Work Text:
Re: Gummemail Account
From: [email protected]
Donald and Goofy,
As per your request, we have set up accounts for Sora and his friends to use and assigned them their own addresses. We understand the importance of efficiency and have attempted to make the process as… user friendly as possible to avoid further distraction during your journey. Let us know what else we can do to help.
Happy mailing!
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Jerk
From: [email protected] To: [email protected]
Hi, Riku! Just checking in to see how you’re doing because you are a jerk who never calls me back!
Donald and Goofy set it up so that I can use the Gummiphone to send all sorts of things from my own account because they said they were tired of watching me type a million tiny messages and that it was “agonizing” how slow I was. Sor-ry.
It feels super weird to have to write you letters like I haven’t been able to tell you anything whenever I wanted for most of our lives, but it is nice to know that I can talk to you this way. There was always so much I wanted to tell you when I saw you again, but I guess this is the next best thing. I can even show you myself! They’re teaching me how to put pictures in here, too. I’d better get some back!
We went to a world I think even you wouldn’t act too cool to enjoy. I won’t try to describe it, I’ll just send a picture. Wish I coulda seen your face. But seeing new things was what you were always after anyway, right? I bet you’re having loads of fun of your own.
Hey, question. Does the King ever tell you about what it was like before he was the King? Every time I ask Donald and Goofy about it they clam up.
Anyway, I hope you’re okay. Good luck.
📎attached: Surprise!.pic
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Re: Jerk From: [email protected]
Okay, fine I’ll accept my new title.
Constant access so that you can just blurt out whatever you’re thinking? Sounds like a dream. Just like getting busted for passing notes because you just had to tell me you were bored right then and there. :/
Well, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the blurting, a little. At this point I’ve seen worse dreams and been in more trouble.
I wish I could tell you I’m having the time of my life, but it is the Dark World, after all. Things could be worse.
No, he doesn’t really talk about it. I wonder what’s so secret. You’ll have to tell me if you learn anything.
I could always use the reminder that things aren’t always that serious. Thank you for the picture. I’ll talk to you soon.
📎attached: Me&Mickey.pic
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Re: Re: Jerk
From: [email protected]
Whoa, don’t push that word limit there, bud. I think you left some space :p
Thanks for the picture!!! I only got to look at it for a second because Donald and Goofy pushed me over to see if the King looked okay. Goofy wondered if he’d been eating well, but I reminded him that it doesn’t really work like that in the Realm of Darkness, right? It’s nice to have friends like that, though. Always checking in.
Which reminds me, I was gonna ask how long it’s been for you. I don’t think we were there for a long time after Xemnas, but I know time works differently there than it does out here. Are you tired? You know my offer still stands. I can handle it! Let me do the switcheroo with you so you can take care of the easy stuff. It’ll be a piece of cake for me, promise!
In the meantime, I’ll make it my mission to get them to spill the beans. First one with any info wins. You on?
See you from the other side of the finish line. Don’t get into any trouble.
--
Re: Re: Re: Jerk
From: [email protected] To: [email protected]
Noted.
I don’t know if he’d want them to know, but he worries about them, too. Says he’s tired of having to order them to stop coming to the rescue at personal cost when they’re already such a help elsewhere. Wonder where I’ve heard that one before.
I appreciate the offer, but there’s no need. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you we’ve got it handled. In fact, I’m starting to think you’re of the mind I’m not competent enough to do it on my own. I’m devastated, frankly.
Answer’s still no. Got enough to worry about without having to pick up after you. :P
Well, in all seriousness, I worry about you, too. I don’t know that having you here would make me feel any better, even if we were together. But I’ll let you know if I need anything as long as you do the same.
Okay, I’ll bite. Even though you’ve got me at the unfair disadvantage of two against one, I’ll still mop the floor with you. Today I learned that Mickey was a steamboat captain for a long time, so your move. We’ll see who comes out ahead (and unscathed--don’t give me any lines about staying out of trouble, hypocrite). Talk to you soon.
