A/N: Chapter title inspired by Moving Mountain's Sol Solis.

TW: Mentions of Suicide / Mourning / Intense Grief

This chapter is dedicated to my friend, Travis. I love you always, Rest in Paradise.

Chapter 12: Sol Solis

Sora:

As if in revenge of seeing Larxene weak, she returned the next day smiling bright with work for Sora and Riku, 'handed down by Xemnas'. She may have been honest, but she seemed a little too happy to give them excuse to leave their room.

Turned out, it was simply checking the sports equipment inventory with Demyx. Sora was shocked at how much was there; countless basketballs, baseballs, footballs, volleyballs and various rackets, chemicals for pool maintenance, and field paint for the grass, all with plenty of spiderwebs. Sora almost felt sorry for them, as Riku had no problem tearing them down while Demyx whimpered.

"Hueeghhh," Demyx shuddered, "Thanks, Riku. You're braver than me."

The silveret rolled his eyes. "They're harmless."

Sora counted a row of basketballs and added the number on the sheet he held with a clipboard. "Where's Zexion?" Sora asked, turning to the still-cringing sandy-blond.

"Oh, he's handling paperwork for the next set of kids coming in," Demyx replied, his voice mopey. He said it like Sora and Riku weren't part of the category, like he forgot they weren't working there.

"That close to starting again, huh?" Sora continued, a mix of excited and disappointed. It was wild, that the late nights with Riku and Kingdom Hearts and sonic trips would come to an end. It had felt infinite.

"Yep, July ninth, only a couple days off." Demyx started counting footballs, looking excited.

But Riku paused, turning to listen with a fallen expression. "What day is today?" he asked, alarm underlying his voice. Sora knit his eyebrows together, but the silveret didn't look to see the concern.

Demyx glanced at his phone and replied genially, "The sixth." The blond groaned when he looked back up, having lost count of the footballs, and started again, using his fingers.

Sora would have laughed, except Riku's demeanor darkened. Even his eyes, normally a bright, crisp aquamarine, dimmed to a stormy grey-blue, but he said nothing, lips carefully flat. He turned back to continue swiping webs with a broom, every movement rigid and forced.

The brunet would have said something, save the presence of Demyx holding him back. He thought maybe Riku didn't look forward to camp restarting, considering how little he cared for it before. But, everything was different now, right? He'd have to ask later.

Hesitantly, he turned his attention back to the sandy-blond who was recounting some college party he went to last semester. Sora had the sneaking suspicion that him and Riku would end up doing all the counting, at this rate.

Sora asked about it later, when they were finally released to entertain themselves. Blue eyes stayed trained carefully on the game – he was nearing the end of Kingdom Hearts II – when he spoke, wanting to appear as nonchalant as possible. "So, what was wrong earlier?"

"What do you mean?" Riku asked, voice light from distraction. He was still reading Frankenstein, and with some pride Sora noted, he seemed to like it.

"With Demyx," Sora explained, "He mentioned the date, and you looked upset." He gave in and glanced over, and frowned when Riku flinched. He kept staring at the book, but his eyes were boring into one spot; he wasn't reading.

"It was nothing," Riku said, voice flat. Sora suppressed a scoff – it was definitely not nothing, if Riku's tense shoulders and dark eyes were telling (and they always were). Sora tried to wrack his brain on what it could be. He hadn't had to drag anything out of Riku since the promise, which only made whatever this was more ominous.

Sora got distracted by a group of Heartless attacking on-screen, and thought as he fought, forgetting to reply to Riku. An idea came to him, albeit not a great one, but he figured it was worth a shot. When he found a save point, he retrieved his phone and found his conversation with Larxene.

"Did something happen 2 Riku around this time of year? Like… anniversary?" He felt ridiculous typing it out, but he hit send anyway; he could take Larx's teasing if it got him answers.

She replied about ten minutes later, and Sora had to pause the game to reply. "Kairi?" Riku asked curiously, and the brunet almost jumped like he was caught.

"N-no," Sora said instinctually, then realized he should probably lie. "My mom – foster, I mean."

Riku nodded. Sora expected some snarky comment, but when none came he became even more concerned. He read Larxene's response: "Uh, wut? idk." She sent another right after, adding: "i'd ask deni 4 u, but… not sure she'd reply."

Sora was touched Larxene thought to ask at all, and felt guilty for mentioning it. "Don't worry about it. Srry," he said.

