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The first time Sora called, Riku mistook it for an emergency.
The king looked over as soon as Riku’s phone began ringing, watching Riku fish it out of his pocket with concern clear on his face. Riku knew that there was really only one possibility, but his heart still thumped at the sight of Sora’s contact shining up at him.
“Sorry.” Riku excused himself hurriedly. “It’s Sora.”
The king nodded as Riku fled, mercifully returning himself to their investigation without any further questions. There were more than enough quiet pockets in Radiant Garden to stow away in, and Riku eventually sequestered himself between two buildings for privacy’s sake, leaning his back against the wall.
His fingers shook slightly as he aimed for the accept call button. Was Sora okay? He must still be alive, if he was calling, which was only a small comfort if he was desperate enough to ask for Riku’s help like this. Riku hoped that he could help, whatever was troubling Sora. He would get in his gummi ship and fly over if necessary, but if Sora was in danger now, he might not make it in time. Riku strongly considered running for the ship now.
Before he could make a decision, however, the call went through.
“Riku!” Sora cried. “I’m so glad you picked up!”
“Sora!” Riku responded in kind. To his immense relief, Sora looked alright, if a bit blocky. Was that the phone’s camera, or a curse of some kind? Riku didn’t know.
“See? That’s Riku!” The phone whizzed around, image streaking blurry, and Riku came face-to-face with a crowd of… oversized toys? What? “Isn’t he identical?!”
“Oh, yeah!” A green dinosaur crowed. “I can definitely see the resemblance!”
“…Sora?” Riku asked, now very much lost. These were definitely toys, like the kinds he and Sora used to have when they were kids. Was that the danger? They didn’t seem unfriendly, even if it was strange for them to be moving and talking. Was this a new world Sora had gone to?
Also, resemblance to what?
“See, Riku?” The phone swung around again, and Riku was pretty sure he was getting whiplash from the frantic movement. “Doesn’t this guy look just like you?”
Whatever Sora was trying to show him was a blur considering how his phone wobbled, held backwards awkwardly in Sora’s hand. Riku sighed. He may not have had this phone for very long, but it didn’t surprise him that he could use it better than Sora already. Sora always had been terrible with technology.
“Sora,” he sighed, “Just point it at him, and flip the camera around.”
“Oh, right!” There was some shuffling, and then a click.
Riku was staring at an advertisement for some game called Verum Rex, featuring a sullen looking young man draped over some steps. He had short hair, like Riku’s, and he wore similar clothes and boots… but he had two differently colored eyes, and his arms and chest ran thin where Riku had muscle.
“I… guess?” Riku floundered. This call hadn’t been what he was expecting at all. There were no heartless, and no Organization members- just Sora, goofing around as usual.
“What do you mean, you guess?” Sora huffed, clearly not impressed with Riku’s half-hearted, confused answer. “You’ve got to take this seriously! You know I’m gonna play this someday, Riku!”
Riku did not, in fact, know. “Well he’s sort of… skinnier than me?”
“Gawrsh, I think he’s right!” Goofy butted into the frame, despite Sora’s loud protests. “See, Riku’s got way more muscle!”
Riku felt his face begin to heat up. Maybe that was the wrong thing to mention.
“I guess you’re right… especially in the arms.” Sora said. Riku was bright red, by now, as the rest of the toys all nodded and chirped in agreement.
This was definitely not what he’d signed up for.
“That’s why I said you looked like Riku, Sora!” Donald argued. Sora glared down at him, just out of frame.
“What, just because I’m an action figure now? I’d make a good action figure too, not just Riku!”
Riku’s head was spinning. Did Donald really say that? Did Sora agree?
“Me? An action figure?” He repeated, dizzy.
“Yeah! Goofy thought you’d make a good one, since you look so… y’know!” Sora flexed an arm at the camera. That made Riku feel a bit like a freshly cooked pasta noodle. He was glad to be leaning against the side of a building.
