Anyone Could See That The Prince Was Charming...

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/27778153.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Relationship: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi & Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Character: Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi (Kingdom
Hearts), Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Axel (Kingdom Hearts), Xion
(Kingdom Hearts)
Additional Tags: Theatre Kid Sora, Music Kid Riku, Well - Freeform, Band Member Riku,
we graduated boys, Alternate Universe - College/University, Mutual
Pining, Pining Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Crushes, Kairi is so done with
her friends stupid crushes on each other, but she is still supportive bcs
thats friendship ig
Language: English
Series: Part 4 of I Love Play Rehearsal
Stats: Published: 2020-11-29 Words: 8205

Anyone Could See That The Prince Was Charming...

by ElopeToTheSea

Summary

“What do you mean you two aren’t dating!?” Roxas all but screamed.

Sora flinched in his place. He twirled the straw in his hands, shyly looking away. He tried
to catch Kairi’s eyes, in hopes she’d help him. But even when he did, she simply shook her
head.

‘You’re on your own.’

He wanted to pout at her, but he already knew it wouldn’t work. This was the only place
she wouldn’t bulge. Usually, he wouldn’t care. But, this time, the issue came out in public.
He’d much rather his obvious and helpless crush on Riku wasn’t made even more obvious
in front of an audience.

“Well…we aren’t?” he said.

Notes

See the end of the work for notes

Sora always knew what loneliness felt like.

Not the loneliness most people felt, though. No. He always had people by his side. He had to. The
thought of being completely alone – without anyone by his side – was perhaps one of the greatest
fears that ever enveloped him.

That led him to cling to anyone he could.

‘My name is Sora, wanna be friends?’

He’d said that sentence so many times that counting it could lead to the millions. Not that he cared.
That was how friends were made. That’s how he met Roxas, how he began to hang out with Xion,
and even how he managed to befriend Axel.

(That last one probably should have a footnote. Sora wasn’t sure if Axel considered him a friend.
But for the sake of staying in Roxas’ good side, Axel was willing to do just about anything. If
playing nice with Roxas’ childhood friend was a requirement for dating him, he’d do it without
hesitation).

So, yeah. Sora always had people by his side. But that wasn’t the type of loneliness he felt. His
was, ever so slightly, different.

He felt lonely because no one ever stayed.

People come and go. No one stayed, not even Sora. He would make friends in class, and they
would vanish as soon as school was over. If he tried to chat them up outside of the confined walls
of the classroom, they only laughed awkwardly at his jokes.

If he tried to make friends with people at drama club, he always failed. They took the class to
escape the responsibilities of more demanding clubs. The drama club was too small to put on a
proper play, so it was known for an easy A. Others would ditch. Some others would look at him
weirdly for taking the club too seriously. They all liked to laugh at him, for liking everything too
much.

And even Roxas, the friend who he’d known since childhood he…He got new friends. Others who
weren’t as annoying. Others, who didn’t ramble about musicals and Disney. Friends who didn’t act
as childish as he did, who didn’t wince at rude jokes, who didn’t cling to him like a lost puppy.

Sora tried to keep those thoughts away. It was enough, he lied to himself, to simply enjoy their
company. That it didn’t matter if they found him annoying. Being slightly hated, slightly ignored,
slightly left behind - beat being alone. It was okay. He wasn’t lonely. He had friends.

At least, it was that way, until he met Riku.

Riku was different. In many ways than one. He was tall, he was cool. To Riku, it didn’t matter
what others said or thought. He could play any instrument in the world, he escaped rules, and
always knew what to do and say. Not to mention, he was the kindest person Sora ever met.

When Riku was around, Sora felt like the world disappeared. In that small bubble stuck in time,
they were the only ones that existed. When Riku was around, Sora felt seen. He didn’t feel like
Riku was tolerating him, or barely listening to his words. No. Riku made him feel complete. Feel
happy.

Riku made him feel like he wasn’t alone.

He hadn’t even realized how much he enjoyed being with Riku until they separated.
Suddenly, the criticizing stares of Roxas’ friends felt even sharper. The way everyone frowned at
his rambling, felt even more real. Suddenly, he felt like he wasn’t enough. Because, if Riku left…

Who wouldn’t leave?

It all reached a tipping point when he confessed to Roxas. They got into a huge fight. Not out of
hatred but worry. Roxas kept saying Sora was confusing his feelings. Sora just didn’t want to be
alone. But after feeling Roxas pull away…It all became too much.

Riku was the one who found him. In the darkest of places, in the loneliest of moments. He came
back, and it was as if all the pain and hurt he’d experienced, never even existed.

Hanging out with Kairi and Riku became so much fun. They never made fun of how he dressed, or
how he talked, or how he felt. Kairi loved to play dress-up with him and joined in when he started
to sing Disney songs. Neither laughed when he wanted to watch animated movies nor did they get
bored when he invited them to watch theatre plays. He couldn’t imagine why they were always so
willing to go along with whatever he said.

But he was grateful.

When the time came to go to university, the answer was more or less set in stone.

They would go to Radiant Garden, where the most prestigious school of arts was. Riku would
follow his music degree, Kairi her fashion design major and Sora would focus on theatre.

It took a while for all three of them to get used to it. The first semester was hard, each trying to find
their own pace. It wasn’t weird to find them all three huddled up in the library, finishing a last-
minute project they wouldn’t be able to complete without an all-nighter.

It was as tiring and gruelling as it was fun.