Dead end there. Biting his lip in thought, he scrolled up on the conversation, rereading what Larxene told him about Riku that night that seemed so recent and distant at the same time. He got to ask Riku about everything she said, hadn't he?

There was only one thing Larxene mentioned that Riku never talked about. Sora had forgotten to ask, and there was something in the way he shut Larxene down when she mentioned that person – Mikey? – that made Sora's blood run cold, chest tight. Riku only mentioned him once this entire time, and he was beginning to think there was a reason for that.

It was the only thing Sora could think of that would possibly spur Riku to lie, but maybe he was just imagining things.

Riku had returned to reading the novel, eyes glazed over, expression distant. Sora could wait to ask. He needed more cause.

The cause came the next day at lunch. First, it was the fact Riku was up before Sora, which was unprecedented, but Sora could brush it off. But then he skipped breakfast, which – okay, was weird, but not super strange. He didn't regularly get up earlier enough for the meal anyway. But hours later, when again Riku said, "Nah, not hungry," to lunch, Sora couldn't take the suspense anymore.

"Riku, you're really worrying me," Sora finally admitted. He retrieved a sandwich from the admin lounge and returned to sit next to Riku at their plastic table. He wasn't reading this time, just playing an idle game on his phone with little attention.

His aqua eyes slowly drifted over to Sora's, nonchalant and far away at the front, but just under the surface he seemed… fragile, was the word Sora thought.

"I'll be okay tomorrow," he acquiesced, voice a low rumble like he feared saying it too loud.

Sora stared back in concern, frowning. Tomorrow? He thought. "What is it about today?" he pried, tilting his head in his genuine confusion.

Riku sighed, eyes flitting closed and eyebrows briefly colliding as if he were bracing, gathering strength for the conversation. When he looked back at Sora, his eyes were colder than he'd ever seen before. "This, I can't talk about. Not right… now," he said, clearly trying to sound final but failing.

It worked well enough, though. Sora felt it like a physical wall was between them. The brunet faltered, sitting on his hands to prevent him from clenching them. But he still remembered the promise, the deal, and didn't want to back down – not yet.

"Is it about the friend Larxene mentioned? Mikey?"

"I can't, Sora. I just can't." His reply was quick, and even a note desperate. Riku winced at the stranger's name, and Sora knew he figured it out, but he didn't feel any better. It was like his hands – he'd hide them to the grave, if he could.

"Okay," Sora said, deflating. He rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry," he concluded.

That earned him a soft rustle of his hair, and for a moment Sora thought maybe Riku was okay. But his eyes were still sad, mouth tired, and the brunet's questions on deepened. "Don't worry about it," the silveret mumbled.

Sora ate in silence and eventually concluded the day with more Fahrenheit 451. It wasn't as fun without Riku's teasing that he was missing all the themes.

Sora:

It was about 2 AM that Sora was awoken by the sound of their room door closing. It was a soft click, but he was a light sleeper, and his eyes opened instantly like he had never been asleep in the first place. He waited to move, listening to the sound of room; it lacked the calm, consistent breathing of his friend he'd become accustomed to hearing. He turned over.

Riku was gone.

Sora didn't have to think twice; he slipped out of bed and immediately set about finding socks, his cell slipping into his pocket without even a glance to the notifications. Still in his red tank top and black basketball shorts he slept in, he slipped on his socks and shoes with haste, bolting out the door.

The hallway was eerily empty and silent. Sora frowned. He paced down to the admin lounge, peeking in – not there. In fact, he was surprised the lounge was empty. Demyx and Zexion were normally there, feeding Demyx's insatiable appetite. Then, it occurred to Sora that Riku wouldn't have gone here for that reason. He bit his lip in thought; he must've gone outside.

Once back down the hall, he tried to quietly open the back door that led outside. Unfortunately, the door was heavy; the hinges moaned at Sora's insistence that the door move. So much for stealth. Bashfully, brunet spikes peaked around the door, blue eyes cautiously searching the area for Riku, or his footprints in the brown gravel. Indeed, faint tracks extended from the door but not far off; they quickly ended at a wooden patio table a few feet from the yellowed light hanging from the side of the building. Sitting at the table was his silveret friend, his hair shining white from the moonlight despite the muddy yellow light casting shadows from the table.

