exsilium | thirteen (text) ♞ ❝two turtledoves and a partridge in a pear tree.❞

If it's rotisserie, it can't be fried--

[ he starts, slowly, raising an eyebrow at the ceiling. as lea goes on, however, he snorts a laugh and covers his mouth to try and stifle it; by the time lea moves over to him, riku's red in the face from controlling his laughter. he reaches for the plate, raising a brow with a smile when lea takes a bite. ]

Yeah, sure, like I can't trust you.

You know what I think I'm the expert on Gross here, so don't tell me I can't rotisserie fry it.

[It's good to hear him laugh, though. Really, he doesn't do it enough; there's a lightness to him when he really laughs, like maybe he's shaken off the heavy mantle of the hand life dealt him. Even if it's only for a moment, they're good moments.

[Riku's words catch him off guard, though, and there's that squelchy feeling in his gut again, as though a hand just sort of tightened and pulled. He's familiar with the term 'heartstrings', but he was pretty sure he'd never actually felt anything tug on them before. He's not so sure of that anymore.

[With a breathless sort of sound that passes for a laugh, Lea flops sideways onto the couch and threads his fingers behind his head. The smile in his voice belies the serious expression on his face.]

I dunno, are you sure? I mean, I'm pretty dastardly when I put my mind to it.

[No, Lea. You're really not. You mentor newbies and rescue kittens. You play a good villain on TV, but you're about as dastardly as a Meow Wow.]

Tch, whatever. [ he gives a chuckle and shrugs a shoulder as he takes a bite and chews, making a satisfied noise when he actually slows down to savor it. ] You put honey in it? [ he glances at it, as the peanut butter oozes down one of his fingers. ] That's... new.

[ he supposes it's something he's gonna have to start doing. but without even blinking an eye-- ]

Sure, when you want to be. When you have to be. But you're not like that all time--you're clever all the time. It's different, and I still trust you.

I wouldn't have died for you if I didn't.

Mmhm. Ever had honey-roasted peanuts? [He brings his fingers to his lips and makes a kiss sound.] Why settle for regular peanut butter when you can make it sweeter? [He will never care that liking sweets makes him look like a dork.

[At Riku's confession, though, Lea actually inhales sharply enough to cough, then sits up, looking rattled. He still can't get over that. That had been long before there was even any noteworthy amenability between them. He knows Riku had known him as Lea back then, knows he still had catching up to do at that time, but the fact that Riku had just thrown himself into his own death for him that way, without a second thought...

[He shakes his head sharply to clear it, exhaling vocally, and then he shifts where he sits, feet on the floor and elbows on his knees. He covers his mouth with one hand, looking a little uncomfortable for a moment, then frowns at him.]

I still... don't even know what to think about that. [It's a confession, a lamentation.] I was still such an ass then, and you... [He makes a helpless sort of flapping motion with one arm, then kneads his forehead. He makes a sound not unlike a cough.] You trusted me before I even trusted myself. [A noise that wants to be a laugh but doesn't quite manage.] I can't ever repay that.

[It's true; everything else aside, it was Riku's act of trust that had driven Axel to want to be someone trustworthy, long before his own destiny would unfold that way. It's a debt he will never feel is repaid.]

[ riku's licking at the trail of peanut butter now dripping across his palm before he looks up to peer at lea, at his seriousness, and he drops it back to the plate. there's a softer smile, something excessively modest, beating with his heart. ]

You already did. If Xehanort ever got his hands on Sora... [ riku hesitates. he knows exactly what he would've done. anything and everything. ] ... if he'd turned into a vessel, everything would've gone wrong. You saved my life when you saved him.

[ he looks back down to his messy hands, and gives an awkward shrug. ]

Don't worry about it.

[Lea makes an awkward noise, shaking his head again.] R-Riku come on, you sound like an After School Special. [He still can't quite don this hero cap Sora and Riku keep trying to stuff on his head. He laughs nervously.] I... I didn't do anything that special, okay? You would'a done the same thing. You have done the same thing.

[Hypocrite. You can't write off having saved someone's life and then expect to be allowed to be beholden for receiving the same treatment. Sora was already a hero when he saved him. Riku didn't save Lea, he'd saved Axel, and Lea's not sure Axel was even worth saving. Not then.

[He exhales and makes something like a raspberry sound, then makes a face at Riku.]

Sheesh, you're making a mess. I can't take you anywhere.

[Yes good subject change.]

[ riku glares back at him and licks the side of his hand clean, shaking his head. ]

We both did the same thing. I died for you, but you died to help, too--and then you went and saved him when you were Lea.