But it didn’t matter. Riku was by his side. And that was all he needed. Even if the world felt a bit
lonely sometimes, Sora never despaired. He knew that on the other side of the phone, he would
always find Riku. He’d always have him by his side, ready to come over at his and Kairi’s
apartment. He knew things would get better, as long as they were together.

Sora didn’t need anything else, he just needed-

“What do you mean you two aren’t dating!?” Roxas all but screamed.

Sora flinched in his place. He twirled the straw in his hands, shyly looking away. He tried to catch
Kairi’s eyes, in hopes she’d help him. But even when he did, she simply shook her head.

‘You’re on your own.’

He wanted to pout at her, but he already knew it wouldn’t work. This was the only place she
wouldn’t bulge. Usually, he wouldn’t care. But, this time, the issue came out in public. He’d much
rather his obvious and helpless crush on Riku wasn’t made even more obvious in front of an
audience.

“Well…we aren’t?” he said.

Roxas blinked. Then blinked again. He opened his mouth, as if ready to scream. Involuntarily, Sora
flinched. However, no sound came out from Roxas. Sora sipped his strawberry milkshake,
watching a myriad of emotions flicker through his childhood friend’s eyes. Another whole second
passed.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU TWO AREN’T DATING!?” Roxas screamed.

“Roxas,” Kairi spoke. Her voice was calm, unbothered. It was a very distinct contrast from Roxas’
desperate voice. “They really aren’t.”

“Wh-? Wait, wha-? How!” Roxas stuttered through his words, more shocked than confused, and
more confused than angry. Although, Sora could definitely sense he was angrier than normal-
Roxas-angry.

Sora sipped his milkshake again.

“Riku’s my friend,” Sora said. He hoped his voice didn’t sound as heartbroken as the next words
left him feeling. “He doesn’t like me. Not that way, at least.”

Roxas gaped again. He turned to Kairi.

“Please, please, tell me this a joke,” he begged.

“Nope,” she said. The ‘p’ sound was exaggerated. Her hands went to pick another one of the
French fries she and Sora had ordered. She ate it as if Roxas wasn’t having a breakdown right in
front of her.

“How?” Roxas asked. It wasn’t directed at Kairi or Sora. In fact, it wasn’t directed at anyone. It felt
like he was asking the world. “How!?”

“So, Axel,” Kairi changed topics soon enough. Her gaze went to the person by Roxas’ side.
“How’s school going?”

“Pretty good,” he said, trying to hide his own confusion. While his reaction wasn’t as vocal as
Roxas’, he was still shocked about the news. Hell, anyone who wasn’t Kairi, would likely be
confused. “It’s hard to balance the band with the rest of the work, though.”

“I can guess!” Sora exclaimed. “Riku’s having a hard time too, and his major is music!”

Everyone present, except Kairi, immediately felt like screaming. This had nothing to do with Riku,
yet Sora still brought him up.

“Really? I’m sure Riku’s having too much work, how’s he doing?” Xion said. She was really an
angel, following through with Sora’s words while the rest couldn’t muster the energy to do so.

“He has a lot of work!” Sora began to speak.

Kairi quickly noted the shimmer in his eyes and got up to ‘re-fill her soda’. That glint was the cue
for Sora to start talking her ear off about either theatre, music or Riku. And while she didn’t mind
hearing her friend talk about whatever he was currently obsessed with…

She was 1000% done with him talking about Riku!!!

The rest, however, weren’t as perceptive. They would have to deal with Sora talking about how
Riku had mastered some weird ancestral musical instrument, for the rest of the hour. She’d already
heard that story twice today, so excuse her if she didn’t want to hear it again.

After refilling her soda, she waited patiently by the dispenser for things to settle down. Sora
wouldn’t notice her gone for a while, his sense of perception nearly evaporating whenever he
started to talk. Xion and Axel would have to deal with the brunt of Sora’s chatter. It’s alright. They
could take it. Probably.

As for Roxas…

“You escaped too?” Kairi asked as she watched Roxas walking towards her.

“He told me the exact same story yesterday through text,” he said with a loud sigh. “Does he really
not know?”

Kairi sighed. Saying that Roxas’ confusion was understandable was…an understatement. Most of
the time, she was confused. And she had those two dorks by her side almost 24/7.

“He’s as clueless as always,” she replied.

“And Riku?”

“Please, Sora doesn’t know. You want Riku to know?” she asked. “If Sora doesn’t say a thing, Riku
won’t either.”

“But he knows, right? He has to know,” Roxas begged.

Kairi shook her head.

“How!?”

“Pff, don’t ask me,” Kairi said with a laugh.

“I’m gonna have a stroke,” Roxas bemoaned. “I really thought they were dating.”

“Well, get in the line,” Kairi sighed. “I’ve been trying to get them to get together since middle
school.”

“What!?” Roxas exclaimed.

Kairi shrugged and continued to drink her soda.

Really, no one was allowed to be angry at them not being together, more than her. For more than
four years she’d been rooting for them, and her patience was running low. If the two of them
weren’t her closest and dearest friends in the whole world – she’d already forced them inside a
closet until they kissed.

Although, knowing the two of them…They probably would end up having a breakdown over
holding hands.

Internally, she sighed even louder.

“I don’t get paid enough for this,” she murmured.

They arrived at their shared apartment almost close to midnight. The first thing Sora did, throw
himself at the worn our couch of their living room and was shove his face in the cushions.

“Roxas is the worst!”

