Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Sora, or Riku, or any of the other characters used.

A/N: Sorry to all my fans waiting on another chapter from the Naruto stories. I just needed to get away from them for a little while, and I've been thinking about a lot of Kingdom Hearts yaoi lately.

Riku and Sora had missed a whole year of school, and half of another, while they were gone away. They were both given the option to return to 9th grade, while Kairi had already graduated 10th and was started on her 11th. Anyway, it didn't matter to Sora. The island only had one school for all twelve grades, so it's not like he wouldn't be seeing Kairi and the others all the time anyway. Besides, they had never advenced any farther than 9th grade, so nothing lost, nothing gained. Sora agreed to the terms, but Riku being Riku, felt that the two of them were much too old for 9th grade, and simply dropped out. "What do we need school for anyway?" he would ask. Kairi would laugh whenever she saw Sora at school, and would ruffle his hair, calling him her little 9th grade boyfriend.

That was another development that had taken place after the group's little adventure; Kairi and Sora had finally gotten together. However, now that all was said and done, Sora learned that being her "boyfriend" wasn't all it had been cracked up to be. He had learned that first kisses weren't that special, and holding hands..ff. well, Kairi liked to giggle and act foolish whenever he held her hand, so Sora wasn't really into it so much. On top of that, Kairi's little friend Selphie would squeal and push them together a lot, often leading to awkward stages where neither he or Kairi knew quite what to say or do. Then, there were Sora's friends Tidus and Wakka, who would wink and smirk whenever seeing he and Kairi together, and usually elbow him in the ribs a couple times if they were close enough.

On the whole, it was really quite annoying.

Riku didn't bother him about it; at least that was one good thing.

Also, apparently Tidus and Selphie were now a couple, and had already taken things to "the next level" - whatever that meant. Sora had learned that "taking things to the next level" could mean basically anything - from watching the stars together at night, to inappropriate touching, to skipping school to spend an uninterrupted day alone with one another. Sora, though, had an idea of his own of what "next level" Kairi had in mind. Lately Selphie had been brining up the legend of the paopu fruit a lot, and Kari's eyes would light up every time it was mentioned. He feared that she would ask him to try it with her soon - and having his destiny bound with hers was not a very appealing notion at this point.

Needless to say, Sora spent much of his time with Riku. He kind of felt bad for his best friend - the guy had to sit around and listen to him complain about Kairi all the time. But Riku would just laugh and say, "You should have just dropped out, like I did."

The new hang out spot for them was behind the island, where they used to race oh so long ago, back when they had only dreamed of seeing other worlds. The secret place, it turned out, was not-so-secret anymore. Many couples snuck away there to make out, and other things. One day Sora had actually walked in on a few girls smoking paopu leaves in there. Kairi had dragged Sora along with her there a few times. Every time, they always found another couple already there, and she would always kick up a fit, insisting that the couple was invading his and her "special" spot. She claimed that the secret place was theirs, that it had always been theirs, and that she didn't like other people messing around in it. She frowned upon the graffiti spray painted over the picture they had chalked of each other on the cave wall.

"If Kairi's giving you so much trouble, why don't you just break up with her?" Riku suggested one day after another bout of complaining from Sora. He looked over, grinning, and winked. "Y'know I'd gladly be the shoulder for her to cry on. If you broke up with her now, she'd just be devastated-"

"Which is exactly why I can't do it," Sora interrupted, but Riku continued anyway.

"-and of course she would need somebody there to comfort her."

Sora snorted. " 'Comfort,'" he quoted. "You just want a piece of ass."

Rikku laughed. "Chill out, Sora. Relax. It's not a big deal, it's just teenage romance. If she's getting on your nerves, dump her, and she'll find someone else."

"Someone else" meaning you, Sora thought darkly.

"And no, I don't mean me, if that's what you're thinking." Sometimes it seemed like Riku could read Sora's mind. It was scary. "I'm not really into her anymore, to tell you the truth."

"Really?" Sora asked. He made his voice sound bored and sarcastic, but honestly he was curious. Riku had had google eyes for Kairi only ever since the girl had appeared on the island. The fact that he didn't like her anymore was big news, and would be even bigger news if Riku had found new interest in somebody else.

"Yeah. Really." Riku grinned over at him once, and then stared out into the ocean. "Let's just say I've got more interesting things on my mind lately."

"Like what?"