“I don’t know about that,” he protested.
“See?” Donald insisted, still somewhere below the camera. “Riku’s humble.”
And mortified, but Riku doubted anyone had noticed that.
“I’m humble!” Sora argued back. “I’m just saying, me and Riku can both look cool-“
He was cut off as the call ended, though whether by intention or accident Riku didn’t know. Either seemed equally plausible. Ultimately, he was kind of glad, because it gave him the chance to catch his breath.
Maybe it was stupid to be so flustered, but Riku hadn’t been prepared to be complimented quite like that. Sora’s words stoked something warm hidden deep inside of Riku, something he tried not to think about. If Sora really thought he looked handsome and cool, like a video game character or an action figure-
Riku shook his head. He really didn’t need to be worrying about that right now. Sora was just being silly, as he always was. He was literally playing around with a bunch of toys. Was this how his travels through the worlds usually went? No wonder he liked being a hero so much.
By the time Riku had made it back to the king, he’d firmly pushed the strange call to the back of his mind.
At least the first time Riku’s phone had only rung in front of the king. That was embarrassing, sure, but the king knew him well, and didn’t mind being interrupted.
This time, Riku’s phone rang in the middle of a discussion with Ienzo, who seemed less than pleased to be interrupted. Riku declined the first call, a sign of good faith, but when Sora called again Ienzo simply sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead, and insisted that Riku go outside to deal with it.
“Surely, it must be important,” he said only a little bitterly. Mickey offered Riku a supportive smile as he stole away to the corridor.
Riku accepted the call as soon as the door shut behind him. Truthfully, he was a little worried, himself. Sora wouldn’t call twice if it was nothing, right? He knew Riku was busy too.
“Riku!” It was loud and bright, wherever Sora was, and he had a big grin on his face. “Is it a bad time?”
Riku remembered the irritated look on Ienzo’s face. He thought about saying yes, hanging up, and walking back in to listen again.
“Not really,” Riku said, “what’s up?”
“I wanted to introduce you to my new friend!” Sora shifted the camera slightly, revealing a young woman with long blonde hair. She waved at Riku. “See, this is Riku! He’s the one who helped me get out and see the world!”
That was not exactly how Riku would describe things- more like he’s the one who wrecked our home and sent me on a quest to stop him- but he wasn’t about to contradict Sora.
The lady’s eyes widened at Sora’s too-reverent description. Something about her expressions, her excited little mannerisms, reminded Riku strongly of Sora. No wonder they got along.
“Oh, like Flynn!” She said, before laughing a little, correcting herself. “Well. He’s probably less of a troublemaker.”
“Hey!” A voice from behind the camera interrupted- Flynn? “Now, that’s really not fair-“
“Oh no! Riku got me into WAY more trouble.” Sora laughed. “Right, Riku?”
“Sora!” Riku protested. How could Sora be so casual about this?! Riku had nearly killed him. He’d done so many terrible things, and Sora brushed it off so easily.
Sora must’ve noticed the look on Riku’s face, but he didn’t comment on it.
“Well, it doesn’t matter now!” Sora said, offering Riku a little smile- still bright enough to melt whatever was inside of Riku, no matter the size. Riku glanced down, wordlessly accepting the implied apology.
It was fine. As long as Sora was alright, then anything was fine.
“So, you left your homes too!” The blonde woman interrupted, clearly in awe of Riku and his ambition. “Isn’t it amazing outside? Don’t you just love it?”
“Yeah,” Riku said. It was a weak response, but truthfully, he hadn’t had the opportunity to ponder it much. Most of the time he was fighting- for his freedom, his life, Sora. Still, even so, there was a part of him that was happy about it all. There was a part of him that loved the life of adventure, even if it was dangerous.
The lady didn’t seem deterred by his lackluster response, simply giggling as Sora pulled the phone back towards him.
“Oh, Riku, it’s just great here!” Sora said. “I’ve been sending you pictures! Did you see?”