Sora had never expected his relationship with Roxas to change enough for him to say that out loud.
When they were kids, Sora never dared say anything that would upset him. He was a loyal puppy,
eager to make his moody friend smile all the time.

Now that they’d grown up, however, he had no such inclinations. Sure, he joked around and had
fun, but he’d arrived at an important conclusion: Roxas was a meanie, who delighted in making
Sora suffer.

Especially, if it involved making fun of his crush on Riku.

He heard Kairi’s laughter right behind him, and the door closing soon after. It only made him want
to scream even more.

“He has a point, you know?”

“No, he doesn’t,” Sora was quick to answer. He could feel his face begin to heat up against the
cool fabric of the cushions. “He’s just being mean.”

“Hmm, maybe he is…But don’t you think that perhaps he’s right? And you really have a chance
with Riku?” Kairi asked.

“No! I don’t!” Sora yelled even quicker this time. He sat up, bringing the cushion with him to hug.
“Kairi, come on! It’s Riku!”

Kairi blinked.

“So?”

“So!?” Sora’s breath hitched. “Have you seen him?!”

“Constantly, yes, we have an elective together,” she replied.

“Exactly!” Sora almost screamed. “We’re not on the same level! He’s like, a thousand leagues
away from me!”

Kairi let out a loud sigh.

“I’ve said this before, Sora. And I’ll say it again. You two are in the exact same league.”

“You’re only saying that because you’re my friend,” Sora sighed.

“Sora! I’m not! You’re both insanely hot!”

Sora still doubted it.

Despite how much time had passed, he still couldn’t wash away the feeling like he was the ugly
one out of the three. While Kairi had shed her ‘perfect girl’ style – long gone were the skirts,
blazers and high heeled shoes-. She was still, objectively, extremely pretty.

With short hair, combat boots and high waited shorts, she was the picture-perfect nature-loving
tomboy. The type you would find in an Instagram post that explored the jungle and planted
gardens in her backyard. While Kairi studied fashion design, she could have easily gone to
modelling as a career.

And Riku?

Just thinking about him made Sora’s entire face heat up. His best friend was undeniably hot. More
perfect than entire magazines filled with idols and actors, and thousands of leagues away from
Sora.

Sure, he’d graduated from the embarrassing 90’s colour vomit of his teenage years. But it was
hardly any better. Oversized Disney themed sweaters, colourful hairpins, and more plastic
jewellery than Kairi was hardly high fashion.

“But he is-”

“Yes, yes, he’s beautiful, I heard you the first six thousand times!” Kairi exclaimed. “But come on!
You’re also super cute! Trust the fashion designer here, you could have any boy you wanted!”

“But Riku-!”

“Riku would be lucky to have you, Sora,” she insisted. “Come on, don’t you think you’re being a
bit dramatic? I mean, what’s the worst thing that could happen?”

Sora’s stomach dropped to the floor.

He still had the vivid memory of the time Roxas rejected him. It wasn’t painful, not anymore. It
was more embarrassing than anything. His desperation to cling to Roxas, when the feelings
weren’t even that strong, had him flushing. But he does remember he felt awful. And extrapolating
that; imagining Riku saying the same words… Saying “I’m sorry. I don’t think that’s a good idea”.

He could feel himself hyperventilating just at the thought.

Nowadays, there were few things Sora clung to. He didn’t feel the compulsive need to keep people
by his side. Nor did he feel lonely or bad if someone didn’t instantly like him.

But it was different with Riku. It was always different with him.

“Sora, breathe,” Kairi’s gentle voice called out.

“I-I can’t lose him!” he said, a shaky breath reaching for her hand.

He hugged her. Kairi was silent as she returned the hug. Her hugs were always calming, always
comforting. Sora liked hugging her whenever he felt lost.

“Shh, you won’t, baby, you won’t,” she said, stroking his hair. “It’s Riku. He would never hurt
you. Not even unintentionally. That would honestly break him.”

“Riku’s the kindest person in the world,” Sora said. He heard Kairi snicker above him, but he
didn’t care. He buried his head on the crook of her neck. “I can’t lose him, Kairi. I wouldn’t be
able to live without him…”

“You’re being dramatic,” Kairi said with a soft tone.

“Not,” he murmured against her neck. It made her laugh. He didn’t know if it was because his
breath tickled her skin, or if it was amusing how childish he sounded. Likely, it was both.

“Come on,” she said with a small laugh. “Be real. Who wouldn’t like you?”

“Lots of people!” Sora chimed. “And it’s Riku! He’s so pretty-!”

“That’s it, we’re not talking about how Riku is pretty anymore,” Kairi said, forcing Sora against
her neck. That way, he wouldn’t keep talking. “I’ve had enough about your gushing.”
“It’s not gushing-”

“It definitely is,” she replied with a deadpan.

Sora pouted.

“Now, calm down so we can rest,” Kairi continued. “Unless you want to skip breakfast with Riku
before class…?”

“No! I have to go-!”

“Then rest!” she shouted.

Riku was nervous. In fact, he couldn’t remember a time in his life that he was as nervous as he was
now. But the reason behind it wasn’t the fact that he was about to perform in front of hundreds of
people. No.

It was because he was about to perform in front of a hundred people and Sora.

“I can’t do this,” Riku said.

“Yes, you can, you moron,” Roxas said from the stool by the speakers. “Just don’t fuck it up.”

“I can’t do this,” Riku repeated, ignoring Roxas’ words.

“Roxas, you’re not helping the boy,” Axel said.