Riku didn't answer. "Hey, I've got an idea. You're sick of dealing with Kairi, and her friends, and your friends, and I've been bored as hell being the only real dropout around here. Why don't you skip school tomorrow?"

"Me?" Sora asked. "Skip school? You've got to be kidding."

Riku laughed at that. "I know, right? Sora - little Mr. Innocence. You never do anything you think might get you into trouble." He punched Sora lightly on the shoulder. "Learn to take some risks every once in a while."

Sora scrambled around in his brain for something - some kind of excuse to put him off. "But... what if I get caught?"

"You won't. You know the adults don't like to leave the main island. We'd just stay out here all day."

"But..."

"You've got a perfect record, I think you can afford just one day of unexcused absence."

"What will I say when they ask me why I wasn't there?" Sora continued to protest.

Riku shrugged. "Tell 'em you were sick."

"What about my mom?"

"Tell her the same thing. That you got halfway to school and didn't feel well, so you just didn't go."

"But I felt well enough to come out here instead...?"

"You felt a little better later on in the day, and I dragged you out here." He snapped his fingers. "It's just that easy."

And by the look on Riku's face, Sora knew he just wasn't getting out of this one.

Riku had been getting Sora into trouble ever since they were little kids - ever since they had become best friends. Riku would always come up with some harebrained idea, and Sora would always get dragged into it one way or another. You'll remember that Riku was the one who had put them into action when he had wanted to leave this world. He was the one who had convinced them to build the raft. He had made all the plans.

It wasn't such an unusual thing for Riku to randomly come up with some new, wild scheme. And as much as Sora hated being scolded all the time by the adults of the island, and how embarrassed he was every time he was dragged home to his mother by a neighbor or teacher with more bad news, he had to admit that at least he always had fun with Riku. Riku was what made life on the island interesting. See, he and Sora sort of balanced each other out. Sora would always try to keep Riku in line, while Riku would try his hardest to get Sora as far away from the line as possible.

And so, on one cool autumn day, that was how Sora found himself ditching school to hang out with Riku on the little island where they had always played. As children they had spent more time on this island than they had at home. Their mothers would shake their heads as the two of them begged to go out and play on the island just one more time each night after supper.

On this day, the two of them found themselves just sitting around, bored. Then Sora suggested they explore the island, since they hadn't done so since before leaving for other worlds all that time ago. Perhaps some of the landscape had changed, and there were new secrets on the island to be found. Riku thought it was a dumb idea, but eventually agreed, seeing as there wasn't anything better to do.

They found themselves in the secret place. It smelled strongly of weed in there, as if someone had been there smoking in the hours before school, and spray paint now covered every wall where Sora, Riku, and Kairi used to draw. "There it is," Riku said with a sigh. "The door to this world."

"Doesn't really look so impressive, does it?" Sora asked, his nose scrunched because of the stench. "Wonder if anyone else on the island besides us and Kari actually know what it is."

"Doubt it," Riku said, as he picked up something off the floor. It was a tiny plastic bag. He snorted and threw it away. "Paopu leaves."

"You know, you seem like the kind of person who would smoke that stuff, Riku. After all, you are the only school dropout on the island."

But Riku made a face. "No way," he replied. "You couldn't pay me to smoke that stuff. It messes with your head. I may be a dropout but I'm not stupid."

Sora nodded in mock approval. "Well spoken," he said in a playful, deep sort of tone.

"Hey. 'Friends don't let friends do drugs,' remember?"

Sora had to laugh at that.

He and Riku found themselves out on the beach again, at the place where they had used to spar. Riku stood up on the old bent tree branch and grabbed a paopu fruit from one of the branches. He laughed suddenly and threw it at Sora. On impulse, Sora caught it. "So has Kairi asked you about it yet?"

"Not yet." Sora frowned at the fruit in his hands as if it were the source of all his troubles.

Riku jumped down from the tree. "I may have found a solution to your little paopu problem."

Sora would take any help he could get, so he jumped at the prospect. "Really? What?"

Riku grinned. "Just eat it with me," he said, pointing proudly at himself.

Sora felt his jaw drop. "Wha-?"

"Well think about it. We're best friends, so our destinies are entwined anyway. It's just a fruit like any other, so all we'd have to do is eat it. No big deal. Then you can go tell Kairi that it's too late, and you've already shared one with someone else." He laughed. "Aren't I a genius?"

