A/N: Oh, this story! So shameless! XD

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Kingdom Hearts or anything associated therein. Also, the spacing was better before FFN got to it. : S

Summary: Kairi figured that Sora needed something special for his eighteenth birthday, which was what sparked what was quite possibly the most brilliant idea ever. RxS.

WARNING: Sexual yaoi content and some swearing make this M for Mature. Please be advised.

And, finally, this fic is a birthday present to Metall Wing. Happy birthday, dear!

I hope you'll all enjoy it! Please review!


Happy Birthday

Sora's first thought was: I think I have the wrong room….

Riku's first thought was: Thank you!

And down in the hotel lobby, Kairi grinned wickedly, immensely pleased with herself as she exited the hotel, walking to her car with a bounce in her step.

For, you see, it was all Kairi's doing. It was her "fault" and hers alone that Sora stood just barely in the hotel room. (He was already thinking about stepping back out to double-check that the room number was correct.) It was her "fault" that Riku sat at the table at the far end of the room, waiting for Sora. And it was her "fault" that Sora had no ride home unless he were to run down to the lobby and use the phone to call her. But that's not very important because Sora didn't leave; he stayed. And, really, that was Kairi's fault, too, because the only reason he stayed was because he felt he owed her—since she paid for everything.

At first, she thought of it as a joke…but then the idea somehow gained merit, which made her decide that she would go through with it. It helped that she believed that Sora was clueless and in denial about his sexuality, but, in general, the idea of setting up Sora on a blind date with another guy made her giggle. If he weren't gay, he'd just get uncomfortable and embarrassed; if he were gay…well, then, he'd have a date.

She found the ad on the Internet, of course, and was instantly intrigued.

19-year-old male interested in male companionship

Isn't that what most of these things say? Ah, anyway!

About me:

I'm tall (six feet even). I work out, so I'm muscular. I eat healthily, so I expect you to. I've got layered, kind-of shaggy, shoulder-length hair. I'm very attached to it, so don't ask me to get a haircut.

About you:

You must love video games but also be fairly physically active (not a complete couch potato).

My favorite physical part of a person: the eyes. I especially like blue eyes. My next favorite would be a person's smile. It's not necessarily the physical part (the actual teeth) but the act of smiling that I like. I like happy people who aren't afraid to be silly because they help drag me out of my shell.

Soul (underscore) Eater (at) gmail (dot) com

E-mail me if you're interested

Upon reading this, Kairi instantly thought of Sora. It sounded like it could be a match in heaven. So, she e-mailed him, creating a new account for this purpose…while pretending to be Sora.

Dear guy from the personal ad who wishes to remain anonymous,

(Kairi thought that this sounded very Sora-like and was quite proud even with just this single line. The trick, she told herself, was to be as truthful about Sora as possible so that when they actually met things would go smoothly—or as smoothly as they would until the inevitable truth came to light.)

Hi!

: D

lol.

I was doing a random search online and stumbled across your personal ad. I don't even know what made me look at it other than random curiosity. And now I'm glad that I did.

I'm not one for things like Internet dating or personal ads, but you sound interesting, and I've never had a date (with a guy) in my life, so I thought I might give it a try. XD

I believe I meet all of your criteria: I like video games yet am physically active (I especially like swimming); while I enjoy the occasional bit of junk food, I usually eat "healthily"; I am a very happy, outgoing person who likes to make silly faces. I'm almost always grinning or laughing about something. It might just be a disorder. It's like the opposite of depression.

(These last two lines were a direct quote from her best friend. However, maybe the semi-colons were a bit much. Sora wasn't a grammar buff like her parents made her to be. …Oh well. She liked the way they looked.)

Hahaha. Anyway! Umm… Let's see…. Ah, yes! I have blue eyes and insane, quirky light brown hair that I swear has a mind of its own. lol. (You can go ahead and translate this as 'Your hair is probably GREAT in comparison!')

I have a great love of Japan (anime in particular), and I sometimes take to exclaiming in what little Japanese I know. I only know the basics. I'm nowhere near fluent, though I aspire to become so. My dream is to travel and see what's out there. I LOVE learning about other cultures. I find it all fascinating.

: D

That's another thing: online, I use emoticons about as much as I make the facial expressions irl – which is to say: a LOT! lol. You might wanna get used to that.

: P

Anywho, I'm a senior in high school. My eighteenth b-day is coming up on the 29th of March, so woot! Why don't we meet up next week on Saturday, April 4th? You can meet my friend Kairi down in the lobby of Destiny Hotel. She wants to screen you to make sure you're really who you hint you are (as opposed to some middle-aged pervert). Once you pass with her, we'll convene at the hotel room. This doesn't necessarily mean that I want sex; I'm just leaving the option open. When we meet up, we can decide where to go from there.

Looking forward to meeting you!

Sora

P.S. Let me know what times are good for you/ if you're interested. Thanks!

Kairi read over the e-mail a couple of times to make sure that it was "perfect". She fretted over it but eventually pushed the little button in the bottom left-hand corner. The e-mail sent, and she huffed. There was no turning back now.

The next day, around three in the afternoon, pretty much right after getting home from school, Kairi booted up her computer. While she waited for her e-mail—or rather, "Sora's" e-mail—she looked around her bedroom in boredom. Her Internet connection was a little bit slow for DSL.

Staring into her vanity mirror just a few feet away, she noticed that she had a tiny pimple under the skin. Her nose wrinkled. She hated breaking out randomly. Shaking her head, she turned to look at the screen and beamed, delighted to find that, not only had the page loaded, there was a reply!

Dear Sora,

Wow! You sound great! Hehe! And lol at your salutation.

Oh! Happy early birthday! In two days, huh? How fun! I might just get you a present. : P

I'm not usually one for personal ads. It started as a joke between my friends. I went and met a couple of "fish" who bit. They just wanted sex. 0.-

Even though I'm 19, I'm not really looking for sex. What I really want is someone that I can have a decent conversation with, someone who has at least a few of the same interests as me.

(Kairi thought this was very sweet, and she simpered, admiring the guy's honesty. It made her feel guilty about her humongous lie, but she figured it'd all work out in the end.)

Lol at that last bit about the "disorder". I already like your sense of humor.

You really sound great. To be blunt, you sound PERFECT to me, but maybe I'm just desperate. lol.

I vaguely admire Japan, but I'm not all that into it. I'm sure you could endear it to me, though.

: )

I do share your desire to travel, which is what makes me think that you're perfect for me. Most people here have NO ambitions; they're all content with their cozy little lives. Bleh. I need to get off these islands. I've spent my whole life here. I'm dying to get out and experience something different.

I'm a pretty relaxed person. I tend to spend a lot of time thinking, and I don't smile all that much. I guess that's why I'm looking for someone to light up my world: so that I WILL open up. I don't really expect to change too much; I think I just want to lighten up a little.

That sounds great. Were you thinking more afternoon or evening? Either one is fine with me. Maybe it could be afternoon in case we end up hitting it off and we want it to turn into evening. Then we could get dinner together. And if we REALLY hit it off then maybe it'll turn into morning. If that's the case, we should grab breakfast together.

