It was as if the wind had captured the albino's breath the moment he laid eyes on the figure laying on the floor. He could see nothing but red; nothing but puddles of ruby surrounding the body of his best friend. He stood there frozen in fear as his mind screamed for him to move and help Sora. He needed to tend to the brunet's wounds and yet there he stood, paralyzed at the worst moment.

"R-Riku..." the hoarse whisper snapped him out of his stupor and sent his body crashing down beside the wounded man, his arms cradling him gently.

"Sora, where does it hurt?" Riku asked, aquamarine eyes refusing to look directly into deep blue. He received no answer, only a gentle caress of his cheek from the bloody hand of his friend.

"Riku...I need you to take care of Kairi."

The sentence felt like a dagger plunging deeper and deeper into his body with each word; a dagger that was first stabbed into him the day Sora got married to Kairi.

"I won't have to. You're going to be okay. You hear me?" He clasped his fingers over the bloody hand and held it to his cheek, tears starting to form in the albino's eyes from the false hope he was giving Sora and himself.

"Riku please..."

"No! You're going to be Just Fine! You hear me!? You cannot die like this! I won't allow it!" tear filled eyes finally connected with Sora's, revealing all of the pain and sorrow to Sora, "You just can't...not yet. Sora you're my best friend. I need you. I...I love you."

He felt sickened by the desperation in his voice as he confessed his secret love for the boy he had adored since they were children. He found it silly to hope that his confession would suddenly bring Sora away from the brink of death and loathed himself for waiting until now to finally tell Sora his feelings.

"...I love you too." The smile on the brunet's face told Riku all; all about how Sora didn't quite understand what he had meant and didn't know that he loved him romantically, but as the albino opened his mouth to correct his best friend he watched the light leave his eyes once and for all.

The world stopped.

There was nothing but the lifeless body in his arms and him. He was alone once again and felt the darkness slowly drag him down into their never ending pools.

There was no Sora to help him out anymore, but he held on to his last words as a way to anchor himself to this world, this terribly cruel world that had taken the most precious thing away from him.
'I love you too'. Four words that had meant something different to Sora, but meant everything to Riku.