Chapter Text
Fall
The First Day of Classes
Sora sipped his coffee, delighting in the milky taste as he waited at the small station for the tram.
Autumn had officially begun, but the only sign was the occasional chilly breeze that gave him a few goosebumps. The warmth of summer was thankfully still around.
He checked his Gummiphone again, mostly out of anxious habit. Noting first the unopened notification from Cloud, and then his eyes moved to the time.
7:30 a.m.
The tram should have arrived already, but Sora did his best to avoid panicking. Classes began today at 10:00 a.m. sharp, and he’d left his house with enough time to compensate for any travel mistakes.
For years, students of Twilight Academy had lamented about the arduous journey along the twisting road up to the campus, so the mayor had finally built a funicular tram specifically for the students. The rails stretched from the station-which lay a few streets away from the sandlot-all the way up the hill to the campus.
Despite his anxiety, Sora was excited to ride it. Funicular trains were adorable, and the journey was apparently gorgeous, given the picturesque forest that swallowed the area around Twilight Academy.
He sipped his coffee, appreciating the taste of the peppermint powder Cid always put in for him.
He opened his phone again, and once more, Cloud’s message popped up.
Cloud: Wouldn’t mind if you showed me how it’s done btw.
Cloud: I could learn a thing or two from a fellow shower enjoyer.
The message still sent a thrill through him, just as it had when he had read it an hour earlier. Well, it had sent a thrill, a spasm, and a near-panic attack through him earlier, but that was to be expected.
Sora still couldn’t believe Cloud was asking him for a nude. It felt a little too good to be true.
He fought back a giddy smile, already thinking of what he wanted it to look like. Maybe he’d send a few.
Don’t forget you have to see Riku first.
A sickly-sweet taste permeated Sora’s tongue. He swiftly took a drink of coffee to drown it out, though he just ended up burning his mouth.
The hot, peeling sensation crawled across Sora’s palette as he subconsciously cursed himself.
Anytime he’d felt remotely excited this morning, he rudely reminded himself that he had to be around Riku all day, which immediately killed his high and left him feeling sick with dread.
He remembered Kairi’s words from last night. Hopefully he’d only have to deal with that asshole just this once, though that also seemed too good to be true.
A muffled curse from behind him snapped Sora out of his sulking, and he turned to see Vanitas struggling up the steps to the platform, dragging a large rolling suitcase behind him. He was dressed in a black cropped hoodie, another plaid skirt, fingerless gloves, and thigh-highs.
“Van?” Sora called.
Vanitas turned, a smile forming with recognition as he shouted, “Sora!” Before finally yanking his suitcase onto the platform and hurrying over.
“I thought you were gonna catch the 7:00 o’clock tram?” Sora asked as Vanitas hugged him, the spikes of his choker poking lightly into Sora’s shoulder.
“I overslept,” Vanitas admitted sheepishly. “I look fucking horrible too, I had to rush to make it here.”
Sora took note of his appearance. His makeup had a slightly rushed appearance to it, and his hair was unnaturally messy.
“Don’t worry,” Sora assured, reaching forward to better blend some of his eyeshadow with his thumb. “You’re cute as a button. Besides, you don’t have any classes with any of the Armiger guys till after lunch, so you can fix it before then.”
“True,” Vanitas admitted. “I’m glad they let us go without uniform for the first day!”
“Mhm,” Sora mumbled while taking another sip of his coffee and regretting it, hissing as he burnt his mouth more. He’d admittedly forgotten about that, so today he was sporting the full ensemble, though he had opted for a red and black flannel tied around his waist.
The academy was thankfully lax about the attire; as long as you wore mostly uniform, you could accessorize to your heart’s content.
Sora suddenly realized something and turned to Vanitas, a devilish smile on his lips. “Vanitas?”
“Yes Sora?” Van replied, his expression worried.
Wordlessly, Sora turned his Gummiphone to Vanitas, showing the picture Cloud had sent him last night.