After a moment, Sora laughed too. "You're so weird Riku. You come up with the craziest ideas."

"And don't they usually work?"

"Hm..." Sora thought back on all the messes they had gotten into in the past because of another one of Riku's crazy ideas. "No," he answered.

"Well, okay you have a point. But how do you know this one won't work?"

Sora thought about it for a moment. Finally, he sighed, and broke the paopu in half, throwing one of the pieces at Riku. "I just know I'm going to regret this." But they grinned at each other as they ate the fruit.

Paopu fruits were very sweet, and very sticky. Sora used to eat them all the time by himself. Different people had different reactions to the taste of the paopu fruit - either they loved it or they hated it. Which was why Sora hadn't understood why Kairi would want to share one with him - she was one of those people that hated the paopu.

"And done," Riku announced, licking his fingers. "See, that wasn't so hard." Looking over at Sora, he laughed. "You've got it all over you."

Sora sighed, trying to wipe some of the fruit juice off his face. "I don't get how you didn't get it all over you." He scowled at the sticky substance that just refused to come off.

Riku laughed again and walked over to him. "At least let me help you." Playfully, he licked his thumb and wiped it across Sora's cheek before the other boy could stop him. "Ewww. Riku, don't do that!"

"Oh just shut up," he said with a smile.

But then suddenly, Riku wasn't smiling anymore. Something had changed in his blue eyes, as his thumb moved its way slowly across Sora's chin. There was a certain need in him like Sora had never seen before, and Sora had seen Riku at his worst.

That was strange. For a moment Sora's heart had beat irregularly.

"Uhh..." he started, but for some reason he couldn't really think of anything to say. "Maybe I should just go wash off in the ocean."

Riku removed his hand, but the serious expression on his face didn't change. "Yeah. Maybe."

So, they went down to the beach together. Riku stood at Sora's side as the boy bent over to put his hands into the water. Riku still wasn't smiling. "Is something wrong Riku?" Sora asked as he used his wetted fingers to clean his chin and cheeks.

But Riku didn't answer. He looked down to see Sora staring up at him with large blue eyes, and couldn't help but crack a smile. "You're such a dope."

Sora frowned at that. "Hey. There's no need for name calling."

Riku was looking out across the beach now. When Sora stood, his face as clean as it was going to get, Riku grinned at him. "We should race. For old times sake."

Sora grinned back. "You're on. But where's the finish line?"

"Hm... The dock."

"Alright."

"Go!"

And they ran. Just like old times. And it was easy to forget things when you ran like that. Riku and Sora smiled and laughed as they headed toward the wooden dock. If Sora were in the mood for remembering, he would remember that he and Kairi had once sat at that dock together, looking forward to leaving the island.

Sora was in the lead, and that was odd, because usually Riku was the one who won the races. Riku was fast. He had more muscle in his legs than Sora did.

But at this moment, Sora didn't care. He was winning, and that was all that mattered.

He was right upon the dock, holding his breath. He was going to be the winner! Yes! Finally! He was already imagining jumping up and down, waving his big fat victory in Riku's face. It was a little thing, but it was also something that would make Sora very happy to achieve.

"Oh no you don't!" Riku called with a grin, and he tackled Sora.

Together they tumbled onto the dock. Somehow Riku had landed on top of Sora's back. "Aw, man!" Sora complained, his face pressed to the wooden planks. "Riku, you ruined it. I was finally going to win."

Sora rolled over as Riku lifted up.

And just like that they were caught up in another one of those moments. Sora, on his back, and Riku leaning over him, his hands at either side of Sora's body on the dock. Riku's eyes changed to seriousness again. They were both out of breath. They stayed like that for quite some time. They stayed like that until Sora lost count of the minutes.

Sweating, and with sad, needing eyes, Riku leaned in closer, and Sora's heart began to pound. What the heck did Riku think he was doing?! Was he actually going to kiss him?! This was so not right, this wasn't right at all... Shouldn't Sora stop him? Shouldn't Sora say something before their lips met? Somehow he was sure that he only had to speak the word, and Riku would back off.

But Sora's subconscious wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Sora said not a word, and suddenly he and Riku were kissing. Well, not really... not at first. Riku's lips were moving against his, and Sora was staring wide eyed up at the sky, unable to think or move. But in the blink of an eye he had his arms wrapped around Riku's neck, and they were kissing more passionately than he and Kairi ever had.

