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oath_breaker) wrote2019-06-04 10:32 pm
oath_breaker) wrote2019-06-04 10:32 pm
wander out on the town by the sea
Mermaid!Riku and human!Sora, who meet and become fast friends. With the promise of finally showing off Riku's home, Sora and Riku meet by the pier as always. There's no good reason for Sora to wear one of those sailor shirts, but there's also no good reason for this fic to exist, so! They're probably around 16 in this. Also the truth is, I took the breathing trick from another fic. (I'm pretty sure it was this one)
Inspired by Niku's art of the boys as mermaids!
Riku swam in a slow circle, a few feet beneath the surface beside the pier. It was a bright sunny day, the light filtering through in streams that Riku made a game of passing through, closing his eyes as he turned to his back, mimicking the sun bathers he'd seen.
His hair drifted around him, obnoxious as always, but for some reason he never cut it short. Maybe it had something to do with the way Sora tended to touch it often, wet fingers gliding through Riku's hair, gently de-tangling it. Maybe it was because the first time Sora had ever touched him was to move a lock off of it off Riku's nose.
His crush had hit him like he'd been barreled into by a whale, knocking the breath out of him and sending him spinning, until his only sense of gravity was Sora grabbing his hands when they swam together, anchoring himself onto Riku. Riku had never had a crush before, or even really a best friend, and both experiences came to him in a wonderful two-for-one deal, with Sora's bright grins and happy laughter, suntanned skin incredibly warm when Riku touched it.
His hair drifted around him, obnoxious as always, but for some reason he never cut it short. Maybe it had something to do with the way Sora tended to touch it often, wet fingers gliding through Riku's hair, gently de-tangling it. Maybe it was because the first time Sora had ever touched him was to move a lock off of it off Riku's nose.
His crush had hit him like he'd been barreled into by a whale, knocking the breath out of him and sending him spinning, until his only sense of gravity was Sora grabbing his hands when they swam together, anchoring himself onto Riku. Riku had never had a crush before, or even really a best friend, and both experiences came to him in a wonderful two-for-one deal, with Sora's bright grins and happy laughter, suntanned skin incredibly warm when Riku touched it.
At first, Riku had been conflicted, wanting to see Sora so much. He'd confused it with mere human fascination, but the first time Sora had touched him, it'd sent a chill through him, a shudder, a sudden rapt understanding of oh.
The indignation had come after the confusion. Riku, the fastest swimmer of his age group, the most powerful, the best one at studying and whose magic was, if slowly coming along, more efficient and thorough than the others— Riku, who was all of that and more, falling in love with a human?
That had lasted a single morning spent with too much thinking, until Riku had seen Sora again that afternoon and realized none of that mattered at all.
A wave of water swept down to him from the surface, and Riku opened his eyes to realize Sora had dipped a hand in and waved it down to him. Grinning, he curled in tight to roll right-side up and shot up with a powerful flick of his tail, breaking the water and splattering Sora with stray drops. Sora spluttered and reared back before he laughed brightly, eyes crinkling in the corners and blue eyes striking with dark lashes.
"Riku!" Sora half-scolded half-exclaimed in joy. He lay on his stomach along the pier, bangs damp from Riku's show and cheeks shining with the seawater.
"You're late," Riku grinned, idly spinning in place as the waves pushed him. When Sora's knuckles brushed his temple, Riku closed his eyes, tilting his face up towards the warmth of the sun as Sora pushed Riku's hair back from his face.
"Sorry," Sora said, index finger curving along Riku's cheek, then drifting up to start on his other temple, "my friends wanted to hang out today and I couldn't come up with a good excuse to shake them off."
Riku opened one eye as Sora finished tucking his hair back, arms lazily floating on the surface. "You told them about me," Riku accused, ducking his head slightly.
"No!" Sora said, eyes widening, and then he flicked the water level with Riku's sullen chin. "You're my secret."
Pleased, Riku emerged again. Sora's hand was dangling from the pier, his other arm folded so he could rest his chin on it. It was a pose he often took when he wasn't in the water with Riku, or on a paddle boat that Riku had once inspected with immense curiosity.