Sora watched Van’s eyes flick over the image and his jaw drop in mounting realization.
“Did he?” Van’s eyes were wide as they looked to Sora for confirmation.
Sora nodded smugly. “Yup,” he said.
Vanitas squealed in excitement and jumped in place, and Sora couldn’t help but get swept up in the thrill as well, giggling uncontrollably. “Sora! This is huge!” Vanitas exclaimed in awe.
“It certainly looks huge,” Sora sighed longingly.
“You are vile,” Vanitas giggled, pointing a finger accusingly at him.
“You got me.”
“Well done, for real,” Vanitas congratulated. “I knew several people who’d kill to be in your position.”
“Oh, I’ll be in all sorts of positions with him, that’s for sure.”
“STOP,” Vanitas punched his arm.
Sora giggled, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “And we have PE together in second period, so I get to see him sweat.”
But before that you have to meet Riku.
Even his burnt tongue didn’t prevent the taste.
“You alright?” Van asked, his brow furrowed.
Sora swallowed back the bile, forcing a smile to his features. “Yeah, just burned my mouth a little.”
Their conversation lulled as Van checked his Gummiphone and Sora looked up the hill. Still no tram.
“Excuse me?” A voice said from behind Sora.
Sora turned and found a lanky boy in his early twenties, with thin glasses and slicked back sandy hair, a few strands dangling over his brows. His school uniform was lacking the golden lining, instead replaced with black leather, and he wore black motorcycle gloves on his hands, with a bookbag hanging from one shoulder.
“Is this the new tram that goes to the campus?” He asked.
“Oh, hi Ignis!” Sora greeted him with a wave.
In the corner of his eye, Vanitas froze solid, phone in hand, eyes wide like a deer in headlights.
“Hello,” Ignis smiled as he walked over. “Sora, right?” He extended his hand formally.
“Yep,” Sora replied, taking his hand loosely and shaking it. “And this-“ Sora motioned to Van, who still hadn’t moved save for a barely noticeable panicked shaking. “Is Vanitas.”
Van’s face was beet-red, but he bravely turned to face Ignis and gave a small wave. “Hi,” he squeaked.
“A pleasure,” Ignis nodded, before snapping his fingers and pointing to Van. “I knew I recognized you, you’ve been to some of our shows! We always see you in the front row, but we’ve never spoken.”
“You recognize me?” Van’s eyes went wide, and Sora could swear he was hyperventilating.
“Actually Ignis,” Sora butted in. “Van here has been to all of your shows.”
Van shifted his panicked gaze to Sora, who just smiled in response.
“Well,” Ignis chuckled. “I had no idea we had such a devoted fan! Why haven’t you ever said hello afterwards?”
Van shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with his choker. “Uh, um-well, I didn’t wanna bother you guys…I guess.”
“Nonsense!” Ignis assured. “Next show, you can come and say hello, I know Noctis would love to meet you.”
“Really?” Van breathed.
Sora wouldn’t have been surprised if he started floating.
“Of course,” Ignis smiled. “That’s why we do it.”
“Oh look!” Sora said loudly, halting the conversation before Van imploded. “The tram’s here!”
The car slid smoothly to a stop, hissing softly as it settled next to the station. The small bell atop it tingling as the doors opened.
Sora hoisted his bag onto his shoulder, and dragged a swooning Vanitas onto the tram, walking towards the front of the car and settling into a seat.
Ignis sat further back, Sora watched him put in earbuds and look out the window.
“Deep breaths,” Sora advised to Van, who seemed to be in some sort of haze.
“Sora?” He asked, looking at him with distant eyes.
“Yes?”
“Am I dead?”
“Hope not,” Sora smiled. “But if you don’t start breathing soon you might pass out.”
“Okay,” Van said, a smile forming on his face as he came back to reality.
Sora couldn’t help but smile at Van’s disbelief.