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Competent Jerk, Then
From: [email protected]
Hey! I do so think you’re competent. If you’re trying to guilt me, it’s not working. Something tells me you’re not fishing for compliments but I’ll give you some anyway. You’re smart and you’re strong and you’re fast and you always get me out of trouble and you already know I’ve been jealous of you my whole life, so maybe sometimes I want to pretend I’m the competent one. Not that that changes anything.
And now you don’t trust me? I’ll have you know that two different worlds asked to honor me with a grand celebration for the work I did when I was there. I had to tell them no, of course. Places to be and people to see, you know. We all have to make sacrifices.
And ha! I already knew that one, so that doesn’t count! But I did learn today that Donald speaks, like, a whole bunch of languages, even without his magic. He got a message from a guy named José Carioca. Goofy told me that he’s got tons of friends from all over the worlds, and that before Donald was a musketeer he was a caba… something. I forgot, but anyway, so there.
And I’ll give all the lines I want, okay? Not like I could tell you what to do anyway.
--
Re: Competent Jerk, Then
From: [email protected]
You know already that it’s always been the other way around.
‘Tell them no?’ So you mean Donald and Goofy had to drag you away? Got it. That’s definitely the kind of attitude we need to get things done.
I have to admit you do deserve it, though. It’s not every day they’re gonna get someone like you to come stumble around and save the day. I’d celebrate too.
I’d say you’d get your chance to prove it, but I’ve already been lucky enough to see it first hand.
You’re exaggerating. Donald’s so hard to understand, he’s probably making stuff up to pull your leg. What’s even less believable is that he’s got that many friends. I’m not convinced there’s enough patience to go around. We’ll call it a draw. Talk to you soon.
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Fine, Just Competent
From: [email protected]
A draw? It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me you’re a sore loser, I already know. I’ll prove it to your face next time I see it, so brace yourself.
That’s all really nice of you to say but I’m not sure I do deserve it, honestly. Things aren’t getting any easier. Lately I don’t feel like I’m all I’m cracked up to be. Things aren’t going as well as we’d hoped and it’s easy to tell that everyone is getting disappointed.
Can I tell you something? I’m scared. I know you’ll make fun of me but I wish I had some of your bravery. Nothing freaks you out at all, even though you’re… there. I know it’s not easy. But I’ll try and be stronger.
One thing that helps is that even though I have my friends, I’ve still got this to look forward to, too. It’s kind of comforting that you’re the last person I talk to before going to sleep and the first person I talk to when I wake up, like when we had sleepovers as kids and you used to keep me up all night asking a bunch of stupid questions nobody has the answers to, not even the smartest people in the whole world. I guess I missed that more than I thought because before I even get up I check to see if you’ve sent something new.
Why did you stop asking stupid questions?
That’s a stupid question. Don’t worry about it. But you can always ask me a stupid question and I’ll probably have a stupid answer.
--
Re: Fine, Just Competent
From: [email protected]
Can I tell you something? I’m scared witless. I don’t think it’s anything to feel bad about. I wouldn’t trust anyone who was really fearless. I think that it’s actually one of the things that moves us along. But I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.
The thing is, though, I do have something to fight for. That makes a difference.
It reminds me of that too. I don’t really sleep here, but the sentiment’s the same. I like the distraction.
I guess I stopped asking because I figured out they were stupid. Or that I wouldn’t get answers. Or because I already had them. Priorities change, whatever you want to make of that.
Here’s one for you: why did the chicken cross the road?
Eyes on the road
From: [email protected]
Now I get to chew you out for not writing.
Was it true, what Donald said when I called last? That you fell over trying to get to the phone? Maybe calling’s a bad idea, then. Not if you’re gonna get hurt or do something dumb just because you’re worried. Don’t rush just for me. I’ll still be here. I promise. And I hope you were kidding when you said you didn’t want to bother me. That’d be a first. But no, I’m not too busy. I hope you don’t think that. I hope I’ve never given you cause to.
Nothing’s boring or unimportant. You could never be an inconvenience. The days here seem like forever, mostly because they’re all just one long string, so it’s not like you can wake me up. It cheers me up, and I appreciate the reminder that life goes on.
