Chapter Text
They began when Sora was about twelve years old. They were blurry at first, too much to tell what was going on, but after a year or so they began to slowly take shape. Seven years later (almost eight now) and only the edges still seemed foggy. Not only could Sora see the familiar gardens that his late grandmothers grew together, but he could hear it when his boots clacked against the stone of the decorative bridge that stood over a little pond right in the middle. He could feel his heartbeat pick up as it might when awake as a familiar man dressed in shimmering silvers and pristine whites approached from the other side. The man had long, silver hair in an attractive braid curled over his shoulder, knee-high boots laced up the front, a flowing cape with feather trim, a mask adorned with beads and more feathers, and dressed in such sumptuous finery that Sora figured he must either be a prince or a very good impersonator.
The man bowed as he came to a stop with one arm over his chest (as graceful and fluid in the way he moved as he always was) and then held out his gloved hand as he always would. Sora, in turn, would slip his hand in the man's carefully, as if it would disappear like mist (it used to), and easily stepped into the silver-haired prince's space--close enough to put a hand on his shoulder or waist. Sometimes he lead, and other times he was happy to follow. This time, he followed; the man wrapped one strong arm around the brunette's waist and they began to swing to the side in a slow dance that would never leave the length of the bridge.
Ever since the dream began the only place they ever met was the bridge.
The moon was full above them and loomed so close Sora wondered if he could fly to it. It acted as the background to their union, though it had never been so close nor so full before. The stars were in focus for the first time when Sora peered up at them with a smile--content to let the other prince lead them about. He trusted this man, at least enough to know he wouldn't cause him to stumble or fall. There was a breeze this time, too, full of comfort and warmth--the Summer was coming. Eventually, the brunette grinned wide enough to show his teeth and regarded the man with a proper, "Hello again, stranger."
"Ah! You can speak now," the other prince said with a chuckle as he released Sora's waist to turn him in a circle under his other arm while their hands remained joined. "Only took--what? Nearly eight years?"
"Oh, hush! You're a dream. How dare my imagination make fun of me!" It was playful rather than upset. "So, before I wake... You like to talk, but you've never told me your name."
"It's... Riku." He seemed like he had more he wanted to add to that, but his lips would slide together and only a mumble came out when he tried. This was normal for anything he wasn't allowed to say, or so he once explained. "I have a title, but apparently that's off limits as well." Riku sighed heavily as he brought Sora in, though this time his hand landed on the brunette's shoulder instead of his waist.
Sora took that as a silent request for Sora to take over. The brunette prince had been forced to go to so many balls over the years (since he was ten, at least) in order to find someone he could connect to, someone special, but no one ever caught his eye. No one in the waking world, anyway. Riku was not only appetizing to his visionary palette, but his voice was rich and the banter they shared--the equality of everything they did was so attractive he couldn't help himself. Riku wasn't looking to make Sora, often shorter and thinner than the other princes, into a subservient bride.
"I'm Sora," the young man replied.
"I know."
"You do?"
"I know everything about you, actually."
"How?"
"I can't say, I'm afraid... I've tried."
"Ah. How come your lips twist together during certain times? You said it was because you weren't allowed to say some things, but why?"
"I can't say that, either. Only someone not like me who knows can tell you."
"... That doesn't make sense."
"I know, and I'm sorry."
Sora turned them as he pressed Riku close until their torsos nearly met.
"What can you tell me?"
"I have told you what I could. I'm afraid I didn't get a lot of chance to become too interesting." Riku shrugged.
"I suppose you can't tell me what that means, either?"
"... No, sorry."
Sora shook his head. "I already know it isn't your fault."
"How about now that you can speak... You tell me what you want to?"
"But you already know everything about me."
"I don't care. I like your voice, your enthusiasm, your long-winded rants..." Riku smirked playfully, but then it softened into a fond smile. "I find them all so charming..."
"... I really like you," Sora blurted.
"I like you, too."
Despite the invitation to speak, Sora instead chose to stop their movements in order to clasp his hands in both of Riku's. The dreams never lasted terrible long and he wanted to stare into Riku's beautiful aquamarine eyes for as long as he could. He frowned sadly. "... I so wish you were real."
"I wish I could touch you."
"I wish I could kiss you."
"... Then kiss me. Before this ends again."
Sora leaned forward and pressed their lips together gently. He kept his eyes open, as the last time he had moved to lay his face against Riku's chest and closed his eyes the man had instantly disappeared and Sora had woken without him.