That explained the incessant buzzing in Riku’s pocket. “Not yet. I’ll check.”
He was, admittedly, rather excited to see them. Sora and this lady radiated an infectious excitement together, and the bustling town behind them looked nice. It reminded Riku of the Destiny Islands, but so much bigger and more vibrant than the meager downtown he’d grown up with.
“Wait, not now!” Sora yelped. “I wanted to show you what Rapunzel taught me!”
Ah, a name, finally. Riku wasn’t surprised Sora forgot to introduce Riku back to her, but it was kind of impressive that it had gone on this long.
“Hold this!” Sora said, thrusting the phone forwards. It fumbled into someone else’s hands, and that someone loudly protested.
“Hang on! I thought you were my sidekick!” The man- Flynn?- argued. Riku felt very, very lost.
“Just for a minute!” Rapunzel wheedled. That had him give in, though not without some grumbling.
“The things I do…” Riku heard him mutter. As Sora moved back, however, Riku could make out more of the town square behind him. The tile was a pale, sandy color, and the space was surrounded by carts bursting with flowers.
Sora stood back, with his arms spread wide, and before Riku could wonder what all the empty space was for, the music had begun.
The townspeople around quickly joined Sora’s dance, and Riku could only watch as he wove through them, feet tapping in time with the rhythm. Sora looked so lively as he spun from partner to partner, with a smile on his face and his jacket whipping around him. He linked his arms with some, spun others, and even bounced into a one-handed handstand, much to the delight of the villagers around him. That was when Sora came back to Riku, a proud smile on his face.
“Did you see?” He asked. Riku nodded.
“Yeah.” He said. “That was amazing, Sora.”
He wished he could say more, had more words to offer, but he felt just about as worn out as Sora from watching alone.
“I wish you were here, Riku!” Sora said, breathless. His already messy hair drooped into his face, a few strands hanging over and into his eyes. “I think you’d be a really good dancer.”
“You- you do?” Riku sputtered. Sora nodded, and Rapunzel, who had materialized behind him at some point, seemed quite confident, too.
“You don’t have to worry. I’ll lead!” Sora jabbed a thumb towards himself, proud. Riku had never considered himself a dancer, before, but all of a sudden he found himself seriously considering trying it. Sora looked like he’d been having the time of his life. Even if Riku didn’t like dancing, being that close to Sora while he was that happy sounded like bliss.
Riku blinked. Wow. That was a little too sappy to admit, even to himself.
“You sure?” He asked, pushing a smirk onto his face. “Maybe you’re just scared I’ll show you up. I think I should lead.”
Sora balled his fists, fire burning hot in his eyes. “No way! I know more than you this time! You’ve got to let me be in charge!”
“Please. You think I can’t keep up?” Riku challenged him. “I bet I’ll learn it in half the time it took you.”
“Riku!” Sora whined. Then, the phone went careening sideways.
“Okay,” the man’s voice said, “I have held this thing for way too long already.”
“Flynn!” Riku heard Rapunzel protest, somewhere in the crackling audio.
“You’re not even dancing anymore!” Flynn protested, and there was a click as the call ended. Riku chuckled to himself.
Just where did Sora find these people?
It was high past time for Riku to return to their search, to hear more about the replicas and brainstorm ways to find Aqua in the Realm of Darkness- especially since there hadn’t been an emergency after all. Still, Riku couldn’t bring himself to leave just yet. He opened his messages with Sora, and scrolled through the pictures.
They were beautiful. Sora had taken a deluge of photos, some of the forest, some of Rapunzel, some of him and some of both of them. There were pictures of bunny rabbits in thick grass, of Rapunzel knee-deep in a sparkling pool of water, of Sora’s grin as he held the camera aloft to show a field of flowers just behind him.
Riku ran his fingers over the photo. It was silly, considering that he was alone, but he couldn’t help but mirror Sora’s grin.
