Title: Yellow for Devotion [Sora/Riku]
Rating/Warnings: G
Summary: On the Night of the Seven Travelers, Sora’s wish isn’t so impossible.
AN: Written for Shiritori. Related to the Dark Road-era fic Strength and Remembrance, where Xehanort learns about Gladioli as the Keyblade Wielder’s flower and the Seven Travelers holiday.
Yellow for Devotion
“What’s up with that?” Sora asked as he came into the kitchen. Riku glanced up from the table, strewn with vases and cut gladioli fronds, to see Sora was sleep-rumpled and clearly bleary from his nap. Yawning, Sora snapped his fingers. He frowned when nothing happened, then grumbled as he remembered he was not at the Mysterious Tower and mugs of tea couldn’t be summoned out of thin air.
“It’s the Night of the Seven Travelers,” Ventus said as Sora opened one cabinet, then another, then another to finally find the mugs. “You leave the windows open and put vases of gladioli out so the lost wielder and last traveler can meet again.”
Sora blinked very slowly. “What?”
“It’s a legend from Scala,” Riku explained a little better, grinning at Sora’s baleful expression. “Master Ephemer sent his first seven students out to travel the worlds, but the last one never came home, so one of the others went to look for him.” Riku stretched out a gladiolus to tickle Sora’s nose. “Should have tried these when you got lost in Corona last week.”
“Eat a dick,” Sora retorted blandly, agitating his tea bag.
“They can’t meet here anyway, there isn’t even a fountain,” Ventus said, almost to himself. He stood up and picked up two of the filled vases. “I’m going to take these up to Aqua and Terra’s rooms.”
“Sure,” Riku said, fussing with the tall flowers in his own vase. Sora sat down beside him on the bench, still yawning. “You know, I think it’s Tanabata at home this week.”
“Ehh.” Sora flicked gently at a flower. “Why are all these holidays about separated lovers? That’s junk.”
“I think this one’s just about a constellation,” Riku soothed, wrapping an arm around Sora’s waist. “But we can still string up wishes if you want. Anything you want to wish for this summer?”
“To stop being so tired.” Sora slumped into Riku’s side. “To stay with you.”
“Aw, those are no fun,” Riku teased, keeping his voice light when it felt like his chest was squeezing tight. “Where’s my Sora with the impossible wishes like having a pet dinosaur and flying a rocket?”
Sora snorted. “What’s your impossible wish, smart guy?”
“Mm, mine keep coming true,” Riku murmured, thinking about all the ones he used to write in crayon: to leave the Islands, to see other worlds, to be strong and last year’s secretly penned to see Sora again. “So I better not. You can wish for both of us.”
“When did you get so boring?” Sora tried to tease, but his voice cracked on the last word. Riku dropped the flower he was trying to jam into the vase to hug Sora properly. “Sorry, ugh, that keeps happening.” Sora tried to draw a deep breath, chest hitching. “I’m not even sad.”
“I am, that was me,” Riku admitted, pressing his forehead against Sora’s shoulder. Even after months, their heart link wasn’t entirely back to normal. “Last year when I was here waiting for you, that’s when Aqua taught me about the Night of the Seven Travelers. I think she thought it would help, decorating and learning some legends from Master Eraqus, but it just made me miss you like a hundred times harder.”
“It’s ok,” Sora said, squeezing Riku back tightly. “Shh, it’s fine.”
“Stop it, I’m supposed to be comforting you,” Riku complained, shutting his eyes. It took some concentration for Riku to bring his emotions under control enough to stop it spilling over the link. “There. Sorry.”
Sora pressed a kiss to Riku’s temple. “You know I don’t care. What do sword lilies mean again?”
“Strength,” Riku answered, straightening up and rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand. “But Ven says that here they mean remembrance, white for light and yellow for devotion.”
“Yellow’s your favorite,” Sora said, picking his mug back up and blowing on it. “When Aqua gets back, maybe her version will make more sense than you and Ven’s, yikes.”
“Wanna go find a book in the library about it?” Riku offered. “Unless you think you’ll get too lost again, making it the Night of the Eight Travelers.”
“Just for that I’m not going to make out in the stacks with you,” Sora sniffed. Riku gasped, affronted. “Ok, ok, only because you’re cute.”
