DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: RECONNAISSANCE

The sun shone through his window, casting warming rays upon his waking face. He yawned, stretching his limbs as his groggy eyes met the morning light. Slowly he sat up, stumbling onto tired feet as he lumbered out of his room and down the stairs. Leon and Yuffie greeted him, poring over the old computer they had found hidden in the keep's basement.

"Find anything useful?" Sora asked, his voice still shadowed in sleep.

Leon nodded. "Yeah. It's an old computer, so it didn't take much effort for me to hack into. Leave it to Hybrids to be so careless, you know?"

"So what's it say?" he pressed, reading the ancient screen over their backs.

"We found some of their plans, their communication with other worlds…" Yuffie trailed off.

"Communication with other worlds?" Sora raised an eyebrow. "How is it possible for them to transmit information from world to world like that? Shouldn't the internet be world specific?"

"You'd think," Leon shrugged. "But the truth is, we have no idea how they're doing it. I'm trying to figure it out, but… What makes it all the more obnoxiously impressive is the fact that they managed this with a really out of date model. Not to mention that based on the information we have here, the problem's worse than we thought."

Sora sighed, running a hand down his face in exasperation. "How much worse?"

Yuffie frowned. "They're multiplying at alarming rates, even to worlds that Heartless never bothered, worlds that even you've never visited… Kingsbury's actually the only one we've heard of; Narnia, Camelot, Paris… These don't ring a bell at all. When and if you're able to leave Radiant Garden, you'll have to go world hopping again just to weed out all the baddies."

"Ugh…" Sora grumbled, but attempted to pick up the mood. "That's not so bad though; we get to meet new people, see old friends… I wonder how everyone's doing?"

"Unfortunately we have no means of communication with them," Leon said. "Hopefully they're resisting as best they can."

Sora gulped. "Yeah, I'm sure they are. Belle and Beast never gave up before. Neither will Aerial, Eric, and Triton. And you can bet Jack, Will, and Elizabeth are fighting too. Hmm… The only one I'm worried about is Simba…"

Yuffie giggled. "I'm sure I'd empathize if I knew what the hell you were talking about."

He scratched his head. "Oh yeah; sorry, I forgot you'd never been to those worlds. Hey! If I checked with Riku, maybe it'd be okay if you came with us? We've uh… got an extra seat…"

The heaviness of his unintentional implication struck the room. Yuffie looked uncomfortable.

Sora looked down, trying to think of a way to right is blunder. "Look, I know that was Kairi's place, but… it's fine. It's not like you're a replacement or anything, just a friend that we want to join us. Besides, do you actually think Riku and I can save the worlds by ourselves?"

Her frown turned into a wry smile. "While I do doubt your competence, I think Radiant Garden needs me. You actually think Leon can run this place without me?"

"Hmm… Actually," Leon pondered. "It might not hurt for you to go with them. Three's a stronger number than two. You might have to keep them on the level."

Sora raised an eyebrow. Yuffie was supposed to keep them level headed? He decided to dismiss the remark, making a mental note to get Leon back for his snide comment.

Yuffie pursed her lips together, putting a hand on her hip as she tapped her foot uncomfortably. "There's still another issue," she said, her eyes darting briefly to a sleeping Riku's room.

Sora hesitated. "Oh… Well, uh… I'm sure we could figure something out. I doubt it'd be an problem."

She rolled her eyes. "Mhm. Right. That's what they all say."

"I'm really trying to understand what you guys are talking about," said Leon, turning away from the computer. "But it's not making any sense. What 'other issue'?"

"Oh, it's… not important," Sora stumbled. "Just something between Yuffie and Riku."

She looked positively infuriated.

"Between Yuffie and Riku?" Leon raised an eyebrow and shook his head, but said nothing more on the subject.

Fuming, Yuffie grabbed Sora and pulled him down to her level, whispering, "If you bring me down with you, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"

He gulped as Yuffie stormed out of the room. Any threat from the ninja, whether joking or serious, was to be taken into account. He made a mental note to keep his door locked for the next several days. With his last verbal maneuver, she seemed to realize that he and Riku would do anything to keep their relationship - his heat jumped; could it actually be considered a relationship? - a secret, even if it meant bringing others down. He instantly felt guilt building; it wasn't right for him to use Yuffie as a scapegoat to cover it up, even if she had brought it up in the first place. Sora sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, their… thing inched closer and closer toward discovery with every passing day, every moment of negligence.

It wasn't only Yuffie's fault. The previous day they had been fooling around in Sora's room, only to be warned by the click of the doorknob to Aerith's entry. Sora had jumped up in a moment's notice, managing to separate the distance between himself and Riku by several feet in the matter of a second. She entered, lingered only for a few seconds to tell Sora about Cloud's encounter with Xeron, and left uncomfortably, shutting the door behind her. Embarrassment crept onto his cheeks again. He wasn't stupid; he knew Aerith suspected something. However, he also trusted her well enough to know that she would never tell anyone.