Riku was glad he could just be happy for Sora, now. There was no jealousy, no competition- he just looked at Sora, happy, and felt content. He loved it when Sora smiled.
Riku wondered, idly, why it had taken him this long.
The next time Sora called, Riku was, blessedly, alone already. He and the king were taking a break in the midst of their investigation, and Riku was sitting on a bench outside, taking some time to himself in the gardens.
He picked up immediately when his phone vibrated, heart pounding.
“Sora,” Riku said, trying for something less than panicked. “Is everything alright?”
“Riku!” Sora cheered. “Look at this!”
He flipped the camera around, much to Riku’s amusement and pride. It seemed like even Sora could be taught.
On the other side of the camera, however, was a delicious looking dessert. Some thin, flaky dough had been drizzled with a golden sauce, and topped with melting ice cream, a slice of orange, and a beautiful twisting decorative piece.
“Where’d you get that?” Riku asked, eyes wide and jaw hanging open. Had Sora visited some dessert world while he was looking away?
The camera flipped back to Sora, looking inordinately proud. “I made it.”
“What?” Riku didn’t mean to offend with his shock- he knew Sora could do most anything he set his mind to- but this was unexpected. Back home, Sora could barely boil water.
“I know, right?” Sora asked. “But it’s true! The little chef’s been teaching me how to cook, and he makes it actually fun! I think I’m really getting the hang of it, now.”
Riku smiled. “That’s great, Sora.”
Sora was still glowing, had a smile still plastered on his face. Riku was glad that Sora was enjoying this, at least. In Riku’s opinion, Master Yen Sid was too harsh on him. Sora was hardworking, and he would definitely get his powers back soon. It wasn’t even his fault he’d lost them to begin with!
Riku believed in Sora, more than he believed in anything else. Sora was kind, and stubborn, and he cared more than anyone. If they could trust anyone to come through, it was him.
“When you and the king have some time, you should come by!” Sora said, excited. “I can cook all kinds of things now. I want to make you something, Riku!”
Riku’s stomach rumbled appreciatively at the thought. He and the king had been surviving on rations as they investigated the worlds. Riku wasn’t especially picky, but he wouldn’t be dumb enough to turn down a real meal- and he really wanted to try whatever Sora made. It looked, against all odds, completely delicious.
“Yeah,” Riku said, “that sounds fun. We should do it for sure, Sora… but after all this is over.”
Sora deflated, slightly. He slumped back in the bistro chair.
“Yeah…” he echoed. “You’re right.”
“Sora?” Riku asked, spiraling a little, like he’d missed a step going down the stairs. This wasn’t like him.
Sora shook his head. “I have to focus on getting stronger, that’s all. I’ll get my powers back eventually.”
Riku’s stomach shifted. Of course that was getting him down. Riku had just been thinking about it, himself. There was a lot of pressure on Sora right now, a lot riding on him getting his powers back. He didn’t know how Sora kept it all together in a time like this. If it were Riku, he definitely would’ve screamed by now.
“You will,” Riku said, as reassuring as he could manage. “I believe in you, Sora. I know you’re capable of anything.”
Sora’s smile was small even with the comforts, a little frail and a little feeble. That wouldn’t do.
“C’mon, Sora,” Riku wheedled. “You beat me.”
“Like, twice!”
Riku shook his head. “You’re special.”
Sora was. No one else made Riku feel this way, safe and excited and free all at once. It was kind of scary, how thrilling just talking to Sora on the phone was.
“Oh!” Sora said, snapping his fingers. “I forgot, I needed to ask you something. We ran into one of the seekers of darkness in the last world we visited, and he said some strange stuff… I mean, more strange than usual.”
“So, extremely strange.” Riku huffed. It made Sora laugh.
“He said his name was Vanitas, and that half of his heart… was inside of me.” Sora pressed a hand to his chest, as though he could feel the second heart there. “That I’d made a bond with a boy named Ventus when I was little, and that was why…”
“What?” Riku sputtered. Another heart inside of Sora’s? He knew about Roxas, of course, but this was unheard of. Two hearts dwelled in Sora? “Does anyone else know about this, Sora?”