Even though the door was loud opening, Riku didn't move or give any indication he heard. Sora slowly approached, still trying to be quiet like he were in a solemn cathedral. Closer, he noticed why Riku wasn't startled by the door; headphone wires trailed from his hair to the headphone jack in his phone, which rested screen-down on the table. His face was tilted down, in shadow. Sora swallows hard, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

That's when he noticed glints of light falling to the wooden table, and sinking into its rugged grooves. For a moment Sora froze, air leaving his lungs like he was punched in the gut. He's crying, the brunet realized, equally heartbroken and awed.

For a moment, Sora wondered if he should leave. But memories of a cold, hard bathroom floor filled his mind, and the warmth of Riku's arms around him, patiently waiting for Sora's lost mind to come back to earth, and the thought evaporates. He realized then that Sora could help without making him talk – it wasn't their promise, exactly, but it was close enough.

He made the last strides to the table, and then softly put his hand just within view of the silveret on the table. Riku tensed, his breath hitching. A beat passed, and Riku started wiping his face without looking up. Nervously, Sora slid onto the bench next to him, not touching him but close as a show of solidarity. An invitation.

Riku took out a headphone, looking up but not at Sora. A soft, acoustic guitar tune was audible from the ear-sized stereo. Riku's deep but shaky voice started, "Sorry, I woke you up…" He rolled his shoulders as if to gather his rapidly deteriorating composure.

"Nah, don't worry about it, I wasn't sleeping well anyway," Sora said, consolingly.

Riku didn't reply, instead opting to rub his face as if trying to resolve himself. Sora didn't ask this time; he put aside his curiosity and thought hard. An idea came to him in the form of a memory – Riku's eyes burning bright as they stared at the open road, an arm slung so confident and casual at the steering wheel.

"You, stay," Sora commanded, standing from the table quick. Riku nodded, still refusing to look over.

He backed away with one destination in mind, remembering that Riku's jacket no longer held Larxene's car keys. He paced to Larxene's door, and his nervousness hit him as soon as he lifted his hand to knock. It's no big deal if he asks, right?

He swallowed and knocked, but she didn't come to the door. He looked side to side; the halls were empty. With a shaky breath he tested the nob, and found it unlocked. He briefly scrunched his eyes closed; was he really going to try this?

Riku needs me, he thought, as he opened the door. Light poured into the room, and Sora peeked in quickly. Larxene wasn't there. He crept in further, frowning. The thought that he may have the wrong room crossed his mind, but on her kitchenette counter was a familiar half-empty bottle of vodka. And next to it? A black and gold clutch, and her keys.

He released a breath in equal relief and disbelief. His eyes swept the room again, but when nothing stirred, the silence deafening, he swiped the keyring as quickly and silently as possible. He turned and scouted the hall again; empty.

Sorry, Larxene. He closed the door soundlessly and jogged back outside, willing the adrenaline and the racing thoughts of I just stole keys, holy shit, to dissipate. When he returned to Riku, he was slightly out of breath, but couldn't care because he was too preoccupied with the miracle that he wasn't caught.

Riku hadn't moved at all. Sora plopped Larxene's car keys on the table, the clinking of metal drowning out the cacophony of cicada songs around them. The familiar jingle was enough surprise to rouse Riku to finally look at Sora. His eyes redlined, expression careful and fragile and pale, but the silveret scoffed at the keys.

"I gave those back to Larxene," he said thickly. "How did you…?"

Despite his bravado, Sora blushed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He couldn't bring himself to say he took them. But the embarrassment was worth it because the ends of Riku's lips quirked into the first smile Sora had seen all day. Sora instinctually smiled back. Riku released a huff of a laugh, and shook his head.

"Let's go, Riku," Sora commanded again, his voice firm but filled with warmth, "Then you can tell me, if you feel like it." He didn't know where they would go, but he didn't care.

Turquoise orbs pointed to Sora, then to the keys, then back. For a moment he looked like he was fracturing again; but instead, wordlessly, Riku grabbed the keys and rose.

This time, there was no hesitation, no fear, when Sora climbed into the passenger seat. The click of his seatbelt was met with Riku's phone falling into his lap.

Starting the car, Riku requested, "Keep it on that playlist."

Sora obliged wordlessly. "Sol Solis" by Moving Mountains filled the car as they turned out of camp, and Riku nodded, a broken smile releasing a shaky sigh. Sora watched wordlessly even as Riku clenched his hands around the steering wheel.