"Hey! Ow, Yuffie…" he heard a disjointed grumble from upstairs. Rolling his eyes, Sora followed the noise to Riku's room.

"Wake up!" she pounded him with powerful, tiny fists. "We-need-to-talk!"

"Calm down!" Sora exclaimed quietly, shutting the door behind him as he grabbed Yuffie's wrists and pulled her away from Riku.

Snapped out of the flow of her anger, Yuffie restrained herself to standing with her hands on her hips, glaring from Riku to Sora.

"I can't do this anymore!" she said in a rash whisper. "I don't keep secrets! I'm the one who always blabs, and this is huge!"

Alerted by her insistence, Riku sat up. "Yuffie, what d'you mean? You have to keep it a secret, for the sake of our humility."

She pursed her lips. "But because Sora had to run his mouth, Leon thinks I'm having some sordid little affair with you!"

Sora shrugged. "Is that so bad? I mean look at him; it's not exactly something to be embarrassed by."

"You know what? You're right," she said sarcastically. "Sora, Riku, damn… You're hot commodities. I know! Why don't we convince Cloud and Cid that I'm sleeping with both of you!"

"I don't think that's what he meant," Riku groaned.

Putting a hand on her shoulder in comfort, Sora tried to speak again. "Yuffie, look; I know this is hard for you keep from everyone else, but please do it for our sakes. If this got out so soon, I don't know what we'd do."

"What, are you afraid your masculinity will be threatened?" she said crossly, shying away to take a seat at the edge of Riku's bed. "Think they won't consider you real men anymore? They're your friends. This is Radiant Garden, not Agrabah. We're a little more progressive than that."

Sora shook his head. Perhaps it was time to admit it. "You know what? Unfortunately I do care what other people think. I'm afraid that they'll all judge us. And Riku is too. It's something we're trying to get over, but it's hard. It's taken us years just to get to this point. Can't you cut us a little slack?"

As he met her infuriated glare, her eyes softened. Her lips relaxed. Her hands dropped to her sides. She smiled slightly, glancing to Riku. "Oh. Wow. You… really love him, don't you?"

Riku nodded sheepishly, but said nothing.

She looked back to Sora. "And you reciprocate that."

"Yeah," he said quietly, meeting Riku's eyes with a slight smile.

A rare softness graced Yuffie's face. "Okay. Okay, if you're sure about this, I guess I can keep up the façade for a little while longer. You just have to understand how hard it is for a blabbermouth like me. Man… I wish Aerith had walked in instead!"

Sora and Riku nodded, silently making it clear that it was better not to tell Yuffie about the previous day's occurrence. If she knew that someone else almost knew, she would most certainly milk them for information and leave obvious hints for them to come to their own conclusion. Sora knew that Yuffie meant well, she was just horrible at keeping silent the things she thought should have been expressed.

He and Yuffie left Riku to his thoughts. Sora returned to his room to prepare for the day and met the others in the lower level of the keep half an hour later.

"We've been stuck in a rut lately," Leon addressed the group of six. "Besides the fact that Sora and Riku destroyed Fuzen, we haven't done anything recently. Despite seeing them less and less, Hybrids are still running rampantly through Radiant Garden. Although I think we need to become more proactive in eliminating them, based on the information I was able to dig up on their computer, I also think it's important to avoid the keyholes."

"What the hell? You losin' your mind?" Cid grumbled. "I thought sealing those keyholes was the only way for them to get to other worlds!"

Leon put a hand on his head. "It is. However, according to the information I've been able to gather, once you open a keyhole and are sucked into it, you're lead directly to either Ansem's Hybrid or Xehanort. If this is to happen, there's virtually no chance of escape."

"But we have to defeat them somehow!" exclaimed Sora desperately.

"We'll defeat them," said Cloud, his voice sure. "We're just going to have to think more outside the box on this one."

"Or hope that some… Deus Ex Machina comes to save us," Sora responded coldly.

"Deus Ex Machina, eh?" Yuffie snorted, her annoyance with Sora returning. "Looks like somebody listened to teacher that day!"

"You know what Yuffie? I'm getting really sick of your shit today. Just… fuck off," he flicked his hand away with disdain, storming out of the keep and slamming the door behind him. He was slightly startled with himself. He rarely swore that much, especially in the direction of a specific person.

A short time later he heard soft footsteps from behind him. He didn't have to look to know the gentle presence that stood at his side.

"Are you okay?" Aerith asked gently.

