"Riku, wake up!"

The silvered teen groaned as he was pulled from his pleasant dream of Cloud and himself in their new house. All of their friends had been present, along with Sephiroth and a few faces he did not recognize, and they appeared to be having some kind of celebration. He had no idea what about.

Not opening his eyes, he threw an arm over his head. "This better be damn important, Sora."

"Well, I think your birthday is important."

Smiling a bit, the now eighteen-year-old cracked open one of his eyes, "I suppose it is."

Sora grinned happily as Riku sat up, sheets pooling around his waist, "Happy birthday, Ku."

"Thanks, Sor." Riku ran a few fingers through his sleep-tousled hair. "You just had to be the first one to say it."

"I always am, ever since you turned seven. I still remember how you stared at me when I said it when you came to the door for school that morning. I had always known your mother wasn't nice but I still can't believe she never acknowledged your birthday."

"Oh, she had her way of recognizing it." A very dark tone entered Riku's voice as memories of how he spent the nights of his birthday for the first fifteen years of his life flitted through his mind.

Sora bit his lip, wanting to ask what Riku meant but not bringing himself to. He could only imagine what strange things Riku had silently endured. He pushed through the odd moment that had formed, a thoughtful expression coming to him. "Man, I can't believe it's been eleven years since then."

"Time flies." The older teen commented, also breaking himself from the prior moment. He reached for his cell phone on the bedside table. "Plus you lost one of those years."

"True. That still bothers me sometimes." Blue eyes watched in amusement as Riku checked for any missed called or text messages. When Riku frowned and set the phone back, Sora calmly stated, "He's probably not even up. It's only ten-thirty here so that makes it…six-thirty there. Leon's probably just dragging his butt out of bed."

Sora was completely right but he still felt a little disappointed that there was not something waiting for him from his fiancé. Cloud could have sent a text the previous night, giving him something to wake up to… Of course that would have required forethought, which Cloud did very little of.

Sora tapped his leg. "Come on, get up. Mom's making your favorite and I'm hungry."

The brunet scrambled off the small bed and waited for Riku. The silvered one slipped out from under the blankets, straightening his boxers as he stood. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. "That bed is way too small."

"What?" Sora brushed past him and threw himself down on rumpled sheets. "It's perfect."

Riku stared at the carpet for a moment, "Sora? Stand up."

The boy lifted his head. He rolled off the mattress and stood up in one fluid motion. When he faced Riku, his eyes were greeted by upper chest and he blinked. "Oh."

"Yeah;" They shared a brief laugh before the taller of the pair pushed Sora toward the door. He grabbed his phone and they exited the room.

-0—0—

Seiya had Riku trapped in a fierce embrace nearly the moment he stepped into the kitchen. After loudly singing her personal favorite birthday song, she kissed his cheek and ordered him to sit and eat.

As breakfast went on, Riku kept eyeing his phone set in clear view on the table. Both Seiya and Sora noticed this but said nothing. At one point, Seiya glanced at her son with a touch of concern. He flicked his blue eyes at her and gave her an odd little smile as he continued eating his beignets.

"Well, what's the plan for today?" Seiya asked as she got up and began clearing the table.

"Tidus and Wakka want Riku and me to go to their blitzball game." Sora announced. "It starts at eleven."

"Oh, that'll be fun. They made sectionals, right?"

"Yeah," Sora watched Riku pick up his phone, stare at it for a moment and with a sigh, stand up. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Riku mumbled. "I'm going to grab a shower."

He did not wait for a reply. He turned and left the kitchen, slowly making his way upstairs. Despite how ridiculous he knew it was, he was completely freaking out that he had not heard from Cloud yet.

He knew that they were likely really busy and Cloud was never much of a morning person. He probably had not even fully awoken yet. Riku could picture the blond shuffling along with Leon on autopilot. Leon would be talking to him, trying to give him instructions and Cloud would simply make those absent little grunts of his.

Shaking his head at himself, he walked into Sora's room to get some of the clothes that he kept stashed there. There was absolutely nothing to worry about; He repeated this to himself as he set his phone on the dresser and left the room for his shower.

When he got out twenty minutes later, there were still no messages.

-0—0—

"Man! Did you see that save?" Tidus rushed up to Sora, grinning madly. "I can't believe I pulled that off!"

"Yeah, that was awesome!" praised Sora, nearly as excited as the players leaving the stadium were. He hi-fived Wakka as the redhead came up. "One more game and you're totally in!"

