There's really not much to say here, except to let you know that the opening is a dream...not reality... Other than that...have fun reading!...

WARNINGS: language…shounen-ai…

Disclaimer: The characters of Kingdom Hearts belong to Disney and Square Enix…

Part Two:
Pain…

There was something oddly familiar about this. This feeling, this time, this place. I felt like I had been here in some horrible dream or alternate reality. The sky above me was full of light, but the world around me was covered in a bleak, drab darkness that chilled me to my very core. It sent a violent shiver rippling down my spine to my toes.

Figures moved around me, shadows that danced and taunted me from the edge of the darkness. Their faces were shrouded in darkness, as were their bodies, but they were also oddly familiar. They were embracing each other and twirling in beautiful circles across the ground. Slow dancing… That's what they were doing. It was a happy couple who were slow dancing together in lieu of a celebration. But who was it?

I narrowed my eyes and shielded them from the nonexistent sun rays with my hand, but I still couldn't see. Why were they so cold? Why were they taunting me? It wasn't fair.

One of the figures stopped dancing and pulled away from the other, still holding its hand. The one who had stopped dancing seemed to turn its head and look at me, cocking its head to the side. Then it lifted its arm and held its hand out to me, and the shadows slowly began to clear, revealing a lean, tanned arm and almost feminine figure.

"Riku, come dance with me!"

The face was revealed last. Just the sight of it tore a half-gasp, half-sob from my lips. It was Sora, my beautiful Sora. My angel. He had a smile on his face and his beautiful blue eyes shimmered with happiness and peace. Behind him, the shadows were lifted from the second figure to reveal a slightly frowning Kairi, but though she was frowning, she didn't look unhappy. She never looked unhappy when she was around Sora. I don't think anyone could.

"Come on, Riku. I don't have all day!" Sora shouted.

I nodded and ran to where they stood. Sora took a brief and sarcastic bow and I returned it with a small laugh before reaching for his hand. But my hand never connected with his flesh. I watched in horror as my hand went through his. I tried again but only to reach the same feat. I couldn't touch him! He was beyond me…wasn't mine. He never would be mine.

He frowned in anger and turned his attention back onto Kairi. "You're a bastard, Riku. I know how you feel about me. It's disgusting. I'm in love with Kairi. Get over yourself."

"Sora, I…"

He shook his head. "No. Don't even try to talk." He grabbed Kairi's hand in his own and walked away from me. Their intertwined hands swung happily between them as they walked, and I swear that I heard Kairi giggle.

"Sora…"

In the sky above, the moon took its rare place in front of the sun and blocked out any light that shined on my world. Shadows grew and melded into the darkness and any standing landmarks were sucked away. But though there was no light, I could see myself. My skin seemed iridescent, glowing in the darkness. I wondered if anyone was out there—if they could see me—but I was too afraid to call out for help.

Two bare pinpricks of light flickered in the distance, and then they were gone.

"Sora!"

I sat up and blinked, my eyes wildly searching around me. It was light. I could see. I was on my couch in the living room, the flashing blue glow of the television screen the only light in my apartment. I sighed and rubbed my eyes violently with the palms of my hands, blinking wildly again to make sure that what I was seeing now wasn't the dream.

It wasn't.

A car drove past my window, the light from its headlights sneaking past the small crack in my shades and moving along my wall. In less than five seconds, it was gone.

I groaned and ran a hand back through my hair, pushing myself up from the couch with my other hand. My living room spun and wobbled, but I managed to catch myself before I fell back into the couch. I gave it a few minutes before I started to walk to my bathroom, taking one baby step at a time so I wouldn't trip and fall over anything in the middle of the hall.

I flicked the bathroom light on but turned it off after barely a second. It was so bright, almost blinding. The street light that shined through the small window over my shower was the only light in the room, but it was enough. My reflection looked liked a monster. My hair was wild and greasy, while my eyes were dead and dark bags hung beneath them. My skin was even paler than it usually was. I was a wraith, a mere shell of the person I used to be.