“It’s not my fault he’s a wuss,” Roxas complained, looking up from his phone. “I mean unless he’s
asking Sora out-”

“For the last time,” Riku interrupted. He was nervous, but his voice was strong enough to interject
Roxas’. If anything, due to how much he didn’t want to hear the same lecture again. “I’m not
asking Sora out!”

Riku knew that Roxas didn’t like him. Granted, the boy didn’t hate him. Which was, honestly,
more than Riku even wanted. In the past few days, however, Roxas became insufferable. Asking
about when he was going to ask Sora out, and when they were going to finally kiss.

Riku didn’t want to believe it took Roxas this long to find out he was in love with Sora. Roxas was
slightly smarter than that. But given that Axel was his boyfriend, one could only guess if he had
any brain cells left.

“Then you’re wasting my time,” Roxas said. ”You’re wasting everyone’s time, in fact. Can we get
this over with?”

Axel rolled his eyes.

“Riku, dude, relax,” Axel said. It was a poor and awful attempt at getting him to calm down. But it
was an attempt. Riku could be grateful for the effort. “Sora will like it, no matter how much you
screw up.”

“That’s not helping,” Riku said.

Axel shrugged.
“I tried.”

Riku turned to ignore them both.

Technically speaking, this was no big deal. He had performed before. In front of massive
auditoriums – from his music classes –, with the band, and even in front of Sora. Granted, the last
time he performed in front of Sora, was back when the band just started.

At the time, the band was far from professional. Their gigs were small, only managing to play in
crowded cafés and school events. After all, in those early days, the band was honestly kind of
crappy, and with no experience. Sure, they had fun, but they were far from good. It was nothing
more than a way to pass the time. A way to de-stress from the world.

Riku, in particular, remembered those days fondly. Back then, he could simply invite Sora over. It
was high school, so he even got to walk Sora back home a couple of times.

How the hell had they landed a gig as big as performing a late-night music festival?

Apparently, it was all thanks to Riku.

For some reason, no one thought that having the top student of Radiant Garden’s Music
Department, pursuing a passion project, would lead to this. However, when Riku began writing
lyrics and music in earnest, their little run-down band blew up.

This was their first big gig, and Sora was here to see it.

Riku couldn’t breathe.

From behind the curtain, Riku watched Sora. He was on the front row, with by his side Kairi,
watching the rest of the bands play. Riku felt the districting rush of blood in his cheeks and tried
desperately to rub it off.

He prayed no one caught him staring at Sora again.

The braces he’d worn all through middle school and high school were gone. That metal smile now
replaced with the brightness of a clear blue sky. He shimmered underneath the fluorescent lights
coming from the stage. Riku watched with fondness as Sora danced to the rhythm of the music,
laughing heartedly whenever Kairi began to shout.

He was having fun.

The memory of Sora crying on the classroom floor still burnt in the back of his mind. The image
had been too much of a shock after all. Seeing Sora, the cheerful and bright Sora, so withered away
and sad…

It’d tugged something deep inside Riku. A need to make him smile again. To protect him, so that
he never cried again. It was a desire so bright it still echoed.

But now?

Things were getting better. Even if it’d taken time. Even if things sometimes felt like they hadn’t
quite slotted together yet.

Riku was happy. At that moment, he was happy.

“Oh my god, you’re gonna make me puke,” Roxas said.

Riku jumped, pulling his back straight. His cheeks felt hot, but he tried to act as unbothered as he
could. If anyone who didn’t know him saw it, they’d fall for the act. Think that, maybe, Riku was
as composed as he looked.

But Roxas knew him. And watching Riku try and hide how obviously nervous he was, only made
him laugh harder.

“Stop bothering lil Romeo here,” Axel said, walking past Roxas. “We need him alive to perform.”

“Hey, I’m not the one causing him the heart attack,” Roxas said in turn. “He’s gonna do that to
himself when he realizes Sora is on the front row to see him.”

Riku wasn’t having a heart attack. Because that would mean conceding the fact that Roxas was
right. And he didn’t want to do that. Not tonight, at least. He was petty like that.

But.

“Roxas!” Axel reprimanded.

Roxas stuck out his tongue in indifference. Riku ignored him, much more concerned with keeping
his breathing under control.

“-That was an amazing performance, don’t you think so?” the voice of a lady boomed from the
speakers. Riku felt like all the nervousness climbing up his throat was going explode in a single
second. “And now – it’s a delight to present to you: The DreamEaters!”

“I really hate that name,” Roxas said, getting up from the stool. He pulled out his drumsticks from
his hoodie. “Can’t we change it?”

“For the last time, no,” Axel replied. “Unless you wanna talk about it with Sora? Hey! Xion! Hurry
up!”

Roxas visibly frowned at that. Sora came up with the band name. The only one who resisted at the
time was Axel. They thought their band was gonna be forgotten in less than a month, so Roxas
agreed easily. Xion didn’t put up a fight, and Riku was willing to do as much stupid stuff as he
needed in order to make Sora smile.

Axel tried to talk everyone out of it, but no one listened. Not even Roxas, who just dismissed it,
saying it was a little something to keep Sora happy.

Now that they were making it big, Axel refused to let Roxas live down the reason why they had
such a stupid name for the band.

“On it!” Xion called, crossing the backstage with her keyboard on hand. “Ready?”

“No,” Riku said.

“Too bad!” Roxas called, pushing him away, and taking the first step into the stage.