"Ya," The older bliztball player nodded, glancing over Sora's shoulder. Riku stood off to the side, rather absently toying with his phone. "What's up with the birthday boy, man?"

"Cloud late calling him?" Tidus smirked.

"Actually, Cloud hasn't called or texted him all day." Sora informed them. "Riku isn't taking it too well."

"Really...?" Both of the other teenagers looked stunned. Tidus lifted a blond eyebrow. "On his birthday…? That can't be right."

Sora shrugged. "Something probably came up. If he doesn't contact him by tonight, then we should worry."

Wakka nodded his head to the side. "You'd know better than us. Riku's gotta be beside himself."

"He's…" Sora turned to study Riku a moment. The silvered one was flipping his phone open and closed in a steady pattern, "…Starting to lose it."

"Yeah;" Tidus clipped out in amusement. He broke away and walked toward his older friend. "Hey, man! Why don't you just call him?"

Riku shut the phone and pocketed it. "I don't want to bother him if he is busy and I'd know if something happened to him."

"Well, then quit worrying 'bout it; he'll call and if he doesn't," Tidus threw an arm around Riku's shoulders. "We'll sic Selphie after him."

The silvered one snorted but smiled. "Worlds help him."

"It'll take more that that, ya." Wakka laughed as he and Sora joined up with the other two.

Abruptly, the phone trilled and Riku frantically dug in his pocket. A hopeful look came to his face as he flipped it open and checked the text message he had just received. The excitement faded a bit and at Sora's raised eyebrow, he murmured, "Sephiroth."

"Well, at least your brother remembered your birthday." Tidus stated optimistically, dropping his arm.

"Yeah," Riku half-smiled. All of his friends had completely accepted his sibling even though both Tidus and Wakka had admitted that Sephiroth scared the hell out of them. He sent back a response and re-pocketed the phone.

The blond teen beside him pursed his lips. "So when are we supposed to meet up with the girls?"

"We're supposed to meet them at the dock at five." Sora looked at Riku. "What time is it now?"

"You need a watch," commented Riku, taking out his phone yet again. "Two."

Tidus ruffled his damp hair with a hand. "Alright, let's get food 'cause I'm starved and then we'll go hang out at my house for awhile before getting our stuff together and heading out."

Having no arguments, the other three fell in behind him.

-0—0—

By the time five o'clock rolled around, Riku was nearly beside himself. He had lost every round of the video games he was forced to play, too distracted to even really look at what was happening on the screen. He tried to focus on his friends, to enjoy simply hanging out with them while he could, but his thoughts kept wandering back to Cloud.

He felt pathetic for getting so upset that his fiancé had not contacted him yet but he could not help it. Of all the days for Cloud to be distracted or preoccupied by something, it had to be his birthday. At least he had heard from Sephiroth.

"Ku;" Sora barked out, snapping Riku from his thoughts. Tidus and Wakka had disappeared and the brunet was frowning deeply. "You know Cloud would never purposely blow you off."

"I know," Riku flicked some bangs from his face. "That's what has me worried."

"I'm sure you'll be hearing from him soon." Sora assured him easily. "Come on, it's time to head for the play island."

"Yeah;" He climbed to his feet and followed the shorter teen out.

Tidus and Wakka had already gathered the gear they needed to bring. They waited for the other two to reach the doorway then began delegating who was carrying what. After the items were divvied up, they headed out the door.

Upon reaching the sidewalk, Sora's phone rang once. He did not move to answer it and got an odd smile. It was gone almost as soon as it appeared.

A moment later, Riku's beeped. The silvered one shifted the pack he held and slipped the device free of his pocket. The second he saw the display, a relieved look came to his face and he smiled fully for the first time since breakfast.

As he opened the phone to check the message, Sora smirked. "See? I told you."

Riku nodded absently, reading over the very brief text. It was not much, just a simple 'happy birthday' and apology for it being so late, along with the explanation that he had been out of reach. Riku had no idea how Cloud could have been out of reach but it did not matter.

He closed the phone, deciding he would reply later. Feeling infinitely happier, he pocketed it and began walking. "Let's go, guys."

The walk to the docks went quickly, the four friends chatting and picking on one another as they passed through town. A few shop owners waved at them, some of them who had come to know Riku rather well gave him birthday wishes.

Kairi and Selphie were waiting impatiently for them, peculiar smiles on their faces. Selphie seemed to be particularly bouncy as the boys approached. When they were within ten feet, the brunette girl broke away and tackled Riku.