The night sky twinkled down at them as they barrel through the darkness. The engine's effort and sound of air rushing past was enough to attest their speed. The brunet felt a little exhilarated, like he did that first night, but the knots in his stomach kept him grounded. As his nerves unwound he began humming along to the song, because it was another he knew. Riku sent him an inscrutable, soft, grateful smile that Sora didn't really understand.

Riku took a couple turns, blazing past fields of corn, rice, grain, and cow pastures. They were blurs to the brunet. As another song ended and another Sora recognized began, he wondered how far Riku intended to go. As if reading his mind, Riku suddenly slowed and turned into a field with an open gate. Gravel crunched under the wheels briefly, and then the noise of road was lost to the low hum of engine as they drove through grass.

They reached the middle of the wide expanse of overgrown turf when the silveret finally put the car in park and shut it off. Sora wasn't left in the silence long. Riku guided, voice a little stronger, "C'mon, don't want to drain more gas or the battery."

The slam of the car door jarred Sora into motion, unbuckling and bounding out of the vehicle, too, following Riku under the blanket of stars.

Riku:

The hood of the car was too hot to lay on, so Riku settled for laying back on a patch of short grass that had enough room for the two of them. Sora joined him, hands on his tummy as they looked up at the stars. Riku was grateful; he felt like one look from Sora could shatter him when he was already so fractured.

Only crickets and the intermittent clicks of the car cooling could be heard in this summer night. The silence was strange. Sora was always making noise, whether he's mashing buttons, or sipping soda, or snoring, or chatting. After two years of nothing but radio static, Sora's laughter was painfully wonderful; a reminder of the emptiness that was once filled with raven-hair and hazel eyes.

God, there was a time when Riku could vividly imagine his face, right down to the curve of his nose, without any assistance. But neither of them were picture-takers. The only ones he had were school ID photographs, and yearbook shots – for high school, Mikey only had two years of appearances. Now, the details were blurry. He'd never know a seventeen year old Mikey, or eighteen, or nineteen…

And he was crying again. They were silent streams down the side of his face, but he had no will to wipe them away.

The hand that laid on his side was greeted with a soft covering of warmth. Riku tensed when he realized it was Sora's hand, the brunet's gentle voice sympathizing, "Sorry I can't help more…"

The silveret closed his eyes, bracing for the tidal wave of just emotion to wash over. Why must Sora take him apart so delicately? Sora was the dawn; incandescent rays of warmth, and Riku was every star over-powered by that light. And Mikey – Mikey was the moon. The symbol of night and yet the only light in it.

"You… have done plenty," Riku finally said, though it was an understatement. Sora's giggling, tipsy form resurfaced to his mind, their interlocked pinkies like a flash against his skin. It was so good and childish and everything Riku wasn't but fuck – it was the only thing he was holding onto.

"Earlier… you asked about Mikey," Riku began, still wincing at the use of his name. Just that made his heart thump painfully in his chest, and his skin break into a slight sweat.

"Yeah…" Sora said hesitantly, squeezing Riku's hand encouragingly. The silveret wasn't sure if it made him feel better or worse. He felt Sora's head shift in the grass, and he prayed he wasn't looking at him.

His stomach was in knots that he was about to say it out loud.

"He– he died. Two years ago. T-today," Riku barely choked out. He felt like the sky above him was just a stained-glass window that had shattered into a rain of daggers, directly into him. He swallowed thickly, closing his eyes as he focused on only breathing. It was the only thing he was capable of doing.

Sora whirled onto his side, and Riku knew what Sora would look like if he opened his eyes. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, that's – that's awful!" Sora exclaimed, every syllable sincere and dripping with shock. Riku didn't know what he expected, but he relaxed a minuscule amount from his sympathy.

"I know it was fucking forever ago, but I couldn't– I can't –"

"Let him go?" Sora completed the thought, voice soft.

Riku nodded. He felt like words were just spilling out of his mouth like water now, even though it hurt so much, but it was – somehow, impossibly – better than the void of the past two years.

"There was nothing," Riku reiterated, "He left nothing. I didn't get to say goodbye, or –" His voice caught, and he exhaled, "or that I'm sorry."

Riku opened his eyes because he couldn't stand the darkness anymore, and wanted something, anything, to distract him from the way his chest felt like buckling. Sora's expression was a strange twisting of devastation and anxiety, eyes swimming and searching.

