. ]
I never meant to hurt you, I need you... I need you to know that. Even back then, I... I was jealous of you. Jealous of everyone around you and that I couldn't leave the islands because... I hated it. I hated being there but I... I never meant to ruin things, I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted us to be together, to protect you.
[ Riku bows his head then, hair falling in front of his face. ]
Riku... I know. It's okay, I forgive you. [Sora brings his hands up to Riku's face, holding his cheeks gently. There might be the slight transfer of calming dunamis there, the feel of oceans and sea breeze.]
All that stuff that's happened, even you being here before... It's not what's happening right now. That's why I didn't want to tell you about how you were here before. And even the stuff that happened at home... Right now and the future is more important.
[He knows Riku won't want to just dismiss the past, that he will still want to atone for it all, but he still wants to try to encourage him to move forward.]
I'm fine, we're fine. We always will be.
Right now just try to rest a bit and then we'll try to find Ven.
[ This is progress though, isn't it? For Riku to not completely shut down from being alluded to how he was when he was last here and want to simply slip away from Sora and back into the shadows. It's progress, it's something, it's Riku trying despite how uncomfortable it might make him feel.
So when those hands come to touch his cheeks and the gentle warmth of sun and sea breeze can be felt through those fingers, Riku can't help but reach up for those wrists and wrap his arms around Sora in a tight embrace. He buries his face in the crook of Sora's neck, arms tight, strong, longing and he sits there like that for a good long while. ]
[Sora melts again when Riku hugs him so close and so tight. It's this anchoring feeling that he's missed so much from Riku. That feeling that no matter what he'd be there to hug Sora so he'd know everything would be alright. Sora's arms are weaker when he hugs him back only to makes sure he didn't hurt his friend.]
... I stole your clothes a lot.
[He can share a few things he guess... But the good things. To hopefully cheer Riku up.]
[ Those words allow a smile to tug at Riku's lips, gentle as it is and it's only after a moment that he comes to pull away from Sora, still feeling (and looking) drained from his ordeal with Vanitas. ]
That something that's gonna continue with me here?
[ Because, as far as Riku is concerned, whoever was here before him... they don't matter. ]
Sora gives a bit of a gentle chuckle and shrugs. He goes back to finishing with his bandaging, ever determined to do a good job of it. He's trying really hard!]
Maybe? It was so cold here compared to home I didn't get used to it very fast. But I think it's me getting you warm clothes now.
[ To be fair, Sora's bandaging doesn't seem to be too bad now that he's actually watching him do it and while he's not yet sure if the scarring will come to disappear entirely or not, at least Sora's helped with easing the pain from them. ]
Yeah, looks like it.
[ Falling silent for a moment, an arm comes to wrap around Sora's middle with a hand pressing flat against the small of his back. ]
Sora... I won't let anything happen to you. I promise.
[Anddd he's done bandaging! About the same time that Riku wraps around him again and Sora can't help but lean close to give Riku a nuzzle against his temple. Riku, you're being kind of cute and a big softy now.]
You know, sometimes I have dreams about someone telling me to always make sure you stay safe too.
[ Here he might typically argue how Sora's the more important one between them and, therefore, should be the one kept safe... but he doesn't argue that. For once. Instead, he sits there with his head pressed against Sora's, eyes falling shut behind the blindfold he's worn since day one of arriving here. ]
I wish I had nice dreams instead of the nightmares I've been having.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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I did.
[ A beat. ]
They left. Remember?
[ Cloud... Mickey... ]
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Sora's doing an okay job with the bandaging. Maybe a little too tight in some rolls and too loose in others.]
Doesn't mean you're not friends anymore...
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What was I like?
[ He asks softly then. ]
The first time I was here.
[ Was he... different? ]
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He gets uncharacteristically quiet for a second before he gets a faint nervous smile.]
You ... Umm...
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Gently, he reaches out, hand touching Sora's face as he stares to him through the blindfold. ]
...did I hurt you?
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[Sora says this quietly, suddenly unable to look at Riku's face.]
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Riku falls silent, hands curling into fists at his sides on the couch... and ice beginning to spread within his chest. ]
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You're just... Always a little tiny bit out of my reach all the time, Riku. I'm happier when I can see you.
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[ There's... something inside him. Something that swells up from deep within his heart but... it's not the darkness. It's... something else... something sad. ]
I...
[ Maybe it's the fact that he's not only physically but emotionally drained from his encounter with Vanitas and while healing had gently been done on him thanks to Sora, his body was still so tired, much as his heart was. ]
I can't speak for that guy. The one who was here before, just like I can't speak for the me who ruined everything and betrayed you. That's not... that's not who I am, not who I am right here.
[ Fists curl tighter despite Sora's hand over them. ]
I never meant to hurt you, I need you... I need you to know that. Even back then, I... I was jealous of you. Jealous of everyone around you and that I couldn't leave the islands because... I hated it. I hated being there but I... I never meant to ruin things, I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted us to be together, to protect you.
[ Riku bows his head then, hair falling in front of his face. ]
I keep messing up, Sora. I'm sorry...
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All that stuff that's happened, even you being here before... It's not what's happening right now. That's why I didn't want to tell you about how you were here before. And even the stuff that happened at home... Right now and the future is more important.
[He knows Riku won't want to just dismiss the past, that he will still want to atone for it all, but he still wants to try to encourage him to move forward.]
I'm fine, we're fine. We always will be.
Right now just try to rest a bit and then we'll try to find Ven.
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So when those hands come to touch his cheeks and the gentle warmth of sun and sea breeze can be felt through those fingers, Riku can't help but reach up for those wrists and wrap his arms around Sora in a tight embrace. He buries his face in the crook of Sora's neck, arms tight, strong, longing and he sits there like that for a good long while. ]
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... I stole your clothes a lot.
[He can share a few things he guess... But the good things. To hopefully cheer Riku up.]
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That something that's gonna continue with me here?
[ Because, as far as Riku is concerned, whoever was here before him... they don't matter. ]
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Sora gives a bit of a gentle chuckle and shrugs. He goes back to finishing with his bandaging, ever determined to do a good job of it. He's trying really hard!]
Maybe? It was so cold here compared to home I didn't get used to it very fast. But I think it's me getting you warm clothes now.
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Yeah, looks like it.
[ Falling silent for a moment, an arm comes to wrap around Sora's middle with a hand pressing flat against the small of his back. ]
Sora... I won't let anything happen to you. I promise.
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You know, sometimes I have dreams about someone telling me to always make sure you stay safe too.
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I wish I had nice dreams instead of the nightmares I've been having.
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I'm sure they'll go away soon. Once you've figured out how to face them.
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Leave it to you to be Mr. Sunshine, right?
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[He's teasing.]
Get some rest, okay?