; P

Just kidding. I'm really not looking for sex. And I know I said that already, but it's true.

If you decide on afternoon, let's shoot for one. Maybe we can have lunch together.

Lol. I just realized that I keep pushing for us sharing a meal. In my defense: I think that you can learn a lot about a person by sharing a meal with them. It certainly helps you zero in on manners, for one thing. (I'm not a stickler for manners, but I can't stand watching people talk with their mouth full or chew with their mouth hanging open. Ugh! Gross!)

Anyway, looking forward to hearing from you again!

- Riku

P.S. I've attached a picture of me in the hopes that you will return the favor. Hopefully, you're not a creep! XD

Kairi gaped at the picture. "Damn! Too bad he's gay. He's…" She was unable to decide on which word she wanted to describe him. None of them seemed to fit. The only one that came close was "gorgeous".

"Hee hee! Guess I better reply."

Dear Riku,

First off, I like your name. You fit right in with me and Kairi: land, sea, and sky. Heh. (Yes, I am that big of a dork when it comes to Japanese.)

Second off, WOW! I know you're gay, but how come you have trouble scoring dates irl? XD Wait. It's because you want a real relationship and not a date. I gotcha!

Well, these islands ARE nice. Heh. (I go "Heh" a lot, btw! Get used to it!)

You sound like you'd be a good stabilizing force for me. : )

Kairi paused in her e-mail writing to call Sora and tell him to leave the specified Saturday open. He easily agreed, completely trusting and unsuspecting.

Afternoon sounds best. You can meet Kairi at one (in the lobby, remember). I've attached a picture of her. I haven't attached one of me because I'd rather see your expression/ reaction when I walk through the door.

: P

That sounds conceited, doesn't it? Oops. I actually consider myself average-looking.

: D

I'll probably meet you up at the room. It all depends on what Kairi finds out. lol.

After attaching the best (but semi-recent) picture of herself that she could find, Kairi sent the e-mail, a bit nervous in her stomach. She sighed then listened to some music to calm down. Out of some weird compulsion, she refreshed her inbox. To her surprise, there was a reply already—only five minutes later.

Wow. Your friend's really pretty.

Kairi grinned, blushed, and giggled before dragging her mind away to focus on the e-mail.

Lol. I love how you answered your own questions.

Well, they are nice, but they can get boring. I'm itching for some "adventure" (nothing hardcore; just something new and at least a little exciting).

Well, if you can get me to open up, and if I can "stabilize" you, I think we might just be a really good match for each other.

I'm sure you have every right to be conceited. ; )

Wait. That doesn't sound quite right. Let me clarify: I don't think you're conceited; I'm just assuming that you're more attractive than you let on.

I'll do my best to impress your friend so that she'll like me and let me see you. ^.^

Later!

Kairi figured that she should stop here in order to make it so that Riku and Sora would really know as little about each other as strangers meeting for the first time (which was what they would be). As such, she simply replied, 'I'd rather talk more in person than keep on e-mailing. I think it's more interesting to watch people's facial expressions as they talk. So, with this in mind, see you on April 4th!'

Five minutes later, she received: 'Okay. See you!'

And thus, the stage was set.

Even though she knew he was gay, and even though she was trying to set the guy up with her best friend, Kairi still tried to dress up a little: a cute little sundress, some jewelry (earrings, necklaces, and a bracelet), and a bit of make-up. She left her hair down but had sprayed it with some anti-frizz solution that made her hair gleam.

On the outside, she was the perfect picture of poise; on the inside, she was a nervous wreck, worried about Sora's reaction. He still had no idea. But she had to keep him in the dark! He would have objected and protested and never even given Riku a shot! It had to be done this way!

So lost in her thoughts was she that the redhead failed to notice that a certain silver-haired nineteen-year-old had entered the hotel. Riku, however, immediately spotted her. Lowering his sunglasses, he grinned. He took the fact that Kairi was here as a good sign. He at least had a shot.

Huffing, he folded his sunglasses and pinned them to his shirt. He tried to look casual but nice: khaki pants and a short-sleeved dress shirt buttoned up over a white t-shirt. He almost put on dress shoes but stuck with his sneakers. There was no reason to come off as desperate, though he'd given his hair just a little bit of extra effort, using a straightener so that he could pull it back into a ponytail. His fellow "gay-mer" (as the redhead once joked) friend Axel had told him that he looked better like that.

Riku licked his lips, which was a terrible habit of his, and took a deep breath. He figured it'd be a waste of time trying to calm down completely: if it was meant to be, he'd get comfortable once he was in the midst of talking with the female friend of his would-be date—or rather, he'd be comfortable around the guy himself. Still, he swallowed and cleared his throat before approaching the teenage girl sitting in an armchair. His heart hammered as he questioned, trying his best not to stammer, "Kairi?"

She startled as she lifted her head; a grin appeared as she put a hand to her heart. "Oh! You scared me!"

"Sorry." He smiled, trying to ooze trustworthiness and sincerity. He didn't even know why: he had no idea if he would even like this Sora guy. It seemed ridiculous to go through all this effort for someone he'd never met. Nonetheless, Riku decided that he better properly introduce himself, so he extended his hand and uttered, "I'm Riku. It's really nice to meet you."

Kairi grinned gleefully as she shook his hand. "Likewise." She gestured at the armchair nearest her, just a little to her right. "Have a seat."

Riku sat with a well-disguised nervous exhalation then offered his soon-to-be interrogator another smile.

"Well," she offered thoughtfully, "you look like you described. That's a good start."

"And you look like your picture," he quipped. She laughed.

"So…what are your intentions for today? And be honest or I won't call Sora."

He blinked, but he could not mask the shock that flashed through his eyes. This girl was serious…and he liked that. He liked that she was so protective. It meant that she was a good person, which probably meant that her friend was a good person—someone who was worth protecting.

"Well…" He grinned, but it wasn't perverted in the least. In fact, it was rather self-conscious. "I really just want to talk. I don't know if you read the e-mails or not," (unbeknownst to Riku, Kairi squirmed guiltily on the inside), "but I'm really just looking for someone that I can connect with. I know it's kind-of early in my life to be talking like this, but, well, I believe that it's never too early to take charge of your life."

Kairi beamed and murmured, "It's pretty amazing. You sounded just like Sora right now. He said once, 'I'm not going to stress over it, but I'm not going to wait until I'm older to start looking for someone that I'm compatible with.'"

"Hmm." Riku grinned and nodded. This further solidified the notion in his mind that he and Sora had a really good chance of hitting it off.

Pursing her lips in a playful smile, the girl remarked, "You know, for someone who supposedly doesn't smile a lot, you sure are smiling a lot right now."

"Heh! Can't help it, I guess. I'm pretty excited—nervous but excited. I mean, I know that I don't know him…but I just get this feeling about him."

While Kairi squealed, 'Aww!' on the inside, the corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled. This was such a brilliant idea! Trying to get ahold of herself, she cleared her throat and attempted to look serious. Two seconds later, she laughed at herself. Riku smiled, but there was nervousness in his eyes.

