Falling, falling…the darkness is coming.
Reached up; nothing to hold, to stop himself from plunging down.
Tried to cry out, not a sound.
Choking, gasping, trying to breathe…
Dying.
Riku…help me.
Cerulean eyes flew open, pupils dilated in night's embrace. Soft, damp cocoa locks plastered to bronzed skin. A drop of life's ruby fluid quivering on lush peachy lips.
Sora sat up, gingerly tracing his lower lip with his tongue. In his nightmare, he had bitten himself. The crimson liquid tasted like the metal blade of a deadly sword. He was breathing heavily, trying to rid himself of that horrid, suffocating feeling.
Darkness.
Sora threw his bedroom window open. The moon was obscured by thick grey clouds. A harsh wind, howling and moaning, slammed into his face. A storm. Sora let the angry wind bite his cheeks. He closed his eyes, thinking…
He'd defeated Xemnas. He was supposed to be strong. But he wasn't. He was weak.
Weak without him.
He needed those aqua eyes, those impossibly silky silver locks, that warm embrace. He needed all of that, so that the bad dreams would go away; so that he would be strong.
Sora slammed the windows shut and tried to return to sleep.
Tap, tap.
Another dream? No; he was not asleep.
Tap, tap.
It was real.
Let me in, the sounds said.
Sora sat up.
Riku was tapping on his window. Let me in, Sora, the older boy mouthed. Bewildered, Sora opened the windows as Riku climbed through, and shut them behind him.
"W-what are you doing here?" Sora asked. "Not that I'm not glad to see you…or anything…"
"Couldn't sleep."
"So…you'd come deprive me of mine, as well? I can sue you for that."
"No, you silly. And there isn't a lawyer in the world who'd take me to court for that."
"Hmm. Offer me a good explanation then."
Riku wrapped his arms around Sora. "Because I missed you." Riku laughed softly as a blush crept over Sora's tan cheeks. "I…I guess I missed you, too," the younger replied, nuzzling into Riku's chest.
Sora did not have any more nightmares that night.
But what Riku didn't tell him…was that he needed his sweet sky to chase away all his nightmares. And he slept well, too.