The light hit him on the face. He wanted to murder Roxas, but that was highly illegal, and he
would rather not end up in jail tonight. With no way to defend himself, Riku gripped his guitar and
took a step forward.

The night wind blew, tossing around Riku’s hair. He absent-mindedly thought back on Kairi’s
advice to tie it up. He’d been too lazy to do as much, but he was already regretting. After high
school, he let his hair grow, to the point it now reached well past his shoulder. Just shy of his
waist, in fact.

It was high time he started listening to her advice again.

“Good night, Radiant Garden!” Axel’s voice boomed just behind him. He was the charisma of the
band, and Riku let him do most of the hyping up. “Hope you’re ready to have the time of your
lives!”

Riku plugged in his guitar to the speakers. Idly, he began working on the chords. It was far from
anything challenging, but it was all it took for the crowd to start cheering. He saw Axel giving him
the thumbs up from the side of the stage. He showed them back, with an awkward smile. It was
warming up exercises, what was the big deal?

Regardless, he closed his eyes. His heart was beating loudly, unable to calm itself. It beat hard,
echoing until it drowned the audience’s screams. Riku took in a breath as profound as he could.
The fresh sensation rushed from his lungs, towards the end of his hands.

He opened his eyes. Sora’s expecting eyes came into focus. Riku’s heart suddenly calmed. There
was no sound, there was no hesitation. He saw a freckled smile, filled with stardust and wonder.
Riku’s breath was taken away in an instant.

His fingers began to move subconsciously, and Sora’s smile only widened in awe.

“Good afternoon, sir. What can I do, sir?” the pleasant voice of Xion began to travel through the
air. Her voice was melodious, with a small edge of mischievousness that made people stare for a
moment. “Just say the word, sir. Anything for you, sir!”

All songs were written by Riku, but he didn’t sing most of them. He was confident on his vocals,
but he felt like he could hardly carry the entire show on them. They would switch the vocalist,
depending on who fit more. Xion became the vocalist more often than not. Simply because her
sweet face, mixed in with the rebellious lyrics Riku wrote, created a surreal and charming
experience.

Riku couldn’t help smiling. The adrenaline of perfectly hitting the notes, while the rest of the
harmony came together, was indescribable. It was pure inertia, pulling them all forward. Moving
them until their sound overflowed the stage.

It was loud, it was energetic, it was everything that Riku had ever dreamed and more. It reminded
him of the reason he began playing instruments in the first place. This sense of belonging. Of
communicating without words. Of reaching out and finding someone on the other side of the
melody, reacting to it.

As the short song came to an end, Riku turned to see Sora. He was hoping to see him dancing
again. All smiles, moving to beat with Kairi, probably even singing along if the music was catchy
enough.

But what he saw was blue.

Sora was looking straight at him, unmoving, with his lips parted as if gaping. Riku’s face flushed,
nervous of having Sora’s undivided attention. He messed up the very last chords, but it luckily
went unnoticed with the loud cheering that followed from the crowd.

In fact, Riku was so flustered, that he didn’t notice Roxas elbowing Axel. A few hushed whispers
(which were actually screams drowned by other people’s screams) came from their side until Axel
eventually moved towards the mic once more.

“For our next song, our songwriter is gonna lead!” Axel said. Riku almost dropped his guitar, as he
shot the other crew member a glare. Axel promptly ignored him. “Riku! Come on! Sing that
special something you were telling us the other day!”

“It’s not ready!” he hissed under his breath. But because it was a concert, his voice wasn’t heard.

The song was, in fact, ready. He even shared it with Xion – the only one in his asshole of a band
that didn’t make fun of Riku’s painfully obvious crush. Which in hindsight, was a big mistake.
Because Riku only needed Xion’s keyboard for it. And seeing her excited little jumps, it was
unlikely she would refuse to help.

Riku gulped, as he was shoved before the microphone.

A single thought began racing in his head.

This is all Roxas’ fault.

He searched through the sea of people until he found Sora in them. He looked worried, almost
reaching for Riku, and just barely holding himself back. Riku felt himself smile.

The worry in Sora’s eyes eased, and Riku began to play.

He was sweating, with the blinding lights shining directly at him. The adrenaline still pumping
inside his veins, he began to move his fingers. The chords came as instinct, and the melody from
Xion’s keyboard was softly murmuring with him.

It was so different from their previous song. In fact, it was different from anything the band proper
had played. The songs for the band were usually written by a desperate part of Riku. Desperate to
escape, desperate to scream, and desperate to just run.

But this one wasn’t. It was born from a place of belonging. It came from the need to stay, finally in
one place where he fits. Perfectly, quietly. Somewhere warm, where fears and simply vanished
away from touch.

He opened his mouth.

“In you and I, there’s a new land,” Riku sang, as lightly as he could. He didn’t know if his voice
was good. It was in tune, sure. But he’d never sung out loud in public before. It eluded him if his
voice sounded nice enough to be listened in earnest. Any other time, his voice would have been too
soft to be heard; too scared the sound would be loud and booming. But the crowd was silent. It
made his voice sound louder than it was.

Riku worried slightly if his voice had any pleasantness to it at all. He then closed his eyes, hoping
it wouldn’t disappoint whoever listened, “Angels in flight…What’s left of me. What’s left of me…”.

Riku was blushing. Profoundly. Not because he was singing in front of a crowd, or because said
crowd had gone silent at his voice. But because he knew Sora was listening. He would listen, and
he would know that the words…They came from deep inside Riku’s heart.