"Well…you seem genuine enough. I guess I'll tell Sora to come."

Riku blinked. "He's not here already." He wasn't sure if he'd meant that as a question or a statement, really, but there it was.

Kairi snorted and pointed out, "No. I wasn't going to have him come anywhere near you if I thought you were creepy. Duh!"

He grinned as he ducked his head. "You're right."

"So," the mastermind insisted while doing her best not to grin maniacally with glee, "go ahead and get the room key—well, key-card. I'll give Sora a call and send him your way. He should be here in about…hmm…fifteen or twenty minutes."

"Okay." The guy appeared visibly nervous as he offered a nod and a shaky smile. He took a deep breath, laughingly exhaled it, then got up.

The two shook hands, both of them fit to burst with excitement, though the other was unaware of this. With one last exchange of "Nice meeting you!" with the friend of his would-be date, Riku went to go through the aforementioned steps. As soon as he was gone, Kairi grinned to herself in the way she had not allowed herself to before.

"Show time!"

With this, Kairi hurried back out to get into her car so that she could go pick up Sora.

Sora stood in front of the mirror, fretting over his stupid hair, which never did anything he asked it to. Giving up, he moved on to fidget and fiddle around with his clothes: black shorts that went down to his knees and silver hooded shirt. He tugged at the short sleeves. He didn't know why. He sighed and traced the black design on the left sleeve (the one currently under his tugging fingers). Still jittery, he grabbed some body spray and spritzed some—on his torso, mostly, though he made sure to get his neck. He couldn't understand why he was so nervous. He'd been on dates before.

I guess first dates are always nerve-wracking. God, I hope this Riku chick likes me.

Shaking out his hands, Sora practiced smiling in the mirror. He started getting embarrassed, which resulted in him laughing at himself. "I'm such an idiot!" He cleared his throat. This time, he tried grinning and smoothly running a hand along the back of his head. "So, Riku…" He burst into self-conscious laughter again, shaking his head at himself and blushing anew.

Suddenly, his cell phone went off: it was Kairi calling. He answered it on the way out of his room.

"Hey. You ready?"

"Yeah. I'll be out there in a sec. I just gotta put my shoes on. "

"Okay. See ya!"

"See ya!"

Sora shoved his cell phone in his pocket then worked on hurriedly putting on the black sneakers, bending down so that he could tie them securely. He then frisked himself to ascertain as to whether he was complete and had everything. He did, so he left the house, grinning as he leaped off the last step and ran to the car waiting at the curb.

"Hey, Kai!"

"Hey!"

"How do I look?"

Kairi grinned; surprisingly enough, despite knowing her for ten years, Sora failed to notice the sheer madness to it. As such, he was perfectly content to stare out the window the entire ride after hearing, "Good! Really good!"

His driver parked then walked with him into the hotel. She stopped in the lobby, and he halted as well, frowning at her. "What is it?"

"Oh. I'm not coming with you."

Freaking out, he questioned, "What?! Why not?"

In her head, she replied, 'Because I'm afraid that you'll maim me.' Aloud, she answered, "Because I'll just be a third wheel. Don't worry, Sora. Riku checks out. Go enjoy yourself!" She gave him a shove, and he stumbled forward, gaping. After glaring at her for a bit, he finally gave in, grinned, then gave her a thumbs up before running up to the desk to get the spare room key (as planned by the devious redhead, who chuckled as she watched her eager friend speed-walk to the elevator).

Oh, this'll be good. He's so going to thank me. Not at first…but he'll thank me eventually.

To be fair, Kairi never said that Riku was a girl; all she said was, "Okay. I know you think that those Internet dating sites are lame, but hear me out. I found this one that sounded like their perfect person was you, so I e-mailed them, telling them about you. I've already arranged a meeting so that I can check 'em out. All I'm asking is that you give it a chance."

"Do you know anything about them?"

"Yeah. Riku's nineteen and really attractive—gorgeous, actually. Into video games; likes sports. You know, right up your alley."

Sora was always up for trying new things, so he agreed with an easy shrug. However, he was not expecting…well, what he got.

It was a very awkward moment when Sora walked into the hotel room. His grin fell right off his face as he immediately noticed that Riku was a guy. This, in turn, caused him to question (first in his mind, then aloud), "Am I in the right room?"

Riku laughed, and it was masculine laughter. "Well, I'm Riku. If you're Sora, then yeah: you are in the right room." He smiled, but what captivated Sora was the color of Riku's eyes. It was like the ocean on a bright, sunny day; there was even a light on in them. It took Sora's breath away. He stood there, gaping, forgetting to breathe for the longest time.

Finally, after much blinking, he remembered that one needs air to survive and, so, took a breath. It ended in a loud exhalation and was followed by his brows furrowing. Somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to tell this nice-looking, sweet-seeming guy that his best friend was a scheming little…something-or-other! (Sora loved his friends and could never ever think of insulting them. He just didn't have it in him.)

And so, because he was a nice guy, and because he felt like he owed it to Kairi (who had shelled out the money for the room and any expenses that would be tacked on), Sora smiled at his date. He smiled, and he said, "Hi," managing to sound like he was really glad to be meeting this stranger. Hoping to break the ice, he offered, "Kairi said you were gorgeous."

Riku laughed. "Oh, she did, did she? I'm surprised." His brows furrowed. "You sound shocked. You saw my picture in the e-mail. I'm the one who's reeling over here. You're not 'average-looking'! You're breathtaking! I'm glad you didn't send me a picture because it wouldn't have done you justice!"

Embarrassed yet horribly flattered (which was weird because Riku was a guy), Sora grinned and laughed a little. And then something dawned on him, which led to him blurting something that brought the whole situation into the stark, cold light of day.

"Wait. I thought Kairi was the one to e-mail you."

Riku's face fell, and he stared at Sora with such great confusion that he looked adorably lost. Sora felt badly…until he realized what had happened—and then he was just mad at Kairi.

"Kairi!" he swore at his shoes. "Ugh! Ugh! You—! You—! Ugh!"

Riku would have laughed had he not been dealing with the cold, cold fear creeping into his heart—the fear that Sora was just a clueless bystander in this, and that he wouldn't care about him. It would really suck to have his hopes crushed.

Heaving a sigh, Sora muttered, "Sheesh! What a mess!" One look at Riku's face got him apologizing. "I'm sorry about this. She…She must have thought it'd be funny to set me up as a birthday joke." That face crinkled with hurt, leading Sora to amend, "I mean…not that you're a joke—because you're not. I mean, I don't know you or anything, but I bet any guy would be lucky to have you!" The brunet winced at this, pretty sure that his foot was so far in his mouth that it was actually down his throat.

"So…" He blinked back pain and squished down the anger simmering in the pit of his stomach since it wouldn't help to take it out on Sora, who was clearly an innocent bystander. "So…you're not even gay?"