I couldn't keep living the way that I was. I hadn't eaten a decent meal or gone outside since I met with Sora for our tuxedo fittings. That had been a week ago. I sighed. I had sat idly by and let a week pass me by like it was nothing. I could have used the week to tell Sora my feelings, or at least be there for him, but I had decided to mope in my own misery instead. The latter had seemed a much better choice than the former at the time that I'd picked it.

I shook my head and started the faucet so I could splash water on my face, the typical cliché thing people do whenever they want to "cool down." I sighed and looked up at my tattered reflection, watching as my salty tears mixed with the water on my face and dripped from my chin, only to glitter spectacularly through the air before they burst across the countertop into small smudges that I wiped away with the towel.

My knees collapsed beneath me and I fell into a crumpled heap on the floor. Vicious sobs were wrenched from my chest, leaving me breathless. I gasped loudly and fell sideways onto the floor. The icy linoleum was like heaven against my heated skin.

No. I really couldn't keep living like this.

I somehow managed to push myself up onto my legs and I slowly made my way out of the bathroom. I weaved my way through the hallway until I was back in my living room, where I collapsed onto the couch. The first rays of sunlight were beginning to shine through the cracks in the blinds over my windows.

I closed my eyes and let sleep take over my senses, even as tears kept flowing. I was exhausted. Maybe this time I would finally get a proper amount of sleep.

""

Excuse the bad pun, but my dreams were short-lived. I was pulled from my only decent slumber an hour after it had started by incessant knocking on my front door. I groaned and put a pillow over my head, but it didn't work for much when they started ringing the doorbell. Muttering a few curses under my breath, I pushed myself up from my uncomfortable position on the couch and trudged to my door.

I pulled the door open. "Can I help you?"

Smack!

I was awake now. I blinked a couple of times and put a shocked hand against my cheek. It was Sora. He was breathing hard and was on the brink of tears. And he had just…smacked me? My hand fell limply to my side and I quickly diverted my eyes so I was looking at the brick wall behind his shoulder.

"You asshole! Where have you been? Why haven't you been answering your phone?" he shouted and pushed me inside, slamming the door behind him. "I've been trying to talk to you for days. Why have you been ignoring me?"

I kept silent, my eyes glued to the carpet. I refused to look at him. I wouldn't be able to stand it. I had seen enough of his pain and anger with the small glance I'd allowed myself at first. I couldn't bear to see anymore. It would tear me apart.

"Answer me, damn you!"

I shook my head.

Smack!

I sighed and grabbed his wrist just before it landed against my cheek in another strike. Sora growled and ripped it away.

"How long has it been since you left your apartment, Riku?" His voice was so sad and angry. "And you look like shit. Have you been taking care of yourself?"

He sighed when I didn't answer. He grabbed onto my arm and pulled me from my living room to the bathroom.

"I'm going to run you a bath and you're going to tell me what's wrong while you're cleaning up," he muttered.

I couldn't stop my lips from curling upwards slightly. Typical Sora. It's what we always used to do when we were younger. When one of us had a problem and didn't want to talk about it, the other would run a bath and the two of us would talk it out over the hot water and bubbles. Only one of us was in the tub, of course. My secret would have been exposed a long time ago if we had bathed together.

Sora started the hot water and added a small squirt of the bubble bath I kept under my sink. Bubbles sprung up immediately and grew as the water ran.

"I'm gonna grab you a towel. You better be undressed and in the water by the time I come back."

I nodded and he left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I heard him digging around in the linen closet just outside the bathroom while I took my clothes off. I was making myself comfortable in the hot water by the time he came back in, a towel held tightly in his arms.

He frowned and settled down on the floor so he was facing the tub. He sat cross-legged and propped his head on the arms he had crossed on the edge of the tub. He was so close, and I could feel his eyes watching me. I wanted to look at him so badly, but I couldn't do it.

"Sooo…what's the scoop? And it better be good since you've been ignoring me for the past week. I've been beyond worried about you, and so has Kairi."

