Author's Note: This is my second attempt a to write something decent, or as close as I can get. This chapter may be boring and what not, but I promise- as soon as I figure out how to do this thing- it WILL get better. I'll give a full summary and then if you like it, just review and tell me, and I promise that I will finish it: To the end! This will sound just like how other stories go but, trust me, it's different. (A pet peeve of mine is people not finishing their stories, so why should I do it too?) Constructive criticism is welcome. Those who want to flame, go right ahead. That's not gonna stop me! MWUHAHA cough cough Gotta work on the evil laugh a bit more cough cough

Summary: Coming home after such a long adventure was one thing. But having feelings for your best friend? What about having feelings for your best friend when you know he loves someone else? What about when jealousy becomes an issue? Which leads to a strange figure and even stranger dreams about your loved ones death? Only in the end to be told that it is your fault? - Who is this figure? And why are the heartless back?

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor do I make any money from writing this fanfic. .:crys:.

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Twisted Affections

Emotions. That's all he felt, and what he lived with day after day. After the battle with Xemnas and the Organization, after everything that had happened in the past years and he still feels this way. Emotions for his best friend. This would have been okay if his best friend didn't happen to be a guy. But he loves him, loves him very dearly. They have been friends for years, always by each others side, fought countless battles, against each other and against true enemies. And yet, here he sat, lonely, alone, feeling unloved. Ironic that he would feel so unloved while he sat on a tree that meant the exact opposite. The paopu tree, the very same tree that grows the fruit to intertwine the destinies of a person with their loved one.

"Riku!" called out the voice of his best friend.

'Best friend - That's all he should be.' Riku thought as he turned his head to greet his friend. "Hey Sora."

Sora ran up to his friend, and stopped to catch his breath. "Hi Riku! Why are you sitting here all by yourself?"

"Just doing a little thinking, that's all. So, what do you need?"

"Well… I came to ask for your advice on something."

"Alright."

Sora jumped on to the slanted tree to sit beside Riku as he stared out at the sunset.

"I was thinking that, since the battle with the organization and Xemnas and everything is finally over, I can finally tell Kairi about my feelings for her." Sora spoke shyly, rubbing the back of his head.

Riku mentally winced at the last part and could have sworn that a piece of his heart just broke. 'Sora's in love with Kairi. There's no room for me in his heart. To him I'm only a friend, and that's how it should be. If that's so, then why can't I convince myself that it's true?'

"Riku? Did you hear what I said? Riku?"

"Yeah, I heard you. Sorry, just spaced out there for a moment. I think that you should tell her."

"Really?" Sora asked curiously.

"Yeah." Riku said. 'Maybe if I see you with someone else, I'll stop having these feelings for you.'

"Ok. Thanks Riku! I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" Sora said, as he waved good bye to Riku and headed towards Kairi's house.

"See you later Sora." Riku mumbled as he watched the sunset. He felt as if someone just struck him in the heart with a dagger. He jumped from his sitting position on the tree and started to walk home.

'I'll see him tomorrow, and he'll tell me that he and Kairi have finally gotten together. And I'll smile, and be happy for them, like a best friend should be. But, what will I do when that time comes? Just thinking about it hurts, so what will I do tomorrow when he tells me himself?'

He stopped in front of the door to his house and pulled out his keys. After stepping inside, he took off his shoes and headed toward his room.

"Mom! I'm Home!" He called to his mother while he walked up the steps.

"Ok! Dinner will be ready soon" She informed him while stirring the soup in the pot.

"Alright!" With that said, he continued up the steps.

Finally reaching his room, the first thing he did was lay on his bed. It wasn't too long ago that they had returned to the islands, and because he was gone for so long, he's had a lot of school work to catch up on and it was totally exhausting considering he missed about two years. He got up from his bed and sat at his desk to do some work he was assigned.

By the time he had just finished that days assignments his mother called him down for dinner. As he walk into the kitchen, he saw his mother setting the soup on the table and went to get some bowls. While setting the bowls on the table, his mother began to speak.

"So, Riku, how was your day?" She asked in a cheery voice.

"It was ok, I guess."

"You still haven't told him have you?"

"No. And I don't plan to." He replied, slightly annoyed. They had had this conversation almost everyday since he told his mother about his feelings.

"Riku-" She tried to reply but was cut short.

"Mom, it's ok. I'll deal with this on my own. It's not like he wants to find out that his best friend is in love with him." He said while he poured some soup for his mother and set the bowl in front of her, then he started on a bowl for himself.

"Riku, I only want you to be happy. And by not telling him, you will be hurting yourself in the process. You will end up living your life with the constantly nagging question, 'what if I did tell him' or 'what would he have said?' Something along those lines." She said as Riku sat down across from her, and began to eat.

"Well after tomorrow I won't have to think those things because Sora likes Kairi." He said with a little bit of hurt in his heart.

"And do you know that as a fact? Or are you just saying that to shut me up?"

Riku laughed slightly at his mothers childishness. "Actually, I do know for a fact because he told me today."

His mother looked down slightly, with sadness shown across her face. "I'm sorry Riku."

Riku looked from his soup bowl to his mother. "It's not as if I'm dying, mom. And besides, if anything, this will just help me to stop having these feelings. He already told her anyway."

"He told her?" his mother asked.

"Yeah. He asked me today if he should tell her, and I said yes."

"Riku, this is not going to solve your problems. It's not going to just magically go away. You have to tell him or you will end up hurting in the end."

"Mom," he said as he finished his soup. "I know all that. I already said I'll handle it my self, so don't worry ok?"

"I hope you know what your doing." She mumbled as she watched as he got up and set his bowl in the sink.

"Don't worry. I'll fix it." He said. He walked towards his mother giving her a quick hug, and a kiss to the cheek as he said good night and walked back to his room.

"This is not just another problem that has a simple solution," she sighed, as she too finished her soup and washed the bowls in the sink. She then walked to her room and went to bed.

Riku, on the other hand was thinking about what she said as he lay down on his bed, in the darkness that covered his room.

'She's wrong. If I tell him. It'll only make things worse. He might not even want to be my friend anymore.'

As that thought passed, he began to drift to sleep, think about what to do to fix his problem tomorrow.

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Authors Note: Alright. If it's crap, oh well. I'll just try harder on the next chapter. This website makes it so difficult to put stories up. Please review.

Next Chapter: Dreams