Sora opened his mouth, ready to reply that he wasn't…but he couldn't do it. Something about Riku's face tore at him. And even though it was probably weird, Sora realized that he didn't actually know what he was. He'd never really felt a strong attraction to anyone—male or female. "Umm…well…I don't know. I could be."

"You could be?" Hope blossomed in those eyes.

Despite himself, Sora liked that much better. And because he felt compassionate and liked helping those in need, he stepped forward and insisted, "Yeah, I guess. I've never really thought about it before. I mean, I didn't really start, you know, going solo until I was fourteen. I was kind-of a late bloomer. Even now, I very rarely…relieve myself. And when I do, it's mainly to porn videos—and you know how ambiguous that is. You can't really tell if you're attracted to the woman's parts or the man's parts because you see it all when the action starts up."

Riku gaped at him…then burst into laughter. Even though he was self-conscious beyond belief, Sora joined him. When they sobered, Riku licked his lips then nodded for no apparent reason. Sora swayed on the balls of his feet as he clapped his hands in a nervous way.

"So…" the brunet drawled. They were bordering on awkward; any little puff of air could cause their situation to teeter into it.

Smiling, Riku replied, "So…."

Sora laughed and wondered, "Pretty crazy, huh?"

"Yeah. Pretty crazy." He was trying very hard not to get his hopes up, but it was like trying to keep a bird trapped in your hands when it's determined to fly. As such, he had that fluttery feeling in his stomach and heart, and he really wanted Sora to just break it now and for all—either way. He'd be crushed if he weren't interested, but he'd survive; however, if he were interested, Riku wanted to get know him as soon as possible.

Oddly, Sora got the feeling that he could really like this guy. There was just something that made him very comfortable.

After a bit of thought, Sora decided that the best way to get to know this person was to break the ice remaining between them by asking, "Your phone wouldn't happen to have Internet access, would it? I mean, providing you have a phone. Well, who doesn't have a cell in this day and age? I have one, but it doesn't have Internet access—well, it does, but it's so slow that it's like not having it. I mainly just use it to send pictures to my e-mail—since mine's got a camera." Sora sighed as he realized, "I'm rambling. Sorry. I ramble when I get nervous."

The brunet grinned sheepishly, and Riku loved the way it looked. His chest swelled with warmth. An unbidden smile blossomed in response to that grin and the way those blue eyes were so pretty. Was this what it was like to fall in love?

It took Riku a second to remember that, somewhere amidst the rambling, there'd been a question—he thought he remembered one. "Umm…. Hang on. I don't remember: Was there a question in there somewhere?"

Sora laughed, a light pink tint burning his cheeks. Riku's heart gasped in delight. The pink of his cheeks made his blue eyes even bluer. It was beautiful. And that laugh was the most amazing laugh he had ever heard: from the heart and not annoying in the slightest. It made him want to make Sora laugh again—and again and again.

"Uhh…well…" Sora licked his lips. "I think it started with me asking if you have Internet access on your phone."

Riku smirked, but it was pretty much a smile. "I do. Any particular reason why?" God, he hoped it was a reason having to do with getting to know each other.

"Well…uhh…I was thinking that I could take a peek at the e-mails 'we' exchanged."

That was close enough, right? It was, Riku decided; so he smiled and agreed to let Sora use his phone (with its nice touch-screen), going along with a simple "Sure."

He dug the phone out of his pocket and fiddled with it until he had a few things in order: the Internet browser up, his e-mail logged into, and the string of connected messages (Thank you, Gmail!) open. With this accomplished, he offered the phone to the person that he was hoping to call 'boyfriend' soon.

His heart raced, and his hand shook, which was just plain embarrassing. The instant before it happened, Riku wished that Sora would touch his hand. His gentle fingers brushed Riku's on their way to gripping the phone. The contact seemed accidental, but Riku didn't care; it was still wonderful. It made his hand stop shaking, but it also made his heart gasp for the second time, as well as go, 'Ooh!'

With the cessation of shaking, Sora was able to take the phone more easily. Riku licked his lips and offered, "They should be there."

"Okay." Sora smiled before lowering his eyes to the screen. Riku watched with bated breath as the brunet's lips moved every so often in accordance to him reading along in his head. That face was serious but in a relaxed way that gave nothing away. It was torture. Finally, he snorted and muttered, "At least she got my character right. I guess that's one good thing about this." A shy smile graced the lips that Riku suddenly wanted to kiss, and Sora commented, "You sound like a nice guy."

Riku was practically panting, though he hid it well. He might survive rejection, but he craved the chance to call this person his own. It was ridiculous, but he felt in his heart that, given the chance, there'd be fireworks.

Sora noted how quiet and breathless the other man seemed, as well as the way those eyes were fastened on his face quite urgently. It stole his breath. He had the power to either crush or infinitely improve this guy's heart. It was such a powerful notion that it scared him. It made him sick to his stomach, really. It made him anxious. He didn't like having so much power. Perhaps this is why he hesitantly smiled and offered, "I haven't eaten lunch yet, so I'm starving. Wanna get some room service? Kairi's paying as her present to me, so it's cool."

The sight of a suddenly smiling, lit-up Riku nodding crashed over Sora like a wave. He felt like he was drowning. In his mind, he reached out an arm, hoping that he could somehow find a way to get back above the current. He couldn't breathe. The idea of mouth to mouth penetrated his brain, and he mentally laughed at the image in his mind of him lying on the shore of the littlest island of their archipelago. He looked like a beached sea lion.

Back in reality, Sora was feeling a bit weak in the knees. He was also rather dizzy. He figured that standing still should be fine…except that it wasn't: he pitched forward, unable to command his useless legs to keep him standing. He was fully prepared to eat carpet, which is why he was thoroughly surprised (and embarrassed) to find himself in the quick-thinking Riku's strong arms.

Frowning in concern, Riku asked of the boy in his arms, "Are you okay?"

His face aflame, Sora couldn't even think of a decent response, so he just made a noise akin to "Fleh…."

Though he did his very best not to, Riku couldn't resist laughing. Once done with this, he stared down at the darling creature in his arms and thought that he really liked the way things had turned out. It wasn't every day that a person practically fainted with no warning whatsoever and landed in your arms, still conscious yet nonsensical. It was endearing and just plain adorable. However, as unfocused eyes stared into his own, Riku began to worry that there was something medically wrong with his would-be date and asked, "You okay? Do you, umm…have a heart condition or something? Do you have a fever?"

Sora, who was still reeling (and reveling) at being in the comforting, nice-feeling arms of this other guy, was unable to respond. His brain failed him, short-circuited as it was.

Abruptly getting a bit tired of the awkward not-quite-squat he was in combined with the weight of his charge, Riku grunted, "You're kind-of heavy." He couldn't keep it up in this position, so he strenuously straightened into a standing position, lifting Sora by his armpits. Since the brunet was still weak-at-the-knees, Riku lowered him so that he sat at the foot of the bed. The temptation to kiss him was overwhelming, but the older teen had really strong self-control, resulting in him being able to pull back. Meanwhile, Sora stared up at him like he was high on drugs, his mouth hanging open dumbly.

