~ Call Me ~

"Haha, you know they say only idiots don't catch colds," a soft, timber voice echoed from Sora's new cell phone. The red, crown topped device rested face up on Sora's pillow as he laid down in the gummi ship for the night, his elbows on propping him up on either side, displaying the shadowed face of Sora's favorite keyblade master.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Sora exclaimed, voice too loud for the small space; wincing, he looked over his shoulder to check on Donald and Goofy slumbering behind him and sighed in relief that they hadn't roused. In fact, they snored just as loudly as ever, like something straight out of a cartoon. He wondered if Riku could hear them. Come to think of it, Sora didn't know how he slept with the racket.

Riku's chuckle brought Sora back to the phone, though. Sora wished he could feel the rumble of that laugh against his cheek as they hugged. His smile was so soft even on the pixelated and somewhat static-y screen. "You know I'm kidding," Riku replied.

"Ha, sure," Sora said, too light to be vindicating. His cheeks were hurting from smiling for an hour straight. "But anyway," Sora started, remembering his story, "Ana let me borrow her coat, it was super soft and fancy. So, you're welcome, the hero of light did not freeze to death."

"Pfft," Riku laughed again, tossing his head to move his bangs, "And just how many times have you been smacked in the head with Blizagga? I don't think it's possible for you to freeze anymore."

"We're islanders," Sora insisted, "Us and cold don't match."

"Mm, yeah," he agreed. Sora heard a little static and shuffling as Riku leaned back, holding the phone tilted in his lap. Not that Sora had thought about the angle before to know that. "It gets kinda chilly here sometimes. Makes me miss the coat."

Ugh, the coat. Sora would never miss the coat. "It's cause you're so hot, like," Sora said, and instantaneously felt his heart skip in panic. Ah, that did not come out right! Riku's eyebrows raised. "LIKE you have so much muscle you just generate more body heat?"

Oh yeah, like that statement really made it better.

Riku was silent for an entire second before he smirked and replied, "Oooooh really, now?"

Sora wanted to pass out into his pillow. God, Riku was using that tone, the tone he used whenever Sora said something weird and Riku was never gonna let it go. Sora scowled. "You know what I mean."

"Maybe you should clarify," Riku said rhetorically, the smile in his voice just as wide as the one on his face.

Okay, that made it a little better. Feeling encouraged, Sora started, "Y'know you should get out of the realm of darkness soon, come see me. Then you wouldn't be cold." Sora said it like it was easy, for both their benefit; made it seem more plausible.

"Why's that?"

"We could like, share Ana's coat or something." Which wasn't the scenario Sora was thinking at all, but chickened out saying it last second.

"I think just being with you would be plenty sufficient."

Wow, Sora didn't know his heart could beat this hard.

Riku's face turned a little pink, eyes shifted to the side. "'Cause you are also warm," Riku added, faltering. He must have thought it sounded better in his head, because he sighed to himself.

Sora didn't care. "Is it 'cause I'm super muscular?" he teased, simultaneously calling himself out.

Riku snorted. "Yeah, totally."

Suddenly Riku looked over his shoulder as if alerted. "Aha! Hey, Riku, I think I know the way!" the King's voice rang out through the phone.

"Oh, that's good," Riku replied to him, a little muffled. Mickey said something else, but Sora didn't hear it. That was okay though; it gave Sora an excuse to stare. Though he was in darkness, the moonlight-like glow on Riku's hair was… pretty.

When Riku turned back he looked sheepish. That only meant one thing.

"You… gotta go?" Sora asked, hesitant and dreading even though the time on the call was over an hour and a half now.

Riku sighed again, a huff of air that housed all his complaints - which Sora knew were many – that he let disappear into the darkness. "Yeah, probably. Sorry."

He sounded so regretful Sora was quick to shake his head and said, "Nah, you're doing important keyblade master stuff, it's okay. We'll …call later?"

"Of course," Riku instantly affirmed, nodding. Sora smiled ear to ear. "Okay, I should go… Goodnight, Sora."

He couldn't wait to hear his name in that voice in person. "Goodnight, Riku."

Maybe it was mean but Sora waited for Riku to end the call. When he did, for a solid ten seconds, Sora stared at the contact screen, fingers hovering just above the picture. God, he was absolutely overjoyed he could talk to Riku regularly now but somehow…. It made Sora miss him more.

