Ayo, it's me, your favorite homogay. I just wanted to say that I only own 30% of the rights of Square so even though this is fair use I can still get sued for revealing the plot of the following 6 games. Also, Disney, don't take me to court again.

I wrote the words, you use your imagination.


Beyond the eternal battle of light and darkness, beyond any conceivable evil, beyond any war, any extenuating fight, any other struggle; beyond roaming the Realm of darkness, beyond losing what mattered the most to him, beyond even losing himself… the one once known as King Mickey was facing a new enemy. The worst of them all. However, there was no bloodshed, no exchange of physical blows, not even a specific location where to contend; it wasn't a spiritual battle either, no, although in a sense it could be described as a battle of wills.

You'd think falling from grace would have taken its toll as well, but Mickey made the conscious choice of relinquishing his former kingdom for a greater good; he didn't pay any mind to it, if anything, the fact his closest friends wouldn't call him 'your majesty' anymore was a meaningful improvement.

No, he wasn't his own enemy, he accepted himself for who he was… nevertheless, a new foe had spawned from his actions, and that someone was well aware of his weaknesses. Someone who could make his blood boil and his fur stand on end with nothing but a few words.

For once it wasn't an emissary of darkness, or a new iteration of Xehanort, or a warrior with unknown intentions.

His major and most recent enemy was his soon-to-be ex-wife, Minnie Mouse.

"No… no… I-! Oh my- shut the fu-!" It was another one of those heated phone calls in which the Queen accused the former king of abandoning her and the kingdom, but if you think about it, the whole running around fighting darkness and all that shouldn't make Mickey's current pursuit of happiness a novelty. She was more than used to his absence; in fact, they separated almost four years ago and back then she acted as friendly as ever.

"I told ya I wanted… no, no, no- I told you I wanted a peaceful divorce, hoho! I gave you the – NO, NO, NO, YOU KNOW THAT'S A LIE – I gave you the fuckin' castle and-" So far, it was lasting a little more than usual, perhaps because the D day was approaching; the male rodent was more than willing to give her everything she asked for, but there was something she didn't want him to have.

"Look, my lawyer told yours that – no, no, no! You know perfectly well-!" After ending his duty as a keyblade master and protector of the world, Mickey wanted a more laid back life with the one he had fallen in love with. During his journeys he had learnt many things; about himself, about the world… but the most important one was that life was short. He had come to such realization after seeing death up close, after losing friends and allies to someone else's wishes, after almost losing him. Now that his responsibilities were greatly reduced he could finally choose what to do with his time, and since he didn't have to fight anymore, he desired to do the complete opposite; he had love to give, he had someone who loved him back, and that is what Minnie Mouse hated the most. She felt betrayed, and no matter the good the former king had done, she believed he deserved to be miserable. The only explanation he could come up with for her actions was that she had heard he was happier than he had ever been with her, and she hated that.

Mickey's boyfriend was in the very same room as the mouse, involuntarily listening to the aggressive exchange between the former couple given their high pitched voices were hard to ignore. He was keeping count of how many times the queen insulted and blamed him for Mickey's choices, and if Riku had learnt something from his journeys was to not rush into action, to not give in to taunts and bluffs; they weren't in dire danger, and even though she had caused an argument or two between him and the one that helped him accept himself, he kind of understood her feelings. He felt the same when he first saw Sora with Donald and Goofy in Traverse Town – sure, he was being manipulated by Maleficent – but it was applicable to the current situation. Of course, that didn't mean he agreed in any way with the female; it was all her own volition, not the temptation of darkness.

The blue haired… teenager? Young adult? Middle aged man? was trying to focus on whatever was on his phone screen, idly scrolling and biting the inside of his cheek out of tension and discomfort. Usually he was able to keep it together and avoid intervening in royal affairs, but this time it was different; when he heard Mickey suppress a sniffle and Minnie yell something very, very ugly and untrue, something snapped.

He abandoned his seat on the couch, extended his right palm to a corner of the room opening a portal of darkness, and let out a quick "be right back" before jumping into it. Mickey wasn't facing him since he didn't want Riku to get any more involved, and he knew what the human was willing to do if someone ever so dared to think about hurting him; turning around seemed not to be effective enough to hide his turmoil, the younger keyblade master was perceptive, and by the time the former king reacted to his absence it was too late. "Oh no" was all he could mutter after figuring out what was going on; the next second, he could hear Riku's voice on the other end of the still ongoing call.

"In the last forty minutes I've heard you call us faggots twelve times, try to guilt trip Mickey into leaving me, say I'm a bad guy and that I shouldn't be alive…" At the very least, the human sounded calm – perhaps a little condescending – but if anything that only worried Mickey even more; he knew the ways his Riku had to express anger, and if he wasn't raising his voice, he'd probably have something else in mind. Then the former king heard the familiar sound of a keyblade being summoned, Minnie calling the guards, more and more voices joining in a jumbled mess of screams and shouts, and finally, silence.

"Riku! What have you done?! Please, please, please don't tell me-" He could only imagine what happened at that moment… yet his concerns soon dissipated as another portal opened and his boyfriend reappeared with a tired sigh and a somewhat malicious smirk claiming how glad he was he knew how to use stopza.

"I'm almost out of magic, but whoever was in the castle won't be moving again until at least tomorrow morning." That was a short and sweet explanation and a useful strat, plus no one had to die. Even so, Riku wasn't completely against regicide; it was Mickey who stopped him from doing anything more drastic, but the blue haired boy believed the rodent - at the bare minimum - deserved a break.