Since Sora seemed incapable of gathering his wits, Riku offered, "I'll get the menu. You should really eat. That's probably why you're not feeling well. Have you eaten today?"

"Uhh…" was all Sora could manage, but Riku was glad for the sound because it was a start.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." He went to retrieve the menu and began perusing it. "Hmm… You know, I don't really know what I want. We could get some fresh fruit. How do sandwiches sound? If you get a hot one, it comes with fries and a pickle; if it's cold, then it comes with chips."

Riku looked over to ascertain in what state his…companion was. He had no idea what to call Sora at the moment. They weren't quite friends, but it didn't seem like they were on a date. They weren't boyfriends (yet, Riku's hopeful mind added). Anyway, he looked over and discovered that Sora was busy rubbing at his face with both hands, obviously trying to wake himself out of whatever stupor he was in.

"Oh," he groaned, "what the hell is wrong with me?"

Riku delicately prodded, "You're probably just hungry. Are you feeling lightheaded?"

"Yeah." Sora had chosen to bury his face in his hands because it was on fire due to mortification. "Yeah," he agreed, "I'm probably just hungry."

Frowning in concern, the compassionate older teen wondered, "When was the last time you ate?"

The heels of his palms pressed against his eyes as he went, "Umm…." He thought about it from the darkness provided by his hands covering his eyes. "Last night. Dinner. It was around seven—seven-thirty, I think. I don't usually eat breakfast. And I'm not normally so…so…" He pursed his lips, uncertain of what the word was that he was trying to think of. He went with, "…faint."

"Did you have a small dinner?"

Sora grinned, still hiding behind his hands. "Yeah, it kinda was. We had fast-food; I just had a small combo."

Riku frowned a bit more sternly, unhappy at this unhealthy dinner as well as the fact that Sora had let himself go hungry all day. Plus, he was unhappy that Sora's face was in his hands. He missed those eyes already. He wanted to see them—and that heart-stealing smile. However, all he asked was, "Do you want to lie down or something while I order us lunch?"

Thinking this over with his vague headache and distal buzzing, he agreed, "Yeah. That sounds good. I probably shouldn't have skipped breakfast."

"No, you shouldn't have. It's not good to skip any meals."

Abruptly feeling better, Sora slowly pried his head from his hands, sighed, and conceded, "You're right."

"Well, of course I am. It's common sense."

Sora smiled, and Riku's heart rejoiced, causing him to return the expression. A second later, Sora admitted, "Lunch sounds amazing right now, though."

Completely eager to endear himself to his potential boyfriend, Riku risked sitting next to him before handing him the menu to look over. Sora practically drooled as he gushed, "Oh, my God! That hot pastrami sandwich sounds amazing!"

Riku laughed but agreed, "It does. Want to order two of 'em?"

"Yeah." Sora swallowed the mouthful of saliva that had pooled around his tongue.

"Do you actually want to eat here or would you rather go somewhere else—like a restaurant or something?"

Wrinkling his nose, the brunet shook his head, affirming, "Eating here sounds good." He grinned at his companion and pointed out, "If we stay here, I get to lie down while I wait for the food."

Riku smirked. "Good point." Without thinking, he patted the younger teen's knee on his way to standing. His heart nearly skipped a beat. He tried to play it cool by moving over to stand by the phone on the nightstand. It was a big, white, square-shaped one that had a cord; the buttons were gray. Even the lamp, located just behind the phone, looked old-fashioned.

Realizing that he didn't know the number, he turned to ask for it, a bit embarrassed about his previous action. Before he could ask, Sora instinctively read it off, grateful for an excuse not to look him in the eye. Riku felt the same as he dialed and went through the process of ordering the lunch. He ordered the two sandwiches, a platter of fresh fruit, and said that water would be fine. He didn't know whether or not Sora wanted something else to drink, but people got too many calories through the drinks anyway—or so he justified.

"Oh! And a salad!" Sora requested with an adorable grin. "That Caesar one."

"And two Caesar salads," the one on the phone added. He was quite glad that Sora wanted a salad. A salad sounded really good, actually—especially a Caesar salad since it had chicken included in it. After getting confirmation on their room number and their order, Riku thanked the female hotel employee and hung up the phone.

Now Riku was the one to go, "So…."

Sora grinned and replied, "So…"

Riku took this as a good sign and cautiously moved to sit next to the brunet again. He tried for something casual since he wasn't prepared to say what he really wanted to say. "I didn't get you a present. Sorry. I had no idea what you might like, and I thought getting a gift card would be lame, so I just figured you'd understand."

Sora laughed. "Oh! Don't even worry about it!" He simpered. "That's so sweet that you would even think about getting me a present!" The simper grew into a grin, and he murmured, "Thank you. Just the mere thought is present enough for me."

Quiet fell, but it was the nice, comfortable kind. Still, Riku was left wondering—mainly about the state of things between them. Taking a deep breath, he gathered his courage and stated, "I'd really like to know what your intentions are. I'm totally fine with being just friends, but I think we could really have something if we tried for something more. It's up to you, though." It felt good to be so forward; it was refreshing, considering that he normally kept quiet about things. Already, being around Sora was liberating to him; he felt like he could say anything and get away with it.

Smiling ruefully, Sora quipped, "No pressure, though."

A grinning Riku answered, "No pressure."

"I guess…I mean…well…I don't know. It'd be cool to be friends, but…uhh…I don't know. It'd be cool to be both."

He laughed self-consciously, causing warmth to bud in Riku's heart yet again. Simultaneously, Riku thought that he might just die if he couldn't kiss the cheerful guy beside him right now. This is why Riku requested, "Mind if I kiss you?"

Sora gasped inaudibly as his eyes widened a little. His mouth was slack but not hanging open too much. He was surprised to find that kissing this near-stranger didn't sound half-bad. The only thing that made it a little iffy was the "near-stranger" aspect. Up until a few minutes ago, he didn't even know this guy. Wasn't it completely whorish to go kissing someone you just met?

Oh, whatever!

The grin said it all. As such, Riku mirrored it, put his hand on Sora's thigh, and leaned in. He didn't immediately kiss him, however. What he did was hover so that they were practically nose to nose—but not quite. He dragged his nose against a very soft cheek, which he then kissed. His heart sighed, and he realized that he might just be in love. It was ridiculous, but he didn't care. You don't have to know every little thing about a person to love them; the picture can get colored in at a later point in time.

Sora gaped, having expected a kiss to the lips. His cheek tingled—actually tingled! And Riku was still close by and really warm. It felt nice. It felt right. It felt amazing. As such, Sora shifted his head so that their lips were closer—but still not touching. His eyes sought Riku's. They knew that their hearts were beating in the same excited way, probably with syncopation; it's why they smiled at each other, lips pulling back to reveal teeth. As crazy as it was, to them, this was love. They barely knew each other, but they could feel the potential, and that was enough. This was love.

When their lips met, Sora melted on the spot, forcing Riku to put his hand on the brunet's shoulder in order to support him. From here, their arms wrapped around each other while their lips tenderly embraced. Soft, sweet, and perfect—that's what this kiss was to them.

