Title: I Will Follow You into the Dark

By: BonBonPich

Disclaimer: KH belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. The lyric: "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" belongs to Death Cab for Cutie

Special Thanks to XShootingStarX for beta-reading (current chapter).

Note: Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated.

Chapter I: I Will Follow You into the Dark

REVISED 11/06/11

X

Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark

X

He twisted and turned, fidgeting in his bed. He just couldn't bring himself to sleep tonight, regardless of how tired and worn out he was.

Sora finally heaved a long sigh as he laced his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. He wondered why he couldn't sleep; there was nothing to worry about. The journey had ended after they had defeated Xemnas and brought peace to the worlds once again. Moreover, his friends and he could finally return home and get back to their normal lives.

His blue eyes traveled to the side of his bed, outside the window was the dark night that covered Destiny Island. As he gazed out at the night, he swiftly sprung himself off the bed and moved to the window.

The scene before him was…normal.

Regardless, Sora found himself restless as he leaned upon the window sills and stared out into the night. His eyes widened slightly as he realized what had been troubling him so much that he couldn't sleep. He turned to the edge of the bed, then pulled on his shoes.

After making sure that he wouldn't be seen by his parents, he leapt off the window and left the house.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Riku tried to sleep, convincing himself he should be grateful for at last he was home and was finally able to sleep in such a comfortable bed. It had been a year since he had spent his life in the cold darkness, never being able to see the light. Being blindfolded and turned into something…or rather someone he came to hate.

He didn't regret it though. By using the power of darkness within him, he had fulfilled his intention of getting a certain someone to finally wake up from the long sleep.

The silver-haired boy laid on his back and raised one hand up above him. He stared at his hand and let out a long sighed. "I'm still…me."

He thought again and couldn't quite believe that he would ever see this day. After all, he didn't mean his friend to find him. When he was in the dark, he only thought that everything would be fine as long as his two best friends were saved, not caring if he had to continue residing in the dark.

He had imagined how it would be to spend all the rest of his life that way.

His aquamarine eyes grew darker at the thought. But before he could drown himself in the abyss, his best friend's words came back to him.

'I looked everywhere for you…'

Riku's eyes slipped close.

'You're still Riku no matter what…'

The boy opened his eyes again and allowed a small smile grace his lips.

He laid unable to sleep for a few minutes before he heard a soft ticking sound coming from the window. Riku glared at the side, to the direction, frowning. There was nothing at the window, just the leaves of a tree barely rustling against it. He turned his attention back on the ceiling of his room.

Tick!

There was another sound. Riku turned to the window, again seeing nothing. He twitched a little, thinking he was just hearing something that wasn't there. He inaudibly cursed that now he was having trouble with taking everything into caution. He had spent a whole year of his life living just like that after all.

Tick!

And the third tick had ticked him off; he rolled to the side, back turning to the window. Focusing on trying to sleep, he tried to forget everything else.

"…ku!"

'…That voice again.' Riku thought about how the voice sounded so similar to what he had always heard it in his mind back then. But he didn'tt need it now. Because he knew the voice belonged to someone that was already real in front of him. "Sleep, sleep…" He mumbled to himself.

"Riku!"

His eyes snapped open. It seemed that he could never really resist that voice, no matter it be a visage or real. He finally got himself up from the bed, rubbing at the back of his neck and started pacing to the window, expecting to see nothing there. He believed it was just the same old thing that happened to him from time to time, hearing his best friend's voice.

Riku didn't look out the window first; he reached for the handle and opened it right away, just to make sure with everything. For he expected to see nothing, he was surprised to catch a sight of what looked like a small bundle on the bough. The light hadn't been providing enough to let him see what exactly was there.

In a slight second, he would have thought of something bad coming from the dark. He always did, and it was becoming a habit to become aware of anything and everything. Somehow, this time it felt different. His point was proved when he was snapped out of it when a voice clearly called out to him.

"RIKU!"

Riku bent over the window sills to get a better look, he saw the familiar face there despite the darkness that surrounded him.

"Sora?" He called out.

"How long were you going to let me continue calling for!" The brunet frowned.

Riku only stared at the other boy. "Sora, what are you doing here at this time?"

