there was a part of riku that would never belong to sora.
when he was nine, riku swam out to sea. he didn't stop; just kept swimming, farther and farther. by the time sora and kairi caught up to him in a canoe, he'd been swimming for hours, and was simply floating on his back, looking at the stars. staring, unblinking. he stayed that way the whole ride back in the canoe, and when they bid him good night, he simply turned and walked into his house as if they weren't there.
sora may have been eight, but he wasn't stupid. he and kairi never mentioned the incident again. riku was too precious to lose.
it scared sora when riku stared out into the ocean. he raced him, battled him, even got into fights with him if it meant he was animate and living and there, not 1200 miles out to sea where sora didn't matter and destiny islands was just a thought, a fleeting memory to be ignored.
it became harder and harder to distract him, though; sometimes he'd just lose it, right in the middle of a conversation, and sora would fight back frustration and sometimes tears.
one time, sora kissed him, full on the lips. it was worth rejection and disgust, as long as riku was still around. but the teen didn't even remember when he woke; he just gave sora a blank stare and said, did i miss something?
sora never did that again, but he wanted to, oh did he, but he didn't. and riku slipped away, little by little, until sora was wondering whether he was still here at all sometimes. around him, sora stopped using the phrase 'go home'. riku hadn't been home in years.
surprisingly, then, it was riku's idea to share a paopu fruit.
whatever happens, he said, we're best friends, and we should stick together, okay? as he broke the fruit in half and handed part to sora. secretly, sora was ecstatic, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of foreboding, almost as if they were dooming themselves by doing this. it was only that morning that, if sora's dream, the water had claimed riku again and swept him away. still, he shoved the half in his mouth agreeably.
the sky was exploding in front of them, the sun a bright flaring ball in the sky, the water turning to fire as it washed up on shore. sometimes sora wondered if riku wanted the island to catch on fire and disappear, just so he wouldn't be here.
the paopu fruit tasted terrible. it was all sora could do to force it down, and riku took one look at his face and laughed.
you try it, sora challenged, i bet you can't swallow it.
don't make stupid bets, sora.
riku took a bite; his eyes widened and sora saw him nearly disgorge it, but he swallowed too, and they were done.
that was a terrible idea, riku said, smiling.
yeah, it was.
hey, let's go swimming. full moon tonight.
sora panicked.
NO.
what?
i mean, um – i thought we could hang out at my house for a while.
okay, sure.
riku jumped off the paopu tree and sora did too.
later that night, riku disappeared.
later that year, he tried to kill his best friend.
there was a part of riku that would never belong to sora.