The temptation to deepen it struck them both in the gut, causing them to pull apart. Sora swallowed, sucked in a breath, then mumbled against the mouth of his near-stranger-friend-boyfriend, "I think we should stop now or I'll never get lunch." They laughed together, their breath puffing against each other's mouths.

"All right. Sounds like a plan."

Somehow, this translated to them lying down side by side on the large bed and staring into each other's eyes with utterly relaxed faces. Riku's hand mysteriously found its way to Sora's back, caressing it from underneath his shirt, bare skin against bare skin—rough skin against smooth, taut skin. Sora liked the touch, and he didn't have to say a word for Riku to know this. There was just a soft, indistinct understanding between them: I don't know you just yet, but I love you, and I'm going to love you even more once I get to know you completely.

It seemed wrong to break their hush, so they didn't talk. Conversation could be saved for later, when they were hungrily devouring their lunch. Right now, gazing into each other's eyes and peering into their souls took precedence.

Eventually, knocking on the door broke their hush. Riku chose to be the one to sit up then stand, leaving Sora lying on the bed, still lost in his haze.

While Riku saw to tipping the male employee who delivered their lunch (which smelled incredible, causing the stomachs of both boys to growl), Sora reached out and caressed the bedding where Riku had been lying. It was warm and slightly wrinkled here, marring the otherwise neat bed. For some reason unbeknownst to him, Sora smiled. He smiled, and he forced himself to get up so that he could get some food in his system.

Riku put his hand on his back, directing him to his seat at the tiny, square table; Sora liked this, and he couldn't pinpoint why. It just felt good and right. He smiled at Riku, who smiled back as he sat down. They happily dug into their lunch, which they devoured hungrily between bouts of conversation. Soon, they were laughing at something, unable to remember the source of amusement. Riku believed it had to do with the way a piece of lettuce had clung to Sora's chin. They shrugged, not really caring about the reason; they just liked laughing together.

Sucking at his teeth with his tongue in an effort to remove any remnants of food, Sora crinkled his nose, thinking on how strange life could be. Meanwhile, Riku regarded him with an amused smile, finding the facial expression cute. Once he realized that he was being looked at, Sora grinned sheepishly. Riku liked this, too. He discovered that he liked everything about Sora…his new boyfriend.

It was way too early to start saying 'I love you,' and it wasn't even necessary. They felt it between them. They smiled because of it. The brunet shyly took a piece of honeydew melon, making Riku decide that this sounded like a good chaser to their lunch. Sora giggled just because—he didn't know why. The two worked on eating the fruit platter, consuming much of it because they really did both like fruit. Sora stuck on his orange wedge in his mouth, creating a false smile, and Riku laughed at the silliness. Muffled laughter from Sora echoed him.

Including their lunch, they spent a good three hours just talking.

Suddenly, talking just didn't seem important anymore. They needed to get something out of the way because it was burning inside them, crackling between them, and threatening to suffocate them.

They didn't necessarily leap at each other, although they weren't slow about it. They simply got up, giddily hurried into each other's arms, laughed semi-self-consciously, and began kissing again. Riku brought his hand to cradle Sora's jaw as the latter opened his mouth for him. Their lips wetly rubbed. A crooked smirk adorned both their faces.

"So…" Sora drawled, a grin tugging at his mouth. His eyes were different this time. They promised things that Riku really, really thought might be nice.

Riku hugged him closer and replied, "So…."

Sora chuckled. He aimed to duck his head self-consciously, but Riku stole his mouth to make it his. Sora's knees began to get weak again, so he depended on Riku to keep him standing. Those arms were sturdy and did a wonderful job, looped around his waist as they were. They parted for air, panting a bit because of how long they held off on doing such. Their hearts were racing; the throbbing pervaded their bodies and was getting to them. One look was all it took: their eyes locked, and suddenly they were racing to the bed. They laughed at the fact that the race made it childish, ironic considering what they intended to do.

"I win," Riku declared while inching closer, pressing Sora against him.

Sora didn't say a word; he merely stuck his tongue out, causing his companion to chuckle. The mirth drifted away as they gazed into each other's eyes. Riku's hand had a mind of its own as it stroked Sora's hair. Smoothing the wild locks back with it, he let his lips brush that hairline. It all felt so right and sweet. This was meant to be.

Riku's lips danced all over Sora's face. The brunet shut his eyes to accommodate the wandering lips. His mouth hung open as he bathed in the affection. He startled a little when those lips abruptly found his; he smiled against that mouth that was becoming more and more familiar. The make-out session resumed. They rolled so that Sora was on his back; their tongues became friends and decided that they really liked each other. The prevailing taste was honeydew melon.

Suddenly, the kissing stopped—a mutual decision. The two regarded each other with curiosity. Riku decided to be the one to bring it up.

"I said that I wasn't looking for sex…" He paused, uncertain of how to phrase the rest.

Smiling, Sora offered, "But you wouldn't mind indulging in it?"

Grateful for the help, Riku grinned and nodded. Heat spread across his face as he admitted, "I came prepared."

Sora's face also became heated at this simple, subtle statement. "That's…a little creepy." Luckily, they both laughed. He cleared his throat and wondered, "So you have it all in your pocket, I'm assuming?"

Still aflame with embarrassment, Riku nodded, laughed nervously, and mumbled, "I thought it'd be good in case we hit it off, and we didn't want to wait or anything."

"Well…we did hit it off. And waiting just seems stupid. What's the point? I'm of legal age; we've taken the time to get to know each other; it's going to happen eventually. Waiting just seems dumb."

The two laughed yet again. Suddenly uncomfortable, Sora cleared his throat and confessed, "I'm…" He cleared it again and indistinctly mumbled the rest, the words 'a virgin' blending together and getting muddled.

He felt infinitely better when Riku smiled and said, "Me, too." They grinned without really knowing why.

An impromptu, lingering kiss was shared, lips connected but mouths closed. Withdrawing, they exhaled against each other, still nose to nose. Smiles crept upon their faces. Riku decided to take charge since he was the older one. Sora didn't mind. He liked not having to try and fumble and figure out what to do.

It started with a hand gliding up under that silver shirt, which, Riku discovered, was actually double-layered: there was a thin black would-be shirt sewn under the silver hoodie portion. What was meant to be a furtive glance became a lingering stare when aquamarine eyes met blue. It was hard to believe that this was happening—for both boys.

Sora sat up so that he could help facilitate his shirt coming off. An adorable blush spread as his lashes kissed his cheeks; his lips opened slightly to reveal a small, self-conscious smile. Riku grasped his bare left shoulder and leaned in to kiss his chest, just below that hand. It was understood that he meant this as a sign that he was kissing his heart. It meant 'I care about you' while also saying 'This isn't just sex'. For, even though they had just met, they might as well have been best friends their entire lives.