“The king knows about Ventus and Vanitas.” Sora said, tilting his head thoughtfully. “That was how Donald and Goofy were able to explain it to me… but even I didn’t know about my heart.”
“I’ll go tell him and Ienzo.” Riku said with a nod. This was critical information. If one of the missing keyblade wielder’s hearts slept within Sora, that might be able to help them locate him.
Sora looked a little weary at that, eyes flicking downwards.
“Yeah,” he said.
“Sora?” Riku asked. Despite the urgency, he couldn’t bring himself to hang up just yet. It looked like Sora still needed him.
“So you don’t know anything about it?” Sora asked. “I thought that since it happened when I was young, you might…”
Riku shook his head. He hated to let Sora down, but he couldn’t lie to him, either. “I don’t. I’m sorry, Sora.”
“It’s okay.” Sora smiled. Riku’s heart wrenched. He had to say something.
Of course, that wouldn’t be hard. Talking to Sora was as natural as breathing. Riku ended up chuckling slightly, shaking his head.
“But, you know, I’m not really surprised.” He said. “You always had a big heart, even when we were kids. I can understand why someone would feel safe, there.”
Sora flushed a little. He seemed taken aback by the compliment, though Riku couldn’t imagine why. He couldn’t be the first to have told Sora something like this, even if he was sort of angry it’d taken him this long to realize.
“You really think so?” Sora asked. Riku could only nod, deliberate and sure.
That, however, seemed like it had finally done the trick.
“Okay… bye, Riku!” Sora said. “I should get back to work.”
“Sora?” Riku asked, before Sora could hang up. He held his breath for a moment, waiting to see if Sora heard him. He watched in relief as Sora’s finger paused, hovering, over the screen.
Riku smiled. “Don’t worry. I know you’ll figure things out. You always do.”
Sora returned the smile, stronger this time.
“Thanks, Riku.”
It was a good thing the king had gone to purchase more supplies and left Riku with the gummi ship, because of course, that was when Sora decided to call.
Riku picked up readily. He still felt a tinge of anxiety, of course- it could be an emergency- but a part of him was just excited to see Sora again, no matter the reason.
“Hey, Sora,” he said as soon as the call connected. Then, he heard the crackle of the phone’s speakers being blown out.
“Riku!” Sora whined. “Rikuuuuuu…”
“What is it?” Riku asked, sitting up. This didn’t sound like something serious, judging by the tone in Sora’s voice, but he could never be too sure. Those noises…
Once the camera connected. Riku saw the culprit. Sora’s hair had been blown wildly in all directions by a gust of wind. Everything in his environment, from the rocks to the trees to the ground itself, was doused in white.
“It’s so cold!” Sora cried. “I’m freezing to death!”
There was a stern quack by his side.
“World order!” Donald insisted.
“Hey, get out of here! I’m on the phone with Riku!” Sora directed a glare somewhere below the phone. After a few thumps of feet in snow, Sora pulled the phone close to his face, and gave Riku a stage whisper. “Donald won’t give me a coat!”
“I HEARD THAT!”
“DONALD!”
Riku sighed, only mildly amused by the antics of Sora and his friends. It soon sounded like Donald and Goofy had gone, however, and the video and audio feed turned a little clearer. The wind was dying down.
“This world is seriously cold, though.” Sora huffed. “Pretty, but cold! Wanna see?”
Before Riku could answer, he was treated to a panoramic view of a frozen lake, and tree branches laden with icicles. It was beautiful, in a pristine, delicate sort of way. Still, Riku shivered at the mere sight. He wasn’t good with the cold, either. He was way more used to the beating of the island sun.
“It’s really cool, Sora,” Riku responded. That earned him a close-up of Sora’s face, again.
“Get it?” Sora asked, gleeful. “Cool.”