Riku didn't have to spare a glance at the tickling clock; it was past nine already. He wondered why his brunet friend has to come at such hours.

The younger of the two didn't reply, instead he steadied himself and jumped off the tree, leaping through the chill air to close the gap between Riku's open window and the tree. His feet landed on the side of Riku's house and his arms clutched on the window sills. He could have fallen if the other boy hadn't grabbed his arms and pulled him up

Riku supported Sora as the smaller one finally picked himself up to climb through the window, and into the room.

"Will you at least tell me first before you do that?" Riku spoke off, confused at the boy's action. "And you know my house has doors."

The brunet faltered a little and looked at his friend, his index finger scratched his cheek as in slight embarrassment. "Well, Riku. I used to do that all the time when we were young, didn't I?"

Riku was taken aback by that. He thought for a second as he stood up and realized it. There was a time when Sora couldn't wait till someone come to open the front door for him, he would just climbed up the tree next to Riku's room and shouted for his friend to open up and jump. Riku himself had done the same, although on rare occasions.

"Uh…yeah." He looked to the side then back at the brunet again. "So…want to start explaining why you came at this hour? Can't sleep at night, eh?"

Sky blue eyes looked at him, thoughtful. Then Sora nodded; his eyes on the ground.

Riku tilted his head to the side, studying his friend. Normally Sora never looked down; the boy would have started jumping around and chatting by now.

"Anything wrong?" The silver-haired boy asked, starting to get concerned.

That was when Sora looked up and peered at him for a long while until Riku thought he could not handle the stare anymore. Sora's blue eyes were intense, to say the least. Riku shifted his eyes to the side, avoiding the gaze.

When is it that he couldn't stand Sora's gaze?

Sora read his friend's reaction in the wrong way and mumbled, "Sorry, if I disturbed you."

Riku's eyes darted back to glance at his friend, he walked back to the bed and seated himself. "No, you didn't." He went quiet for a while before revealing, "I can't sleep too."

"You can't?" Sora looked up.

"Yeah. I was so tired that my limbs could fall off, after that last battle and all. Still I couldn't bring myself to sleep." Riku smiled at Sora. "Are you going to stand there forever?"

The brunet gave a sheepish grin before he scooted closer and plopped himself down on the carpet neared the bed. It was typical of him to settle himself anywhere besides anything that served as an object to sit on.

A long silence enveloped them before Riku broke it.

"Amazing…and weird at the same time, isn't it?" The boy sitting on the bed pondered aloud. "To have today. Kairi, you, and I back on Destiny Island. All our friends: Selphie, Tidus, Wakka, and our parents just remembered us as if we'd only gone yesterday."

Cruel as it might seem. Apparently, everyone, including their parents, had totally forgotten about them in a past year. No one had ever talked about them, as if they had never existed. Even Kairi just started to recall about them only when Sora was about to wake up from his long sleep. Sora and Riku couldn't blame anyone or felt bad about it. It was for the best, that Namine had put it that way.

Sora had not much an idea of how it happened. He felt Riku know the answer, but Sora didn't really push for details. He knew at least Riku and he remembered them.

It would be the way it should be as if the two of them had never gone from here. Despite how much they'd both grown during a year of their nonexistence, no one would ever question them about it, thanks to Namine for her chain of memories.

After all, no one had ever remembered what happened at the Island a year ago when the Heartless took over the Island.

"It's good to be back at home, I just realized." Riku answered and asked. "Shouldn't you be with your parents now? You've been away from them for a year."

Sora glanced at Riku skeptically and wore a faint smile. "Hey, that's the same thing that happened between us."

Surprised, Riku studied Sora. He had no idea that Sora thought about him that much. Well, and the boy didn't know that he was the only one that never saw his friend in a year. On the other hand, as Sora slept, Riku always watched him.

Riku cleared his throat. "But you could use a nap, we have school tomorrow."

That had snapped Sora

"Oww, so we have to go to school right away tomorrow." Sora heaved a big sigh. "Even after the battle just yesterday."

Riku let out a soft chuckle. "We have a lot to catch up on."

"Riku…"

"Yeah?"

"Are you feeling ok?" Sora asked without looking up at the other.