As if it were possible to wake up with a dream... Sora thought as he fought the ache and frustration in his chest that nearly physically hurt. He pulled away a second later just as the garden began to spin. He clenched hard onto Riku's hands, but when he returned to the world of the conscious his hands only gripped onto his blankets. Sora sighed heavily as he stared into the canopy of his bed.
oo00oo00oo
"Good morning," his brunette father called as he fed his growling husband a bite of strawberry from his fork. They were both early risers, but his blonde father was still a bit of a "biter" in the morning. He aggressively snatched the strawberry from the proffered silverware and grumbled as he chewed
"Good morning, Papas," Sora called back with a tiny laugh. He had seen it all his life and still he found it amusing. Cloud (the blonde king) would only eat so early if it came from Leon (the brunette king). All Cloud wanted to do was go back to bed, but even if he tried (after all, he was allowed to) Sora knew his blonde father would toss and turn until he cursed loudly and then would go to find Leon. They were never very good at separating, even for a short period. They could if they had to, but they didn't like it. Yet, they also never grew sick of each other (they argued every now and then, but that was mostly over politics). They practically fed off each other's presence. Maybe that was unhealthy, but they were so genuinely happy that Sora only saw their deep connection as something to be admired and envied. He even hoped to find someone for himself who would never get sick of him that way, too.
Riku... I wonder if he would like to spend all day with me. I wonder if he misses me when I'm gone... What? Sora shook his head and pouted frustratingly to himself. Riku isn't real. He can't miss you.
"Sora?"
The little prince jumped as he was addressed. He had stood behind a dining chair with his hands on the back for far too long. He pulled the chair out and hopped in as casually as he could with an attempted smile to hide the encroaching sadness. "Present!" He said playfully.
That didn't fool either king for a second. In an instant, Cloud was wide awake and Leon was glaring at him suspiciously.
"Wh-What?" Sora asked as he continued to hold his wide smile in place and look as innocent as possible.
"Okay," Leon began as he set his fork down with a clatter and planted his elbows onto the table. That was sign number one no one was going to eat or do anything else until they had a talk, though about what was yet to be determined. How could Sora possibly explain he was upset he had fallen in-love with a dream man? He couldn't fathom a scenario in which that didn't sound crazy. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Cloud leaned forward with a stare so piercing Sora was forced to look away. He winced when he realized that look only worked when he was hiding something, so now they would know for certain he was. "Talk."
"I don't--"
"Talk," Leon demanded in a low, dangerous voice.
How did I end up with such intimidating dads? I can't pull off that look, or that voice, even if my life depended on it! "I, um..."
Cloud sat up straight and let out a low breath. "... Sora," he began softly, but firmly. Sora was forced to timidly look up. "Take a long, slow breath and think about what you would like to say."
Sora took that breath, but still nothing came out. He just looked away again.
The kings stared at each other in surprise. Leon leaned forward and placed a hand on Sora's shoulder with concern writ clearly across his handsome, scarred face. "You know you can tell us anything."
"I..." Sora clenched his eyes shut. His cheeks turned a dark pink, which caused Cloud to gasp (not audibly, but his whole body jumped in that way most do when surprised by something suddenly).
"... Did you find someone?" Cloud asked with a curious tilt of his head.
"What!" Sora practically sputtered. "No--I mean--How could--What? No! Yes? No... Maybe? I can't--!"
Leon pressed a hand to Sora's mouth as he grew more and more strident. "Breathe again, Sora."
Sora did as he was told. He held his breath twice as long as the first time and let it out just as slowly.
"Is it a servant?" Cloud asked as gently as he could. He held out his hands and Sora placed both of his into his father's without thinking. Cloud would always hold his hands when he was upset, and Leon (which he did now) would always rub his back and knock their heads together affectionately. If there wasn't a table there they would be cuddling on the brunette like a family of large cats.
Sora looked down and bit his lip.
"If it is, it's okay," Leon added. "We want you to marry someone you love... It doesn't matter if they're poor, staff, female, or male."
Sora shook his head. "Not... Not a servant."
"Then what's the matter? Did you go into town without permission again and meet someone there?"
Sora shook his head again. "He's... He's a prince."
The kings looked at each other once more in surprise. They turned back simultaneously to quirk the same brow at their boy.
"A prince?" Cloud rubbed Sora's thumb with his. "You kept in touch with someone?"
"I guess... technically?" Sora quickly grew more and more uncomfortable. How do I explain? I've never been able to lie or keep things from them...
"Sora." Leon brushed some spiked bangs from Sora's face to look at him properly. "No matter what it is you can tell us."
"... I can't."
"Why?"
"You'll... You'll think I'm crazy..." Sora shook as he spoke.
Again, his fathers looked to each other to have a silent conversation. They turned back and Cloud said with his usual confidence, "No, we won't. No matter what it is."
"... Really?"
"Absolutely."
"You're our son. You can't be crazier than we are."
