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The warm island air was trapped in Riku’s lungs as he walked the sandy sidewalk, school bag in hand. The world felt so large with the morning sun rising in the east, everything felt so much bigger than him.
Riku didn’t mind as much as he should, being small didn’t matter to him anymore, not like it used to. When he was younger all he ever cared about was being the biggest, toughest kid on the playground, besting all that came near. That wasn’t him anymore, he wasn’t that Riku.
The air conditioner was loud in class 213, louder than it was in the other classrooms. He placed his bag down, quietly turning the air more towards him as he heard another bag drop to the floor. “Morning,” Riku turned to find Sora sitting down, resting his head on the wooden desk.
“Good night,” Sora responded, closing his eyes.
“You’re gonna sleep through class again?” Riku asked.
“Mhm,” an already half asleep Sora nodded his head, “Can you give me the notes?”
Riku let out a sigh, “Whatever you say.”
The bell rang and their teacher walked in, “Good morning,” she spoke in her regular soft tone, but Riku was already gone, trapped in his own head. He looked out the window at the nearly summer foliage, watching the breeze sway the palm trees. Summer was upon them, finals were nearly here. He could taste the escape of the mundane school year and feel the long beach days approach, almost able to hear the fire crackers he, Sora, and Kairi would be sharing during the warm nights, could taste the salty water on his tongue, could- “Sora, Riku!” his teacher yelled their names, bringing Riku out of his day dreaming state and Sora out of his slumber. She snapped at them as they brought their attention back to the board, not before exchanging glances and giggles.
The bell rang shortly after. Riku packed his bag as quickly as he could but when he turned around, Sora had vanished. He thought it odd that this was the third time this week Sora had magically disappeared out of his sight.
He didn’t think much of it this time, and left the classroom. His next class wasn’t with Sora, which was always a shame. He turned the corner to see Kairi running past him, before stopping herself and running up to him, “Riku!” she panted, visibly tired.
“H-hey Kairi! What’s with all the running?” Riku laughed to himself, waiting for her to catch her breath.
“Sorry- do you think you can ask Sora to get me the math notes? I’m gonna be out next period, Selphie needed me for something,” her legs shook, and her breathing was still very shaky and incoherent.
“You have math this period?” Kairi nodded, “I think Sora might be skipping it too, so.”
Kairi rolled her eyes, “Ugh, damn him. If you see him slap him on the back of the head for me, will you?”
Before Riku had a chance to speak, Kairi bolted off down the hall again. Riku laughed to himself, before walking down the hall and out into the courtyard. He could skip his next class anyways, maybe he could take a nap by a tree or do homework.
He rounded the corner to the courtyard, away from all the tables and benches. Noticing a large oak tree, he turned again to see what was there.
To his surprise, it was Sora snoring. Riku smiled to himself, sitting down next to him. “Hey,” he spoke quietly, hearing the trees sway in the wind. He placed his hand in the grass, tugging on it lightly before examining Sora’s face, remembering all the scars he’d get when they were kids, all the bumps and bruises he used to cry to his mom over. He didn’t cry anymore, Riku couldn’t remember the last time Sora cried.
He turned his attention to Sora’s wrist, which already had small drawings done in sharpie printed on his tan skin. He examined them, taking the back of Sora’s hand and resting it in the palm of his, running his fingers across Sora’s skin.
“What am I doing?” he whispered to himself and laughed, moving his fingers in between Sora’s. He went back to noticing the wind, the warm air of the end of spring, the bright green leaves providing them with shade, everything perfect.
“Riku?” Sora’s voice was tired, the same tired voice he gave when his mom would wake him up for school, a voice Riku heard any time he stayed the night.
Riku put his hands in the air quickly, allowing Sora’s hand to go free.
“You found my hiding spot again,” Sora rested his head on the tree trunk, turning his attention completely to Riku.
“Well there aren’t a lot of places to hide here anyways, I would find them all eventually,” Riku chuckled, looking down at the grass.
“Still can’t believe you found my hiding spot in the janitor's closet,” Sora muttered to himself with defeat, “I wonder if I can get one more hiding spot before the end of high school.”
Riku shrugged, “I wouldn’t put it past you, you’re good at finding hiding spots now.”
“Yeah but remember when I wasn’t? Especially in elementary school when we used to play on that island, that was rough,” Sora chuckled, remembering all the times he’d hide behind some bush or hardly concealed behind a palm tree.
“You were also 5 when you’d hide in bad places. By middle school you were better than any of us.”
Sora shrugged, “I guess I’m just cool like that.” Riku threw a handful of grass and dirt at him, “Jerk.”
Riku chuckled, “We should go back to that island sometime soon, we haven’t been there in years.”
“Yeah, now that cave would probably be a pretty good make out spot or something,” Sora laughed to himself, turning his face back towards Riku.
“This tree you got here would be a good one too, it’s quiet, no one thinks about it. Why is there some random oak tree in the back of the courtyard anyways? It’s not even a palm tree like- what are you doing?” Riku stopped talking when Sora put a finger to his lips, “Is someone coming?” Riku’s mouth was then covered by Sora’s full hand, as he moved them farther behind the tree, nearly able to touch the sunlight. Riku gave Sora a glare and used his force to rip Sora’s hand off his mouth, “I don’t see anyone what’s with you?-”
Riku was stopped once again, not by a finger or hand this time though. It was soft, delicate, and so, so perfect. Riku instinctively shut his eyes, he felt like this had all happened before. Was this the destiny stuff Kairi used to go on and on about? The paopu fruit, is this what it felt like to share one? That fruit… Riku always wanted to taste it. He had heard from some people it tasted almost bitter, but others who shared it thought it so sweet it made their tongues itchy.
This wasn’t itchy though, but it was still so, so sweet. Sora was sweet, his touch was sweet, the way he lightly tapped Riku’s knee, almost like he was counting the seconds they were together for, that was sweet too.
Letting go was nearly impossible for Riku, but Sora eventually forced himself away, “Maybe the tree would be a good making out spot,” Sora chuckled, wiping his mouth.
Riku didn’t laugh, instead he sat quietly while Sora peaked behind the tree, “I thought I heard people but we’re fine-” this time Sora was the one getting cut off, with Riku pulling him into another kiss, sweeter than their first, “H-hey!” Sora began to pull away again, before Riku’s lips were back on his own.
“Shut up,” Riku told him, before going back to kissing Sora.
Sora stopped him, staring for a moment, before stealing a kiss from Riku, his priceless smirk resting upon the lips Riku so desperately wanted to kiss, “Are you happy now?” Sora asked him, crossing his arms.
“Not until you let me kiss you back,” Riku put his hands on Sora’s arms, who lost the tension he had built up in his muscles, leaning back in to allow Riku to kiss him again. Riku instantly took the opportunity, desiring that oh so addictive sweetness he now never didn’t want in his life.
They only let go for air until they heard the bell ring from inside the school, panicking, “We should head back inside,” Riku took his bag and got up before Sora grabbed onto his hand, squeezing it.
“Meet me near the boats after school today, I doubt anyones going to be going to the island today anyways,” Sora smiled, Riku grinning back at him and nodding his head, slapping him on the back of the head per Kairi’s request, before leaving for class.
Sora rested his head against the tree trunk again, “I should’ve asked him to tell Kairi to give me the notes,” he cursed to himself, before going back to his well earned nap he was robbed from.