I’m grateful to you for being there for me. It’s not just the least that I can do to listen, it’s important to me, too. So tell me about everything, okay?
I would say don’t do anything that I wouldn’t do, but that window’s pretty small. Don’t do anything you would yell at me for doing. Maybe that will help put it in perspective a bit. Or at least I should say that I’m hoping it will.
Nothing I can’t help patch you up from, okay? I’ll check in when I can. Talk to you soon.
--
Re: Eyes on the road
From: [email protected]
What do you mean, you’re “hoping”? You don’t get to boss me around when you’re out here risking your life!!! You make me so mad sometimes, do you know that? You’re gonna call me a sap like always but I’m worried sick. It’s not fair and I hate it and I wish that I could help more and I know that you’ve got the King there and that you’re amazing at everything on your own but you shouldn’t be on your own, not again. What more could you have to prove? I’ve had my friends with me every step of the way and it’s been almost impossible even with them so I think you must be the strongest person alive for staying out there alone as long as you did. I’d say I’m jealous but I’m just sad. You did what you thought you had to do but no one should have to do it alone and I wish you would just ask for help. Ask me for help!
Re: Eyes on the road
From: [email protected]
I’m sorry. That was meaner than I wanted it to be. What I meant to say was thank you. Nothing’s unimportant to me either.
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Re: Re: Eyes on the road
From: [email protected]
What do you mean, alone? That’s not fair to yourself, for one thing. You’ve been with me all along, even when you didn’t know it. As a matter of fact, there’s no way I could have done any of it without you. Thank you.
You can ask too, you know.
Re: Re: Eyes on the road
From: [email protected]
I don’t think you know how important you are to me.
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I Miss You
From: [email protected] To: [email protected]
I feel like you always know the answer to everything, or at least everything I need to know, and lately I’ve been getting really confused about something that I just want to ask you about but it doesn’t feel right because it’s about you, actually.
I think everyone else is getting tired of me because every time I look at the Gummiphone for more than a second or mention something you said they start giving me these looks and I realized that I guess I talk about you a whole lot, don’t I? So can you tell me why I can’t stop thinking about you, and about finally being next to you in the same room for more than a couple hours, and maybe if I’m lucky there won’t be anyone else there either, so maybe we can really talk for once, and since I can't stop thinking about this either, maybe I ca
--
“How’s it goin’ over there, Sora?” Goofy says over his shoulder from the console, startling him alert and jostling the Gummiphone in his hand.
“Oh! Everything’s great,” he says, before returning to the screen to find the words DRAFT SENT staring back at him.
Sora knits his brows and taps at the phone for a second. He pauses for a moment, then shakes it.
“Oh. Um. Hey, Jiminy? I made a mistake. Can you show me how to take back a message so the other person doesn’t get it?”
“Oh, dear. Why, you can’t take back messages if you’ve already hit ‘send’. It’s already there!” Jiminy says cheerfully before crossing his arms with concern. “Are you okay, Sora? You look a little pale.”
--
They dock; Sora blows by Donald and Goofy, makes a running leap off the Gummiship, skitters up the stairs, down the slope, through the halls of Mickey’s castle, all the way to the rooms where he said his last goodbyes.
This is a terrible idea, he thinks as he swings open the door. Keyblades can’t unlock phone passcodes! What if he were there, what if it were too late, worse, worse worse worse, what if he didn’t feel the same--he’s paralyzed with regret when he sees Riku in the dead center of the room, the glow of artificial light from his phone screen cast on his face even as he looks up, unsurprised.
Sora resists the urge to slam the door shut, to run as fast as he can back through the gardens, to propel himself back into the Lanes Between.
“Hey,” he whispers instead.
“Hey,” Riku answers, just as soft.
“Sorry,” Sora says, unable to take his eyes off Riku, who looks back at him, plain and unaffected. Sora realizes that he’s the same kind of nauseated as when he jumps from somewhere a little too high, has the same pinprick tug of tears. “I didn’t mean to bother you.”