Sora chuckled, but highly doubted they would feel that way in a moment. "... Okay, I... Well..." Sora gulped, took a deep breath, and said very quickly, "He's a prince, or at least someone who looks like they could be a prince, but I'm pretty sure that he is, and I keep meeting him in my dreams, and he's named Riku, and he's so amazing even though he isn't real and I would rather dream forever of him without ever physically being with him than marry someone else!" Sora stared owlishly (terrified) at his father as he waited for them to process the rush of words.
The response he did get once they caught up... wasn't the one he expected. They both froze, and again looked at each other to confirm something between them. Leon turned back first. "... You said his name was Riku?"
Sora nodded slowly as his dread quickly morphed into confusion. "He never said 'prince Riku', to be fair, but he looks and behaves so elegantly..." Sora nearly drifted off, but shook his head before he could escape reality too long.
"What does he look like?" Cloud asked, oddly careful.
"Uh, he... He has long, silver hair, aqua eyes, pale skin..." Sora sighed on accident. "Nice voice..."
Leon snapped his fingers in front of Sora. "Don't drift. Are you sure his name is Riku?"
Sora nodded with a frown. "Yes. He just told me last night." Sora turned a little pink again. "W-We don't do anything untoward! We just talk and dance, or rather he talks because for some reason I could only move my mouth but no sound would come out until last night."
"And how long have you been dreaming of him?"
"Since I was about... twelve?"
The grave looks his fathers exchanged immediately alarmed him. "What... What is it?" Sora asked, his voice just above a whisper.
"..." Leon sat back in his seat and held his chin, the way he always did when something distressing happened (it was one of his three thinking positions). "... Riku... may not be a dream, Sora."
Sora blinked. "Excuse me? Yes, he is. He's only in my dreams."
"When you were about twelve," Cloud glanced at Leon before he turned back. He squeezed Sora's hands. "When you were twelve we had a ball for you. Remember?"
Sora nodded. "To present me to other kingdoms."
"Do you recall the kingdom of Shinra? To the North?"
Sora blanked on that and shook his head. "I sort of recall the name?" He offered with an uncertain frown that was crooked on his face.
Cloud sighed. "Why do we even bother giving you tutors?" He asked flatly.
"The royalty of Shinra are military heavy," Leon continued. "They were once very powerful, in number and strength. They even tried to take over the world a generation ago, but fell under their own hubris. The current king was a citizen with a lot of followers and was one of the few who survived the failed conquest. After the real royal family had been executed for their crimes they gave the kingdom to him to rule. He chose to keep the kingdom in the mountains--to be solitary. However, in an effort to make amends for past mistakes, he began to branch out by offering his sons to different kingdoms. He had four, and they all looked just like their father. Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz... and his fourth, Riku."
Sora blinked. ".. Wha... What are you...?"
"They all had silver hair and aqua eyes. Riku went missing while in our palace the night of your presentation."
"Right around the time you started having dreams, it seems," Cloud added as he squeezed his son's hands to keep him present.
"The kingdom blamed us, of course. They were furious. Sephiroth, the king, pulled back and hid away once more in the mountains. He was never the same after losing his youngest..." Leon murmured the last bit regretfully.
"Riku was one of the betrothed prospects for you, which was why he was here. I didn't agree and wanted nothing to do with their family," Cloud had a look like he still didn't like the idea. "My family suffered for their kingdom's arrogance. My father was killed in the war when I was a babe."
It was Sora's turn to squeeze Cloud's hands. He rubbed his father's knuckles gently.
"But," Cloud continued with a light cough, "we had almost thought I would have to get over it."
Leon chuckled, but it was that kind of awkward laugh that didn't come from amusement. "Do you remember anything of that night, Sora? It was a masquerade, but his silver hair was obvious... I still remember the braid he wore because he kept tugging at it so nervously. Riku was a sweet kid, and you two got along swimmingly."
... His braid... Sora thought with widened eyes. I didn't mention... Is it true, then? Sora did his best to look back on that night, but he only recalled being bored out of his mind. He did remember someone he held hands with, and running down the halls like a pair of lunatics... It was dark, though. That person was a shadow in his memory. "I... I remember someone. I went off to play with someone..." Sora's eyes widened with realization. "We went to play in the garden." In fact, we stopped to dance on the bridge... We pretended to be the adults acting all snooty back at the party. How could I forget someone like that? It's not like I have many friends. "I heard you calling so I left him there. He had wanted to look at the ducks." ... How did I forget? I've never had fun with anyone my own age, because they're usually looking to bullly me or something... How could I forget?
"Is the garden significant, then?" Leon asked with a quirked brow.
"Yes. That's where we always meet in my dreams--the garden, on the bridge."
Cloud let go of Sora and scraped his chair back. "Then let's go look in the garden. Maybe there's a sign of something?"
"After almost eight years?" Leon asked, but he stood none-the-less.
"Better late than never. Sora, show us where you would meet."