Where the Land and Sky Meet
The beach was a special place for him. Riku knew this. He could often find Sora at the beach even when no one else was there. If he couldn't find Sora anywhere else, he'd find Sora on the sand, staring out to sea as though waiting to see a ship coming toward him. As if he were waiting.
Sometimes Sora came to the beach even when it rained. He's stand in the water and Riku wouldn't be able to tell where Sora was crying and where the rain was gliding across his perfectly tanned skin.
No one knew Sora like Riku knew Sora. Riku sometimes would just watch Sora for hours, playing in the sand with his feet and his fingers. He'd wiggle his toes and laugh at the simplicity of it all. The tide would come up and get him wet and Sora would giggle uncontrollably at the cold water soaking his pants.
Sora probably never even noticed Riku watching him from a distance... or even up close. His favorite side of Sora was the one that stood in the very shallows, the water barely too his ankles, who seemed to be dreaming as he watched the horizon. The only thing he could think to explain the strange but beautiful scene was that Sora was in love.
In love with who? Well to say he was in love with the sea would be one thing but Riku couldn't just see it as that. It had been Kairi herself who told him. Told him that all their names had a meaning.
Sora was the sky. Oh, was he the sky. Big blue eyes and the carefree nature of an easy going spring breeze. If he wanted to, he could fly.
Riku was the land. Strong and sturdy. Built to last. The support for his friends, even when he doubted it. Even when his heart became weak, he supported Sora and was the thought that helped him keep fighting.
Kairi. Kai - the sea. Riku thought hard about it and couldn't think of something deep for her... well.. Not very deep. The sea was dark and full of mysteries, kind of like Kairi and the way she never told Riku about her secret love for Sora.
So, watching Sora stand in the water and get that glassy puppy love look in his eyes, all Riku could decide was that Sora was in love with Kairi. His mind just worked that way. Why? Because Riku loved Sora too and therefore was a jealous piece of land.
So on this particular day, Riku wasn't going to just stand back and watch Sora. He was going to confront Sora about his feelings for Kairi.
"Sora!" Riku called out. Sora turned around, the water's path getting messed up again as he changed positions.
"Hey, Riku." He smiled. He walked onto the sand and sat down before dusting off his hands. Riku quickly took the spot beside him. They sat in silence, watching the waves roll in and out.
"Sora, do you love Kairi?" Riku finally managed to blurt it out. He fixed his gaze on the horizon so he wouldn't have to look at Sora.
"K-Kairi?! No! She's like my sister? How could I love her?" Sora asked, genuinely surprised by the idea. Riku smiled. He was happy with that answer.
"Well, she has a major crush on you." Riku replied smugly. Now he was just teasing. He could tell Sora was blushing without looking at him.
"Oh... Well then I feel bad for her, because I already love someone else." Sora's voice was so soft and pure that Riku had to actually look over at him. He had that dreamy look on his face again.
"Who?" Riku asked. Sora lost the dreamy look and just blushed. Riku tilted his head in confusion. "Come on, Sora. Tell me. I wont get mad."
"You." Sora mumbled. "I mean... I scoured the universe for you, how else do I explain it? Every mention of you, every thought, every hope, every sight I caught of you sent my heart in butterfly mode."
Riku listened silently and then they lapsed into a quiet that was only interrupted by the roar of the waves not three feet away. Riku looked at Sora, who was avoiding eye contact. He smiled simply and kissed Sora on the cheek.
"I swear if we switched places my speech would sound the same." he laughed a little at the idea. Sora smiled and they linked their hands together, fingers intertwining with the sand and each other.
Again, they lapsed into a happy silence, happy just to sit and lean on each other, knowing the other loved them just as much. Then Riku sighed in contentment, but curiosity got the better of him.
"Sora... Why do you come here everyday?" he asked. Sora just smiled.
"Because this is where the land and sky meet."