"Happy, happy birthday!" She nearly screamed in his ear. He winced a little at it but managed to give her a half-embrace. "Oh! You are so going to love your present!"

"I'm sure I will," Riku lightly chucked.

Selphie detached herself from him and bounded back toward Kairi. "Well, come on! Time's a wastin'!"

Riku lifted an eyebrow at Kairi as they began loading the boats. "She's excited."

"Well, of course." Kairi grinned, taking her turn to catch her older best friend in a tight hug. "It's your eighteenth birthday and probably the last one we'll all be together for. That's why we're going to make it the best one ever!"

"Come on!" Selphie called from Tidus' boat. Sora and Wakka had already departed.

"Looks like it's you and me, Kai;" Riku waved the girl into her awaiting boat.

She curtsied in mock seriousness and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like for now. Riku narrowed his eyes and almost asked her to repeat what she said but decided it was not worth it. He followed her into the boat and automatically took the oars.

As he rowed, Kairi watched him with an oddly thoughtful look. Just when he was ready to ask what she was doing, she leaned back and folded her hands in her lap. "It's going to be strange having you gone again."

"Again?"

"Yeah, I did remember you that year Sora was sleeping."

"Oh, right." Riku had forgotten that Kairi had already experienced life without him and, though she did not really remember him, Sora. At least he did not have to worry about her.

She suddenly giggled and he looked at her in confusion. "I was wondering when you were going to start worrying about leaving us."

Riku blew out a breath, not arguing. "I'm not so much worried as…I don't know. I know I'm going to miss you guys terribly."

"…But it's worth it." Kairi smiled knowingly. "Cloud is where your heart is."

"Yeah," he agreed softly. "He offered to move here but… I know he wouldn't be content here and I honestly don't want to stay."

Kairi nodded in understanding, tucking some reddish hair behind her ear. "Well, King Mickey has already said that we're allowed to visit back and forth whenever we want now so I'm not worried."

"I'm not either." They were almost to the small island now. Selphie and Tidus had already reached it and Selphie had leapt out the side and was racing off toward the shack. "Where does she think she's going?"

Kairi looked over and shrugged. There was something fake about her gesture of ignorance. "It's Selphie."

Riku let it go and brought the boat up to the far side of the others, Kairi climbing out to help guide it into the sand. Wakka had come over to help Tidus unload and nodded to the pair. "We pretty much got everything set up in the cove."

"Why over there?" Riku asked, removing as much of the supplies as he could from the boat. Kairi took the rest and the four made their way across the sand.

"That's where Sora wanted to set up." Tidus replied dismissively. They passed the shack and Selphie's giggling drifted toward them. "She is way too noisy."

"Is she talking to someone in there?" Riku swore he heard quiet voices. Something also began tugging at his awareness.

"Sora's in there, ya." Wakka spoke in a slightly raised voice. "You know how those two get."

Riku still glanced at the small wooden building as they passed. There was something very different feeling coming from it. It was familiar yet notably out of place making it hard to identify.

The group entered the cove where camp had indeed been largely made up. They dropped the remaining supplies and Tidus and Kairi got to work on starting the bonfire. Wakka finished arranging a few things and Riku ended up just hanging back.

"Hey, guys!" Selphie suddenly reappeared, obnoxiously bright smile on her face. She skipped over to the site and gave Riku a horribly suspicious look. "Ku, Sora needs you in the shack."

Aqua eyes narrowed a bit. Obviously, something was up and he was not certain he was going to like it. He really did not care for surprises. "Okay."

He left the camp and walked back around to the front of the structure. That tugging became increasingly stronger and familiar. Pausing before the door, he realized what it was.

It couldn't be…

He quickly shoved open the door and instead of blue eyes and brown spiky hair, he was greeted by blue eyes and blond spiky hair. He stared in shock for a whole second before bolting forward and throwing his arms around the most important person in his life. He simply could not believe this.

"You're here." He murmured into Cloud's ear, voice slightly choked.

Cloud brought his hands up to rest against the small of Riku's back. "You really think I'd miss your birthday?"

Riku pulled away enough to draw Cloud into an intense, almost desperate kiss. It had been far too long since he felt this. At this moment, he felt more complete than he had since the last time he left Radiant Garden.

There was a faint clearing of throat and Riku reluctantly drew away from Cloud's mouth. He glanced to the side where Sora, Seiya, and Leon were gathered at the foot of the stairs. Seiya was beaming, Leon was smirking, and Sora simply grinned.

"Happy birthday, Ku."