Sufficiently tempted, Riku fished his hand out from the water to take the one Sora subtly offered, sliding his palm against Sora's and shivering at how immediately warm Sora was. Riku had a natural lower baseline temperature than Sora, one they'd figured out by placing their hands on foreheads and necks, gawking. Holding Sora's hand beat sunbathing any day.
Sora's fingers twitched and curled around Riku's. "So? Today's the day, right?" Sora asked, eyes glittering with anticipation. The collar of his shirt flew up with the strong breeze, and he closed his eyes as his hair got tossed into them. Riku was slowly drying up, staying above the water, but it felt nice, feeling his hair lift on the breeze.
"If you're not scared," Riku teased, swimming up a little higher, so that he could be closer to Sora's face. Sora scowled, squeezing Riku's hand.
"I'm not! You're the one who kept putting it off!"
"For your safety, idiot," Riku said, pulling Sora's hand close to his chest, just holding it, "I had to make sure you wouldn't drown."
"Aw, Riku," Sora's face softened, and he twisted their hands until fingers interlaced, "I'm sure you won't."
Warmth bubbled in Riku, fluttering and growing. He didn't blush easy, but Sora somehow managed to make it seem as common as day. He ducked his head, dry locks of it falling forward easily, and Sora laughed, lifting his chest slightly to keep his face up as he freed his arm to tuck Riku's hair back again. He couldn't help turning into Sora's touch.
"Tell me what I have to do," Sora said, and Riku quirked his lips. He caught Sora's hand before it could return, interlacing their fingers.
"Take a deep breath!"
Sora's gasp probably didn't count as Riku hauled him off the pier with no warning, laughing as he fell backwards into the water and Sora followed him, spluttering again. The water broke, bubbling past them in a furious rush, and then Sora's curious too-blue eyes were curved in mirth, sunbeams striking through the ocean surface. Riku pulled until Sora hovered near him, anchored by Riku, and they spun slowly in place.
Sora scrunched his face up at Riku, who easily read you jerk! in the dip of his brows. Riku grinned, bright and eager, and pointed towards Sora's chest, sweeping up with his palm in the direction of his throat, fingers curling in as he ended near Sora's mouth.
Sora nodded an okay, understanding Riku's question about his breath. Riku couldn't help wanting to make the moment last, and he spun them lazily in place, eventually going parallel with the surface, Sora's hair turning golden-blonde when the sun hit it just right.
Riku could talk in the water if he wanted, but it didn't seem fair if Sora couldn't, and somehow both of them communicating in tiny gestures, of widening their eyes too wide, or squeezing hands, or grinning, made it feel like so much more was being said. The water was Riku's home, and the ocean loved him. It spoke to him in currents, told him when to propel them faster or slower, indulgently drifting just beneath the surface.
The oceans near Sora's islands were beautiful, kept as they were by Riku's people. There were coral reefs and tropical fish, colors so vivid it dazed Sora. The water was bright and clean and Riku thought there wasn't a single better place to be than freely swimming here with Sora.
Sora took it all in, going further out from the shore than he'd ever dared to before, or could reasonably swim. Riku had tugged them just deep enough to avoid the powerful shove of the waves, though rip currents were curling around them, dispelled by Riku with either magic or tail.
Eventually, though, Sora started to squeeze Riku's hands too tight, eyes going wide, and Riku realized his air supply was running out. He twisted them until they were right side up, pulling Sora close enough that their chests touched, the airy fabric of Sora's shirt drifting around him. All Riku decorated himself with was the jewelry he'd made or found in the depths.
Sora was starting to kick, to break to the surface, but Riku brought him back down, holding him tightly in place. Sora cast him a frightened glance, but when Riku smiled, he calmed, visibly choosing to trust Riku.
Suddenly, Riku was touched. Here Sora was, human and liable to drown, could in fact drown right now. Sora had explained what asphyxiation was like, had even tried to demonstrate it once, but it'd scared the hell out of Riku and he'd made Sora stop.
Riku let go of one hand, and slid his fingers along Sora's jaw. Sora stiffened, digging his nails into the hand Riku still held, eyes darting between Riku's with curiosity and impatience. Riku's heart hammered, nerves overtaking him for the first time. He'd never seen anyone as beautiful as Sora, freckled with the sun, eyes too-blue, hair soft when Riku had once been brave enough to touch it. He wanted to now, wanted to run his fingers over the pattern dancing along the bridge of his nose, to trace his face like Sora often did to him.