"Hoho, you gave me a big spook there… fuck." And he thought so too; the last few months had been excruciatingly stressful and no amount of elixirs or potions was of any help. It was affecting their relationship as well, and no matter what they had endured before, Riku had had enough. He walked up to his favorite mouse and lifted him, allowing the shorter to be at eye level and making it impossible for him to hide the redness of his face and the wetness of his eyes; the human wasn't used to that sight, and he despised it, even more than he despised the heartless that used to haunt him. If only he could solve all his problems with his keyblade like in the old days…

"You know me; you told me not to hurt anyone, and I didn't."

"You didn't."

"That's right, and I'm worried about your blood pressure. I don't want your ex to do what heartless and nobodies couldn't." Growing up Riku had developed a sense of humor beyond throwing logs and weak insults at Sora, and thankfully he had left most of his angst behind too. You could only introduce light and darkness so many times in a conversation; going out for coffee and saying "I'm an outcast of darkness" deserved him some weird looks.

Still, Riku's joke changed the expression on the rodent's face and even got a giggle out of him. That whole ordeal would be way harder if he were alone, at the very least he could vent to the Destiny Islander. The mouse extended his arms, meaning he wanted to hug the taller, and he happily obliged; their size difference could make things more… 'interesting' at times, but that didn't stop them from doing what any other couple would.

"Thank you, Riku."

The larger body was always welcoming to Mickey, and at that moment he couldn't be happier to have him by his side; both had learned to keep the other's temper at bay, and even if having all sorts of abilities was helpful, nothing could beat the good old healing power of love. Diabetes-inducing? Absolutely, but that's what guided everyone's path; they had something they valued, they appreciated, they loved, and they risked everything to protect it. It turned out for the best, so denying its effectiveness would be pointless.

"Don't even mention it." In less than a week the Mouse marriage was to meet along with their legal representatives and luckily that'd be the end of it. "Just ignore your phone until Wednesday, after that we can do whatever we want." And at the time the only thing they wanted was to enjoy each other's presence with no interference.

"What if it's… not that easy?" The furrier of the two still had his doubts, which was understandable, but Riku was seeing things from a different point of view; Mickey had no more possessions Minnie could possibly want, thanks to Disney magic their lawyers' were slightly less sociopathic than in our world, and no matter who tried to oppose them they still were the all-powerful saviors of the world. His backup plan was beating Minnie's representative half to death with his keyblade and using curaga until the prosecutor accepted their terms; who could stop him?

"You decided to believe in the darkness kid and I didn't turn out that bad, if living with a king means anything. Believe in yourself a little too." Riku could feel the smaller body shake as he laughed against his chest, sloppily burying his muzzle in the younger's exposed clavicle crevice and letting his breath reach the human's skin; it was a different kind of warmth from the one they had gotten accustomed to living in Twilight Town, one that could also drive them to take their clothes off, with a different purpose, of course. The reason why they were wearing nothing but their underwear was that the guy who was supposed to install their air conditioner was two months late, but an occasional blizzaga made the eternal summer they lived in more bearable; however, when they were outside, they still liked their outfits with an extra zipper or two.

"Okay darkness kid, but it's former king." And if Riku had his back, he wouldn't let him down.

After that the mouse was standing on his feet again, and knowing his boyfriend had taken care of his soon-to-be ex-wife sparked something inside him; he didn't remember when was the last time he used his keyblade, and there was some rage against her in his heart. As we already know, if you let it consume you, you become a villain and try to put together your own Kingdom Hearts to create your own world, but fortunately for the couple they had their own training room set up by none other than Merlin. It worked like the one the sorcerer had back in Traverse Town, and also as a great excuse to not have a guestroom; they liked their friends and all that, but you know… they liked their intimacy.

"Ya' ready for some action?" Mickey got excited thinking about setting furniture on fire, but the one thing Riku couldn't do was read his mind; to him 'action' meant something different in that context, and he wasn't sure if he was down for that.

"Are you into me freezing your ex in time now? Because I don't know if I like that; I mean, are you gonna be thinking about her or-?" Before she called the duo was doing nothing but talk about the price of groceries as they melted onto the couch; the situation couldn't escalate that quickly.

And the rodent understood the misunderstanding. "Not in the bedroom, and yes I'm gonna be thinking about her."

"Look, that's not going to-" Riku's retort was cut short as Mickey extended his right arm and summoned his Kingdom Key D, making the taller blink twice in surprise before resuming his speech. "Didn't we agree not to put that thing-?"

'Wait. Wait no.' He finally got it. "You wanna train."

"A-ha." The former king's friendly – and a bit daring - smile hadn't faltered throughout Riku's confusion. At times he could be thicker than Sora, which was saying something, although if we were to discuss about thickness there'd surely be a different winner.

Anyway, time to get rowdy! And fight chairs and closets!


The sparring session was very much fruitful, with the couple leaving the room sweaty and tired but overall happy about their results and resolutions; the mouse even went a little overboard when Riku became a weird mix between a therapist and a personal trainer and incited and encouraged him with sentences like "think this perfectly okay chaise longue is your ex! What do you wanna do to her?!" or "she says she wanna keep Pluto. Are you gonna let her?! Are you?! Pluto is your friend!" which helped the rodent get rid of his initial rage, especially after a jump that caused a wardrobe malfunction, radically easing the mood.

"Mickey."

"Yeah?"

"Don't look now, but your balls are showing."

"Oops… maybe we should have put somethin' on before doin' this, hoho!"

"I don't mind, but I don't know if you want those close to a firaga. I know I wouldn't."

"You-"

"I'm talking about yours; I like them ripe and raw."

"…whoa."