"I'm fine." Riku gave a short answer and looked down at the spiky-haired boy. He couldn't see the boy's expression, but he knew the other was…somewhat depressed. "I told you many times already, Sora. The dark power in me is gone, for the most part an I can control over what's left of it. What do you have to worry about?"

Rhetorical question he knew, his friend asked because he had a big heart, and would often worry about others, especially a best friend who had once turned to a rival because of the darkness. How could one not be worried?

"I…was afraid, Riku.." Sora whispered.

Riku glanced down towards his friend again. "Of what?"

"….You…going away." The smaller boy revealed as he brought his knees up and rested his chin over it, arms draping around his knees. "When I tried to sleep, I looked out at the night, and I was afraid of you going into the darkness."

The older boy bent downward so he could see more of Sora's face. "That's why you came here."

Sora nodded.

Followed by a long silence, Sora suddenly felt arms draping over his neck, jolting him from his moping. Riku's hand knuckling at Sora's head, while his other arm had Sora in a death grip. "Ack…Ri…Riku!" The boy clutched at his friend's arms, trying not to suffocate. But he did laugh a little at the familiar action that Riku used to do when they were younger. Finally he got out off the grip and turned, his spiky hair disarrayed.

"You felt that?" Riku asked through his soft laughter.

"Who won't!" Sora retorted, as he tried to brush his hair back in position.

"Good, then I'm not a ghost or anything." Riku stated, smiling into space. Then he slid down from the bed and sat on the carpet beside Sora instead, gazing out the window. "I'm right here."

Sora looked up at his friend. Riku was right in front of him, what more could he ask for? He finally let out a smile "Yeah, you're right."

"Sora…"

"Huh?"

Riku turned and looked directly into the clear blue eyes. "I'm…sorry." Riku closed his eyes in dismay as he tilted his head back, hanging his head low.

"For what?" The brunet still had his eyes on Riku as he asked bemusedly. "Where's this coming from anyway?"

The silver-haired boy's eyes snapped a little wider as he tilted his head back and glared at the other boy. The look on Sora's eyes made him even more dumbfounded.

"Sora, don't tell me you don't know what I mean." Riku let one of his knees falls to the side as he bent towards Sora.

Sora shook his head, spiky bangs swayed from side to side. "Na-ah."

The older of the two stared at the other unbelievingly as he leaned back against the bedside and brought his hand to clutch his temple. Riku was disarrayed by that. "Geez, Sora…you're such…a dumb wit."

"WHAT?" Sora shouted heatedly, blue eyes twitching. "Out of nowhere, you just insult me? How am I supposed to know what you're talking about?" He was about to say more when Riku moved his hand down from his face, eyes darkened in distraught expression.

"For what I've done to you…back there." Riku breathed out.

"Huh?" Sora halted, and realized. "…oh."

Aquamarine eyes gazed out at the window again. "I'm…not asking for forgiveness or anything, I just…have to say it." His eyes turned gloomy once again. And that was when he got struck on the back of his head softly; he blinked at the smaller boy.

"I can't forgive…" The smaller boy glared up.

Riku felt his heart sank, he looked away, avoiding Sora's gaze. "I know…"

That was when Sora got up on his knees and reached to pull on Riku's collar slightly to drawing his friend's attention back to him. Riku stared in confusion at Sora's smirk.

"Because I never blamed you in the first place." The spiky-haired boy spoke as he let go of the other's collar and settled himself back down, satisfied at what he had said.

Riku absorbed in the words, but he just couldn't bring himself to accept it. "Sora, you didn't know that I was the one who called upon the darkness that destroyed Destiny Island a year ago."

"What?"

Riku looked down at the floor. "It was my hunger to see the other worlds so badly that I myself was the one who opened the door, allowing the darkness to take over our hometown. That night many people lost their hearts."

"That's not true…how…." Sora blurted out, finding it hard to believe.

"I have a thing towards darkness, Sora. The darkness was right there inside me since the beginning." Riku again brought his hands up, pointing at his chest dully. Back in the Castle of Oblivion, one of the Organization XIII told me so, I know it's not a lie."