Instead, Riku took in a deep breath, then leaned in and kissed Sora. Everything ground to a halt, and for a moment all he could feel was Sora close against him, his jaw under Riku's hand and his fingers interlaced with Riku's other hand. Feel how Sora's chest was against his, his nose alongside Riku's. Even in the water Sora was warm, and Riku felt a wave move in a rush as Sora jerked suddenly, but Riku closed his eyes, concentrating. He nudged Sora's lips apart, and exhaled.
It was tricky, trying to keep the magic balanced as he gave Sora air, but all that practice had turned it into something easier, and Sora's chest moved against his as he breathed in.
He was done, but Riku found it difficult to move back. Still he did, giving one last chaste kiss as some kind of signal. He pulled back slowly, eyes fluttering open to find Sora already staring at him, awe writ across his face.
Despite being in the cool sea, Riku could still feel a raging blush creep up his cheeks the longer Sora stared at him.
Then, Sora grinned, shook his hand free and cupped Riku's face. He kissed him, clumsily and with too much force, and it sent them idly spinning, but Riku didn't care as he slid his arms along Sora's shoulders and kissed him back.
The indignation had come after the confusion. Riku, the fastest swimmer of his age group, the most powerful, the best one at studying and whose magic was, if slowly coming along, more efficient and thorough than the others— Riku, who was all of that and more, falling in love with a human?
That had lasted a single morning spent with too much thinking, until Riku had seen Sora again that afternoon and realized none of that mattered at all.
A wave of water swept down to him from the surface, and Riku opened his eyes to realize Sora had dipped a hand in and waved it down to him. Grinning, he curled in tight to roll right-side up and shot up with a powerful flick of his tail, breaking the water and splattering Sora with stray drops. Sora spluttered and reared back before he laughed brightly, eyes crinkling in the corners and blue eyes striking with dark lashes.
"Riku!" Sora half-scolded half-exclaimed in joy. He lay on his stomach along the pier, bangs damp from Riku's show and cheeks shining with the seawater.
"You're late," Riku grinned, idly spinning in place as the waves pushed him. When Sora's knuckles brushed his temple, Riku closed his eyes, tilting his face up towards the warmth of the sun as Sora pushed Riku's hair back from his face.
"Sorry," Sora said, index finger curving along Riku's cheek, then drifting up to start on his other temple, "my friends wanted to hang out today and I couldn't come up with a good excuse to shake them off."
Riku opened one eye as Sora finished tucking his hair back, arms lazily floating on the surface. "You told them about me," Riku accused, ducking his head slightly.
"No!" Sora said, eyes widening, and then he flicked the water level with Riku's sullen chin. "You're my secret."
Pleased, Riku emerged again. Sora's hand was dangling from the pier, his other arm folded so he could rest his chin on it. It was a pose he often took when he wasn't in the water with Riku, or on a paddle boat that Riku had once inspected with immense curiosity.
Sufficiently tempted, Riku fished his hand out from the water to take the one Sora subtly offered, sliding his palm against Sora's and shivering at how immediately warm Sora was. Riku had a natural lower baseline temperature than Sora, one they'd figured out by placing their hands on foreheads and necks, gawking. Holding Sora's hand beat sunbathing any day.
Sora's fingers twitched and curled around Riku's. "So? Today's the day, right?" Sora asked, eyes glittering with anticipation. The collar of his shirt flew up with the strong breeze, and he closed his eyes as his hair got tossed into them. Riku was slowly drying up, staying above the water, but it felt nice, feeling his hair lift on the breeze.
"If you're not scared," Riku teased, swimming up a little higher, so that he could be closer to Sora's face. Sora scowled, squeezing Riku's hand.
"I'm not! You're the one who kept putting it off!"
"For your safety, idiot," Riku said, pulling Sora's hand close to his chest, just holding it, "I had to make sure you wouldn't drown."
"Aw, Riku," Sora's face softened, and he twisted their hands until fingers interlaced, "I'm sure you won't."
Warmth bubbled in Riku, fluttering and growing. He didn't blush easy, but Sora somehow managed to make it seem as common as day. He ducked his head, dry locks of it falling forward easily, and Sora laughed, lifting his chest slightly to keep his face up as he freed his arm to tuck Riku's hair back again. He couldn't help turning into Sora's touch.