The improvised workout eventually changed the direction the afternoon was going and somehow touched a nerve, making Mickey reflect on his life and talk about his marriage being something he had no say on because of some royal affairs he got dragged into, about disappointing sex, and about how much he enjoyed living a somewhat more normal life. There was a comment the mouse made about anywhere Riku and he were being their castle that almost made the taller tear up; the older completely disregarded a life of luxury and comfort for him, and such action truly made him feel special.

That same conversation evolved into the duo exchanging harmless spells as they reminisced about their days as adventurers; by then they knew quite a few things about each other, in fact, Riku had had the time to tell Mickey his entire life story. Except for the total of two years they had spent most of the last nine together, counting since the day the human first left the Destiny Islands, but there was something especial to starting a sentence with 'remember when…'

"Hey, remember when we thought Sora was having a stroke?" Funny moment, the highlight of their battle against Xehanort.

"A stroke of genius, the old man was so confused he didn't know if he wanted to fight us anymore."

"You make it sound so nice… poor Sora was having a panic attack." Whatever it was, it was unforgettable: as the geezer of darkness gave his umpteenth speech about hearts and creating a new world the then teenager interrupted him with a loud and desperate 'why?!'

"He knew his spiel by heart, I guess he had heard it before… many times. Everybody took him for a fool." But that was a mistake.

After his interruption Sora commenced his response, which he stuttered a little and was mostly composed of shouts, but also was more eloquent than anything any iteration of Xehanort had ever said before. "No, really, why?! Y-you're like 'this world is wrong, people aren't doing what I want, I'm gonna kill them all and make my own.' Okay, but w-why?! What are you gonna do after that?! All y-you bad guys are the same, wanting to- to control everything because it's not up to your standards! Y-y-you have a problem, man! You have this- this- this crazy manipulative shit going on! Is this because no one- no, wait- did your parents ever hug you?! Fuck, and that's coming from me! My mom doesn't care I'm risking m-my life but you… you're sick! I don't mean it as an insult, you're actually sick, you need mental help! I bet my lower half that if you win and turn everybody into you you're gonna get bored and regret it and- and- and- I wanna kill you so bad, holy fuck!"

"To be honest, I was more scared of Sora than I was of Xehanort. I had never heard anyone yell so much, and I still think he was right."

"Me too… and what about when he tried to interrupt Sora?"

"When he called him a bald Zamasu and said something about compensating for not having hair?"

"Yeah; I don't know what a Zamasu is, but it caught us all off guard. I mean, I'm happy we won, but Sora was... I don't know, he had been through a lot."

"I can't blame him, I gave into the darkness as soon as I had the chance..."

They had other memories they wanted to revisit, like the time they went to the Pride Lands, where Riku transformed into a greyish lion cub and Mickey was lucky enough to stay his regular self, which he took advantage of to the fullest; for once he was the taller of the two, and the boy from Destiny Islands was cuter than usual. Plus, if the mouse turned him on his back, he had no defenses against his belly rubs; the only reason he ever stopped was because a meerkat riding a warthog caught them in the act and made very clear that they didn't like 'his kind' there.

"Homophobic wild animals, that was a surprise, hoho."

"Mickey, I think they were referring to you wearing clothes."

"I'm sorry, but when I'm a guest in other worlds I don't get naked just because."

"You were the weird one there! No one else was wearing anything, and they literally told you to 'take them off.'"

"Yeah, hoho! My hands off of you!"

"Mickey, no. Think about it, please; a meerkat riding a warthog, a wild environment with no law. They would be homophobic?" Plus, they had raised Simba together, but only Sora knew about that; also, the lion was extra friendly to him during his stay. Riku was right, they were talking about his clothes.

"…it was the first time in a long while we were taking a break, I was jumpy and seeing enemies everywhere. I apologize, but after years of killing heartless I reached a point where I didn't know who I had to fight next." Years and years of battles with no apparent end scarred the mouse for quite some time. It wasn't after spending six entire months with Riku in absolute peace that he realized he could relax, and no matter what he had to go through, being able to visit a world and not be paranoid was a blessing.

"I don't blame you… remember when we went to that world with all the yellow people?"

"We said we wouldn't talk about that."

"Mickey, it's okay, it wasn't genoci-"

"Riku, please… I know they were in pain, I know they were unable to think and all they did was spewing pop culture references, but it still doesn't feel right…" Some memories weren't all that sweet, some of them were better to let go of and fall into oblivion.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, I just want to put that behind us."

In fact, aside from the short periods of time they got to spend with their friends, all they could remember prior to their final victory was fighting or hiding and running away. Sometimes alone, sometimes together… but hey, a study claims you're more likely to fall in love with someone if you interact in a dangerous, life or death situation; they had done that. Perhaps it was because they let someone else see how vulnerable they truly were, because Riku believed he owed his life to Mickey, because at first the king was scared of being alone again and the boy stayed by his side…

In those unlikely situations, they found something they didn't even know were looking for; they found themselves, and they found each other, someone who could understand them. Yes, they also found love, but it wasn't so much found as it was developed over time; something that started as a temporary companionship, evolved into a good friendship, and after that became their current relationship. It wasn't after defeating Xemnas in the World that never was that they began admitting their true feelings, and it wasn't after the last battle against Xehanort that they confessed them, with positive results; of course, the way hadn't been a bed of roses, but if it meant being together they'd face anything, like in the present case, a vindictive ex-wife.

Still, Riku had something he wanted to ask, and there was nothing stopping him since they decided to finish their routine and lay on the floor to rest; they were rustier than they thought, their spar was as exhausting as a real battle.