The sound from Xion’s keyboard swelled. Riku opened his eyes, watching Sora’s eyes water right
before him. Riku didn’t even try to hide the small smile that formed in his lips.

“A sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah,” Riku felt his throat tighten up. “Where fears and lies, melt
away…”

Riku hoped Sora would listen. Listen beyond simple words. Hoped it would reach him.

The images of that old classroom flashed before his eyes. Small, smelling of dust and humidity,
with almost no light because it was underfunded. But still theirs. A secluded place, far away from
the world. Where Riku could laugh, without holding back. Where Sora’s smile reached where the
sun couldn’t, warming Riku’s until then stone-cold heart.

“And all I fear-” Riku fought back the tears. “-means nothing…”

Sora didn’t. He was tearing up. Riku let out a small chuckle beneath the sung words. It was
strange. Even though Riku always felt like he was a weirdo, a monster that never fit in…Even
though he was sometimes scared of hurting Sora once more…

He also felt like there was no other place he belonged. No other place, other than right here. With
Sora in front of him, and the world slowly vanishing from their minds.

He extended his hand. It was a bridge. Xion took over most of the sound, so Riku reached out.
Sora’s eyes widen. Yet, he didn’t hesitate to climb towards the stage. Riku smiled at him, a smile
born from deep inside his heart.

He nudged the microphone closer to Sora.

“In you and I,” Sora’s voice was softer than usual. A bit rough, since he was trying desperately not
to cry. “There’s a new land…”

But it was still beautiful.

Riku continued to play, watching Sora sing. It reminded him of back in middle school. When Sora
would sing on the empty classroom, and he’d help him practice. Except now, there were hundreds
of people watching.

“Sanctuary,” Riku joined in, the sound of their voices in harmony startled them. It was joyous
sound, full of life, full of emotion. They both felt their heart swell. “My sanctuary, yeah…”

The song ended.

The magic spell cast, which made Sora and Riku feel like it was only the two of them, suddenly
dissipated. The uproar from the audience startled them both awake.

Riku turned slightly to see Kairi, and she was a bawling mess. He wanted to laugh and make fun of
her. But upon a closer look, she seemed genuinely distressed, going as far as to cling on to the
railing for support.

Riku was so confused, he looked back to Axel, in search for answers.

Just to find him equally shaken. Wait, wasn’t this his idea!? Xion was trying his best to keep him
from breaking down in the middle of the stage. As for Roxas…

Riku had never seen such a conflicted expression on Roxas’ face. It was a bizarre mixture of
confusion, sadness, and anger. He was almost expecting Roxas to throw his drum sticks at him and
then scream.

But he didn’t.
Or if he did, Riku didn’t realize. Because at that point, Sora ran towards him. Riku moved away
from the microphone, opening his arms on instinct. Sora there himself at his opened arms, hugging
him so tight Riku thought he was gonna suffocate.

“Riku!” he cried. “Riku! Riku!”

Sora didn’t say much of anything else. He was crying. Really, honest to god crying. Babbling and
sobbing, and whatever he was saying couldn’t be understood. Riku sighed content and touched.

Distantly, he thought he heard Roxas shouting.

‘I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY’RE NOT DATING!’

The after-party was a mess.

Sora was drunk no less than thirty minutes in. But really, could you blame him? Just thinking back
on the concert had him tearing up all over again.

It should be illegal to love someone so much. It really had to. Because it hurt, it hurt so much it
was burning through everything inside him. And no amount of hugging Riku, no amount of crying,
and no amount of gushing Kairi’s ear off was easing that pain.

For starters, Riku was hot. Sora was already having trouble breathing, without Riku singing. Just
having him playing the guitar on the stage, with the lights all pointing at him, and grinning like
that, had Sora struggling not to pass out.

Now he understood all the girls that fainted over One Direction tickets back in middle school.

Because Riku was so pretty it was dazzling. Even before, Riku was pretty. But now that he actually
put effort into looking nice, it was an actual danger. Riku liked wearing chains, and leather jackets.
All that added up to his long hair that looked amazing tied up or natural…

Sora could only gape and swoon as he watched him grin at him.

But then Riku had to sing.

He wanted to whine again to Kairi, but when he turned to her, she got up.

“I’m not listening to you talk about him again. You haven’t stopped in three hours!”

It was probably an overstatement. But Sora wasn’t sure if by much, if at all. Riku’s voice was just
so pretty. It was all soft, warm, and so filled with emotion it instantly touched Sora’s heart.

And the lyrics.

Sor was going to cry again.

How could something so beautiful be created by a human? Sora was starting to think, Riku really
was some kind of God. A God of music perhaps-

“Alright, that’s it,” Riku said. Before Sora could take another sip of the whatever-Kairi-had-given-
him, Riku took the red cup away from him. “What’s even in this?”

“It’s sweet,” Sora hummed. “I like it.”

Sora saw the way Riku struggled to put the cup down on the table. He wasn’t sober either. The
only one who didn’t drink tonight was Kairi. She’d barely touched her drink.

“Let’s get you a cup of water, okay?”

Sora nodded. Although his mind was muddy, and he couldn’t quite piece together what Riku was
saying, he followed him. He trusted Riku, enough that even drunk he’d do whatever he asked him
for.

However, the longer he tried to walk, the harder it was to maintain his balance. By the time they
reached the kitchen of Axel’s house, Sora was barely able to stay upright. Riku handed him a paper
cup filled with water.

