Yeah, yeah, crappy title, I know, shut up. :P

I wrote this today (Dec 24, 2008) to celebrate Christmas (lol obviously xD). It takes place after the events of Kingdom Hearts II, assuming that KHII takes place in the summer and their new adventure, whatever it is, doesn't happen until the following year. Just go with me, ok? lol
Anyway, here it is. ^^
Enjoy! And don't forget to review, yes? [winks]

Christmas had come to the Destiny Islands and, since the tropical paradise was no place for a winter wonderland, the residents had mostly moved up into the mountain chalets and lodges. A year after their fateful disappearance from their little island getaway, Sora, Riku, and Kairi were also there, enjoying a peaceful Christmas together with their families.

At first the residents of the islands didn't know what to think. Sora's parents had practically dissolved around him for joy; Riku's had wanted to take him to a hospital before he convinced them that he was fine. It was a wonderful feeling, being home at last after so long wandering the worlds in an endless battle, and Sora in particular was enjoying the warm embraces of his parents.

Riku, though, seemed distant and cool, aloof to his parents' advances. They did their best to regain the warmth that had been there before, but their son didn't seem to want it. He was, in essence, all that he had been, but something had shattered the core of his being, turning him cold and perhaps even bitter. He wandered a lot, with or without company, and it was rare to see him alone with anyone other than Sora and Kairi. But then, as Christmas drew closer, he began to reject even that casual companionship.

"I just don't know what to do," his mother murmured, watching her son drift off through the snow from the back window of their rented lodge. There was a tremor in her voice that Sora knew was concealing tears. "I just want my Riku back…"

Sora looked away; he knew why Riku was so distant these days, or so he thought. After so long immersed in Darkness it must be hard to come back to the Light. And Xehanort… was he still there, locked deep within Riku's heart, waiting for the day he could burst free and take command once more? It was a fearful subject none of them wanted to talk about or even contemplate. The Keyblade Master made a decision at that moment, as he watched Riku's fading shadow from the window of the lodge, and started out into the snow to follow his best friend. He didn't get far, however, before a feminine voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Hey, wait!" Kairi called, darting off the icy path to join Sora in the snow. They'd been spending a lot more time together since Roxas and Namine had rejoined with their hearts, even more so than they had on the island. Sora smiled and felt Roxas smiling as well; Kairi's returning expression had a hint of Namine in it's depths.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Riku wandered off again," Sora sighed, glancing into the forest where the lone set of tracks disappeared into the trees. "I'm going to find him and figure out what's up with him."

Kairi shook her head, watching the snow-covered trees pensively. "No, I don't think you should."

"But if Xehanort's bothering him again--" Sora protested, gesturing wildly toward where he supposed Riku had gone.

"Let me go instead," The red-headed Keyblade wielder put a finger over his lips, effectively silencing him. "I get the feeling you wouldn't be too helpful here…. Considering your history." She winked and Sora sighed, shrugging and relenting. Although he and Riku had made up and were definitely friends again, there was a certain gap even between them that had been forged by their animosity a year previous.

"Be careful," he said as she moved past him toward the forest. "I know he wouldn't hurt you but if it is Xehanort… And you're…."

"Don't worry about me," she called over her shoulder before disappearing into the forest. "I can handle it."

Riku was alone in the forest, completely surrounded by silence and snow. He knew the others were worried, he knew his mother sometimes cried at night, and it hurt a little to leave them as he did, but he had to. He knew Sora thought Xehanort was stirring; untrue as it was, this suited Riku just fine. It was better than hurting either Sora or Kairi more than he already had. First Xehanort had destroyed his concept of right and wrong and set him on a path to Darkness, then he had wandered, always fighting, for a full year to help Sora wake up. And finally he had been forced to abandon them again, wearing the guise of Xehanort's Heartless and drawing on the very power he fought in order to overthrow Organization XIII. This wasn't the life he wanted for himself; he had never wanted any of it. And yet…. Some good had come from it all. He saw now what meant the most to him, and what he wanted to protect with all the power at his command. His home, his friends, Sora…. Kairi. At the thought of this one girl his heart lifted for an instant. She was so beautiful surrounded by snow or sand; her every movement was a dance and her voice music. He had known since their return that he loved her, but for the sake of Sora, Roxas, Namine, and even Kairi herself, he had remained distant. It was obvious that Sora and Kairi had feelings for each other, after all. They spent their days together, laughing and talking. It was something Riku felt he didn't deserve and so he had drifted away, letting the gap between the trio grow wider and wider until eventually he had come to rest here, on this rocky outcrop on a snowy mountain, sitting alone with his legs dangling into the abyss of trees and ice below. He thought he had pushed them far enough away that they wouldn't come after him, so he wasn't prepared when the voice of an angel pierced his solitude.

"I said 'hi', numbskull." She laughed, sitting down next to him as if she had walked through the dark corridors to appear at his side.

"Oh, Kairi," he turned, surprised. "I didn't hear you…"

"That's obvious." She replied. "What's up? We don't see you in the village anymore."

By village she meant both their own little seaside town and the 'village' of lodges and chalets the residents of the Destiny Islands had claimed as their own.