I snorted. Of course Kairi had been worried about me…around Sora. She had always known about my affections toward Sora, so I knew that she harbored a sort of hatred toward me for that. I had a feeling that she would do her best to rub their marriage in my face on the day of their wedding. That fact made me hate her even more than I already did.

Sora sighed and splashed some water in my face. "Talk to me, dammit! Don't tell me you were just using me for my awesome bath making skills!"

I chuckled and shook my head. "No…"

I didn't fail to notice the way Sora seemed to cringe at the sound of my voice. I didn't blame him. Not only did I look like shit, but I sounded like it too. I guess it could only be expected since I hadn't really talked to anyone in over a week.

"Riku…" Sora's eyes were full of sadness.

"I'm sorry, Sora."

He sighed and shook his head. "No. I guess I should have asked you before I just threw you into the wedding. I just thought that you would want to be my best man since you're my best friend and all." He sighed again. "I guess I was wrong."

"No!" He jumped and I shook my head. "No! Don't think that I don't want to be your best man because I do. I really do. It's just…things are a little more…complicated than that."

He frowned and furrowed his brow. "How so?"

I laughed. "Just forget about…"

"No! I want to know what's got you so down. And how is it complicated? I don't want to have the wedding if you're not going to be there!" He clasped his hands over his mouth and dropped his eyes to the water.

"You could do so much better than me, Sora. You should know that."

He shook his head. "No. You're my best friend. I want you there. You have to be there."

I sighed. "Sora. I can't…I can't watch you marry her." Tears sprang up in my eyes and I didn't try to stop them from falling. "I won't let her take you away from me."

He sighed. "We've had this conversation before, Riku. I'll still be here. I'll still be your best friend. We'll still be together, I'll just be married. That's the only difference."

I shook my head. "What if that isn't enough."

He frowned and perked up, resting his chin in his palms, his elbows propped up on the side of the tub. "What do you mean?"

Before I could stop myself, I reached out and put a hand behind his head. I felt him shiver, but whether it was from my touch or the water that dripped down the back of his shirt I can't be sure. I moved toward him slowly, giving him plenty of time to move and pull away if he wanted to. But he didn't. He continued staring at me with wide eyes.

My lips were just a fraction away from his. I could feel his breath as it ghosted over my cheeks.

"Riku…"

I closed my mouth over his. He gasped, but I watched as his eyes slowly drifted closed. I sighed when his hands gripped my upper arms, then moved up to wrap around my neck. I pulled him closer and in one tug he tumbled forward and fell into the water with me, but our lips never broke contact.

He was in my lap in the water. I slipped a hand under his soaked shirt and ran my fingers across the muscles of his stomach. He gasped and I took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. One of his hands lost itself in my hair and tugged at it gently. I moaned and moved my hand up his stomach to toy with one of his nipples. He moaned that time.

I chuckled into the kiss and pulled away so we could both breathe. A pretty blush covered Sora's face and made him look even cuter than he usually did.

"Riku…"

He sighed and slowly opened his eyes. They grew wider with every passing second, until they were the size of platters. Before I could stop him, he jumped out of the water and slipped across the bathroom floor.

"What? You? Me? We…just…"

I sighed. "You wanted to know what was wrong with me," I muttered.

He shook his head. "No. Me and Kairi. We're getting married and… You and me…"

He was gone before I could say anything else. I heard the front door slam and then I knew that he was really gone…for good. It was over. There was no way that he would want to be around me anymore, not now that he knew my feelings. He hated me. I knew it.

I curled into a ball in my bathtub, covering my entire body with water so my cries would be silent.

TBC...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Poor, poor Riku. Why does everything always have to work against him? ::sighs:: And poor Sora too. It's obvious that he enjoyed the kiss, but...yeah... I can only imagine what the people who saw Sora after he ran out of Riku's were thinking, though. It would be kind of weird to see a grown man running down the street in tears with bubbles clinging to his clothes. Hehe...

Anyway...sorry for any typos and such. See ya next part...