Riku groaned.
That, however, seemed to exhaust everything Sora had to say. He sat in (a not unpleasant) silence, looking down at the Riku in his phone. Riku shifted in his seat.
Was Sora trying to think of something to say? Was there something he was avoiding, again? Riku should probably say something. Yet, in spite of Sora’s beautiful surroundings, there was only one question on Riku’s mind- the same one he wondered every time Sora called.
It seemed like a stupid thing to ask, absolutely the wrong thing to say, but as the seconds dragged on it looked more and more like Riku’s only option.
“Sora,” he asked, “Why do you keep on calling me like this?”
Sora leveled him with an impressively skeptical look, eyebrows just about flying off his face. “What do you mean, why?”
“You’re not in danger, are you?” Riku couldn’t see anything around Sora, and he looked relaxed, but one could never be too careful. This could be a coded message, if Sora was being watched, or-
Sora made a face like he’d smelled something awful. “Riku! Do you really think I have to be in trouble to want to talk to you?!”
“Well-“ Riku sputtered, knocked off-kilter by the force of Sora’s frustration. “I just-“
Sora sighed, finally taking pity on him and interrupting his sputtering.
“It’s just… nice to talk to you, Riku.” Sora said. “I mean, think about it. For all of our adventures, we’ve been apart. First you were with Ansem-“
Riku winced. He hardly needed the reminder.
“-then you wouldn’t talk to me because you looked like him, and then we were separated in our dreams… I’ve never got to just tell you about the worlds I’m in!” Sora huffed, clearly distraught about it. “This isn’t perfect, either. I wish you got to be here with me for real, so you could meet everyone and we could fight together. But at least I get to hear your voice, like this!”
Riku closed his eyes, flushing, nearly bowing over from the force of it. How could Sora just say things like that, so casually and naturally? Riku loved hearing Sora too, of course, he loved seeing Sora smiling and well, but somehow, those thoughts seemed too private to ever speak aloud. They felt heavy inside of him, like they had to be hidden forever.
“…wait. You don’t mind, right?” Sora’s eyes were wide, now, pleading silently as they stared at Riku. Riku was quick to shake his head.
“No! Not at all.” He felt unbearably sappy for it, but he smiled. “I like talking to you too, Sora.”
Sora breathed a sigh of relief, shoulders drooping. “Okay, good! I don’t want to distract you from your job, or anything… I just keep seeing things and thinking of you.”
Riku felt unbearably warm. Sora was thinking of him? “…thanks, Sora.”
For some reason, however, the thought seemed like it sobered Sora. While Riku was busy melting, Sora had solidified and straightened up slightly, leveling a discerning look at Riku.
“And, I know it’s your job, but you’ll let me help if you need it, right?” he asked. “If you’re in the realm of darkness, and something goes wrong…”
“Sora,” Riku said, indulgent, teasing, “are you worried about me again?”
Sora’s eyes left the phone screen. He was staring somewhere in the distance, blue turning glassy like the smooth surface of the ocean.
“There’s a girl here who reminds me of you.” He said, voice turning quiet- not a whisper, but something reverent. “She thinks she has to push everyone she loves away, that they’ll only be safe if she isn’t around… when that’s really not true at all.”
“Sora…” Riku protested. It really wasn’t the same as it had been a year ago- now Sora was recovering, and the Realm of Darkness was extremely dangerous. Riku just didn’t want him to be hurt.
“I mean, we’re a team, aren’t we?” Sora asked. “You, me, all the keyblade wielders.”
Riku looked into his eyes, cast back towards the phone screen. Sora was nothing if not determined. Hadn’t he been thinking that all along? No one was capable of miracles quite like Sora. No one had a heart that big. No one else understood hearts like Sora did, not in theorems or big fancy words, but just by intuition alone.
Sora didn’t need practice, really. He just had to be himself. And if what he said was true, and he just wanted to be at Riku’s side…
Riku smirked. “Okay, alright. Just don’t keep me waiting.”