The tram’s bell sounded again and the door’s closed, signaling their departure. Soon enough they were rolling slowly but surely up the hill, Sora felt the chug of the engine beneath his feet as he watched the station recede behind him and his surroundings be replaced with the grassy hillside.
The journey was just as gorgeous as he’d imagined, the sun shining between the tangled boughs of thick trees dense with foliage. The forest surrounding the campus was almost magical in its lushness, with picturesque views as far as the eye could see.
A jolt went through Sora’s Gummiphone, and he opened it to find a message from Kairi.
Kairi: You here yet?
Sora: Almost there.
Sora: Tram was late.
Sora: Ran into Ignis though.
Kairi: Oh cool!
Kairi: Do you know where Van is?
Kairi: He was supposed to be on the 7:00 tram, but he’s not here.
Kairi: I’m worried he might have overslept.
Sora: He made it :)
Sora: And, he finally talked to Ignis.
Kairi: Fr?
Sora: Fr.
Kairi: So proud of him <3
Kairi: Well hurry up, I’m bored and Goofy’s trying to play hacky-sack with me.
Sora: The horror.
Sora chewed his lip, anxiety bubbling up inside of him. He found himself shaking slightly as he typed, the taste returning to his mouth.
Sora: Have you seen him?
Kairi: No, not yet. I think Xion said he was coming with Lea and Roxas tho.
Kairi: I have to talk to Prof. Ansem before my physics class, but I’ll try and find you when you arrive.
Sora: K. See ya soon <3
Kairi: Sys xo
Sora returned his Gummiphone to his pocket, trying to distract himself from how nervous he felt. Thankfully, as he glanced out the window he was greeted with a very distracting sight.
The Old Mansion had long been a staple of Twilight Town’s history, and when it was announced that it was to be repurposed as a school, people were apparently doubtful of its ability to house all the facilities needed for a university. However, with some very generous expansions, the mansion now stood as a grand structure with numerous floors, several courtyards, and many acres of lush fields and gardens across the campus. The building itself seemed to catch the light cascading between the trees, the brick shining like gold amidst the green of the forest around it.
Sora had been going to Twilight Academy for two years now, but it still took his breath away.
Students sat on the windowsills of classrooms that were floors above the ground, shared breakfast by fountains and hedges, and an impromptu game of badminton had been started on the front lawn.
The tram came to a smooth stop at the small station, the doors opening with the ringing of the bell. Sora and Vanitas grabbed their bags and stepped off, followed by Ignis, who gave a small wave before quickly walking off into the throng of activity.
“Ugh!” Vanitas shouted suddenly, stomping his feet.
“What?” Sora asked, startled.
“The first time I speak to Ignis, and I look like this!” He motioned to his face as if it were a horrible deformation.
“Well, I don’t think you have to worry, he seemed to like whatever this-“ Sora waved his hand in front of Van’s face, “-was.”
Van shut up, clearly torn between insisting he looked terrible or accepting Sora’s reassurance.
“Come on,” Sora took Van’s hand, smiling encouragingly. “Let’s go together.”
Together, they walked across the crossing and stepped onto the lush grass of Twilight Academy’s campus. Sora recognized a few people from around town, but most were fresh faces to him.
He spotted Terra and Squall playing badminton, having chosen to be on opposing teams, but obviously hitting the shuttlecock only towards each other.
“They’re dating right?” Vanitas asked Sora as they watched them.
“Yup,” Sora nodded. “Which is hilarious considering they look like carbon copies of each other.”
“I can’t unsee it now,” Vanitas admitted. “You’ve ruined them for me.”
“Happy to help.”
They continued walking, passing by a large group of students all watching Wakka spin a blitzball on each finger.
Eventually, they climbed the main steps and entered into the foyer, met with a large grand staircase and several halls leading in and out of the space. The floors were polished to perfection, large banners hung on the wall with the Twilight Town clock tower emblazoned upon them, and large chandeliers hung from the ceilings.
“Dang,” Vanitas said. “I always forget how much munny they put into this place.”