"Hey, Mickey… do you ever miss that? Being out there fighting, protecting the world…?"

The addressed rodent didn't have to think twice; he had caught himself wondering the same thing a few times, and he had his answer ready. Between jaded breaths, he let out a minuscule "sometimes" quickly followed by a "but I wouldn't change this for nothing. If I really had to, sure, I guess I- we'd go back to fightin'; but I'm thankful we're at peace now."

Riku couldn't help but smile; those words sounded almost exactly as his thoughts. He extended his left arm, searching for one of the mouse's hands to intertwine it with his own, and after petting the floor for a few seconds he found it and achieved his goal. The smaller one offered no resistance; aside from their feelings and their residence, they shared one more thing that tied them together: their hearts. No, they weren't connected like for example Sora's is to all his friends', it was something more… intricate.

"Hey, remember when we rescued Aqua?"

"No, not at all. I think I wasn't there."

"Right, right – I went with Donald, the chosen one."

Sure, they were carefree and confident enough to joke about it after the fact; the mission itself, though, while ultimately successful, changed their lives forever.

Saving Aqua from the Realm of Darkness had taken its toll on the duo as well, debilitating their resilience against the corrupting effects of dark energy, and consequently limiting their capabilities; even after taking measures, darkness seeped into their hearts once again, breaking their immunity. Simply put, excessive exposure stripped away their superior defense, making them more susceptible to darkness than ever before, and as a last resort they had to fragment their hearts and entrust each other with a fraction. They were inexperienced and unaware of what it truly entailed, but the survival of the world was at stake; it was enough to resist until they were able to return, and once they did, they discovered what could have been a fatal mistake in any other case.

They had created the two first codependent hearts, which meant that if one died, the other would too, for their shared pieces were subordinate to both of them, and if the original possessor disappeared, so would the consigned fragments. Master Xehanort was educated and powerful enough to turn those he shared his heart with into iterations of himself, dominating their wills without any other risk; Riku and Mickey were desperate and out of alternatives. Theirs was an experiment, a delicate union built on the strongest of connections. If they were to fight those who saw darkness as a tool for destruction and corruption again, well… they would be no more.

"You think our hearts knew?"

"They had to; if they didn't maybe now I'd be Micku or you'd be Rickey."

Regular Riku couldn't help touching his chest with his free hand, well aware of what resided inside.

"A guiding key, huh?"

"The heart wants what it wants, and mine wanted you."

"Mine wanted you too."

They had the fortune to possess affine hearts. If there was any dissonance in their feelings or their twilight alignment, who knows what would have happened.

There were more unanswered questions, like where their hearts would go after they died, or how much they could take before giving in. The thing is, they didn't need them responded to keep living; residing in Twilight Town was somewhat ironic, like accepting they'd end up in the realm between light and darkness, whatever that could be.

Fortunately, the world was at peace, no possible enemy was after their hearts, and if any conflict arose they had friends capable of resolving them. The only major downside was having powers they could barely use, yet if Mickey could live without ever using darkness, Riku could as well – with the exception of dark corridors. Those were extremely useful and seemingly harmless.

"But I'm really glad we were together." Even with everything that entailed, it drew the couple closer than any friendship or blood relation ever could.

"Aw, Mickey, are you getting sappy again?" Riku was able to ignore the side effects their existence would have on them first. Everybody dies, he had accepted that fact; as long as they didn't try to rush the coming of death they'd be okay.

"Yeah, I guess I am." But the mouse had had a hard time coming to terms with himself, at least at first. Ironically enough, he didn't have a problem accepting his sexuality or forfeiting his kingship – it was the feeling of irresponsibility and weakness that once rivaled with his love what drove him down a bitter path. That was until Riku made him realize he wasn't selfish or useless.

The younger, even if more naïve at times, was well versed in how to cheer Mickey up; there were worse existences than theirs, they had become wise masters kind of like Eraqus or Yen Sid, and not being able to get directly involved in battle didn't mean they were useless – strategy was a thing. In addition, they really were not needed to fight; his contributions were invaluable, his skills weren't limited to wielding an oversized key, and after all he had been through, Mickey really deserved a break. He deserved to be happy.

Riku considered that to be his mission, and all he had to do to accomplish it was, well, to exist.

"I'm happy we were together too. And I'm happy we are now."

And any pain, when shared, seemed to diminish.

"Well, we don't have any other options."

"What, are you saying you had to settle for me?"

"No, no, I would never… although Donald is always insinuating, showing us his bare butt and all."

"It's incredible that no world thinks it should be a crime."

"You mean nudity?"

"No, Donald in itself."

Besides, years passed since that happened. They were over it.

After a few more moments of playful chit chat, Mickey finally let the human hand go only to crawl towards and sit on top of its owner's chest; when their bodies connected, both could hear a muffled splashing noise. The two were sweaty, but they were beyond being disgusted by bodily fluids – most of them, at least. The furry creature had his classic sweet smile plastered on his face, which Riku thought was a way better sight than the room's brown ceiling, and he also had an idea. "We're gonna go have dinner in the House of Mouse."

That caught the taller off guard, and given Minnie's previous call, he asked the first thing that came to mind after hearing the mouse's statement. "You wanna go to your own club before your wife takes it?"

Mickey shook his head, his expression unchanged. "It wasn't mine alone, I used to co-own it with Donald, but as of today it legally belongs to Goofy."

That was… even less expected. "May I ask why?"

"I went to jail once and I needed some things done." The mouse was nonchalant about it, but Riku had a more theatrical reaction; he sat up, pushing Mickey's behind onto his knees and grabbing his shoulders.