It was a testament to how regular Sora’s dumb phone calls had become that, when Riku’s phone rang next, he was just relieved that it still worked in the realm of darkness.
The king leveled him with a knowing smile as Riku fished the phone out of his pocket, asking quickly to be excused.
“Is that Sora?” The king asked.
“Who else calls me?” Riku asked, sardonic, but without any venom. “I’ll be right back, your majesty.”
When he picked up, Sora waved an ice cream bar in his face.
“Guess who got chocolate ice cream!” He crowed.
“Not sea-salt?” Riku asked, eyebrow pitching upwards. Sora shook his head.
“I don’t know how Axel eats that every day! Does he even know there are other flavors?” Sora asked. Riku snickered.
“Anyways, I called you to show you the city!” Sora said. “Let me-“
He fidgeted with the phone slightly, a little unbalanced with one hand preoccupied holding the ice cream stick. When the camera flipped around, however, Riku’s breath was stolen.
“Wow,” he breathed. The city was bigger than anything he’d ever seen before, shimmering with golden sunlight from above and the fluorescent glow of advertisements on buildings. People and cars and motorcycles flitted around it, like a whirlwind of activity and motion. It looked so vast and colorful, just begging to be explored.
“Isn’t it cool?!” Sora beamed. “See, I knew you’d like it! I thought of you as soon as we landed here.”
Riku choked a little at that. Sora had mentioned lately that he was thinking constantly of Riku, of course, but it was still different to hear it in practice. It felt so wildly thoughtful, like Riku was something hopelessly special to Sora.
“How are you seeing it so high up?” Riku asked, half because he was curious, and half to distract from the warmth threatening to burst right out of his chest.
“That’s the coolest part! My friends flew me up here!” He flipped the camera back, showing that he was on top of the bridge Riku had seen leading into the city. Sora’s feet dangled precariously off the edge.
Riku sighed. How like Sora. “Just… don’t fall, alright?”
“Riku! How long have you known me?” Sora asked with a wink.
“That’s why I’m worried.” Riku responded, deadpan. Sora laughed.
“I’ll send you more pictures,” Sora promised. “This world is so exciting.”
“I’ll bet,” Riku said.
Sora, however, looked thoughtful all of a sudden. He twisted the ice cream back and forth in his free hand as his lips quirked shifted, as words tumbled around unsaid in his mouth.
“Munny for your thoughts?” Riku suggested.
“Just one?” Sora pouted. “Potions aren’t cheap, you know!”
“Spill,” Riku insisted with a quick roll of his eyes. Sora did, but not before laughing.
“I was just thinking that it seems like all this will be over pretty soon.” He said. “We’ll defeat Xehanort and the Organization, and get the keyblade wielders and Roxas back… so even if there are more bad guys, we’ll have other people to help us take care of things.”
“Yeah.” Riku was relieved, to be honest. He and Sora definitely needed more help. They were only barely scraping by right now.
“So, after all the work we’ve done, we can probably take a break, right?” Sora asked. “Like after we defeated Xemnas… except I don’t want to go back to the islands.”
Riku jolted in place. “You don’t?”
What on earth did that mean? If Sora didn’t want to go home- to where they all lived, together-
“Well, this all started because you wanted to see the worlds, right?” Sora asked, looking back at the camera with that understanding smile of his, like he could read Riku’s mind and sift for everything that was good there. “But you’ve been working so hard to keep them safe. You never get to actually explore and meet people like I do! So once this is over, and we’ve won, I’m going to take you to all the worlds in the universe! I’ll show you everything there is to see!”
Riku felt like he’d been pushed right up against the sun and melted into a puddle of goo. He felt hopelessly weak, boneless, like he might collapse right here on the beach like he had nearly a year ago.
“Sora…” he said, because he didn’t know what else to say, because that had stolen all of the words inside of his head anyways. Would Sora really do that for him, even after everything? Sora wanted to explore the worlds with Riku, and spend his precious time with Riku?
