Notes: Switching it up :P

Pairings: Sora/Riku (most the rest of these are vague and/or onesided and/or onetime hookups), Riku/Kairi, Sora/Kadaj (:D), Kadaj/Cloud (not really...) I'll add as I randomly throw people together.

Warnings: Male/male relationships, sexual themes, more stuff I'll probably write later :P

enjoy!

Ch. 1

The whole island (or at least the high school) was abuzz with gossip and flat out shock when the might-as-well-be-married-to-Sora Kairi asked Riku out on a date.

"After half a decade of waiting for you to grow some balls and make a move I have decided to take some initiative so what do you say? Date?" The redhead propped her fists on her hips and smirked as Riku floundered for a moment at the abrupt question.

Of course, everyone in the whole school knew what his answer would be. Riku and Sora were infamous in the high school for their shared friendship of Kairi and their manly need to fight over who gets to date her. It wasn't terribly surprising that Kairi had been the one to ask instead of one of the boys who took very little seriously but valued their friendship with Kairi. What was surprising was that Kairi had asked out RIKU.

It was generally assumed that Kairi and Sora were soul mates as the two were completely adorable and Riku had always seemed the odd one out. In fact, Riku almost always seemed like the odd one out. This was most likely because he has the complexion of an albino despite the fact that he lives on a (very sunny, very tropical) island. It is almost creepy how the boy fails to tan and fails to even burn in the sun. Scratch that. It is VERY creepy. Rumors of a vampire nature had circulated throughout his childhood among other (less popular) rumors of alien lineage.

Riku never got too much scorn for it though. He was, after all, extremely attractive and a nice-enough person to be around. Anyone Sora found worthy to be one of his closest friends was certainly a person one wouldn't want to mess with and Riku was Sora's oldest and dearest friend. It was pretty well understood that though they teased, neither of the boys would make a move on Kairi as this might upset the foundation of their long-lasting trio. For the most part is was assumed that Kairi and Sora were already dating.

So it was eyebrow-raising to say the least when the Kairi and Riku starting going steady.

On their first date, they decided they wouldn't tell Sora just yet. It seemed logical to see if things would work out first. Riku and Kairi had been friends since childhood so they knew that they get along well. They didn't hang out often without Sora and they had certainly never done anything like kissing or hand-holding with each other before. All that was new territory.

They went to the movies (it was fun. There was an awkward bit when they weren't sure if they should hold hands and another weird moment when they dodged being seen by Tidus) and after the date they kissed (Which was…odd but apparently satisfactory as they decided they should continue this and break the news to Sora tomorrow.)

"You sure this is going to be okay?" Riku asked worried that he would hurt Sora's feelings with the news.

"I have a feeling he'll be perfectly fine." Kairi replied. They were walking hand-in-hand on their way to Kairi's place to drop her off for the night.

"But…why me? I mean everyone thought you liked Sora."

Kairi scrunched her nose, "Not really, he's like my brother."

"But I'm not?"

"You're…" Kairi shrugged, "You're, Ya'know, attractive."

"Sora's attractive."

Kairi blinked up at the tall boy, "What?"

"I mean, not to me, but he is generally thought of as attractive."

"Good." Kairi decided smiling, "With me out of the picture maybe he can find his own little special someone."

They walked in silence for a bit.

"You know, I never thought about it before but maybe Sora hasn't dated other people because of the possibility that I would get together with him...or he thought it would hurt my feelings if he found someone else. Maybe now he can explore a little. I think it would be good for him."

"You don't think he'll be heartbroken."

Kairi smiled a little secretly, "Honestly I don't think he liked me that much." She shrugged, "I'm sure we have nothing to worry about."

They did, in fact, have nothing to worry about. Sora was all smiles and squeals when they told him the news and gave them both congratulatory hugs. Riku tried to find signs that the brunet was being deceitful and hiding how he really felt but Sora seemed as honest as could be.

"I will miss fighting over her though." He joked playfully and that was the only hint Riku got.

Sora was, of course, more upset than he was letting on. He had assumed things would end up this way but was a little disappointed. Perhaps not for the reasons one would expect.

A couple of weeks into the relationship things were progressing nicely. Slowly but nicely. Very slowly in fact. Kairi was getting a little irritated that Riku was taking things so slow with her. They had participated in a little tongue-play after Kairi's urging but failed to make it anywhere past that. There seemed to be something in the way. A big bad block of GUILT.

Kairi wasn't concerned. She knew Sora really was okay with their relationship but Riku seemed to have trouble accepting this.

"I can't shake the feeling that I did him wrong. Like, I feel like I stole you from him and he's pretending not to be upset by it. You know how Sora can be. He hides his feeling when he thinks they'll get in the way of other's happiness." Riku fiddled with the white carpet of Kairi's overly pink bedroom.