He nodded, already embarrassed by his display in the kitchen. "I know I overreacted; I'm just tired of people thinking I'm stupid. They always do."

She shook her head. "I've never thought you were stupid, Sora. When you were younger I thought you were naïve and overly brave, but never stupid. You charged into things without any preexisting notions to save your friends. That's selflessness, not stupidity."

Sora shook his head. "I was stupid back then, Aerith… I thought I could save my friends no matter how difficult the situation. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that good always triumphed over evil, that 'deep down, there's a light that never goes out'… And I actually believed it; that's the sad part."

In all the years he had known her, Sora had never seen such a solemn expression on Aerith's face. "Deep down you still believe that. I know you still have some remnant of hope that this will all turn out okay."

He laughed sadly. "When I was on my first adventure, I visited a place called Neverland. Ever hear of it?"

"Sounds familiar."

"I met this boy, he was… oh, I don't know… probably ten at the time. I helped him rescue his friend Wendy from this pirate named Captain Hook. He told me I could fly if I just believed it. How ridiculous does that sound now… being able to do something so incredibly unbelievable by sheer will? Like that would ever work in the real world. After we left, Donald told me that the people who live in Neverland don't age. They don't age; can you believe that? Nothing changes. They just remain static… forever. So here I am, moping in Hollow Bastion while a kid half my age flies around carefree without any worries or responsibilities. I sometimes wonder what would've happened if I had stayed there. I'd still be a naïve fourteen-year-old boy running around in a clown suit."

"But you didn't stay," said Aerith, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You left and you saved the worlds. You saved all of us."

Sora shook his head. "Looking forward, does it really matter? It seems like the Hybrids are taking over as it is. Kairi's gone, we're at a stalemate, and who knows how many more people we'll lose before this is over?"

"We're not going to lose anyone else."

"How can you say that?"

"Because I won't let it happen."

He sighed deeply. "That's exactly what I said about Kairi."

"You're afraid the same thing's going to happen to Riku, aren't you?"

"…Yeah."

"You care a lot about him," it was a statement, not a question.

Sora paused. "Of course; he's my best friend."

"Then you two need to stay together no matter what. If you care so much about each other, you'll fight until this is all over."

Sweat gathered on the back of his neck. She knows… Oh God, I think she knows. If there was one thing Sora hated, it was avoiding gigantic, room-sized elephants. However, since he couldn't bring himself to talk about the situation, he did his best to avoid its threatening feet. He could barely bring himself to accept his relationship (Oh man… relationship? Really? Could it actually be considered that?). How could he be expected to tell others?

"Uh… Sora?" he turned around slowly to the meekly approaching voice. He shivered; in her rare form of politeness, Yuffie sounded almost like Kairi.

"What's up?" he asked, his voice cold.

Aerith patted him lightly on the shoulder for support before leaving the two to sort out their differences.

She looked up at him briefly before casting her eyes to the ground. "Look, this isn't easy for me so just listen, okay? I'm sorry; I know you're not stupid. Hell, you're one of the smarter people in this operation. I've just been really uneasy about everything lately. This stalemate's really getting to me. I'm not one of those people who can just sit around doing nothing, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know," he smiled empathetically. "I know because I can't stand sitting still either. But Leon seems to think it's best to do nothing, so we're doing nothing."

Yuffie narrowed her eyes mischievously. "Who ever said we had to listen to Leon?"

"Huh?" Sora furrowed his brow. "He's kind of the leader here, isn't he?"

"Self appointed leader," Yuffie scoffed. "And quite honestly, when the so-called authority is acting questionably, isn't it only right for us to question him?"

"Yuffie, I'm not quite sure I like where this-"

"And thus, in questioning said authority, shouldn't we be able to act independently of his will?"

"We can't just-"

"Oh? And why not? You saved all those worlds without Leon's help, didn't you?"

"Well I-"

"He wasn't there to guide you step by step. Why should you need him now? Oh, I have the perfect idea!"

The girl's strong hand grabbed Sora's wrist and dragged him back into the house and past a baffled Cloud and Cid, who still stood in the kitchen. She forced him up the stairs and into Riku's room, slamming the door behind her.

"What the hell is going on?" asked Riku, more amused than annoyed by their intrusion.

"Sora and I are going to try to get to the bottom of this on our own. What do you say?"

Riku smiled. "Sounds like a great idea."

Sora groaned. "You would take her side. Look, I just don't think it's a good idea to go behind Leon's back."

"Aw, don't think of it as going behind his back!" Yuffie encouraged. "We're just being… progressive. Besides, you wouldn't leave Riku and me to fend for ourselves, would you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yuffie, please. I know perfectly well the two of you can fend for yourselves."