They rolled around a few times. Sweating, breathing heavily... Sora had never been more aroused in his life. And he couldn't think. His brain wouldn't function. His thoughts, his soul... he was completely filled with Riku. Riku, Riku, Riku, Riku! Something inside just wanted to burst. He just wanted to scream out, and he didn't know why.

And Riku kept kissing him. Oh god, but each kiss felt like fire. Every place that Riku's lips touched burned in an intoxicating kind of way. Why had Sora never felt this kind of thing whenever he was with Kairi?

He couldn't stop himself from kissing back, from moving himself against Riku's body, pressing against him as hard as he could. He wanted more... so much more.

And then something changed in the air, and it was over. Riku was leaning above Sora again, his eyes hungry and burning into Sora's soul. "School will be over soon. People are going to start coming to the island."

Sora's eyes widened, imagining what people would think seeing him and Riku rolling around with each other on the dock, going at it like two wild animals. He blushed deeply - maybe he had used too vivid a choice of words at that.

Sora couldn't find his voice to speak, nor the words to say, and Riku stayed just as silent. One of them had to say something sometime, but for now the most they could do was stare into one another's faces. Sora didn't know that Riku just wanted to collapse in his arms, that the boy would have given anything to just stay right where he was for the rest of forever. How long-? Sora wondered. How long has Riku felt this way about me, and not said a word? He wanted to ask, but couldn't bring himself to do it.

And it was another one of those moments where it seemed Riku could read his mind. "I've... wanted to do that for a very long time," the boy admitted. Riku, still being Riku, wasn't cutesy enough to use the word "love" just yet. At least, not out loud.

"How long is a very long time?" Sora asked.

And Riku actually had to think for a moment. When had he decided to chose Sora over Kairi? Maybe... maybe it had started when Kairi first showed up on the island. Oh, he had liked the girl, sure enough, but he'd also been jealous by her closeness to Sora. Before then, Sora had been his friend, and his alone. He told Sora as much. "That jealousy is what first turned me to darkness, I think. Then after you and I got separated, when the island was taken... and then you just kept making new friends, and it seemed like you didn't need me..." He sighed and finally sat up, letting Sora up as well. "Things just kept getting worse. It took me a while to realize what it was. I thought I was in love with Kairi, but the whole time, I guess I was really..." he trailed off. You were in love with me, Sora thought, and suddenly he saw his friend in a new light. Riku was so different from him. Sora had always thought that it had been the other way around - that he had been the one jealous of Riku. After all, Riku had everything. He had the looks, and the skills. Sora had never doubted for one moment that he wouldn't lose Kairi to Riku - that's the way it had always been.

But what now? Where could they possibly go from here? Did Sora... love Riku back? Could he consider a possibility like that?

Much of Sora's life had been changed in the single instant when his and Riku's lips had touched. And though Sora couldn't say for sure what his feelings were in that moment, he did know a few things. He knew that Riku was his best friend, and also that he had kissed Riku back. He hadn't had to do it, but he had.

And he had liked it.

Sora's heart was still beating erratically. Suddenly, Riku laughed, and Sora focused on the other boy's face. "You look like your head's gonna explode." Riku reached out and ruffled his hair - not in the quick, hair-pulling way like Kairi did it. "Don't think too much about it. I'm sorry I... well, I'm just sorry."

Sora just had one question for now. "Were you planning this when you asked me to skip school and spend the day with you?"

"...I think I was hoping for it."

Sora could see in the distance more boats coming on, ready to pull in at the dock. "Riku, I-"

"Don't, Sora. You don't have to pretend anything for me. She may get on your nerves now, but I think you and Kairi are meant for each other. I should stop trying to convince you to break up with her." He stood up, looking out at the boats. "I think I'm going to go home now."

And so Sora stood and watched as Riku got in his boat, and headed back for the main island. Kairi was the first one to pull in at the dock. It wasn't so much surprising as it was annoying. "Oh, Sora!" she cried, a bit overdramatically he thought. "Why weren't you at school today? Were you sick?"

"Sick," he said blankly. "Yeah."

"What's the matter? Do you still feel bad?" She rushed over to throw her arms around him, but as soon as they touched, he pushed her away. She gasped as if he had just done a horrible thing. "Sora," she said, hurt in her eyes. And Sora remembered a time when he had been in love with Kairi, but the hurt in her eyes was nothing compared to Riku's.