It was an entire ordeal to get himself to drink it. Everything around him was moving, and there was
so much noise. Eventually, Sora managed to take a few sips, after which he placed his entire face
on the counter.

Riku laughed from above him. Sora watched, dazed.

“What are you doing there?”

“It’s cold,” Sora replied. “Feels good.”

“You’re wasted,” Riku pointed out. “Come here.”

Riku helped him up, and slowly Sora regained his senses.

That’s not to say the same of his balance.

He hadn’t taken more than three steps into the living room before he tripped. If it hadn’t been for
Riku catching him, he’d be planted face-first on the floor.

Although now he was planted face first into Riku’s chest.

If Sora weren’t drunk, his first reaction would have been to freak out. Even though they were
friends, and they usually hugged, having Riku’s broad chest right in front of him was sending all
kind of butterflies into this stomach.

But he wasn’t sober. He was drunk. And Riku’s warm body was pressed against him, and his smell
was so nice it helped him melt against it.

“Sora?” Riku asked.

“Hmm, feels nice,” Sora slurred.

They landed on the couch. It was large enough, able to fit up to three people. But they weren’t
taking more than one seat between the two of them. Mainly, because Sora kept hugging Riku,
refusing to let go.

Riku didn’t know if it was due to the alcohol on his system, the warmth of Sora’s body, or his own
body playing dirty tricks on him, but he suddenly felt very, very hot. A less drunk version of
himself might have drawn a line there. Decided that, since Sora was drunk and obviously out of his
senses, he couldn’t take advantage of the situation in any way.

But Riku was drunk too. And it felt so nice to have Sora curled up on his lap. Without thinking
about it, Riku reached out to wrap his arms around the little body on him and brought him closer.
Sora let out a content sigh. He furrowed deeper into the embrace, letting his body go limp. He
placed his head on the crook of Riku’s neck, inhaling deeply until his lungs chest hurt.

“I like how you smell,” he confessed in a murmur.

Riku had his nose pressed against Sora’s hair. The words felt nice, making his heart skip a beat. He
let his head drop against Sora’s.

“I like yours too.”

People came and went, getting up and sitting down on the couch as the night continued. But neither
of them wanted to get up. They were like wallpaper, unconcerned by the rest of the people that
passed by. They murmured between them, small words, small compliments, small promises. But
just from looking at them, you could tell whatever those words were, they were filled with
affection.

It didn’t take long for Sora to slowly nod off. He fell asleep mid-sentence. Just as he was
confessing to Riku, how he sometimes purposely forgot his sweater, just to borrow Riku’s jacket.
Why? Because he liked having it wrapped around him, almost like being hugged by him, all the
time.

Kairi watched this. A small, tired smile formed in her lips. She snapped a picture, not even
bothering to be sneaky. They were all drunk, in a world of their own. There was no way they would
notice her taking a photo of them.

The party was band members and close friend only. Aside from the band, Sora and Kairi, there was
Namine, Saix, Hayner, Olette and Pence. By the end of the night, only the band, Sora and Saix
remained. And those two, only because they were the boyfriends of the band members.

Kairi tapped Riku’s shoulder on her way out.

“We’re leaving Riku. If you’re sleeping over, scoot over,” she said, pointing at the pillows
scattered on the other side of the couch. “Roxas let me borrow them. Thank me in the morning.
Now, hand over the sleeping beauty there.”

Riku nodded slightly. He started to move, but halfway through, Kairi’s words finally clicked inside
of him. With a little panic, he looked down. Much to his relief, Sora was still there, sleeping on his
chest, without a care in the world. He turned to look at Kairi, pleading with his eyes.

“Oh god, you two are the worst,” she said. There was no real bite behind her words, and a small
grin slipped through. “Can you promise you’ll take care of him?”

With a very solemn face, for a drunk person, Riku nodded. He heard Kairi let out a hearty laugh,
but he couldn’t understand why. Not with his head all muddled by the alcohol.

“Okay, okay, I get it,” she said, hiding her laugh behind her hands. “No need to be so serious. Just
give him water in the morning, and make sure gets home safe, okay?”

Riku nodded once more. Kairi continued to laugh underneath her breath but eventually reached for
her bag. It seemed like it was really late if she had already found it. Usually, Kairi lost her bag as
soon as she came into a party and only found it after everyone was gone.

“I so need to call you when you wake up,” she giggled. Riku frowned, but before he could say
anything back, she waved and reached for the door. “Take care!”
Riku couldn’t care anymore. He moved so that he could rest on the sofa as if it were a bed. It
wasn’t all that comfortable, but he was too tired to complain.

“Riku?” Sora asked, half-awake.

“Sleep,” was all Riku said. “It’s early.”

Sora didn’t question it. Didn’t ask where Kairi was, or why they’d moved. All he did was move
closer to Riku’s chest until there was no space between them.

Like that, it didn’t take long for Riku to also fall asleep.

Hushed whispers were the first thing Sora heard. He tried to raise his head, but he was stuck in
place. Like a giant blanket was placed on top of him, that prevented him from getting up. Then, he
felt pain. His head pounding, and his eyes clenched tight, burrowing deeper into whatever was
keeping him from getting up.

A small whine poured from his lips, which helped the voices die down.

The pressure from the so-called-blanket increased. It was comfortably warm, but Sora was starting
to have trouble breathing. So, with a yawn, he opened his eyes and moved to get up.

And then, he found Riku’s face against his.

Sora almost screamed.