"You wha-?!"

"Anyway!" The rodent didn't pay any mind to the human's surprise; the whole reminiscing about the past thing lit a light bulb over his head that'd surely put an end to any worry they could have, and he wanted his plan come to fruition. "Let's call the boys and have some fun, for old times' sake! Hoho!"

Riku was still confused and somewhat skeptic, but having his boyfriend on top of him gave him a new top priority. "First you're gonna have to explain some things to me, preferably while showering – my crotch is literally swimming in sweat and I blame you – and then we'll talk about calling boys."

"Deal!"

The first thing Mickey said as he set foot in the bathtub was, answering some of Riku's questions, "droppin' the soap wasn't really a problem. I was the shortest there and if any inmate wanted to test his luck he'd hadta at least kneel," eliciting a "holy fuck" from the equally impressed and horribly shocked human. He also learned that Goofy's son ran the House of Mouse, but it only opened for big events like New Years and-

"Wait. Goofy has a son."

"Yeah, his name is Max."

"Goofy, the Goofy you and I know, had a son and that son is alive."

"I think he's still alive, and if he is, he should be a little older than you."

"And he runs a business."

"From time to time, but if I remember correctly he has another job."

"I am amazed." The last thing Riku would have thought of Goofy doing was procreating; not as in performing the act, but succeeding at it. Sure, the guy was noble and friendly, and he could even be witty at times, but damn… he wondered what the mother would look like.

"Will you scrub my back?" The mouse asked in a tone that could only be described as 'very bad hidden enthusiasm' before jumping onto the shower shelf he used as his personal stand, especially when he wasn't alone in the tub, facing the wall and offering his behind to his partner; the dancing of his fine tail in front of the blue haired boy helped the latter snap out the trance thinking about Goofy's family had induced. Was he married or…

"Only if you tell me why you were sent to jail in the first place." He'd agree anyway; missing the chance of touching his personal soft, cuddly boy was a sin. However, learning about the criminal past of one of the saviors of the world was very juicy too.

The furrier of the two could accept that condition, he just didn't find it that interesting. "That was before I even knew what a keyblade was, and also a silly misunderstanding; I was innocent but… Hades, I think? set me up. Goof bailed me out after a couple days." In a matter of minutes Goofy had become a really interesting character… what could possibly be his true motives?

"Good to hear, I guess. Now I know where your affinity for darkness comes from."

"It wasn't that bad, everybody was really nice to me."

"Really? No one insisted on being your boyfriend?"

"No, you're my first."

Aw, that almost sounded cute; almost, if it wasn't for the implication the word 'boyfriend' had in jail. But if Mickey didn't care, Riku wouldn't either; after all, he didn't sound traumatized.

"So nobody did this?" The taller's inquiry didn't need an answer given it was an excuse to wrap his right arm around the anthropomorphic animal, holding him in place with his palm on the furry belly, and pinching his exposed rump with his free hand, eliciting a surprised 'oh!' and a tiny lurch from the mouse. Mickey quickly turned his head, almost slapping Riku with his ears, and squinting at the not at all convincing innocent smile his boyfriend sported.

But he couldn't be angry; Riku asked him a question, and he would respond. He bound the younger's wrist tightly with his tail, gazing intently into the suddenly attentive eyes and giggling in his usual confident tone; the shorter saw the other's smile disappear and his eyebrows raise slowly, and showcasing the most threatening grin the rodent physically could conjure, he whispered "if they did they'd have given me a reason to be locked up in there."

Holy shit.

Deep down, Riku was more turned on than scared or shocked after that threat/display of trust and assertiveness, but something told him it wasn't the time to admit that openly. Maybe later, preferably somewhere dry and with no items that could be a choking hazard… no, scratch that last part.

You know, there was a reason why the mouse was usually the top when it came to more private affairs – of course aside from their size, age and experience difference. In the beginning Mickey was more than a friend to Riku, he was his mentor, and over time the boy developed certain extraordinary respect towards the mouse; not only for the relationship they built, but also due to the whole kingship shit, which no matter how much Mickey disregarded Riku still valued and at times even made him feel unworthy of the affection of the animal.

In their current relationship that feeling appeared as a particular submissiveness the human displayed towards the former monarch, letting the more mature one guide him in several situations; at one point the mouse had to make clear to Riku that he should not feel inferior to him. However, the young man didn't feel such thing; it wasn't about class or power, what he felt was a great sense of safety and comfort whenever the abdicated king was around, and he wanted Mickey to know that.

You know what I'm hinting at – the thing is the word 'daddy' wasn't part of their vocabulary. Man, it had been a really introspective afternoon.

"Okay! Back scrubbin' time, but no cavity search, hoho!"


Riku had a little explaining to do before their get-together; Mickey had in mind something fancier, since his most recent idea of an appropriate meeting involved several preparatives, chefs, butlers… going from being a king to a lonely warrior had jumbled his socializing abilities quite a bit, and the Destiny Islander wasn't the most charismatic lad either, but at least he knew their friends didn't need much to have a good time. Takeout and a floor to sit on would be enough, yet the mouse knew there'd be chairs and tables and even electricity in his old club.

"It's as if they were coming here without Lea trying to set the curtains on fire, and most of us have been in the Realm of Darkness anyway; anything will be good."

With such standards even eating dirt in the street sounded like a good plan.

Once social anxiety due to not being able to please their guests was out of the question, there was only one thing left to do: getting dressed. They agreed on keeping the extra zippers, belts and chains to a minimum and go for a more 'completely forgettable NPC' style; wearing regular pants and shirts made them feel somewhat naked, especially Riku, but that's what normal people wear when they think of a casual outfit. What the rest of the world didn't know was that inside the pockets of his trousers were some sewn clasps and buttons, just in case he needed his fix.