“Bother me?” Riku says with disbelief. “No. Of course not.”
Sora knows what must be on that screen but Riku’s tightly schooled expression could mean anything. Waves of hope and doubt in equal measure stop up all of his words and he’s aware he’s taking too long to respond.
“Well,” Riku breaks the silence. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” There’s a note of sardony there which he punctuates when he drops his hand into his lap so the Gummiphone lays flat as his tone.
“Just in the area,” Sora responds weakly, unable to match his sarcasm. “Doing some nighttime reading?”
“Some.” Riku circles the home button with his thumb, traces around the impression of the lucky emblem. “Not the worst way to spend the time.”
Sora nods as if in agreement.
“So I came here to sneak in and get rid of the message I sent you but now I realize that’s not gonna work,” he admits.
“Oh. No. I got it ages ago,” Riku says, still unreadable. “I always see it’s you because you have… a different ringtone,” he finishes lamely.
“Oh,” Sora says. He looks down with a furrowed brow. “If you know when I send something, how come it takes you so long to respond?”
Riku considers this for a moment. He sits up straight and holds his chin up high before addressing him again.
“I like to hold on to them for a minute so I can think about what I’m going to say. This one… I’ve been stuck on for a while.”
“I don’t--”
“No.” His whole frame is taut like wire. “Just tell me. What did you mean? What is it that you wanted?”
“I’m not sure,” Sora says. “Mostly I just wanted to be with you for real.”
He takes an emboldened step through the doorway.
“And here you are,” Riku responds.
“Yeah. Here I am.”
“In that case, clear something up for me so I don’t get it wrong.”
Sora cringes.
“Is what you want the same thing I do? Because you’re giving me ideas I’m not sure you meant for me to have.”
Sora is unsure about everything except for the need to make contact; propelled into motion, he strides over to throw his arms around him.
“That sounds familiar,” he mumbles, burying his face in the crook of Riku’s neck, Riku himself remaining still in his arms. “But you first.”
“Well, we can talk.” He doesn’t move yet. Sora can’t stand it. He slides a hand down to grip him by the shoulder. “I want to talk, as long as it’s with you. But besides that. I don’t want to... Are you saying that you want more?” Sora shifts to press his palm against his chest and his thumb on his collarbone and looks up. “Because I want to be more than just…”
Riku meets his eye now with an unguarded expression. There’s a hitch in his voice, his chest is still.
“...penpals,” he finally breathes.
“By more, I meant…” Sora starts, heart hammering. He swallows. “I want. Do you. Uh. Do you want to kiss me?”
“Real bad, actually,” Riku responds in a low voice; at the same time he follows up with “Is that okay?” Sora says “Oh. That’s nice,” and in that instant they crash together in a kiss, lips connected in an experimental push-pull of newly placed affection. It’s the scene Sora barely dared to dream about, heart aching and eyes closed, light peering through his eyelids from a brilliant backlit screen.
Even after parting they’re not more than a breath away for a lingering moment. Still clinging on to him for dear life, Sora mumbles, “Yeah. That’s much better than writing,” which earns him a laugh.
“You can’t stay long,” Riku says with regret as he bundles him closer. Sora nestles deeper into the embrace and is vaguely aware of him snaking an arm around to pluck his Gummiphone from where it had fallen out of his pocket.
“I guess you’re right,” he complains, only squeezing him tighter. “Duty calls.”
Another moment and Riku shrugs out of his grip to hand him back the phone he purloined. Sora realizes when Riku casts his eyes away with guilt that he’s reacting to his own heartsick expression.
“Don’t worry.” Riku stands, and extends a hand to bring them face to face. He reaches up to caress his cheek; Sora misses the feel of his fingers carding through his hair as soon as they are gone. “You’ll hear from me.”
I’d better, Sora thinks as he trudges back to the ship, head swimming, cherishing one final kiss. As he climbs up to the bridge he’s stalled by a buzz in his pocket and a pretty little tone. Curious, he reaches for his Gummiphone.
A new message glows against the backdrop of the homescreen; joy burns through his whole core.
i love you. talk to you soon.