He was…He was cuddling with Riku!

Because of all the ruckus, Riku woke up too. Sora watched him go from confused, to focusing his
eyes on Sora - giving him this loving and soft look that had Sora’s heart melting – to confused
again, and then panic.

“Wakey, wakey, Romeo,” Xion’s teasing voice came from the other side of the room. “You’re
gonna be late for breakfast!”

Sora’s entire face was flushing bright.

“K-Kairi is waiting for me!” Sora stammered out. His heart was beating loud and He could barely
stop his mouth from saying whatever the hell it wanted. “I’ll h-have breakfast at h-her…At ours!
At our home, yeah. I mean-, I guess, unless…Anyways!”

Xion snickered, and Sora wanted to be swallowed whole by a hole in the ground.

“Well, you better hurry, since it’s late,” Xion said.

Sora nodded slightly, taking his phone from his hoodie. He saw that he had some messages from
Kairi. Riku, curious about it too, propped his head over Sora’s shoulder to see.

“Could you please be gross somewhere else?” Roxas said, letting out a groan.

Sora looked up, confused. Xion snickered by his side. They were all sitting down on the dinner
table, with Axel and Saix barely awake as they made breakfast for their partners – Roxas and Xion,
respectively.

“You and Riku are just really close, that’s all,” Xion said with a grin.
Sora continued to be confused until it clicked. Riku was still hugging him from behind. He hadn’t
noticed because they hugged so often it was second nature. But, now that they‘d called attention to
it…Sora squirmed, nervous in his place.

“I-I should get going,” Sora said. Gently, he moved away from Riku.

This obviously didn’t sit well with the other. Sora knew Riku got touchy in the mornings – it
wasn’t the first time they had a sleepover -. Having his morning session of cuddles interrupted,
really put him in a bad mood. In any other circumstances, Sora would have listened to no one, and
spend a few more minutes with Riku. Indulging in the warmth of his touch and rambling about
something stupid until it was time to get up.

But right now, Sora was dying of mortification. Everyone was seeing how much he liked Riku, and
it was making him get so many butterflies in his stomach it actually made him want to puke them
out.

Sora collected his things without looking back at Riku. It wasn’t until he finished gathering it all
up, that Riku climbed out of the couch, and offered to walk him home.

With a small nod, Sora agreed. He heard Roxas and Axel wolf whistle while they walked out. Riku
showed them his middle fingers and helped carry the little bag Sora had brought over with him,
which contained a notebook and his phone.

The walk to Sora’s home was weird. It wasn’t awkward or unpleasant, but neither could find the
words to say. So, they simply stuck as close to the other as they could, trying to find something to
say.

‘Out of all the times where my big mouth should work…’ Sora lamented.

Kairi and Sora’s apartment wasn’t too far from Roxas and Axel’s. The walk was over before they
realized it, and only then did Sora look up from the ground.

“I really liked the song,” Sora said. They were on the doorway, the apartment’s door opened. Sora
played with his fingers while looking up to Riku. “A-and your voice was really pretty too, Riku.
You should sing more.”

“I’m not sure if I will,” Riku said, looking slightly away, embarrassed. “Xion will most likely
cover it, and I just played the acoustic version. It’ll sound better with all the band.”

“I liked it as it is,” Sora said. He shifted his weight between the ball of his feet and the tips of it.
“Will you sing it again for me?”

“Y-you’d want me to?”

“I’d like anything with you,” Sora joked. Only after the words were out, did he realize the double
minute it could have and flushed. “I-I always have a good time with you! I like you best, Riku! S-
So…”

Sora cursed internally. He was messing everything up, his mouth rambling and rambling as he got
more and more nervous. It wasn’t until he heard Riku’s soft chuckle that he calmed down.

“Consider it a date, then,” Riku said.

He was teasing. Sora knew it. But it didn’t stop his heart from skipping a beat. He grinned back.
 “It’s a date,” Sora said. Riku gaped at him. Feeling playful, and his embarrassment momentarily
evaporating, Sora got on the tip of his feet. He was small, much smaller than Riku. So, even with
that small bit of extra height, Sora was just barely ever to reach his target.

He gave a light peck on Riku’s cheek.

It was light. So, light it could have been imagined, if not for how much it burnt skin against skin.
Sora’s lips felt buzzing with energy, as he pulled away.

“See ya!”

Sora closed the door.

As soon as he did so, he slammed his body against the door, and slowly let his weight drag him
down. His knees were weak, and his heart kept screaming inside his chest. The stupid, lovesick
grin in his mouth, couldn’t be wiped away. He giggled to himself, replaying the sensation of
Riku’s cheek against his lips, and the strands of hair brushing against his forehead.

On the other side of the door, Riku was much the same. Gently touching his cheek, as the faintest,
most foolish of smiles crept on him.

Kairi, who’d watched the whole thing from the sofa in the living room, just sighed.

“I do not get paid enough for this,” she said to herself. Deep down, she cheered.

End Notes

A last message to anyone who's in high school rn:

It Gets Better

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I wanted to post this as soon as I finished the new rhythm game. i really liked it. i had a lot
of fun. This fic was sitting on my pile of drafts for a while, but i never got around to
finishing it. I finally did, which is a relief. This is the last entry of this series. I mean, i
/could/ continue it, but it would have a totally different theme and focus. I made this with
the idea of showing character growth, and use songs from musicals to create my stories. So,
idk about it.
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Btw, it would mean a lot to me, if you rt the promo i made for this fic.

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