Eventually it was time to play 'how do I look?' the game in which you can lose all your self-esteem if your partner says they don't like your clothes. The first contestant was Riku, who received a solid and infatuated "like the most dashing prince" from Mickey, and the following one was the mouse, who received a "like the cutest teddy bear in red suspenders," a smooch on the nose, and an "I'm sorry but it's true, those pants increase defense and adorability," which the former king couldn't counter. And that's it, nobody lost.

Time to leave! Riku had the coordinates and he was sure he could open a corridor that would take them directly into the House of Mouse, which was for the best because Mickey didn't have a key – well, the key. If they were to use their keyblades it would count as breaking and entering, and the core of their plan consisted on getting away from a law suit, not getting involved in another one. Besides, Goofy would be there and he was essentially the boss; there'd be no problem.

"Lea is gonna track my portal so they should be there soon. Ready for takeoff?"

"Are you carrying me again?"

"Only if you want."

Their logistics when it came to crossing darkness corridors were, for the most part, a result of fear; the more they were exposed to it, the greater the risk of falling victim to it. Sure, shields and teleportation helped, but you can never be too sure; they had seen all kinds of nonsense during their journeys, and as far as they knew, perhaps carrying Mickey on Riku's shoulders was the key to avoid darkness's influence, no matter how feeble it could be.

"I do." And if it wasn't, it still was a good excuse to wear a mouse backpack.

The trip was short and fruitful; they arrived with all their limbs attached at what used to be the main stage, and although every light was off, the duo could see clearly what was before them. Who knows how many square feet of chairs and tables, open space after open space leading to areas Riku was ignorant of, and a faint sensation of past bustle. The younger had heard a thing or two about the place, but seeing it in person knowing his boyfriend used to run it made him feel like a child – not as in excited and full of wonder, more like young and inexperienced. He wasn't even born when the mouse was living things he'd later listen stories of... well, he was happy just being part of the older's life.

"Welcome to my original world." Mickey said jumping off of the broader shoulders, and as his blue haired partner was about to make a comment, they heard familiar voices coming from behind, one particularly loud asking if the mouse had taken them to the Realm of Darkness.

"No, I've been there and that place is better lit." That was Sora alright.

"I wonder if King Mickey knows where the light switches are, Maxie changed some-"

"Don't call me that, Goofy." It seemed everybody had arrived.

After turning the lights on – only in the kitchen, though, Mickey thought it was for the best that nobody knew they were there – the gang greeted properly. In Riku's case it was fairly normal, nothing but the usual hug or handshake and the classic "how have you been? You look good!"

Mickey, on the other hand, was passed around like a living tickle me Elmo as he hahaed and hohoed until everyone was done and he could go back to his original position next to his partner.

"Where are the others?"

"What's up, Riku? We aren't good enough for you?"

"Since we're in a theater I thought we could have a little poetry slam with Donald. He loves… uh-"

His joke, however, didn't provoke the reaction he was expecting.

"What?"

Three of the newcomers grimaced in discomfort, making the couple question about the duck's whereabouts, but Lea's lack of subtlety answered what they didn't get to ask.

"He said he had to go to the Castle."

Oh no.

"You fucked up." Kairi voiced what at least four of the people in that building were thinking.

The two humans that came along with the red haired guy began reproaching his poor tact as Lea defended himself saying "he has the right to know it," whereas Riku and Goofy were attentive of the mouse's response. Contrary to what they had anticipated, the former king simply said "it's okay, I don't mind." And he meant it.

He understood the process he was going through involved having close friends picking sides, but he didn't even know why Donald had gone there; maybe he just wanted to see Daisy, or hell, maybe he wanted to go there. Mickey wouldn't judge him for that. What he both disliked and appreciated was having friends trying to be careful not to hurt him, but there was no need to lie or hide things from him. So far their reunion wasn't being particularly fun, but Mickey wouldn't let a comment bring them down.

"At least I think he's not trying to steal whatever treasure you may have there." And maybe putting a gag in Lea's mouth would be for the best. In any case, none of the wealth there belonged to him. Well, that was enough mental torture!

The plan for the night didn't seem too preposterous; dinner over some light talk was what pushed Lifetime movies' plots forward. Out of the four allowed to exit the building, Sora, Kairi and Lea offered themselves to go get some grub, perhaps out of remorse; Mickey advised them to not make their presence too notable given Goofy and himself were well known in that land, and the last thing he wanted was having a bunch of people he barely knew asking about his life – surely the populace had heard about his situation, and the mouse's patience, while great, wasn't to be tested by any scandalmonger at the time. They agreed to those terms, and even used a portal to go outside; to Riku that meant he had earned a personal guided tour with the ones that knew that place well.

The human followed the two anthropomorphic animals as one reprised his role as host and showed the newcomer around, and the other commented on how things used to be, how crowded those rooms once were, the kind of hijinks they got in… it all sounded better than constantly risking their lives. The conversation between Goofy and Mickey started getting nostalgic; so much so that Riku felt awkward being there, even though he was learning a few riveting facts about their past. Apparently Minnie used to work with them as well… it wasn't a surprise, but he'd rather hear about something else; Goofy should have known that bringing her up around the former king wasn't a good idea, no matter how many times he said he was okay. All Riku could do was smile and listen to the pair reminisce and cherish, or so it was until the mouse mentioned something that truly caught the younger's attention.

