The clouds shimmered an intense orange as the sun set behind them, and the deep blue waves crashed against the clean white sand as the tide drew nearer and nearer to shore. Kairi was still frolicking in the sea, submerging and surfacing and drifting peacefully amongst the foam.
Sora had been watching her up until this point, when the auburn-haired enchantress rose onto her thin, white legs and strode towards the island. She shivered as the wind caressed her wet, glistening skin, and droplets of water ran down her athletic frame. Sora watched her with eager interest, as she pulled a towel around her shoulders with her back to him, and dropped her soaking bikini bottoms.

He'd been watching her in secret for months now, as Kairi had taken to coming to the sea alone at sunset. He'd sat and watched at the top of the tree house, not being able to draw his eyes, or move a single muscle, until she'd dressed and returned home. And every day that Sora followed Kairi and witnessed her daily ritual, he'd grow more and more aware of actually how beautiful she was. He knew now what he'd been fighting for, what had kept him alive when all had seemed lost. What had kept his heart from being consumed by the darkness that had enveloped so many he had once known. And on this evening, an evening unlike any other, Sora had come to realise that he was in love.

"What are you doing?"

Sora yelped almost fell out of the window as a heavy hand plummeted onto his shoulder. A deep voice and a dark shadow filled the room, and made his heart beat double-time. As Sora regained balance and strode from the window praying that Kairi hadn't seen him, he came face to face with Riku.

"How long have you been standing there?" a strangled whisper issued from Sora's lips.
Riku chuckled and folded his arms, leaning against the thick wooden walls of the room. "Long enough to understand that you're a pervert." He playfully jabbed Sora in the ribs with his gloved finger. Sora swatted his hand away.
"I-I'm not a pervert. I was just… uh…." Sora's sparkling azure eyes flickered animatedly searching for a lie. "…E-enjoying the… sunset!" He linked his fingers behind his head and smiled at his own cunning improvisation. Riku, however, wasn't buying it.
"Not for a second, Sora," Riku raised his eyebrows and strode over to the window, and leant against the frame. His gaze drifted out towards the ocean, and to the sunset, and down to Kairi, who had by now settled herself on top of her beach towel to bask in the last few minutes of the sunset under the now purple sky. Riku smiled and cleared his throat.

"If by 'sunset', you mean 'Kairi', then without a doubt I understand. She really is amazing."
The corner of Sora's eye twitched nervously. Was Riku coming onto his woman!? "Yeah…" Sora muttered. "…amazing."
Riku's powerful green eyes scanned Sora thoroughly. He strode over to Sora, and placed his hand upon the small boy's heart. Suddenly an alien feeling washed over him. It was strong, and warm, but not unpleasant. It seemed like sadness and anger and depression and envy and compassion and longing and joy all at once. Riku felt his friend's heart thud a thousand times' faster than his own, and was able to feel what his own heart had been incapable of for so long. He could feel Sora's love: it was so strong that it consumed Riku, and gave him more strength than the darkness he had once embraced could ever give him. And as he let go of Sora, and bowed his head, the unexpected happened. The feeling stayed.

It drifted through his every crevice, flowed in with blood and lingered around his heart. He couldn't control it, no matter how much he wished to suppress it. So this was what it felt like to contain emotion. It was more than he could ever have dreamed of; it washed everything away. Now all he could hear was the rapid ba-thump within his chest, and all he could think about was… was…

"Sora," Riku looked up as he addressed his friend. Sora looked into his eyes, trying to study them, discover what Riku was hiding. And, hesitantly, he lifted his arm and slowly placed his hand upon Riku's heart, and let his fingers uncurl. At once Riku placed a firm hand upon Sora's before he could snatch it away, and pulled him closer and closer, until Sora was gazing directly up into those startling green eyes.
"Hi, Riku…"

The sun behind them had almost completely disappeared, but in the darkness of the sky there was a final, dazzling flash of light, and that is the moment when neither of them could take it any longer. Riku ran his fingers through Sora's brilliant hair and teased at the ends, as he wrapped his lips around the boy's. And they stood there, locked in a passionate kiss, until the final rays of sun had been obliterated by the stars. And then they sunk down to the floor, and Sora laid his head against Riku's chest, and felt that strong feeling engulf him. Silent tears trickled down his cheek as he drifted off to sleep to the rhythm of the silver-haired boy's heart, and he let his own beat in time.

He loved Kairi, as did Riku. And maybe what had just happened was simply because of their strong feelings for her. Confusion was not uncommon, but it was complicated. And right then, Sora didn't care for complication. He cared for simplicity, and what was simple was the scene around him. Tomorrow he would wake alone in the tree house, and his eyes would slowly open to those of the woman he loved. And he'd tell her that he loved her, and he'd be happy. But the man he loved would remain a secret, a memory.

But that time would come later on. At that moment, all he had was the moon, the stars, Riku, and his love. The moment was enough to last a lifetime, past the darkness and into the light. He'd hold onto this memory, this feeling, this power. And whatever lay beyond this morning is a little later on. Because now… he had the rest of the darkness to share with Riku.