“Please say yes!” Sora insisted. “It’ll be fun, I just know it!”
Riku wanted to say yes so much, in so many different ways, that he didn’t even know if he coherently could.
“Sora,” he finally ended up saying when his breath was back, “there’s nothing in all the worlds I’d possibly want more.”
Sora’s beam was probably bright enough to outpace the Destiny Islands sun.
“It’s a date!” he said. “Oh, and by the way, Riku, I keep forgetting to mention. Your new haircut looks awesome!”
He hung up before Riku could sputter and ask him exactly what he meant by date, before Riku could think anything at all, because Riku really had to fight to process words while Sora was smiling at him like that, like he was good and worthy and mattered.
Riku’s hand rose up without even thinking about it. He idly touched the hair Sora had referenced.
It looked awesome, huh?
Riku checked his phone like a reflex, these days.
He powered it on and off, searching for notifications, wondering if he’d somehow missed a buzz or a ring. He checked when he was walking somewhere. He checked during meals. He checked in bed, before he fell asleep and as soon as he woke up every morning.
There was always a flutter of anxiety as the phone flickered to life, the bitter hope that this time, he might have a message. There might be something special about this moment, some way that the universe had aligned to let him breathe again, to let him live again.
It never worked. Riku should’ve known better than to hope. He wasn’t a fool. Sora would hope, though, and that was what kept Riku hoping.
Sometimes Riku had messages from his friends- the ones who were researching, or scouring the worlds for any sign of Sora. They were only ever optimistic at best, never carrying any actual good news. Still, Riku couldn’t give up. He would never give up on Sora. Sora never gave up on him.
When Riku had checked his phone first, just after Sora had disappeared, he’d been greeted with a voicemail he had never received. It was from the Realm of Darkness, when he had been fighting Aqua- far too busy to check his phone.
Riku? Sora’s crackly voice had said. Riku? Riku! Please pick up. Chip and Dale said they lost contact. Please- just hang on. I’ll be there, like I said.
Riku couldn’t bear to listen to it after the first time, to hear the agony in Sora’s trembling voice. He was sorry he’d ever made Sora worry that much, even if it wasn’t on purpose. It still stung to think about.
Scrolling through their old messages hurt just as much. Riku always loved to see Sora’s smile, but nowadays it felt like a taunt just to know it was missing. All Riku had were photos, flimsy and digital. Sora was nothing but data here.
Riku wondered sometimes how the phone calls could ever have felt jarring or strange. Now that they were gone, it was like a piece of his soul was missing. Everything felt empty and incomplete, like he was living in a dream and just couldn’t wake up. The days that passed by didn’t feel real without hearing from Sora, about his new friends and how he was doing.
As Riku searched the worlds, he often found himself thinking about the trip Sora had planned- about his promise. This was all so agonizingly unfair. They were supposed to go places together, finally spending time by each others’ side and being a real team. It all bundled into an ache in Riku’s chest, a longing he couldn’t quiet no matter how hard he tried.
He needed Sora back more than anything.
Riku’s thumbs skated over the screen, hovering, but not quite pressing down. When the phone powered on, the notifications were empty, as usual. Sora hadn’t called him. Sora hadn’t accomplished his usual miracle yet.
Riku’s breath caught in his chest. He pressed down on the screen, pulling up Sora’s contact for the millionth time. It was muscle memory to him now.
Hitting the call button, however, was new.
It rang. Riku waited. Riku had been too scared to even try, hoping somewhere, deep down, that this could be a last resort. Everyone had already tried calling Sora already. Riku was left with the foolish hope that he had a special connection to Sora; that he was different somehow.
He wasn’t. The call went to voicemail. Riku sighed.
Sora was great, sure, but he was also lazy. It looked like Riku was going to have to make the miracle this time.
Leave your message after the tone.
“Sora?” he said. “I’m coming.”