He was about to say something that usually no one but Mickey or himself should hear, but when he felt Goofy's eyes on him he froze and opened his mouth without uttering a word, staring at the two legged dog trying to come up with a different thing to say. He didn't want to make things weirder for anyone, but his improvisation skills were only so effective.

"Dad- so, you- Goofy, you're a dad. You have a son that's alive, right?" Good enough, given his original sentence involved Mickey wearing a suit and then not wearing it; it wasn't like Riku to trip over his tongue, but there was something to being in his boyfriend's world and hearing about his old life that made him feel a special kind of giddy.

Fortunately for him the canine had no problem answering his question, and apparently it was true, Goofy had a family. Even Pete did! The furrier two went off on another tangent about the city, how much it had changed, yadda yadda… it got really soporific. The blue haired keyblade master had to suppress a few yawns, but he had endured entire speeches about darkness before, he could surely pay attention to their words.

However, this time the shorter seemed to notice they were leaving Riku out and tried to include him. Mickey asked if the prop room was still around; throwing some costumes on sounded like a fun idea to him, but the response he received from Goofy was negative. That was understandable; when the worlds began falling apart many if not all of their items went back to their respective owners. However, the bipedal dog had something else to tell him.

Mickey learned his club wasn't exactly his club anymore. Not only his name wasn't on the deed, but under new management its clientele and procedures changed, it had a new target audience; nobody cared about dinner theatres anymore. What used to be the impending end of the world served as a warning for many people, and part of the population decided they'd devote their lives to more hedonistic pleasures; there was a market there, and the House of Mouse wanted to take part. As Goofy put it, all there was in there was a DJ booth, lube, and booze.

"You… you turned this place into a strip club?" Mickey sounded confused with a hint of anger in his voice. What he thought was the only unchanged beacon from his past had become a place where desperate people spent what they believed were their last days. But to be fair, Goofy had nothing to do with that; did he have the right to feel betrayed?

"I'm sorry, Mickey, but this was all Max's doing. You know I barely talk to him, and I was out there with Sora. I wasn't happy either when I heard about it, but there's nothing I can do."

Riku felt bad for his favorite mouse and he wanted to do something about the sudden change of mood, but he was in a weird spot. In that scenario he was a stranger, and even though he had heard stories about their ventures before, he didn't know what their dynamic was like; his specialty was darkness talk, all he wanted was Mickey to stop pacing around muttering under his breath. Occasionally they could discern certain words, certain names… Goofy took a step back as he regretted his unfortunate choice of words; at one point he tried to intercede saying it still was his house, but the former king only spared him a less than friendly glance. He very much disagreed; he had nothing to do with that place anymore.

The human could sense the air getting heavier and the mouse's anger grow; who'd have said that what he had somewhat successfully handled that same afternoon would reappear thanks to Goofy no less? Being in public didn't make that predicament any easier, but with a bit of luck the former soldier would comprehend what they were going through.

As if they had a nose for disaster, the trio that previously left showed up again claiming they brought goodies for everyone. What they found wasn't the cheery scene they had expected.

They asked what was going on but they got no response.

Feeling hounded, Mickey gripped Riku's hand frantically and just growled "rooftop." The human understood right away, and mouthing a deaf "sorry," he teleported along with the mouse to the latter's chosen destination.

"What was that about?" Lea stated what the food-picking trinity was thinking, but not even Goofy was sure of what happened.

"Let's give them a minute." Maybe Sora didn't know Mickey all that well, but he knew Riku and Goofy; he could feel whatever happened wasn't a lover's quarrel or anything of that fashion. The ambiance had acquired a tint of rage and fear he had learned to recognize in his travels, but its source was worryingly familiar.

"This is gonna get cold."


"Are you okay?"

Riku could only see his back and his shoulders trembling under the undying nocturnal penumbra. The mouse was facing away from even him now.

"At least up here nothing has changed – well, except for the lights. They used to shine brighter."

He was ignoring the human's question, perhaps on purpose; perhaps he didn't want to hear it.

"Mickey-"

"Not the heartless, not the nobodies, not the war, not even my wife… the one who took the last thing I had was a kid."

He sounded so… exhausted. The misery dripping from his words was almost palpable, burning his throat as he pronounced them, bleeding on a place once filled with joy, now oblivious to what that meant.

"Mickey, please-"

"Goofy's kid, no less… can you believe it? What's next, Donald becomes the new king?"

What was Riku supposed to say?

"I… I had no idea you cared that much about this pla-"

"I DON'T!"

It was hard to believe such scream came from the former king's larynx, but finally the rodent decided to face his partner. It was better than nothing, yet his expression was one Riku never thought he'd see on the mouse; clenched, bare teeth under two shiny, furious eyes, dark spots drawn on the smooth part of his face by rogue tears that betrayed his judgment, with two closed fists at his sides emphasizing his state.

He had nothing to say.

"I- I've trying all my life Riku. I've been trying all my life to be happy. I've been doing what others told me because they said it was the right thing, and I believed them. I've lived in fear, hiding, running away. When I had something I liked, something else came up to tell me I didn't deserve it. I- we saved the fucking world, and it still isn't enough."

All Riku could do was listen to his words.

"I always kept going, thinking that one day things would change, but I was wrong. I made a choice by myself, I decided I wanted to be with you because you made me happy, and once the world realized I had what I wanted, it kicked me down again."

And they hurt.

"Sometimes I think I should have died a long time ago, you know? I kept getting new responsibilities, I had more people depending on me, I was scared I would let them down… but I pulled through, and for what? Just so the very world we saved could tell me I don't deserve anything again?"

Was that how he truly felt?