He shrugged, watching the steel grey clouds. "I prefer to be out here."

"That's stupid," she said bluntly, looking out over the forest. "It's Christmas; don't you want to be with your family?"

"Not particularly." He replied. "They're still convinced I need to see a shrink."

"Well with the way you've been acting I'm not surprised." She drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her cheek on her knees as she looked at the silver-haired Keyblade wielder curiously.

"What's really going on here?" She asked softly. "You're not avoiding everyone because your parents want to commit you…." A smile touched his lips, pale from the cold. "…And I know it's not Xehanort."

He was silent for a long moment.

"Come on… you know you can tell me anything, right?"
"Not this," His silky silver mane glinted like frost in the winter sunlight.

"Why not?" She exclaimed, lifting her head. "What's holding you back?"

"It's nothing," he gazed unseeing at the snowcapped trees, wishing for the first time that she would just go away before he said something he would later regret.

"No it's not," She maintained adamantly, turning her whole body to face him. "You're upset about something, so tell me what it is!"

"Kairi, please," he stood and turned back into the forest, trying to escape as he had since their return. "Just drop it."

"I won't!" She got up and followed him.

"I don't want to hurt anyone anymore," He said into the trees as he crunched through the heavy snowfall.

"What do you mean?" She asked vehemently. "What's going on with you?"

"I love you," He said suddenly, cutting off anything else that she might have said. Silence gripped them, leaving the red tinge that touched both their faces to speak for them as they halted and stood under the evergreens.

"What?" Kairi whispered after a long moment.

"I didn't want to tell you…" Riku replied. "I knew that if I did I'd only cause confusion and pain. I've had enough of that."
"So you let yourself hurt in silence," she murmured, more to herself than her friend. "Rather than go to anyone for help."

He just stood there, agreeing with every word. It was better this way.

"This is so….So like you…"

Riku glanced over his shoulder to see that her trembling voice was accompanied by tears running freely down her pink cheeks. Guilt gripped him and he started off into the forest again.

"No!" Suddenly Kairi was just behind him, gripping his hand and pulling him to a stop again. "Don't go. Please… just don't."

"It's better this way," He replied, a hint of bitterness creeping into his low voice. "You're happy with Sora and I can't get in the way of that. My feelings don't matter."
"Don't say that!" she cried. "You don't know that!"

"What's not to know?" He turned back to her, a little annoyed, and was shocked to suddenly find her lips pressed against his. Unable to resist this part of his most heartfelt dreams, he relaxed and they stayed like that for a while, locked in a warm embrace even after their lips parted.

"We can't…" he whispered after a moment, almost afraid to let go. His head rested on hers as she buried her face into his chest and her sad smile was, at that moment, a precious jewel.

"Why not?" She looked up, locking his aqua gaze with her own emerald one. "Sora doesn't mind…."
"But… you two are…?" Riku stumbled over his words, not quite understanding and fearing to hope.

She shook her head and pressed her cheek to his chest again. "We spend so much time together for Roxas and Namine. But in the end…. I love you too."

"What?" His breath caught in his chest and he stared at her, struck dumb. When his mind started working again he asked, "Since when?"
"Since last summer, when I was with Namine and you came to fight off Saix. Even though you were… you know… I knew it was you and then I just…" She sighed peacefully. "I just knew."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly, hugging her close.

"You're one to talk," she laughed, then paused. "Because I thought you didn't want anything to do with us. You were so distant…. I didn't think you'd return my feelings."

"Ok, one last question." He smiled, catching her heart as he had so many times since their adventure in The World That Never Was. "Why not Sora?"

She shrugged. "Sora's great and all but he's just not… and you're…." she shook her head, unable to put it into words. "Just believe me when I say I love you, ok?"

"Ok," he agreed.

"So can we go back now?" she asked, pulling away but keeping a firm grasp on his hand.

Riku hadn't realized how dark it was getting or that it was now the moon rather than the sunset that lit the world. The pale silver light was being dimmed by a thick bank of clouds that spoke of coming darkness and Riku nodded. "Yeah, we should get going."

Just before they got to village, the clouds darkened the moon and a thin dusting of white flakes began to drift down, catching in Riku's silver hair and on Kairi's jacket.

"Look," She said, pointing up at the sky. "It's snowing!"

"Just for us," He agreed, smiling that enchanting smile she loved so much.

At the edge of the forest they paused and shared a Christmas kiss, just inside the shadows of the woods.

"Well it's about time!" Sora cried from the open back door of Riku's cabin. He was grinning and Riku knew in that instant that Kairi had long since told him everything.

"You could have told me he knew," he said, letting her lead him through the snow toward his temporary home.

"I could have," She agreed, "But that would have taken all the fun out of seeing your reaction."

The spike-haired teen darted forward but stopped when a sudden and unexpected snowball nailed him in the face. Spluttering and wiping snow from his face, he was barely prepared for a second one, which he dodged by mere inches. Riku was already packing a third, crouched low and grinning. Thus was begun a snowball fight that eventually drew in all their friends from the village, who were glad to see Riku in high spirits once more, but didn't speak of it.

Their Christmas that year was bright and full of laughter, brought into being by the once-secret love shared by war-weary children.