That Left Unsaid

Sora walked out of the shack and looked out into the sunset, nostalgia and warmth written across his face. He stepped out across the sand and climbed the ladder leading to the bridge. "I'm really home." He muttered, unable to believe that his journey to return truly came to fruition. It'd been a long journey and he'd been gone for years. But for the first time outside of a dream or a memory, Sora was able to feel the rays of the sun and the ocean breeze on his skin again. He was over joyed. The young man walked up to the crooked tree on the large landing attached to the bridge, memories flooding his every second. He reminisced on the days long past when Riku, Kairi, and he would talk about leaving and exploring the other worlds.

Sora lifted himself onto the tree and closed his eyes. He back tracked his adventure and all the hardships he encountered. The precious friends he made and the lives he saved. His reunion with Riku and Kairi; how happy this made him. He searched so long for a way to get back to Kairi, and even longer to find Riku. Yet…their reunions had opened new worlds of possibility through newly realized emotions. When Sora saw Riku again, his heart felt heavy and his knees grew weak. He really had searched for such a long time. He cried at Riku's feet and he couldn't even understand why. Then, after they'd beaten Xemnas for the final time and got trapped in the realm of darkness, Riku put the situation in a new perspective.

"Sora, I'm sorry" Riku said as he was helped through the beach and to the tide line. He couldn't do much walking on his own after Xemnas broke his leg. "I messed up, I left you alone…I'm the worst kind of person"

Sora looked at Riku with a slight frown. "Hey, come on Riku. It's not your fault!" He argued as he sat the other near the water, joining him after gaining his balance. "You fell victim to the darkness in your heart! Ansem left a scar that couldn't be so easily healed! It's okay that you couldn't come to find me right away"

Riku looked down into the sand, guilt and hurt in his eyes. He knew that what Sora said wasn't all true. He felt ashamed for letting his feelings get in the way of helping out his dear friend. "Sora I" Riku paused. His eyes became watery and his heart began to pound. He hoped so badly that the sound of the waves would cover up the sound.

He swiftly turned his head to look at Sora, and to his surprise Sora was already looking at him with a light smile. And oh that smile. How Riku loved that smile. It never failed to send his heart aflutter; he could just stare for hours if Sora would let him. He clenched his fist in the sand and took a deep breath.

"Sora I..I want to tell you something. I was unsure before and that's part of the reason I stayed away for so long." He took another second to gaze into those deep blue eyes which captured the eerie and unsettling glow of the dark ocean.

"What is it Riku?" Sora assured. "You know you can tell me anything. You're my best friend!" His smile widened to a grin.

"When you came to me in the world that never was, and you cried at my feet, I was so happy! You'd finally come back to me and there you were, crying for my sake. I thought that maybe you had finally understood my feelings, and that maybe once we got back I'd finally have a chance!" Riku noticed the perplexed expression Sora was giving.

"I mean I understand that you like Kairi and all, don't get me wrong! I respect that, but I can't say I wouldn't be happy if you looked at me the way you look at her."

Sora opened his eyes and sighed. He couldn't believe Riku had felt this way all along and he had never even noticed! It was obvious to him that he could be a little scatterbrained at times, but never oblivious. "Riku must have been Sora hurt back then." Sora thought to himself. "And what he said about me and Kairi.."

Sora was so unsure about how he felt. He'd been so preoccupied with the fight against the organization, saving the other worlds, and helping others with their problems that he didn't have a single second to think about his own feelings.

Riku's words echoed through Sora's head. He didn't even know if he felt that way about her. Of course she was a very pretty girl, but could he see her in that light?

"Maybe when we were younger, sure, but it's been almost two years since I've seen her and she's changed so much. We both have! There isn't much of a common ground anymore right?" He murmured to himself. "We've both been living completely different lives. And I'm sure she might have found someone else in the time we were gone! Maybe Tidus or Wakka?"

Sora busted out into laughter at the thought of those two guys ever having girlfriends. "They were more suited for each other than anything!" He chuckled. He tried to gain his composure, but to no avail. He began laughing so hard that he had to wipe the tears from his eyes.

He took a deep breath and smiled once more as he watched the silhouetted birds fly across the backdrop of the sun while it slowly crept down the horizon. His peaceful moment was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. He had company. Sora turned his head to get a good look at whoever it was about to join him. It was Kairi. No surprise there he thought to himself. They hadn't really gotten the chance to speak much since his return, her still being in school and all.

"Sora!"