"Say… sorry?" he asked, confused and hesitant.

"It's my fault."

"What is…?"

"That he died."

Sora paused, but Riku couldn't break his gaze from the stars. "… I don't get it," the brunet admitted.

Riku knew he'd have to just say it. "He shot himself," his voice was warped and hard, barely grinding through his teeth, "And I wasn't there to stop him. I should've been. I wasn't. It's my fault."

He took his hand from Sora's and rested his arm over his eyes, hiding the tears that were renewed. They were silent. All Riku could think about was the moment he got that phone call, from Mikey's mom, which she never called so he knew something was up – the way she sobbed into the phone and couldn't actually choke out even a full sentence, and the way he dropped the phone, cracked the screen. The one and only time he could remember his own mom holding him before the shock wore off and he tried to leave but where could he go?

It was senseless but he kept explaining, like he wanted Sora to understand the guilt and the shame that Riku owned. He'd spent countless hours thinking about it. "We – we got into a fight and didn't talk for a week. That's when he did it. He needed me, but I was too absorbed into my own fucking self that–"

Finally Sora spoke. "Riku, that does not make it your fault!"

"Like hell it doesn't!" Riku argued back, removing his arm to prop himself on it, looking to Sora in agitation. "He needed me and I wasn't there for him. It was my one fucking job."

Sora frowned at him, tears streaming down his face too. Riku jerked his head away. He didn't want to yell at him. It wasn't right.

"I didn't know him… but I doubt he blamed you, even if you were fighting," Sora said, voice sure and consoling.

"I know," the silveret whispered back. In fact, Mikey would likely be furious at him for everything that happened after – his grades plummeting to the floor, spending every waking hour he could at the bar – but what did he expect? Mikey knew him best, and had to know it was the only way Riku knew to cope, to mollify even an iota of the remorse that plagued every second of his existence.

"Did he… mention it at all? Before?"

Riku shook his head. There was nothing.

"Riku, he knew if he told you, you'd talk him out of it. He probably didn't want to hurt you. Like how you do with me," Sora said, wincing as if he said too much.

That hurt. Riku sighed, because he was right. Like he always was.

"But it's not his fault either," Riku replied, defensively. He said it even though it was understood by the both of them.

Sora nodded, looking down and to the side, "You're right. But like, even if you made a mistake… how many times do you think you saved him before then? Probably countless."

How he would've loved to agree. Knowing that, even if he failed in the end, he gave Mikey reason to keep going for a time, would be infinitely comforting. But he had no way of knowing.

"He didn't leave anything, you know," Riku said quietly, relenting, "No note, no journal, no goodbye texts… just silence." The silveret moved to sit up with his knees bent, arms and head rested on them. He realized that that silence is what he embraced, sewing his lips together with grief until now.

"He'd… want you to be happy, Riku," Sora finally said, face soft in the moonlight and tear streaks, "He was your friend. I think… he would want to stay your friend not… this."

Riku didn't respond, keeping his head down. Mourning became his way of life – it was hard to think there was another way.

"Wi-will you tell me about him?" the brunet asked, sitting cross-legged next to him.

Riku looked up listlessly. So many memories bubbled to the surface, some too complicated to explain, some so simple they were probably just lame. Nonetheless they made him a little happy thinking about them; bittersweet.

"He took me to my first concert," Riku started, a small smile taking his lips on remembering, "It was Escape the Fate and blessthefall with another band, I forgot. Mikey was so psyched about it. He went to every band's table to get merch and signatures. He got me to take a picture with one of the bands. Oh, and he made me to join the Wall of Death when ETF played."

"Wall of Death?" Sora quirked an eyebrow, smiling slightly.

Riku chuckled. "It's when the crowd splits in two, and they rush at each other."

"That sounds terrible!" Sora said, laughing at little at the thought.

"Eh, I mean, it basically turns into a mosh pit when the sides collide – I think that's the point."

"Did you and Mikey mosh?" Sora asked, seemingly fascinated.

Riku caught himself smiling back at the brunet, enjoying the memory and passing it on. This was… nice. It was almost like Mikey got to live on, in a way.

"Nah," Riku shook his head, "his mom told us if we got hurt we'd never get to go again."

Sora tsk-ed, "Damn, well there goes that."

"Exactly," Riku chuckled.