"At this point… I'm sure I will lose you too."

"No."

He was wrong.

"Riku, you used to need me, but now-"

He was absolutely wrong.

"Don't you fucking dare say I don't need you, Mickey! If I'm here now it's because of you!"

The one Riku fell in love with wasn't a self-pitying, uncontrolled brat. The Mickey he knew was nothing short of a hero, brave and fearless even in the worst situations; his Mickey would never say that.

"Riku-"

He couldn't have possibly forgotten who he is, could he?

"No! You're gonna listen to me! I know you don't think that! Who was there when I was kicked out of my own body?! Who kept going to a place synonym of death because he wanted to save someone he cared about?! Who endured loss after loss with his chin up?! Since when do you give up so easily?!"

Mickey couldn't keep his eyes on the human; he felt shame, perhaps because he didn't think of himself that way, perhaps because Riku was right and he was overreacting. What's left when rage dies down?

"You know this isn't about us. You don't care about recognition, you got forced to walk down a path but somehow found your own way, you never hesitated to risk your life if it meant you could help your friends… you…" Mickey had been through things Riku could barely understand, there were feelings he could never grasp, but to him the reason behind the former king's resentment wasn't so hard to comprehend. "You've never been one to dwell on the past, or to fear, or to give up."

Riku found himself short of breath, with a knot in his throat and shaky hands.

"What do I have left, Riku?"

Doubt was one of the more wounding side effects.

"Me, us, our friends – you haven't forgotten that, have you?"

The more it grew, the more it hurt.

"Who says that's going to last forever?"

No matter how many times they went through it, it never felt easier.

"I don't know if you really liked this place that much, I don't know if you're having trouble accepting change, but please, tell me..."

His tone changed radically; he wasn't angry at Mickey, he had nothing against him. The mouse had reasons to be upset, reasons to feel guilt, the right to cry over what he lost, and Riku understood that, but his reaction…

"…we've been doing this for too long."

…that wasn't Mickey.

The last few months had been a nightmare; in a sense, the rodent was right. No battle or hardship had ever been able to break him so much. It was his divorce what was killing the couple.

It wasn't a problem he could fight physically, no matter how many friends he had they couldn't help him with his pain; he was losing part of his life in order to start a new one. It went beyond any feeling I could describe; perhaps it was the darkness within him finally showing up… the only thing Riku knew was how exhausting that routine had become. Mickey couldn't sleep, he wouldn't eat, he was weaker than ever before; it wasn't just a paper saying he wasn't married anymore, he was losing one of the strongest connections his heart had. And those were the consequences.

Some days it was easier, some days harder, sometimes he could fight back alone, some others he needed help; that was the first time something triggered the former king outside their home, and Riku hated what was about to come. That afternoon he could react quickly enough and stop it from happening, however, he never thought Goofy of all people would provoke something like that.

The worst part wasn't bringing the mouse back to his senses, but living with the guilt afterwards; he remembered every single thing he did and said, even if he wasn't entirely responsible for his actions. Riku understood that, he could only compare it to a grave illness, but it was Mickey's decision to undergo that process if it meant he could get rid of the looming feeling of doing something wrong every time he breathed.

Yen Sid warned them that it'd be severely debilitating, but they believed they could overcome it; they had been to hell and back at least two times, and this time the reward was more bountiful.

In their world, consciously breaking a relationship ensued more than any emotional response; it implies embracing the feeling that would put an end to it, in this case, hatred. If what you're trying to eliminate was positive, you'd have to use its opposite. The Organization made severing ties look easy, maybe because they got used to it, maybe because they couldn't feel that pain, or maybe because the hearts those nobodies had developed were still ignorant. Mickey's, which had experienced all sorts of emotions and sensations and had grown with every new connection, was suffering more as he consciously tried to erase Minnie.

They even thought about living in the data world until the whole ordeal was over, or try to emulate Naminé's ability and make it easier for Mickey; getting rid of a connection he wasn't aware of having surely wouldn't pain him as much. In the end it was futile, he was needed in the real world, where he'd experience the torture of purposefully going against himself, hopefully for a greater good.

Nevertheless, Mickey was willing to renounce to everything for Riku, and the least the human felt he could do was help him in everything he needed, independently of what that entailed.

"Are you gonna do that thing again?" The mouse's voice was a grave whisper compared to his previous screams; subduing and submitting himself was extremely draining, but after all, it was easier to control than Sora's antiform or Riku's darkness. At least he still looked like himself.

"It's the only thing that helps." No matter how much time they had to spend suffering, it would be worth it if the reward was their mutual happiness.

"I'm sorry, Riku." The heart desires what it desires, not all choices are easy to make. This one, though, was; no trial or tribulation would overpower what they felt. They wouldn't let that happen.

'Until death do us part' was more than a saying; breaking that vow gave rise to a hateful aftermath, similar to replacing an organ while being awake.

"Five more days and it'll be over." The heart might be weak, sometimes it may give in or even break, but deep down there was a light that would never fade.

"I love you, Mickey." It can struggle to stay lit, fighting against fear, against doubt – it can be especially difficult if you're alone, but they weren't; they'd always have a voice calling their name, someone who'd keep revitalizing their flame.

"I love you, Riku." They found a home within each other, and succumbing wasn't an option.

The human kneeled before the mouse and took a deep breath. It would be quick, under the appearance of a tight embrace followed by a flash of blinding light that engulfed both of their bodies, with a kind of power no magic spell or any other ability could imitate.

Because what truly pushed the heart forward was love, and that's something they wouldn't regret.


It gets better. Or maybe not. Keep reading to find out. (?)

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