"Yeah," Kairi snorted, "but not very well."

It's true; Sora had always been a bad liar.

Kairi punched Riku in the arm when he started to look like he was thinking too hard.

"Look, why don't you two hang out. Just the two of you. Being boys. That may help you understand that he really is okay with this."

"…Yeah. That sounds like a good idea." He smiled, "Yeah! Okay. Thanks Kai."

And with a chaste kiss on the Kairi's cheek, he was gone.

"I didn't mean now." Kairi grumbled.

It was a little past sundown when Riku got a hold of Sora.

"Hey." He said hanging on the window ledge of Sora's bedroom, as he didn't want to wake Sora's mom up.

Sora smiled, "What's up Riku?" He asked inching his constantly-open-window up a little higher so Riku could climb into the room if he wanted. He apparently had no interest in this because he continued to hang there.

"Wanna hang out?"

"Now?" Sora glanced around as if he would find his mom in the doorway.

Riku smiled, "Of course now." He stuck his tongue out and dropped from the window landing deftly on his feet. Sora grinned and hopped out after him.

"Race ya." Riku said immediately taking off like a dart. He didn't even have to explain where they were going. Sora knew and kept up with him stride for stride all the way to the paopu tree.

They collapsed against the trunk enjoying how the cool night air burned their gasping lungs. Even after they caught their breath, they sat in silence.

The ocean, the wind, the sand, the slight creek of the tree.

"Sora?"

"Hmmm?"

But Riku didn't know what to say so he fell back into the silence and occupied his mind with the island noises.

It was Sora who continued the conversation, "Kairi says you two are having trouble."

Riku felt his face warm. It was embarrassing to know Kairi talked to him about things like that. "Yeah…I guess we are."

Sora sighed, "Look, I'm really not upset about the situation. I so glad Kairi has found someone to be with and I'm glad you two are happy together. There's just…this one…I mean…I really didn't want to tell you this way…under these circumstances." He shook his head as if trying to undo the mumbo-jumbo that had just escaped his lips, "I'm over-thinking it."

"What? Sora over-thinking? Thinking is a task for you, Bud. Over thinking! Now that's just impossible."

Sora shoved his friend playfully and Riku shoved back. It went like that until the fell to the ground wrestling. Riku pinned Sora down but Sora paused there and made no move to try to overtake the older boy. This put Riku in an awkward situation where he was crouched over the other boy trying to figure out if he should move or not. Sora was looking rather thoughtful, which made Riku even more uncomfortable. He made to roll off but Sora spoke and Riku froze.

"I'm gay Riku."

He suddenly became a hundred times more aware of his current position over the smaller boy. His hands were around Sora's wrists in a light grip and his knees were on either side of the other boy's slender hips. He rolled off and lay down next to his best friend in the cold sand.

Another moment of silence passed before Riku found he could voice something.

"How…do you know?" This felt like an incredibly lame question but it was the only one Riku managed to voice out of the hundreds banging around in his head.

Riku hadn't realized how tense Sora had been until he said those words and felt Sora relax beside him. Sora chuckled. The sound was light against the wind, "Same way you know you're straight I'd think."

Riku smiled a little, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

More silence. The previous sounds of natures were now joined with the breath of his friend beside him. Still a little quick from the tussle earlier.

"How long have you known?"

Sora tucked his hands behind his head then attempted a shrug which turned out awkward but readable, "Well…I always kinda preferred boys whether I realized it or not but…I guess I really knew last year."

"Kairi knows?"

"Yeah."

"I feel like an awful friend."

Sora punched him in the arm.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"Being stupid."

Riku rolled his eyes and rubbed his arm but inwardly he was smiling because he knew he was forgiven for not knowing about his best friend's secret life for a whole year.

"So anyway," Sora said, "There was never a chance for me and Kairi. You don't have to worry about that."

Sora rolled over so he was on his stomach and propped himself up on his forearms so he could look over and see Riku's face (so pale it was practically glowing in the moonlight.) "So, stop worrying and show her how special she is. I may not be interested in her but if you fail to make her happy, I may have to intervene. She is my best friend after all."

"Okay." Riku answered gazing into the steady blue of the other boy's eyes amazed at how far apart they must have grown for Sora to be able to keep this new lifestyle a secret from him.

Riku wandered home hands in his pockets thinking over his conversation with Sora. He realized that if he didn't do anything he may drift away from the boy for good. They had both hit pivotal points in their life. Riku with (his first) girlfriend and Sora with his new lifestyle. If they continued handling their friendship as they had in the past (all fun and games; no seriousness) they may become too different to remain friends.

Next Chapter: Sora and Riku discuss the new developments of their lives.