Hi guys.

This isn't my first KH fic, but it's the first one that has even the tiniest bit of substance to it. I'm surprised that it came out Riku-centric. I'd intended to start with Riku watching them and then move onto something else, but realised halfway through that it wasn't going where I wanted it to.

I didn't mean to make it so angst-y, if it appears that way. I dunno… I guess I just chose 'angst' for genre because if it were me in that situation I'd feel like cutting myself.

And really; if you repeatedly tried to kill your best friend – who was only trying to help you – you'd feel pretty lousy too.

On a side note, the background music for the writing of this fic was Leave Out All The Rest by Linkin Park.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or anything associated with it. All rights to Kingdom Hearts and affiliated characters belong to Disney and Square Enix.

Summary: Sometimes Riku still looked in the mirror and saw Xehanort's Heartless. But more consuming than the hatred, more powerful than the jealousy that Sora had gotten the girl that he'd wanted, was the gratitude that his friends had offered him a second chance.

Rating: K+

Genre: Angst/Friendship

World: Destiny Islands, Post KH2

Second Chance

They looked good together.

There was no way around it, Riku decided, watching his two best friends down on the beach. Kairi had tackled Sora into the waves, and the two of them were now wrestling in the wet sand. A month after they'd arrived home, and in some respects it was beginning to feel like they'd never left. The relationship blossoming between Sora and Kairi was fresh and new, yet it still held all the same elements as the friendship they'd shared before the worlds were threatened.

It amazed Riku that, no matter where they'd gone, or what they saw, his friends were largely unaffected by their ordeals. Not like he was, anyway. He knew Kairi had the occasional nightmare and that Sora got especially jumpy during storms (the big baby), but they were nothing compared to the results of Riku's own trauma. He'd said and done things that he was not proud of – attempting to kill his best friend being chief among them. But, by some miracle, his friends had still reached out to him and attempted to help. Riku didn't know what might have happened if he hadn't heeded Kairi back in the Organization's castle and gone to meet up with Sora.

Sometimes Riku still looked in the mirror and saw Xehanort's Heartless. He saw all the horrible things that Xehanort had done, the things that Riku had done of his own volition early in his own journey, and the things that he'd done under the influence of Xehanort. Sora tried to persuade him that his actions in the later half of the battle with Maleficent and Xehanort's Heartless were not his own, but Riku knew better.

He'd hated Sora.

He'd wanted Sora dead.

Sometimes, Riku still felt the ghost of that hatred for his younger friend; this was especially evident whenever he happened to catch him in a private moment with Kairi. Riku tried to give them their space, knowing that they'd eventually want time to themselves; but for now, they'd told him, they wanted to enjoy it being the three of them again.

Apparently Sora and Kairi had discussed their relationship and had decided that it would be better to get used to being close friends again before they attempted anything more. There was so much to catch up on, so many things that needed to be put into order, that if they attempted any kind of relationship it would be destined to end badly. Riku also had a sneaking suspicion that they knew of his own feelings for Kairi; feelings that Riku had pushed aside one day after a talk with Naminé.

Naminé had cornered him after seeing something in Sora's memories that concerned her; the time that Riku had told Sora that 'if I can't have her, no one can!' when he was fourteen and Sora and Kairi were thirteen. Remembering this event now, Riku could only shake his head. Two years ago he had been such an arrogant little bastard. Remembering the look on Sora's face – stricken, confused, angry, shocked – Riku felt like hitting himself. Even back then he'd been subtly attacking his best friend, wearing him down. He'd been bullying him practically all their lives. And what did Sora give him in return?

He'd saved his life, his heart, and his sanity; more than once.

More consuming than the hatred, more powerful than the jealousy that Sora had gotten the girl that he'd wanted, was the gratitude that his friends had offered him a second chance. The ability to change. He'd reached out with both hands, ignoring Riku's claws as he swiped them away, and chased him across the universe to make him see sense. Most anyone else would have taken Kairi and left Hollow Bastion for good, leaving Riku to wallow in his own filth.

But not Sora.

After ensuring that the girl that they both loved was safe, Sora had come back for him. He'd fought the people that held sway over Riku to save him. Sora was a loyal friend, almost to a fault. Even before he turned to the darkness, Sora would lie for him to their parents, school officials and other friends. He'd covered for him in many situations where Riku could have gotten into serious trouble.

"No, Sir, I don't know who threw all those rocks through the school windows. I didn't see anything."

"Are you sure, boy?"

"Yes."

Riku felt something hard and wet slap him in the cheek. Turning his head toward the direction that the projectile had come from, he saw his friends grinning at him innocently, their eyes betraying their guilt. Wiping the wet sand off his face, Riku solemnly rose to his feet and turned to face them. His face broke out in an evil grin as he rushed them, playfully dunking Sora's head underwater and laughing at Kairi's shriek when he lightly pelted her with some wet sand.

Sometimes, Riku still looked in the mirror and saw Xehanort's Heartless. But more consuming than the hatred, more powerful than the jealousy that Sora had gotten the girl that he'd wanted, was the gratitude that his friends had offered him a second chance.

Riku wouldn't waste this chance.

Not this time.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it!

Sparkly Faerie