Sora was speechless as he looked at his friend, he couldn't see Riku's expression as his silver haired obscured his face. Sky blue eyes dimmed as Sora let out. "Even if that's the case, Riku, you still shouldn't blame yourself…it's already been done enough. One year, Riku…one year you spent your life in darkness for it." Sora then brought both his hands in a fist, looking up at Riku in insistency. "You have done everything you can and everything is back to normal! So it's ok! Besides…"

Taking a glance at his friend, Riku caught a glimpse of sadness in Sora's eyes as the boy continued speaking.

"I always wanted to…apologize to you as well." Sora's gazed dropped, along with his insistent gesture.

"Hmm?" Riku raised his brow. What was there for Sora to apologize about?

"I wasn't…paying you enough attention back then…I mean…when we first reunited after being parted from the Island , all I did was show more interest in Keyblade, Donald and Goofy, Gummi Ship, and all." Sora declared guilt gnawing his features.

Riku raised his eyebrow, looking off. "You think I was jealous of you…"

The brunet head snapped to his friend. "No! What I mean is-"

"Sora. You're right." Riku cut him off easily. "I thought I'd always be the one to lead. But when you showed that you were stronger with your Keyblade and your new friends, I just thought that you didn't need me. When I didn't see Kairi, I just thought to myself that you were goofing around and didn't care much about her." He sighed. "And it was stupid of me to spare my ears to Maleficient's inciting about you…deserted me for new pals."

"You know, the only reason I went with Donald and Goofy was because they said I'd find you and Kairi." Sora explained. "Back then, if Donald didn't let you go on the Gummi Ship, I would have left them and went with you. But then, you were gone, so I...wait….you think I don't need you anymore?"

Riku glanced sideways. Right, back then he had thought that his best friend just didn't need him. He wasn't sure if he was that important to Sora anymore. That was the reason why he had always referred to Kairi first, when he had met Sora in other worlds back there.

Sora didn't get a response from his friend. He wanted to make it clear. "How can you think that, Riku! We're best friends, ever!"

Riku let out a delicate smile. "I know that now, just that I wasn't so sure earlier."

"I just wanted to become strong too. Riku, you're always one or more steps ahead of me. Sometimes you even have to stop and wait for me to catch up with you or you would give me a hand." The boy turned a little red at this confession that he would never have accepted and said out loud a year ago. "I've always wanted to catch up with you."

"Hmm?" Riku threw Sora a sideway glance, still catching the guilty blue eyes there. "I didn't know that. Just that I thought that we'd always fight."

Then Sora's eyes lit up as he beamed at his friend. "Nah, I think I always knew you'd fight alongside me even before the last battle yesterday. You know what, Riku?" Sora used his hands to get himself up as he stood and made a small pace about the room. Riku knew that his friend couldn't really sit still for long. "I have to thank you as well for back then where I fought Xehanort's Heartless, I didn't give up because you were there. I heard your voice mocking me about giving up already."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment or what?" Riku countered.

Sora smiled a toothy grin at his friend. "I used to think that you mocked me and I didn't like it. Later, it came to give me strength whenever I was about to fall. Guess I did need you after all."

Oceanic eyes blinked as his pale skin changed color. "What an unexpected thing to hear from you." He said in neutral air, although his mind didn't feel the same way as his voice sounded.

"I meant it!" Seeing the other has not much interest in what he was talking about, Sora raised his voice.

"Same goes here too." Riku whispered.

"Huh?"

Then Riku let out a chuckle as Sora didn't quite catch it. "I heard your voice all along during the year that I spent my time living in the darkness. I might be hallucinating myself." He had seen Sora sleeping in Namine's memory restoring contraption, how come he heard Sora's voice calling out to him? That he wasn't sure. He thought it was only a figment of his imagination, but the voice never left him.

It was annoying, yet comforting.

And that was the one thing that had kept him steadied on the line between light and dark; not falling into the depths of a total abyss.

Sora's eyes turned thoughtful. "I don't think you were hallucinating. It's strange…I was sleeping in that contraption, somehow I do recall myself calling you." After defeating Xehanort's Heartless, he knew that Kairi was back at the Island safely, but Riku…was still trapped in the dark.