Riku let Sora take off his shirt—well, shirts. He unbuttoned the outer one and slid it off with a grin; he then lifted the undershirt and tossed it aside. The brunet kissed his silver-haired friend's heart in the same fashion. They smiled at each other. Sora found himself wrapped in arms that had become familiar rather quickly. He was lowered back down into his former position. He watched as Riku unbuttoned the brunet's black shorts, shivering a little at the sound of the zipper going down its track. He instinctively arched up the second before Riku's fingers folded into his waistband; the shorts were tugged off, revealing black boxers. Sora swallowed, his heart racing. Even with this, he felt good. He was perfectly okay with this. It felt right.

He reached out, his fingers outstretched towards the brown button on the khaki pants. Riku scooted closer. Sora grinned as if to say 'Thank you!' before regarding the movement of his hands as the button became undone then the zipper came down. His eyes remained focused on that general area as he began to tug at the sides of the pants, causing them to inch down. The removal of the pants was finished by their owner. Sora noted that Riku was wearing plaid boxers; and then he noted that they were both in their boxers. Still, he was okay—and he knew that, though he might get shy and/ or self-conscious and/ or embarrassed, he'd be okay no matter what happened.

Before tossing aside his pants, Riku dug through his pockets and produced the travel-sized bottle of lube and the condom in its wrapper. He left the back-up condom in the pocket. He took a deep breath then waved the lube around, the unopened condom in his other hand. Sora laughed nervously. Riku knew that he didn't need to ask him if he was okay because they had this surprising yet nice ability to communicate with just their eyes. If Sora wanted to stop, he would know immediately—and would stop immediately.

Riku scooted so that he was closer to Sora. The latter took a deep breath before smiling; the former tried to focus on remembering to breathe and pondered whose boxers should come off first. He sought out those blue eyes to silently ask this question. The answer came with Sora arching up as he started tugging at the soft material.

His heart racing with the anticipation, Riku reached out and pulled the underwear the rest of the way off. His breath hitched in his throat at the exposed lovely parts of his newfound boyfriend. He was instantly assaulted by a rush of blood to his own nether regions. Practically acting on instinct, he leaned down, grabbed Sora's cock, and began to suck on the sensitive tip. This caused Sora to gasp and tense up, his knees rising to shield his sensitive privates, though his thighs didn't clamp because he didn't particularly want to squish the head between his legs. Riku chuckled and pumped him; getting past the shock, Sora relaxed his toes' death grip on the bedding, keeping his knees bent.

Riku actually liked being surrounded by the brunet's shapely legs; it made everything more intimate in a nice, protective kind of way. It made him feel closer to the eighteen-year-old. Taking a deep breath, he gave Sora's shaft a squeeze while taking the length into his mouth, slowly going down as far as he dared. There was still a chunk of it that he couldn't cover because he thought it'd be incredibly un-sexy to gag at this point in time. In place of his mouth, he used his hand to cover this bit.

"Ooh…" A slow grin stretched across Sora's face, his eyes reduced to slits thanks to his pleasure. He sharply went, "Ha!" as his muscles tensed due to Riku making a noise; the vibrations seemed to go straight up his spine and into his brain. "Ho…huh…mmm…."

Riku withdrew and smirked, continuing to stimulate the adorable teen with his hand, caressing him in a repetitive pattern. "I take it from those noises that you were enjoying that?"

"Ah, ah, uh…huh…." His chest heaved as he struggled to exhale and inhale the way one should to breathe properly. He shivered, and his toes curled, because this was very delicious. No one had ever touched him like this before; up until today, his right hand was his only companion.

The question "Top or bottom?" caught Sora off-guard.

It didn't process; as such, he questioned, "Huh?"

Riku squeezed Sora, causing the brunet to go "Ha! Nyah!" This resulted in chuckling from the one causing the stimulation.

The older teen clarified, "I asked, 'Top or bottom?' meaning: 'Do you want to be on top or bottom?' It could also be asked as 'Do you want to be the one getting fucked or do you want to be the one doing the fucking?'"

Sora got a bit flustered at the blunt language, but it was undeniably arousing in a way. Unfortunately, he was considerably less sexy as he went, "Uhh…" He laughed and added, "Umm…" He took a second to deliberate on his options. He realized that it was rather nice of Riku to even ask. He decided to reward his consideration with, "I'll be on bottom." He grinned and cheered, "Have fun!"

Laughing, Riku decided, "We'll trade off. How 'bout that?"

Sora grinned. "Sounds good!" It was a very sensible proposition, which was greatly appreciated. He really liked that Riku was so considerate. Was there nothing the guy did that he disliked? It seemed like he'd be hard-pressed to find any real flaws.

Vaguely amused at the fact that his lover was watching him the whole time, Riku utilized both his hands to rip open the condom wrapper and don the rubber thing. He mentally thanked that health video he once saw. Sora abruptly giggled, and Riku shot him a bemused look; all he got in response was a lopsided grin and a one-shoulder shrug. And so, he shrugged back, accrediting the giggling to nerves, and set to opening up the tube of lube and squeezing some out. He bit his lip as Sora squirmed and giggled when a foreign, slick finger just barely started pressing into his tight rear. The sight and sound was hilarious; Riku couldn't hold it in for long, and he allowed himself to laugh at his fellow virgin.

There was still squirming involved but no giggling when Riku's lubricated finger pressed a bit more, teasing its way inside the tight nerve-lined hole. In place of the giggling, that darling face said it all: pursed lips, crinkled brow, and a hint of discomfort in the eyes. Riku nearly asked his partner if he were all right, but he knew what answer he would get, so he gently worked on pushing in more a little bit at a time. When Sora got used to the single finger, he added another one; he then used both to massage him in an effort to both stimulate and relax him. He was already getting pretty hard because of how the brunet's asshole was pulsing all around his digits. It was a promise of what was in store for his member.

After a bit of in-and-out with his fingers, a bit more lubrication between the both of them, those shapely legs going up so that a certain someone's virgin asshole was more accessible, and some slow edging, Riku was inside. His mouth hung open because the tightness and warmth was incredible. He thought he might just come here and now.

Sora grimaced, trying to get past the burning, stretching, not-quite-tearing sensation. His heart may or may not have just palpitated a bit. At least he hadn't whimpered…much; he mainly just grit his teeth throughout the process. There may have been some grunting, but he couldn't be held accountable for that.

Riku hesitantly began moving inside Sora, who bit his lip then shifted into gritting his teeth as he hissed. Every time he hissed, Riku paused, withdrew a bit, then slowly pushed forward again. Once the pain subsided, which took longer than Riku would have liked because he really just wanted to go nuts and fuck Sora's brains out, the rhythm picked up. Instead of the hissing and the grunting, there was moaning; Riku much preferred this. The squishy sort of noises made by their bodies moving together was music to their ears; Sora got harder, and Riku thrust harder and faster to make it happen more. They laughed without knowing the exact reason. Sex was just plain fun.

Sora had a hard time not laughing at the face Riku made as he came, all of the muscles in the silver-haired teen's body bunching. Finally, he couldn't contain himself: he unleashed his mirth. Riku blushed and pursed his lips…but he soon grinned (albeit a bit self-consciously).

