Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, at all. I'm writing purely for fun… and hopefully to help my writing skills.

Warning: hints at shounen-ai but that about it… I think. I guess spoilers - and I changed around the game a little.

Pairing: Riku/Sora?

"The Changing of the Heart"

I don't know how I got in. I don't even remember coming…. To make matters worse I don't really even know where here is. But it doesn't matter, not really.

He's here.

I take a step towards the bed; the bed that he sleeps in so peacefully. One of his arms is thrown above his head the other tucked beneath his cheek, and the sheets are tangled around his legs. My lips curl up in a bitter smirk. I'm not surprised to see this. I know that he sleeps like this… he is, after all, my best friend -- I think.

I creep closer to the bed, staring intently at him. The closer I get I noticed the crease in his brow -- the kind he always gets when he's worried. But what could he be worried about? I saw him. He made friends with those other guys…. Those -- those creatures; what, one was a duck and the other -- some accident? Was I not good enough anymore?

I glared at his sleeping form, but it's hard to stay mad at him for long…. I've never really had the heart to. Not really. He looks so innocent… so child-like that I only want to cradle him in my arms -- to protect him. But, no, he won't let me do that, will he? He proved that this afternoon. Maybe Maleficent was right.

A growl emitted from my throat. I could take care of him! I could! He would have nothing to worry about ever again -- if only he'd let me….

My gaze softens as I look at him. The single candlelight illuminates his face with an angelic light. I step closer, reaching out tentatively to brush a strand of his light brown hair from his face.

"Ri…ku…" His voice is soft as he whispers my name. I shiver; it's powerful coming from his lips - my name. So he knows when I'm near, does he? A truer smile tug at my lips. It's an overwhelming feeling. Maybe that witch was wrong. I mean, Sora's always been friendly……. with everyone. When Kairi came he was the first to talk to her, the first to invite her to play with us (I hadn't wanted her to come at all). So it could be possible that he again was just being friendly, right?

I sat on the edge of the bed slowly as not to wake him with the sudden weight change. He mumbled softly in his sleep, turning completely on his side to face me. He smiled softly, "Ri … ku…. go… find…and… then…." He nuzzled the pillow beneath his head and snaked his hand out suddenly clasping mine; my eyes widened.

Was he awake?

No… I watched in terrified silence as his chest rose and fell with complete evenness of deep slumber. I noted too that his former expression of worry has ebbed off somewhat.

My eyes narrowed, oddly because there's a tingling in my hand. At first I excused it as it had fallen asleep due to the constant squeezing of Sora's hand. But that didn't explain why the sensation followed up my arm, through my shoulder and down my spine.

I sat for a long time wondering and watching the peaceful expression of my friend's features. I didn't fully understand…. But this feeling had originated when he asked where Kairi was this afternoon… I had assumed it was just friendly jealousy on my part… From the beginning I did feel that Kairi was stealing my best friend…. But when Maleficent had shown me, through the window, Sora with all his little friends he had made, none of them really bugged me until that tall, skinny one -- with the long shaggy brown hair strutted up to him to talk, it struck again. The way he talked and glanced at Sora -- I had to exercise much control not to storm in the room and strangle him. I saw green, pure and simple. I wanted to make sure he never talked to Sora again.

So what did that mean? What did it mean, Sora? I asked in my head; Sora always had a way with figuring out other people's feelings.

Again I found my fingers reaching to brush back his chocolate-y colored locks. A smile spread across his features suddenly, and through a sudden impulse I leaned down and kissed his cheek. My lips only barely caressed his skin, softer than I thought was humanly possible.

He let out a sigh.

I wanted something more. For him to wake up and kiss me back? I didn't know.

I stood abruptly -- this was getting me nowhere, I had to get back to that witch; I'd made a promise after all… but perhaps I could change my goal. As I walked to the door to leave, I glanced back with a smirk on my lips. Sora's hand was reached out for me, his throat uttering a low whine, and his face screwed up with desperation.

"Riku!" He almost shouted my name, and his voice broken, uneven with sleep.

I put my hand on the doorknob, turning and pushing. I didn't look back; but I knew his hand fell limp, when I passed through the threshold (from the soft thud).

~owari~

Hmmm, well, that's interesting, ne?

Just felt the need to write it. I really don't think it came out quite the way I had imagined it though, unfortunately.

Clarification?

Riku comes to look at Sora, who's sleeping, after they first run into one another in Traverse Town.

He's a confused little boy, but he understands he feels something that can't be explained. (And that Sora knows when he's near.) Oh, by the way I threw in the little tid bit about Leon hitting on Sora. (He SO does, ne? At least I think so.) So Riku thinks maybe he'll decide to get Sora back from his stupid new friends instead of looking for Kairi; he's pretty sure he can make Sora forget about Kairi anyway. (Or at least that's what Riku told me to inform you.)