He was the one who closed that door on Riku, having no choice but to do it. That was why he couldn't bring himself to cross that small gap that separated him and Kairi even though he knew that he could just go home with her and take care of her to fulfill Riku's last wish. Sora couldn't just do that, so he stayed in hopes of finding Riku once more. "I also thought it was a dream, because you never responded…" The brunet head dropped again.

"I didn't want to be found, didn't plan for things to turn out this way." He stretched his legs out and tilted his head upward.

"Riku! You're still saying that!" The boy snapped at the other, almost angrily. He'd stopped pacing about the room and turned squarely at his friend.

Surprised oceanic eyes met blue ones. "Well, I'm just answering your doubt."

"…You're…mean…" Sora's eyes were locked on the floor again, and he began to tremble.

Riku's eyes widened, this time he couldn't really keep his calmness at bay. "…So… Sora, are you going to cry again?" He asked without thinking, feeling like it wasn't him to stutter. He was about to get up and come to ease his friend.

But Sora got to him first. The brunet landed just right in front of Riku and yanked the other boy's collar. "Darn it! Riku! I'm not crying!" The smaller boy vented. "You want me to keep searching for you forever!"

Sora kept his hands in a tight fist around Riku's collar. "Sora…I just-"

"Do you know how it feels when I thought I was so close to finding you and being disappointed over and over again? I would follow you wherever you went, but that was because I had hope I could bring you home with me. And just when I found you, you just want to walk away!" The boy glared into Riku's shocked gaze.

Riku was speechless. And now that he had Sora's face so close to his, just a few inches away, he could tell that the other boy was holding back his tears. He tried to pry Sora's small hands off of his collar, but the other didn't budge.

"Riku…I will follow you even into the dark. Don't walk off without me again."

Oceanic eyes softened as they rested on the brown hair, unsure of what to say or do to the brunet that was literally half in his lap right now. He brought his hand and ruffled Sora's hair. With that, Sora's strength seemed to give out as he released the hold on Riku's collar, his head dropped, resting slightly on Riku's chest.

'Let's go home together this time.' That was what he had said to Sora before they opened the door to the last battle. Riku recalled Sora's bright eyes looking up at him and smiling cheerfully, nodding in enthusiasm. However, after the battle, he had doubts about going back anyway, but Sora insisted.

And even if the door to the light hadn't opened, Riku knew Sora was either going to keep looking for it, or stay in the dark with him. But they had managed to get back, which he had not expected to, and maybe that was why he still wasn't so sure of anything. But one thing he was certain of now was that Sora didn't dismiss him as he believed earlier. He thought Sora would be fine without him.

He was wrong.

As shocked as he was, the idea of Sora holding his hand, collapsing at his feet, and crying his heart out never came across Riku's mind. And that explained it all to him that Sora had done a lot more than he expected him to do. But then again, maybe Sora was thinking of the same thing of him.

After the train of thoughts, he tentatively pulled on Sora's shoulder and bent the boy back so he could look into the boy's face. "Sora."

Sora hadn't cried after all, but he was taking great pain not to.

"I didn't mean to. I'm sorry…" Riku reassured at last. "It was just…so weird to be back here." He confessed as he sighed softly. "Then again, it'll be Ok, if you're with me. I'll try not to speak of those things again."

Sora pulled back, collecting himself. "Not try, you shouldn't speak of those words again, or I'll kick your sorry ass."

The silver-haired boy laughed as he close the gap between him and Sora once again, pressing his forehead against the younger boy. Now why was he doing that? He couldn't quite tell.

"Riku?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me you won't go anywhere without me again." Sora drew back and looked at Riku in the eyes, expression serious.

The older boy had known it. Both of them had always been serious about making and keeping promises, no matter how small they were, or with whom they made promises to. So far, they have not made each other such a promise.

Riku wasn't so sure about the darkness inside him. He could tell it was still there, might still be there for the rest of his life. But one certain thing was that he would never make a same mistake concerning Sora again. He had so much to make up for, although he knew Sora never ask him to. Now whatever Sora wanted, he was willing to give.

This promise might as well, was what he wanted.

He closed his eyes. "I promise."

Sora smiled from ear to ear, just like the time Riku had said he would go home with him. The younger of the two was seemingly satisfied as he finally came to realize about the position he was in. For only a briefest moment, Riku swore he'd seen the blush on Sora's cheeks before the boy had got off and turned around, standing, and laced his hands behind his head.