[ his brows furrow and he takes a few more bites of his sandwich. with a mouth half full, messy hand covering his lips; ]

If what you did was nothing special, so was what I did. You can't have it both ways.

Edited 2014-01-04 06:18 (UTC)

Look, that's not--

[Okay he's kind of exasperated now. He smears both hands down his face and hangs his head.]

Can we please just... try not to die for one another anymore? [Without context it sounds a little ridiculous, but there's an honest plea in the request that saps all the amusement out of the concept. He rakes his hands back into his hair and shakes his head.] I know, I know, that if it comes down to one of us or the other, that the one is going to take the bullet for the other. Because I know that's how you work. And apparently that's how I work too. [A beat, and he lets his hands fall between his knees again, staring at them.] We've both lost enough, okay? Let's... let's not add each other to the list.

[Wow, that was. Corny. He lifts his head to give Riku a slightly indignant look--

[--and then snaps one hand up to stifle a laugh. There's peanut butter on Riku's upper lip and the juxtaposition of the very heavy conversation with that is just enough to make him lose it.]

Nice 'stache.

Deal.

[ because riku doesn't want to see lea die in his arms, like he knows he died in his.

the laughter brings him to blink a few times, and he brings his fingers to his upper lip, which only makes the peanut butter smear more. he blushes a pretty scandalized red. ]

Ugh! [ brb wiping with sleeve, although there's a particularly brave puppy that's keen on licking his face. ]

[brb loling forever]

[Okay seriously, he can't breathe. Peanut butter 'stache and now puppies licking his face? Lea just can't handle this.

[He hates the sad topics. There's so much weight to carry back home, so much pain and sadness, so much pressure to repair the damage that Xehanort has done. Neither of them asked for this.

[Exsilium is his escape. Here he can fool himself into believing this is how it's supposed to be. Here he isn't the weakest link in their chain, the chink in their armor. Of the Keyblade wielders, he's the newest and the least experienced--he knows that if they fail, if Xehanort wins, it'll be because he didn't try hard enough.

[He's not ready to face that. He's not prepared to deal with that.

[For now, he'll sweep it back under the rug. He's gotten really good at pretending he's fine--better than Riku, better than anyone, really. Most days he can even fool himself. Time to nail the rug back down.

[He leans back against the couch and puts his feet up on the table.]

Anyway. Enough about that. You celebrated this Christmas thing back home, yah? [He tilts his head curiously.] What other holidays did you have on your islands?

[Please yes subject change now okok]

We had our paopu blossom festival--down, girl--

[ damn puppies. ]

It's about... uh, friendships, family, and relationships. [ he rubs the back of his neck with his clean hand as the puppy starts to lick at his hand. ] It's after Easter. You know that one, right? Easter bunny leaves eggs for kids to find?

Why am I not surprised you guys had friendship festivals? [He says it with a grin, not indicting.

[And then... the face he makes omg.]

Wh-- Rabbits don't lay eggs.

Hey, Kairi, Sora and I were the best dancers at the festival every year.

[ >8|

then, he gets a raised eyebrow, and riku raises a hand, shaking it ]

No, no--I mean, he just... paints them and leaves them for kids. He doesn't lay them.

Edited 2014-01-04 07:27 (UTC)

Dancers, huh? [He laughs then.] You'll have to show me your moves sometime.

[More face.]

But... rabbits... can't paint. They don't have thumbs. [He is so confused.] Where does a rabbit get eggs anyway? Does he have some kind of deal with the Spring Chicken or something?

[ ???? ]

Santa can't deliver all the presents on his magic sleigh in one night either, but you weren't questioning that.

I just figured he outsourced.

[ MASSAGES FOREHEAD ]

D'you know about Valentine's Day, at least?

Yeah, that's the one with the fat naked angel archer babies.

[Must not laugh, must get candid reaction.]

[ bright red. ]

... y-yeah, that's the one.

[He laughs into his hands.]

Yes, Riku, I know what that one is about. [And then he flops back onto the couch and props one ankle up on the opposite knee.] Don't worry, I'll get you something nice.

What?!

[ he nearly squeaks it out with how his voice cracks, and a puppy falls off of his lap as he gets to his knees. ]

That wasn't why I brought it up! [ uuugh ] Don't get me anything, okay? I hear there's also White Day, that's when girls give boys that gave them valentine's back.

[ ... ] Or maybe it's the other way around?

[Lea chuckles.]

Well, since neither of us are girls, contrary to what all your friends seem to think, why don't we just do both?

I'm just listing off holidays now, jerk.

[ >8( ]

They're a month apart, though.

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promises_to_keep - 2014-01-04 08:05 (UTC) - Expand

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