"Tell me what I have to do," Sora said, and Riku quirked his lips. He caught Sora's hand before it could return, interlacing their fingers.
"Take a deep breath!"
Sora's gasp probably didn't count as Riku hauled him off the pier with no warning, laughing as he fell backwards into the water and Sora followed him, spluttering again. The water broke, bubbling past them in a furious rush, and then Sora's curious too-blue eyes were curved in mirth, sunbeams striking through the ocean surface. Riku pulled until Sora hovered near him, anchored by Riku, and they spun slowly in place.
Sora scrunched his face up at Riku, who easily read you jerk! in the dip of his brows. Riku grinned, bright and eager, and pointed towards Sora's chest, sweeping up with his palm in the direction of his throat, fingers curling in as he ended near Sora's mouth.
Sora nodded an okay, understanding Riku's question about his breath. Riku couldn't help wanting to make the moment last, and he spun them lazily in place, eventually going parallel with the surface, Sora's hair turning golden-blonde when the sun hit it just right.
Riku could talk in the water if he wanted, but it didn't seem fair if Sora couldn't, and somehow both of them communicating in tiny gestures, of widening their eyes too wide, or squeezing hands, or grinning, made it feel like so much more was being said. The water was Riku's home, and the ocean loved him. It spoke to him in currents, told him when to propel them faster or slower, indulgently drifting just beneath the surface.
The oceans near Sora's islands were beautiful, kept as they were by Riku's people. There were coral reefs and tropical fish, colors so vivid it dazed Sora. The water was bright and clean and Riku thought there wasn't a single better place to be than freely swimming here with Sora.
Sora took it all in, going further out from the shore than he'd ever dared to before, or could reasonably swim. Riku had tugged them just deep enough to avoid the powerful shove of the waves, though rip currents were curling around them, dispelled by Riku with either magic or tail.
Eventually, though, Sora started to squeeze Riku's hands too tight, eyes going wide, and Riku realized his air supply was running out. He twisted them until they were right side up, pulling Sora close enough that their chests touched, the airy fabric of Sora's shirt drifting around him. All Riku decorated himself with was the jewelry he'd made or found in the depths.
Sora was starting to kick, to break to the surface, but Riku brought him back down, holding him tightly in place. Sora cast him a frightened glance, but when Riku smiled, he calmed, visibly choosing to trust Riku.
Suddenly, Riku was touched. Here Sora was, human and liable to drown, could in fact drown right now. Sora had explained what asphyxiation was like, had even tried to demonstrate it once, but it'd scared the hell out of Riku and he'd made Sora stop.
Riku let go of one hand, and slid his fingers along Sora's jaw. Sora stiffened, digging his nails into the hand Riku still held, eyes darting between Riku's with curiosity and impatience. Riku's heart hammered, nerves overtaking him for the first time. He'd never seen anyone as beautiful as Sora, freckled with the sun, eyes too-blue, hair soft when Riku had once been brave enough to touch it. He wanted to now, wanted to run his fingers over the pattern dancing along the bridge of his nose, to trace his face like Sora often did to him.
Instead, Riku took in a deep breath, then leaned in and kissed Sora. Everything ground to a halt, and for a moment all he could feel was Sora close against him, his jaw under Riku's hand and his fingers interlaced with Riku's other hand. Feel how Sora's chest was against his, his nose alongside Riku's. Even in the water Sora was warm, and Riku felt a wave move in a rush as Sora jerked suddenly, but Riku closed his eyes, concentrating. He nudged Sora's lips apart, and exhaled.
It was tricky, trying to keep the magic balanced as he gave Sora air, but all that practice had turned it into something easier, and Sora's chest moved against his as he breathed in.
He was done, but Riku found it difficult to move back. Still he did, giving one last chaste kiss as some kind of signal. He pulled back slowly, eyes fluttering open to find Sora already staring at him, awe writ across his face.
Despite being in the cool sea, Riku could still feel a raging blush creep up his cheeks the longer Sora stared at him.
Then, Sora grinned, shook his hand free and cupped Riku's face. He kissed him, clumsily and with too much force, and it sent them idly spinning, but Riku didn't care as he slid his arms along Sora's shoulders and kissed him back.