“If you got it, flaunt it I guess,” Sora said under his breath.
“Sora watch out-“ Vanitas yelled, but before Sora could react, he was crashed into and swept off his feet, the wind crushed out of his lungs.
“He made it!” Goofy cackled. “Happy birthday you beautiful boy!” Goofy lowered Sora to the floor and gave him a proper hug, which given Goofy’s much taller stature, was more like he was trying to crush Sora into his chest.
“Thanks buddy,” Sora squeaked, patting his back limply. “Maybe next year my present can be you not doing this?”
“I’ll think about it,” Goofy said as he released him fully, stepping back to reveal Xion, who gave Sora a quick squeeze.
“Happy birthday Sora,” Xion smiled.
“Thanks, Xio,” Sora replied. “Little disappointed you didn’t lift me off my feet, but I’ll let it slide.”
“He just loves you more,” Xion joked dryly.
“Well, isn’t that sweet,” Sora looked to Goofy, who sheepishly twirled his hair. “Well, can anyone show me where Art History is?”
“Art History first thing?” Goofy screwed up his face. “Dude, that’s rough. But, if you’ll just follow me.”
Goofy grabbed Xion’s hand and led the group down a long hallway lined with lockers and classrooms, broken up by large windows decorated with golden curtains that flowed in the morning breeze.
“We still gonna have the party this weekend?” Xion asked Sora over her shoulder.
“That’s the plan,” Sora said, suddenly remembering that he hadn’t even started to plan it. “Oh, Xion?”
“Yeah?”
“You seen the new student at all?” Sora asked casually. “I heard Roxas and Lea were coming in with him.”
“Yeah, apparently they’re running late, but they’ll be here before classes start. Why?”
“Just wondering.” Sora would’ve liked nothing better than for the tram to tragically malfunction, or for there to be some misunderstanding and for Riku to give up and go back to Scala. What a tragedy that would be.
“Here we are!” Goofy announced proudly, stopping outside the classroom and sweeping his hand towards the door. Sora peered in, admiring the spacious room, rays of light shining through the windows, and a large chalkboard at the front of the room.
“They know smartboards exist, right?” Vanitas asked.
“They’re kinda committed to a technology-free school environment,” said Xion.
“Does that mean they’ll take our phones?” Vanitas said in horror.
“Hopefully not, otherwise you won’t be able to check Armiger’s page every ten seconds,” Xion mumbled.
“You’re hilarious.”
A jolt went through Sora’s phone, revealing a text from Donald.
Donald: Hey, we’re out front, wanna come hang?
Donald: There’s still an hour before classes start.
Sora: Okay :)
Sora: Gotta drop my bag off in the room first.
Donald: Ok!
Donald: Btw, I picked the left side close to the door, I hope that’s ok >.<
Sora: Haha, you’re fine :)
“Donald and Tidus are out front, wanna go hang with them?” Sora asked everyone. “I’ve gotta drop my stuff off first but I’ll meet you out there.”
“Oh, I should probably put my suitcase in my room too,” Vanitas realized.
“Don’t you mean… our room?” Goofy elbowed Van in the ribs and grinned maniacally.
“Don’t worry, you’ll only have to deal with him from an entire year,” Xion smirked at Vanitas before heading back the way they came. “See you out there!”
Goofy dragged Sora and a very resistant Vanitas off into the mansion, up flights of stairs and finally landing on a long stretch of hallway on one of the higher floors. Since the dorms were same-sex only, the entire floor was devoted to the boys dormitories, with the girls one floor below. Goofy led them down a somewhat chaotic hall, full of freshmen and sophomores excited about being away from home again, leaving their doors open and tossing paper airplanes between rooms.
Thankfully, the juniors and seniors were around the corner, giving a sense of separation from the intensity of the underclassmen.
Goofy and Vanitas stopped at their door and sure enough, like Van said, the door opposite was smattered with grungy band posters and a custom gothic nametag mounted on the frame that said: Noctis . “ And Prompto ” was written next to it on a sheet of paper in sparkly pen.
