Sora didn't look like much when Riku first met him.
He was small and sort of scrawny, hair pointing out in all directions. He was covered in wet sand from head to toe, looking more like a monster than a child. And when he looked at Riku and smiled, there was a gap where his front two teeth should have been. The silver haired boy raised an eyebrow as the smaller boy got to his feet, dusting himself off. "I-I meant to do that. Really, I did!" he crowed, rubbing the back of his neck. In his hand was a long stick, uneven, small branches poking out.
Riku's skeptical frown, an expression that looked too old for his small face, only deepened. "What were you even doing?" he asked.
Sora stared at him for a moment and then bounced back. "Oh. Uh. This!" He showed Riku the long stick he held in his right hand, branches poking out of the sides. "I was pretending to be a prince! I thought if I could fight..." His embarrassment poked through and he glanced away, though his smile never left his face. Riku thought it was a small wonder that he hadn't poked his eyes out with the branch. He had no idea what he was doing. "I thought...maybe you'd let me play with you."
Riku seemed surprised at the admission. Sora winced. "I, um, I always see you out here. You always seem alone."
He'd never had someone to play with before. All of the other kids were too afraid to go on the island, convinced the boats were too small...or their parents just didn't think they were ready. But Riku was the oldest; he'd gotten his chance to go first, aided by his mother. And it became his favorite place to be when she was at work and he was on his own. She trusted him to be okay. He didn't want to let her down.
He played in the sun from early morning to early evening, napping in the midmorning beneath the shade of the paopu tree. He swam and he splashed around, ate from the fruits he found and played games. His mother got him a toy sword for his birthday, near five weeks ago, and told him to be a good knight and always come home when it was time. And he never disobeyed. That was his duty, he thought. He was the man of the house, after all.
In all that time, he'd gotten a little lonely, sure...but it never really bothered him. Not until Sora said it like that. You always seem alone.
Well, of course I'm alone, he thought of retorting. I don't need to be babied. I don't need to be watched.
Sora bit his lip, kicking at the sand absently. "I thought...we could maybe play together?" he said softly, hope in his blue eyes. "We could be friends."
"You don't even know me," Riku protested glumly. "Why would you want to?" No one else did.
"Because you seem really cool," the boy said. "And you could teach me to swing a sword, just like you!"
Riku considered this a moment, his frown more speculative than frustrated. At length, he folded his arms across his chest. "I can't teach you." Sora seemed to fold inwards, crushed. "Not until we get you something better than that stick." He looked up at Riku in surprise. "You're gonna hurt yourself with it. You need something better if you're going to be a knight."
"Really?!" Sora didn't wait for his response; he pounced on Riku and hugged him around the waist. "Thanks! You're so cool! You're the best!"
He twisted himself out of the hug, patting the younger boy on the head. "Relax. I haven't even showed you anything yet." Sora smiled just the same, the gap in his teeth comical. Riku returned the expression. "I'm Riku, by the way."
1. for Farlichu
He was small and sort of scrawny, hair pointing out in all directions. He was covered in wet sand from head to toe, looking more like a monster than a child. And when he looked at Riku and smiled, there was a gap where his front two teeth should have been. The silver haired boy raised an eyebrow as the smaller boy got to his feet, dusting himself off. "I-I meant to do that. Really, I did!" he crowed, rubbing the back of his neck. In his hand was a long stick, uneven, small branches poking out.
Riku's skeptical frown, an expression that looked too old for his small face, only deepened. "What were you even doing?" he asked.
Sora stared at him for a moment and then bounced back. "Oh. Uh. This!" He showed Riku the long stick he held in his right hand, branches poking out of the sides. "I was pretending to be a prince! I thought if I could fight..." His embarrassment poked through and he glanced away, though his smile never left his face. Riku thought it was a small wonder that he hadn't poked his eyes out with the branch. He had no idea what he was doing. "I thought...maybe you'd let me play with you."
Riku seemed surprised at the admission. Sora winced. "I, um, I always see you out here. You always seem alone."
He'd never had someone to play with before. All of the other kids were too afraid to go on the island, convinced the boats were too small...or their parents just didn't think they were ready. But Riku was the oldest; he'd gotten his chance to go first, aided by his mother. And it became his favorite place to be when she was at work and he was on his own. She trusted him to be okay. He didn't want to let her down.
He played in the sun from early morning to early evening, napping in the midmorning beneath the shade of the paopu tree. He swam and he splashed around, ate from the fruits he found and played games. His mother got him a toy sword for his birthday, near five weeks ago, and told him to be a good knight and always come home when it was time. And he never disobeyed. That was his duty, he thought. He was the man of the house, after all.
In all that time, he'd gotten a little lonely, sure...but it never really bothered him. Not until Sora said it like that. You always seem alone.
Well, of course I'm alone, he thought of retorting. I don't need to be babied. I don't need to be watched.
Sora bit his lip, kicking at the sand absently. "I thought...we could maybe play together?" he said softly, hope in his blue eyes. "We could be friends."
"You don't even know me," Riku protested glumly. "Why would you want to?" No one else did.
"Because you seem really cool," the boy said. "And you could teach me to swing a sword, just like you!"
Riku considered this a moment, his frown more speculative than frustrated. At length, he folded his arms across his chest. "I can't teach you." Sora seemed to fold inwards, crushed. "Not until we get you something better than that stick." He looked up at Riku in surprise. "You're gonna hurt yourself with it. You need something better if you're going to be a knight."
"Really?!" Sora didn't wait for his response; he pounced on Riku and hugged him around the waist. "Thanks! You're so cool! You're the best!"
He twisted himself out of the hug, patting the younger boy on the head. "Relax. I haven't even showed you anything yet." Sora smiled just the same, the gap in his teeth comical. Riku returned the expression. "I'm Riku, by the way."
He nodded. "And I'm Sora."