The phone was shoved into one of his many pockets. It was late, and as always their day would start early. Besides, he knew Riku was safe – and knew they would call again. He could sleep now.

Every time his phone buzzed in his pocket, Riku felt like the Realm of Darkness was a little… brighter.

Another small band of heartless defeated, and Riku whipped out his phone to check the source of the buzz – while he was safe. The King scouted up ahead, used to Riku's slow, distracted walking by now.

"Riiiiku," Kairi's text read, with a frustrated emoji, "how do you spin the blade again? Lea is no help at all!"

Being a keyblade master had some perks. Like being a source of knowledge for Kairi, Lea, and even sometimes Sora. Being needed, wanted, was nice. But being trusted? That was…

Another buzz shook Riku's palm while he was typing. Riku smiled but ignored it until he finished. "It's about where you place your palm on the handle. Make sure your wrist has enough strength to counteract the unbalanced blade." Some more details. Then, he paused. "You'll get it soon enough," he added, encouraging, "you could slow down a bit, you're making me and Sora look bad." Okay, that sounded good. It was so much easier to say the things he wanted over text.

Her reply was almost immediate. "Ooooh. Okay thanks!" This time, a kissy face emoji was at the end. Gees, her and Sora. Always with the embarrassing emojis.

He made a split decision and texted Lea, "show Kairi how to spin the blade, she's going to kick your ass anyway."

"Boo. Aye aye captain." Lea was always short with his texts, much like Riku. Typically if he replied to you, it was a compliment.

And finally Riku let himself check the text he knew was waiting for him, the ones he always saved for last: because that's what you did for the best, right? It was something Mickey told him.

Oh god, it was a small essay. "Hi Riku! look! See I told you, Ana's coat." The selfie that accompanied the text was at least 50% of Sora's face, all deep, shining blue eyes and a grin that would glow if it were any wider. Riku found himself smiling back. Chin down, the photo was just fur lining the collar of the coat. It definitely looked like something a princess would wear. Even better on Sora.

The next selfie was in an entirely different place. It couldn't be helped. Time was…. a weird thing in the Realm. Though Riku only got these texts maybe an hour or two apart, the time stamps on them were sometimes two or more days apart. It always made Riku ache. He felt like he was missing so much.

"Hey Hey! This is Baymax. He's taller than u." Another selfie but a big white blob with robot eyes stared down and took up all available camera space that Sora didn't. Sora's trademarked grin was in place. Huh. How did Sora manage to be cute in any angle?

But then they were just texts. "How's it going? Find Master Aqua yet?" That was was, apparently, from yesterday. Okay, last one.

"Everything is so confusing. Ugh. You're still in ROD right? Saw someone who was you, but not…. Idk."

He felt the whiplash like a tangible thing, the drastic change in tone. He knew Sora so well he could hear it in his head; the confusion and exhaustion. The desperation. Riku frowned. Someone who was Riku, but not? Great, were the org randomly producing copies of him, like they tried with Sora, like the Riku in Castle Oblivion? Or was it the replica?

He looked around, and though the expanse was endless, he felt so trapped. From here, there wasn't anything he could do. All they had was the empty landscape that was just … nothing. Just dark. Just, draining.. They had to find Aqua and escape.

But… there was something he could do now. Normally, he waited for Sora to call, considering Riku had no concept of what time it was for him but… worst case scenario he could leave a message, probably. He wanted to assuage Sora's worries with proof; he knew what it meant for Sora to see rather than being told.

So he pressed the call button and walked faster to tell the King, to show the text while they connected. But he didn't get the chance; Sora picked up almost immediately.

"Riku!" he exclaimed, so fast the "r" was nearly cut off in the audio. His face was too close to the screen, but Riku could tell they were in the gummi ship, as usual. But it was well lit, so, it was daytime for him. But then, weren't they… mid-traveling?

"Sora, are you driving?" Riku asked with horror, "Don't drive and call, you doof-"

"I'm not, I'm not!" Sora said excitedly, panning the camera around the cockpit, where Donald was at the wheel. Riku didn't even try to hide his relief. "Aw, c'mon, I fly safe."

Donald squawked in the background, "Safe for who?" Goofy laughed.