"What else?" Sora asked again, genuine curiosity on his face. His ocean eyes were bright and sparkling, despite it all. Riku felt like a weight was being lifted – he contemplated the next thing to recount, settling on a humbler memory.

He laughed just thinking about it. "Hah, one time he called me at like, 1 am demanding to come over. I told him he'd be crazy to sneak out so late but he was like 'watch me', so thirty minutes later he was at my apartment. My mom was having a party, but she was fine with him over. He begged me to make him a piña colada so I made him a virgin one and we watched a movie, Tron, I think."

"Was he always like that, spontaneous?" Sora tilted his head, listening.

"Oh, yeah. He was hard to keep up with. You know how every year the school gives out those planners that no one uses?"

Sora nodded, smiling bashfully. "I use them…" he muttered.

Riku laughed, "I did, too. So like, Mikey stole mine and put notes over my homework. It was so obnoxious though, they'd just be my name with a smiley face, or like the Nirvana smiley face." He shook his head – god, he missed him.

"Of course, he liked Nirvana," Sora said, rolling his eyes playfully. "So, the emo thing wasn't a result, it was totally inevitable."

Riku lifted his arm to lightly punch Sora's shoulder, smiling. Only Sora would openly mock the God of Grunge. The brunet dodged easily, laughing at his victory.

The silveret sighed, rubbing his face. He felt… raw, but light. "God, I must look like shit," Riku said, ruefully.

Sora surprised him by drawing a packet of tissues from his basketball short's pocket. "I had a sinus infection for two years," Sora explained, "so now I carry an arsenal of these at all times."

"Well, damn," Riku muttered, wiping his face and blowing his nose. He gazed up when he was done, deciding now he just felt gross. The sky was still dark, stars still dancing to their endless tune. "Thanks," he said softly to Sora, for way more than just tissues.

"Don't worry about it," Sora said, his voice full of light.

They sat shoulder to shoulder, Riku allowing himself to enjoy the warmth of the brunet's touch and the new lightness in his chest. He didn't know where people went when they died, but Riku wondered what Mikey would think of him now.

"Hey, Riku," Sora's voice drew him from his thoughts, "D'you think that–"

He turned his head to look at the brunet at his side lazily, but immediately stiffened – Sora's blue eyes bore into his, closer than they've ever been. The entire ocean stormed and calmed and lapped playfully in those orbs. But worse, the rest of his face was entirely too close, and he realized in shock their lips were touching. Time stood completely still. His heart instantly accelerated its beat like a hummingbird's wings. The soft, sweet sensation of the kiss sent a shiver straight down his spine, warming him from his pounding heart and out to his fingertips. Almost out of instinct, Riku kissed back, but not hard, seriously considering if the whole night was a dream sent by fate to taunt him.

Sora's eyes widened instantly in realization, cheeks blooming in their normal rose petal pink. Maybe a fraction of a second passed, one that felt like an eternity to Riku. The brunet pulled away swiftly, covering his mouth with a hand. His voice brought the silveret back to reality, "Oh, my god, Riku – I'm sorry – I didn't mean to do that!" The blush on Sora's face outstretched to his entire face, now solid red.

Riku turned his face away, his ears hot. He wasn't sure what to say. "N-no problem," Riku replied awkwardly, his thoughts swimming incomprehensibly. "Just – an accident."

His lips tingled. His heart wouldn't calm. But he kind of wanted to melt into the grass, never to materialize again.

He dared a glance at Sora, who was still beet red and sputtering to himself. He was completely embarrassed; Riku wouldn't be surprised if his spikes of hair started steaming. It was torturously adorable and yet – the emotional whiplash was – a lot. This they would pretend didn't happen.

"L-let's go back," Riku said, a wise, but last resort.

"Y-yeah, it's late," Sora replied, an unsure squeak. "And – uhm, I have to give Larxene her keys back." That earned him an awkward laugh.

As they clambered into the car, awkwardly avoiding eye contact, Riku buckled in and broke the silence. He plopped his phone into Sora's lap like an olive branch.

"The playlist was his," the silveret explained, Sora's humming from before a sweet tune in his mind. Mikey would have liked Sora. "But, uh, you can pick this time." Riku started the car before the flustered teen beside him could protest.

The jury of stars above, the only witnesses from beginning to end, continued twinkling above them. If Riku didn't know any better, he'd say they were laughing at their expense. Riku scowled. Mikey probably would, too.