writetomyheart | [TEAM ONE]

Kingdom hearts, Riku/Vanitas, rated T, 1.1k~

He started packing his backpack. The general murmur of after-class chatter rose in the air with the rush of heat as bodies began to move and undulate like the sea. Riku tucked a loose strand of his hair behind his ear, shrugging his pack on as he waited for the bottle-neck at the door to flow clear.

This was his final class of the day, and a cool apartment and drink awaited him there. It was rare to have a heat wave this late in the season, but Riku didn’t mind the last embrace of warmth before the fall descended properly. He’d have to air out all of his winter clothes suffocating in the back of his closet sometime this weekend, he mulled. And do the dishes. And finally vacuum that carpet, because that was way overdue. And maybe do a run of laundry.

Riku figured his chances of accomplishing all that on top of an essay and his reading was hovering around a good fifty percent.

Expelling his laundry list of chores from his mind with a brisk sigh, he turned his back on the main entrance and headed towards a side door. It let out into a narrow hall, but from there he could slip out of the building without having to bother with the throng of students. Through the windows he could see the sun already descending, a harbinger of the coming winter and shorter days despite the misleading warmth. Riku had just stepped into the dying light of the day, sight adjusting from the dim halls to the bright outdoors when he spotted him.

Despite his pitch-black hair, dyed, Riku thought, and equally black ensemble, it was the stout cross hanging from a chain around his neck that caught Riku’s eye. It glimmered in the afternoon light, jeweled and obviously old, each segment of the cross the same size. It seemed too heavy to be worth wearing as a fashion statement, Riku thought, especially with ripped jeans. He wore dark tinted lenses, so Riku couldn’t confidently say he was being stared at, but he felt the primal hair-rising sensation of being stalked.

Pursing his lips, Riku tossed the stray locks of hair that had drifted from his half-up do back over his shoulder, determined to ignore the building heat on the nape of his neck. He’d go home, drink something refreshing or maybe stop at a Mooglebucks along the way, then he’d try to do some homework, start on that laundry. Riku bit at his bottom lip. In the corner of his eye, he saw the stranger stand, smoothly unfolding crossed legs.

He didn’t know why he was antsy. This was a college campus. Plenty of people stared off in the distance, or had some reason to approach you, be it out of advertisement for a group or survey or what not. The side entrance he’d taken opened onto a quad clearly emptying as students either found their next class or left campus, and the fountain in the center of the crossway bubbled musically with the wind as accompaniment. Riku slowed at the edge of the quad, waiting as the stranger moved forward with strange grace. He didn’t slouch, or hasten his steps knowing that Riku was openly waiting. He took his time, coming to a stop just a sliver too close for casual conversation.

Even this close, his lenses were so dark Riku couldn’t see his gaze through them, but he felt, roving over his face, down his chest, his legs, shoes, back up leisurely. It was such an openly slow drag that Riku found himself speechless. He wasn’t used to being approached like this, at least not here. Before, with the ease of habit, maybe it wouldn’t have flustered Riku.

“See something you like?” Riku snapped, embarrassed and irritated.

“Not particularly,” he mused, one corner of his lips curling with dark amusement. Riku stiffened at the slight rejection. “Just came to see what had fascinated Sora so much.”

Sora.

His name sent Riku’s heart fluttering, stomach tense with apprehension and sudden dread. Even his voice was alarming, an intensity in the way he spoke that felt overly familiar for someone Riku had just met. There was a certain accent to his words, a lilt that spoke of another language but one Riku couldn’t place, but the moment he said Sora, it grew a little stronger. Sora spoke the same way, curiously rolling his words and sentences as if everything he ever said was connected in some way, like cursive clumsy writing. Except, before him, this was precise calligraphy.

“Who’re you?” Riku demanded, crossing his arms and wishing he’d dressed up a little more. He’d tied half his hair up to hide the slight shine to it from a few days gone unwashed, and had opted for a sleeveless vest in favor of the warm day. It made him feel underdressed somehow, standing next to him. Now, Riku could see the cross was elegantly designed, deep grooves and a weight to it that made Riku wonder if that metal was real and valuable. He thought of Sora, with his hoodie sleeves always pushed up and permanently in joggers and sneakers, grin bright and cheery with a brazen laugh that warmed Riku like hot cider in the dead of winter. Sora was the type to befriend anyone…

With black painted nails, he reached up to pull his sunglasses off. In the direct sunlight, they looked like liquid gold, gleaming and framed by heavy, dark lashes. “Call me Vanitas,” he drawled, folding his glasses to hang off one crooked finger.

Riku shifted uncomfortably, glancing around again. There were even less people than before. “I’m Riku,” he offered.

“Hmm, didn’t ask.”

If Riku could look at a mirror, he’d probably find the exact expression of someone who’d sucked on a sour lemon. He shot Vanitas a nasty look. “Then what do you want?”

Vanitas suddenly stalked forward, startling Riku as he circled him, obviously inspecting Riku. If the entire situation wasn’t so absurd, Riku would’ve scoffed at his own heightened anxiety. But Vanitas was strange, and they were alone despite it being in the middle of the afternoon. Hallowing silence stretched across the campus, marked after all the student chatter moments before.

Vanitas stopped in front of Riku again, tapping the tip of his sunglasses against his full bottom lip. “You don’t look bad, and you seem pretty healthy. But,” and here he breathed in deep as the breeze shifted, blowing at Riku’s back and tugging on his hair. Vanitas barked a laugh. “Never thought he’d go for someone who reeks of insecurity and loneliness. Then again, he’s always been a bleeding heart.”

If Riku hadn’t been distracted with mortification, he might’ve noticed the fond way he said it.

“Fuck off,” Riku muttered, turning at last to walk away. He didn’t know what had compelled him to entertain the asshole for so long, but nothing good was waiting for him there, clearly.

Mocking laughter dogged his steps. “See you later.”