The camera returned to Sora. "Look at that, you got me in trouble already," he pouted, bottom lip jut out and everything. God, Riku missed him.

"My bad," he said, some level of sincere and amused. He glanced up and saw the King chuckling behind his hand. There was no hiding from him. But it reminded Riku that he had other reasons for the call. "Hey so – who was the guy that looked like me?" Riku asked. The King's ears twitched before he met Riku's pace, walking beside him.

"Oh, gees, it was like, blast from the past you," Sora said, eyebrows knit in concentration. "He kept going on about competition or something, it was like, what? And he was shorter than me, which was hilarious." The smug grin on his face drew away from the seriousness of it all, but there was something in his eyes that said something about this mystery Riku did bother him.

"Huh," Riku hummed, not sure what to say. He looked to Mickey, who said, "Gosh, Sora, did he say what he wanted?" There was a chorus of "King Mickey!" from Donald and Goofy, but Sora shushed them to hear.

"Mmm," Sora tilted his head, and Riku wished he could take a picture of it, "like I said, just wanted to beat me. I told him the Riku I know has already accepted defeat." He actually winked.

Riku scowled, "What? No." He almost challenged him, but thought better of it. He didn't want to be like whichever Riku upset Sora. And anyway, he had plenty of experience with it – had his fill.

So, Sora did it for him. "Okay, well get out of the darkness realm so we can fight!" The hope in his voice, and the promise of facing off like old times, made Riku feel like they would go home soon. He locked those words in his heart, like he could hold them close.

"It's a deal."

"We're landing, Sora," Donald informed them.

"Tell the King that we're doin' great against the new organization!" Goofy asked, his endless optimism so over the top even Sora's grin ebbed to a grimace.

"Haha, well… you heard them," he said.

Riku still felt concerned. He still wanted to talk – preferably without their companions listening in – but clearly, they needed to go. "Hey, Sora," he said. Sora stared through the screen, grin anticipating.

"Yeah?"

"Um, call me later – when you can, or whatever."

Aw, hell, he could hear Donald snickering in the back. But Sora's smile made it worth it. "Yeah, yeah sure! I'll call tonight," he promised.

"K," Riku replied, relieved. The dumb part of his brain prayed the weird time thing made that minutes from now. They stared again for a moment, neither one wanting to say goodbye.

"C'mon, Sora," Goofy said, "Donald's already leaving the ship!"

"He-Hey, wait for me!" Sora called, jump-started, "Sorry, I gotta go."

"Yeah, uh- be safe."

"Always," Sora said like someone who frequently was not safe. "Bye, Ri!"

"Bye, Sora." Riku hung up. Sora would let the call carry on in his pocket if he had his way.

Hell, maybe Riku should test that. It would be good background noise.

When his phone went back to his pocket and he looked back up at the endlessly blue and black landscape, he felt like he'd been transported to another dimension. Talking to Sora was always this way, though. Like stopping by home to get the keys you left on the table, just to spend another ten minutes talking and finding more things you "forgot".

"Aw, shucks, don't worry, Riku," the King assured him. "Sora'll be just fine!"

Sometimes it was embarrassing just how easy it was to read Riku. "Now I'm more worried about which other 'me' Sora fought." Which other me, Riku inwardly repeated with an impending headache.

"We'll find Master Aqua and she'll help us!" his companion said with all the confidence someone shouldn't have, having spent at least a month in darkness.

But Riku agreed, anyway. Sora believed in them, so they would. "Let's keep going."

"Yeah until Sora calls, huh?"

Riku rolled his eyes. He had no retort to that.

His phone buzzed not more than a few paces down, but it was just a text. Apparently whatever Sora wanted to say couldn't wait.

"Thanks, Riku. I missed you."

I knew that, Riku thought, but smiled anyway. "I miss you too," he replied.

His steps were sure next to Mickey. Riku could face the darkness. After all, he had the brightest light to shine through it no matter what. And when that light called,

He'd always answer.

A/N: The trailer literally possessed me and made me exorcist-style vomit 2k. This is that vomit.

Thank you for reading! As always, if you liked, drop a fave or a comment? or if you want to scream at me more, I'm kaiserin-astraia on tumblr, and KaiserinAstraia on Twitter!