"Your turn!"

Biting his lower lip, the brunet mumbled, "Umm…I don't have a condom on me."

"I brought an extra one."

Sora chuckled. "You really did come prepared, didn't you?"

Riku grinned and shrugged before carefully pulling out of his boyfriend. Oh, how delicious it was to call him that and to be able to say that he was no longer a virgin—and how awesome it was that his first time was so great! Frankly, he was high on natural ecstasy.

His high began to wear off a little as he awkwardly began to remove the condom. He had no idea what to do with it, and Sora was choking on suppressed laughter (apparently at the clueless expression on Riku's face, the older one assumed), so he just got up and tossed it in the trash as it was. Oops! Sorry, hotel cleaning staff!

And so, they swapped places. Sora stuck to mimicking everything that Riku did. He grinned unabashedly at how delicious it was to push inside him. Meanwhile, Riku gained a new respect for how stoically the brunet took it up the ass. He really had to clench his jaw and crinkle his nose to keep from making noises of discomfort. A few still escaped him, but he couldn't be held accountable for that.

As Riku regarded the face of the person he had so suddenly fallen for, he came to the conclusion that Sora being in charge was a sexy, sexy thing, and that they should totally alternate between who got to do the fucking. Definitely—it was so hot!

Riku wanted to laugh at Sora's face, as the brunet had done with him, but, much to his disappointment (and delight), Sora merely shut his eyes, crinkled his brow, pursed his lips then parted them to unleash a mighty, lengthy groan. And that was just plain sexy; there was nothing funny about it.

After pulling out then disposing of the used condom in the same fashion that his boyfriend had, Sora went to lie down next to his sweaty lover. They sighed contentedly while gazing into each other's eyes.

"You know," Sora remarked, "we didn't even bother to get under the covers."

Riku shrugged. "Doesn't matter. It would have been too hot, anyway."

"You're right," the brunet conceded with a short nod. A second later, he observed, "We should probably shower so that we can put our clothes back on." He then realized, "I'll have to change when I get home." A wicked grin affixed itself to his face. It was a novel idea, having to change because his clothes were no longer clean due to the fact that he'd discarded them to have sex.

Abruptly lost in a pang of separation anxiety, Riku reached out and put his hand on Sora's bare hip. "You won't go home right away, right?" I don't want you to leave so soon…or ever.

Sora smiled. "Why don't we shower, change, then meet back here. We can have dinner together. I don't think I'd have the energy to go another round, but we could cuddle—or, umm…not." He got a bit warm, realizing that he sounded quite girly and sappy with the mention of "cuddling," which was obviously not a manly word at all.

It all became quite okay, however, when Riku smiled, caressed his hip, and murmured, "That sounds perfect." He stole a kiss from a rather shocked Sora, who couldn't even gather his wits enough to return said kiss. Taking this in stride, Riku nuzzled the sweaty temple of his new favorite person. He then kissed that spot, too.

Somehow, it seemed acceptable to say those three words now…and yet he didn't. While it might be acceptable, it didn't feel right. Riku decided that they could wait until another day—some distant, romantic, hazy day where the two were tangled up together and lost in each other's eyes, all while knowing every last detail of each other physically, mentally, and whatever else there was in the world to know about a person.

Sora abruptly felt it necessary to disclaim, "I swear I'm not usually like this. I'm not a slut."

"No, you're not. Up until recently, you were a virgin. And, like you said, we took the time to get to know each other. It's not like we jumped each other on sight." They chuckled at the imagery. Riku ran his fingers through dampened, spiky locks of brown hair. "You're so amazing, Sora. I hope you won't regret today."

Vaguely affronted, he replied, "I won't. It's not like you coerced me into anything. I chose to go through with it."

Riku stroked that quirky hair and murmured, "I don't know. I guess I'm just getting anxious that you only did all this because you felt sorry for me, because you pitied me."

Sora figured it'd be better to stick with honesty. "Well…that's kinda what prompted it at first. That's at least why I didn't ditch you after seeing that you were a guy. And then I got to know you, and I really liked what I learned, and…la dee da!"

"Heh! 'La dee da'!" The two laughed. With hardly any thought to it, Riku pressed his naked body closer to Sora's and initiated a long, delicious kiss. When they pulled apart, their foreheads kissed. Their lips curled into smiles. Butterfly kisses brushed against each other. The temptation to say 'I love you' was strong, but they resisted and were glad for it. It seemed too trite to say it at this moment.

For the longest time, they lay there, basking in the hazy warmth of utter relaxation and joy. Eventually, as the funky smell of their love-making infiltrated their nostrils and brains, they agreed that showers were necessary. They opted to share one at the hotel and found that it was just as fun as sex…but in a different way. There was much laughter amidst the hot water and suds. Somehow, putting on their not-as-clean-as-their-bodies clothes felt surreal, like the end of a dream. The only reminder of reality seemed to be their sore rear ends and aching backs.

"So…"

Riku smirked in amusement. "So…."

Sora grinned, clasping his hands behind his head. "I guess I'll see you in about an hour…?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

Feeling moved to do so, Sora placed his hands on the shoulders which were a bit below his eye level, got on tiptoe, and pecked his boyfriend on the lips. Goofy grins mirrored each other.

Riku decided to let Sora leave first and to give it a few minutes before he departed. It would hopefully seem less conspicuous this way—conspicuous to whom, he had no idea. The hotel probably had cameras anyway, but whatever! He didn't really feel like letting people see them leave together.

It seemed stupid not to take advantage of the fact that the room was paid for for the night. In fact, Sora declared, it was even rude. It'd be a waste of Kairi's money, so they should totally go back to the room and sleep together in the sense of sharing the same bed while getting actual sleep.

Later that night, after dinner at a nearby restaurant (because they didn't feel like eating at the hotel or giving Kairi extensive charges), they got ready for bed. This involved pajamas in the form of shorts and tank tops, as well as brushed teeth. They snuggled underneath the covers—which they suspected had been changed sometime during their absence due to the fact that they were nice and clean. There were a few soft kisses exchanged before they drifted off.

In the morning, they did each other the favor of rolling away so that they wouldn't have to smell each other's morning breath. Riku let Sora use the bathroom first. Soon, they were back in the main room, hugging wholeheartedly. Not much later, Sora announced, "I'm hungry!"

"Uh-oh! I guess we better feed you before you faint!"

Riku merely snickered as Sora halfheartedly glared at him.

And so, the two went down to indulge in the complimentary breakfast offered by the hotel. They laughed about something that wasn't terribly funny mainly because they liked laughing together, and it seemed to happen whether or not they tried to stop it.

Since it was a Sunday, after they checked out, the pair went for a stroll together. They spent the whole day together but parted ways in the early evening, their separate lives calling them back. However, contact information was obviously exchanged, and they swore to keep in daily contact until the next time that they could meet up in person. The two went home feeling happier than they had ever been. They knew that they had stumbled upon something special.

Oh, and it totally goes without saying that they were eternally grateful to Kairi for her meddling.

- Fin -