The silver-haired boy suddenly felt something inside of him twist for the lost of contact, and he frowned with slight confusion.

A long awkward silence ensured before Riku finally stood up from his spot and advanced to Sora, tapping the boy's shoulder. "Sora."

Sora turned; no more hints of red on his cheeks.

"How about a race?" The taller boy was up on his feet. "Let's see who'll get to the beach first."

"What? Now?" Sora's blue eyes bewildered, having not knowing what had abruptly gotten into his friend.

"I'm off!" Riku leapt off the open window.

"Ha! Hey!" Sora let out as he leaned over the window, looking down and seeing Riku had ran a few feet away. "You're cheating!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bright starts painted in contrast on the inky sky. Chill breezes swept everywhere, as they caused the only sound of wind humming into the night and leaves of the trees rustling. Other than that, everything was silent, except for the comforting sounds of waves getting nearer and nearer as the two boys ran towards it.

Riku would have been the one who reached the shoreline first with graceful steps if Sora hadn't jumped on his friend so hard that the taller one let out a surprising 'Erk' before both of them fell into the water a little further away which went well above their heads since Sora had put all his strength into that last dash.

As they both swept their head out of the water, Sora announced first of the results. "We've reached it at the same time!" At least, he had made sure that Riku wasn't the one who arrived at the finishing line first.

The older boy shook his head when he picked himself out of the water. "Geez, Sora, do you have to do that just to get even with me?"

Sora only started to laugh, steadying himself in the water.

A brief moment later, Riku laughed with him.

When both of them swept closer to the shore for at least a solid ground to stand on under the water, Riku had smirked. "You followed me."

"I guess I did."

Somehow, Riku knew that Sora wasn't thinking the same thing he was, what he had said back at the house. His smirk slipped into a smile. That's just the way Sora is.

They had sat on the shore for a long while, their legs half in half out of the water. One thing that both Riku and Sora have in common was that, for them, in or out of water was the same. While others or their friends would have to get a proper swimming suit when they want to play with water and dried themselves right away after that, Riku and Sora had never been that way. Both boys could jump up and down, in and out of the water as if they could live with both on both dry land and under the ocean. Their friends even used to call them amphibians.

The two Keyblade wielders sat quietly, taking in the scent of the ocean, just like the last time they did on the other side. The difference was that they were back home now. They wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore.

"I wonder what Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey are doing," the brunet trailed off.

'Tch.'

"Riku, did you just made a noise?" Sora turned and met a moody Riku who keep quiet but his fuming face communicated.

"Jealous? That I'm talking about someone else?" Sora leaned in, having a small fun in teasing.

"Yeah."

Dumbstruck, Sora found himself stared with wide eyes at his friend.

"What." Riku stared back at the younger boy. "You said it yourself."

"But…" Sora drew back. "-I was only kidding."

"For your information, I'm serious." Riku pressed as he watched Sora's eyes shifted, thinking, and hardly might he add. He knew the younger one was wrecking his brain to interpret what was that all about. But it seemed answers wouldn't come easy to him. "Forget it, it's nothing." Riku turned his gaze back to the sea.

"Hmm…"

"…Maybe…Donald is with Daisy. Goofy's sleeping in the garden. And King Mickey's with Queen Minnie…" He finally commented, easing the earlier tension. "I think, they left as soon as they saw you back here safe and sound, for that."

"'Saw us' you mean." Sora mended as his blue eyes also settled upon the sea. "It's a little quiet without them around. But I guess I'm OK with that. They're back together like I'm back with you and Kairi."

Riku gave a sideway glance, studying his friend.

And that was when Sora had at last came up with something.

"Riku!" He blurted out, standing up abruptly. Riku caught the excitement in the younger boy's voice. "Why don't we go on another journey! To the other worlds out there! Just the two of us!"

Riku blinked up at the last statement that Sora made. From the look on Sora's face at the moment, he knew Sora too, was puzzled by what he had just said.

'Just the two of us?'

But the older boy brushed that aside, asking the more obvious. "You and I both have been all over the worlds out there, haven't we? And as the worlds are already locked, we can't get to the other worlds, can we?"