Sora continued down the hall, passing more room covered with interesting and creative signage. Tidus and Cloud had simple nametags in a generic font, but small paper flowers were taped to the former’s nameplate, which Sora could tell was Donald’s work.
Ignis was rooming with Gladio, and they sported simple nametags, but each had a distinctive decoration. Gladio had a collage of magazine clippings that mentioned Armiger and several printed photos (likely from Prompto) that surrounded his name, while Ignis had several vinyl record folders taped to the door.
Sora stopped outside the room he shared with Donald, a smile breaking across his face as he admired the decorations. Donald’s nameplate had several small drawings and stickers of ducks (his favorite animal) stuck to it, along with more paper flowers. Sora’s nameplate had paper stars and origami palm trees taped to it, clearly inspired by Sora’s hometown of Destiny Islands.
Sora instantly pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the door.
Sora: Photo (seen)
Sora: Are you kidding me.
Sora: This is fucking adorable.
Donald: Aw, I’m glad you think so :)
Sora: I don’t deserve you <3
Donald: Shucks xo
Sora: Be down soon.
With a bit of struggle, Sora slotted his room key in and unlocked the door, entering his dorm to find it all mostly organized.
Which was not how he’d left it. The boxes of clothes and books, the bag of kitchenware etc. All of it was unpacked and placed neatly throughout the space, and Sora’s clothes were hung up in their shared closet.
Donald’s bed was made up of fluffy white pillows and entirely too many stuffed animals (which were mostly waterfowl of some kind), and his wall was covered in posters, polaroids, and various decorations.
Sora plopped his bag at the foot of his bed, making note of how boring his side of the room was compared to Donald’s. He’d have to get some decorations.
He pushed open the window next to his bed and leaned out, taking a deep breath of the crisp, forest air. From his room, he could see the tram station and a large portion of the gardens, dotted with fountains and hedges before giving way to well-cut sport fields.
Putting off unpacking and making his bed for later tonight, Sora made his way back to the ground floor and out onto the front lawn, scanning the crowd for his friends.
A small cloud of white hair and round glasses suddenly made themselves visible.
Sora waved to Donald, followed by Tidus, Goofy, Xion, and Van, walking into view from around a large group of kids playing Queen’s Blood.
“Heya!” Sora greeted as he skipped up to them.
“Hey!” Donald smiled. “Did you like the room?”
“You know I did” Sora chided. “It was awesome, thanks.” He pulled Donald into a quick hug, wrinkling his nose as stray hair tickled him. “Tidus, I didn’t know you were rooming with Cloud,” Sora said with a faux sternness.
“Huh?” Tidus asked, torn from the badminton rally he’d been watching. “Heh, sorry. I didn’t think to tell ya.”
“It’s alright,” Sora assured. “Thankfully, this means if you two need our room for any reason I get to be with Cloud.”
Donald chuckled at the insinuation before going red as he realized what Sora meant, while Tidus just grinned. “Smart,” Tidus nodded. “Oh! I gotta go find Wakka, he asked me earlier to show the freshman some blitzball kicks!” He kissed Donald on the cheek swiftly, which unbalanced his glasses, and dashed off into the mass of students.
“There he goes,” Goofy lamented overdramatically. “Choosing the game over you Donny, how do you cope with it?”
“Oh, shut up,” Donald chided as he watched Tidus with stars in his eyes. “Nothing to cope with.”
Sora smiled at how secure Donald felt. It had taken a lot of encouragement for him to even consider dating anyone due to how anxious he always was. Goofy smiled at Sora, clearly thinking the same thing.
“Lea and Roxas are almost here,” Xion said while looking at her Gummiphone. “Should be just a few minutes.”
And suddenly, Sora felt like he’d throw up. The sickly-sweet taste crawled back through his senses, making him nauseous.
Just a few minutes.
Sora’s heart quickened and his head became light, he put a hand out and found Donald’s shoulder as he stumbled, who immediately placed his hands on Sora’s torso to steady him.
“Woah, you alright?” He asked, everyone’s faces suddenly full of worry. “Sora?”
“Yeah, I’m good,” Sora assured, the rush subsiding and the edges of his vision clearing again. “Sorry. Just been feeling weird today, probably didn’t eat enough for breakfast.”
“Have you drunk enough water?” Donald pressed.
“Probably not,” Sora replied, suddenly embarrassed that everyone was staring at him. “Don’t worry, I’ll get some before class.” He released Donald’s shoulder to prove he was fine.
“Well, you better get hydrated then,” Goofy insisted. “Cause if you’re feeling woozy now you’re definitely gonna faint later when you see Cloud.”
Sora gave a half-hearted chuckle, his stomach still churning. He took a few deep breaths and looked around, a sudden paranoia overcoming him. He hadn’t felt this way in years.
Kairi appeared in the crowd, noticing him and waving before seeing his expression and hurrying over. She put on a smile for everyone. “Hey guys!” She said as she came over. She was dressed in her signature outfit, a black and pink sleeveless dress, wearing several bracelets and her bookbag over her shoulder.
Everyone greeted her, and while she complimented Van’s outfit or confirmed schedules with Xion, she kept glancing at Sora, standing a bit closer than normal.
Sora tried to distract himself by listening to Kairi or the conversations around him, breathing deep, anything besides the taste in his mouth and the feeling in his stomach. It wasn’t working.
You’re gonna see him soon. And he’s gonna see you.
“Hey Sora,” Kairi’s voice snapped him from his stupor. “Why don’t we go over-“
Too late.
On the edges of the field, three figures were walking together from the tram station.
On the left was Roxas, who was dressed in his worn black and white jacket, his blonde hair swopping unnaturally to one side, giving him the appearance of permanent bedhead.
Next to him, in the middle of the trio was Lea, who was recognizable from a mile away thanks to his spikey red hair.
And on the right, was Riku.
Sora was woozy with nausea, it bubbled in his stomach, spurred on by the taste in his mouth which was stronger than ever before, sickeningly salty yet tantalizingly sweet. The realization that Riku was right there, less than a hundred feet away from him, shook Sora, but not nearly as much as his next realization, which hit him like a ton of bricks.
Fuck he’s hot.
It felt wrong to admit. Sora wasn’t sure if it was just nerves or something else, but Riku wasn’t how he remembered him. The last time he’d seen him, Riku had been younger, shorter, thinner, and had longer hair.
That was the Riku Sora had known.
That was the Riku Sora hated.
This wasn’t him. This Riku was taller, maybe about 6’0. He was wearing just a simple button up and academy tie, his sleeves rolled up, showing muscular forearms. His grey-purple hair was much shorter than it used to be, the bangs falling over his eyebrows. It looked good on him. A smile broke across his face as he laughed at something Lea said.
Sora blinked, realizing he was staring, and turned to see Kairi and the gang all watching Riku as well.
“That’s the new student?” Vanitas wondered, standing on his tiptoes to see.
“Yep,” Kairi murmured, staring daggers across the lawn. Her gaze softened as it shifted to Sora, “You gonna be okay? I can walk over with you if you want.”
The offer was sweet, but for some reason Sora shook his head. “I’ll be okay,” he smiled, trying to look more confident than he felt. “See you guys later,” he said to his friends.
Whether or not they returned the goodbye, Sora didn’t know. As he moved through the crowd, his eyes were fixed on Riku. His heart quickened with every step, his stomach bubbled with anxiety and anticipation. He was warm, in a million different ways. He had no idea what he was gonna say to Riku, no idea how he would feel, or how Riku would react to seeing him. It had been two and a half years, after all.
But as he got closer, and Riku’s head turned, his pale green eyes coming to rest on Sora, his face shifting subtly from surprise to recognition, Sora knew one thing.
Things had just gotten a lot more complicated.