Riku was amused to see the brunet was taken aback by that. However, Sora took one closer step and insisted on. "Aww! Come on, Riku! Didn't you always say that when we grow up, we'll go on a real adventure? There must be a way. And I bet there are still many other worlds out there that we haven't seen!" Sora stooped down to his friend's level again. "This time we'll go together!"

Riku stared at the smaller boy for quite a while; he closed his eyes, and curved his lips upwards at last. "Sounds great, Sora." And as he expected, the blue-eyed boy threw him another toothy grin of contentedness.

"Right! Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, I'll write to the king. We'll find a way to go to the other worlds, through any means!" Sora fisted one of his hands, looking determined.

"Hmm?" Riku scrunched his eyebrows. "Don't we have to go to school tomorrow?"

"School!" Sora's head and shoulders dropped. "I totally forgot…"

Oceanic eyes shifted back to his friend. Forgot? He thought about how Sora could forget such palpable thing. It wasn't that Riku himself would love to go to school, but they had just came back to see their parents and friends. School was waiting for them. Somehow the older boy wasn't surprised that school would have been the last thing on Sora's mind.

"We can still write at break time or something." Riku altered, after getting a hint of his friend beginning to sulk.

"Yeah!" The smaller boy perked up leisurely again and rapidly yawned.

Riku hid his chuckle at that, thinking, 'that was so Sora,' for getting excited in one moment that his energy gave out and began to yawn for a nap to recharge.

"Shouldn't you be getting back? Sleepy-head." Riku notified, realizing how late it was. It was two in the morning. He had hung out in the darkness for too long that he knew the exact hours of time just by looking at the moon and the night around him.

"Nah, they're even heavier sleepers than me." Sora began to rub his eyes with the back of his hand, he blinked sleepily. "Riku…"

"Yeah?"

"Your house is closer…I'm tired already…and sleepy…and I'm too lazy to walk home as my house is far from here." The brown-haired boy spoke groggily.

Riku had already known what this was leading to. Sora was using an excuse, his house wasn't really that far though.

"Can I stay overnight at your place?"

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As soon as they both reached Riku's room, getting in by the still opened window, Sora crawled onto the thick carpet near the bed, and collapsed on it. "Hey, Sora, you can sleep on the bed."

"Nah, too lazy to move anymore." Sora replied, dazed.

And Riku was astonished that the boy could still respond and haven't fallen asleep right away as he used to do. He wondered how, wondered why.

"Neh, Riku…" Sleepy blue eyes gazed up at him. "Will I still see you when I wake up?"

Riku was astounded.' …That's why.' He felt something warm in his heart, clashing against the cold darkness that was left inside of him. His eyes softened as they locked upon the brunet form. He paced to his friend's side and realizing his newfound feelings.

That feeling now drove him to bend down towards the boy, one of his hands pressing on the carpet just to the side of Sora's ear.

Blue eyes only looked up at the boy above him drowsily, having no idea and not a doubt what the other was going to do. Suddenly, he was scooped up from the carpet by strong arms and was set on the bed instead. He blinked a few times before asking. "Riku? And where are you gonna sleep on?"

"You don't mind sharing, do you?" Without waiting for Sora's response, Riku crawled into the bed just beside the smaller boy. From the way Sora hasn't backed away, Riku had guessed that Sora's possible response, if he was going to, would have been, 'not at all.'

They lay for a little while as Riku murmured. "G' Night,"

Sora had started again. "You still haven't answered my question, Riku."

Oceanic eyes cracked open again, when he tilted his head to the side, Sora's blue eyes was already on him. 'God, Sora, do you still have to ask? He silently asked but altered to voice it out in another form as he rolled himself to the side, facing his friend. "I made a promise, didn't I?"

The smaller boy as well mirrored Riku's action, rolling to the side, facing Riku and nodded before he fell asleep after mumbling, "nite nite."

Riku watched the younger one fast asleep; finding peace in his unsettling mind. He heard lullaby instead of the chattering Heartless. The night was dark, but he wasn't alone. Now he could sleep without having to worry about waking up the next day to face the darkness once more as the light was right beside him now.

Light and dark.

It had always been the two of them together.

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to be continued…

Note: So? What do you think? Good? Bad?