Riku chuckled, inching close to Sora. He mumbled into Sora's ear, lips grazing the lobe. "C'mon… You know you want to…"

That dirty, rotten, cheating bastard. It was just like Riku to swindle his way into getting what he wanted. Sora smirked. Two could play at this game.

"Really, Riku, really? You're gonna pull this with Yuffie in the room?"

The girl giggled, taking a seat on Riku's bed. "Trust me, guys; I don't mind at all. Got any popcorn? Oh, don't let me be a distraction. Just act like I'm not here."

Sora scowled. He was not doing this with Yuffie in the room. "Fine. Fine, let's go."

Yuffie and Riku exchanged a high five, muttering "mission accomplished" as they exited the room. Sora chose to ignore the small celebration.

Less than an hour later, the newly formed alliance found themselves trudging up the side of a secluded mountain. It didn't surprise Sora that Yuffie had decided to take the lead on their mission. Although Riku had agreed to partake, and Sora more reluctantly, she was the most adamant about discovering her "hunch". What that hunch was, Riku could only guess.

"So where exactly are we going?" he asked. "I'd at least like to be briefed before we jump into something."

"I got a look at that computer Leon's been obsessing over," she grinned. "Apparently, there's a hideout that even Hybrids are having trouble infiltrating."

"Wait, what?" Sora asked skeptically. "So we're after Nobodies and Heartless here?"

"Option number two," she said happily. "And I'm not entirely sure fighting will be necessary."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Sora exclaimed.

"Yuffie, what're you talking about?" Riku pressed. She must have completely lost her mind if she thought they were actually going to form an alliance with Heartless. "Look; I know the power of the Heartless. They're experts at manipulation. If you're not careful, they'll bind you into your web, make you believe their twisted reality. There's no way we can side with them, even if we do have a common enemy."

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face them. "I don't want to side with the Heartless. I have no intention of doing so. I just…"

"What is it?" asked Riku, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I want to get Reno back."

Sora frowned, his eyes saddening. "Yuffie, I know he was your friend, but you have to understand. Once someone's a Heartless, it's almost impossible to bring them back."

She met his gaze, tears gathering in desperate eyes. "But… but Kairi brought you back. I thought you of all people would understand."

Biting his lip, Sora tried to explain. "How are we even going to find him? Leon said he turned into a Shadow. Any one of us could've accidentally-"

"We didn't," she said with resolve. "Hybrids have tabs on all the strong Heartless in Hollow Bastion. It helps strengthen their resolve. Turns out they have a profile for Reno's Heartless."

"Does Leon know about this?" asked Riku.

"Of course," Yuffie nodded. "But you see, Leon and Reno had a falling out right before he was turned into a Heartless. Didn't think Leon was handling the situation properly. Whatever rage Reno has might be directed at him if he tries to help. And I knew if we told the others they would insist on telling Leon, who would of course have to come with us. It's better this way; trust me."

"Yuffie, if this ends badly-"

"It won't," she said, her voice full of determination.

Dreading the commencement of their trek, Riku and Sora followed Yuffie up the winding trail. After over an hour of climbing the steep slope, they came to an opening with a strong steel door. Yuffie gripped the handle and pulled strongly, but it refused to budge. "Must be locked or something."

"Nah, there's a code," Sora stepped up to the entrance. Riku observed it more closely. Carved into the sleek metal were a series of squares that lit up as Sora placed his fingers on them. "Hollow Bastion had a million of these stupid puzzles the first time I was here. See, all you've gotta do is find the right pattern… No, that's not it… Wait… Aha!"

Sora grinned as the door slid open without a sound.

"Nice," Riku clapped him on the back.

"What can I say?" he shrugged in feigned arrogance.

"Shh! Weapons out!" Yuffie whispered loudly, pulling out her shuriken as Riku and Sora called their Keyblades.

Riku gaped at the sight that unfolded before his eyes. The cave was illuminated by bright red chandeliers, making the crimson rugs below look like blood-strewn rags. Upon the walls were carved intricate Heartless emblems, each glowering evilly at the intruders.

"They've really taken the evil factor up a notch, haven't they?" whispered Riku, his voice echoing more than he intended.

"Yeah, well, being the only strong Heatless in a Hybrid town gets a little boring, you know? Not a lot of stuff to do when you're stuck hiding out all day."

Riku shifted uneasily, raising Way to Dawn in defense as he braced himself. The voice had boomed through the corridor from an unknown source, its dark, amused tone catching him off guard. He jumped backward in surprise as a shadowed figure rushed out in front of them, obstructing their path. The thin figure glared at them with red pupils, long black hair tied behind his head. He smirked at the three, offering a sarcastic wave as a greeting.

"Yuffie… Well well, haven't you grown up? It's been so long… And tell me, who are your new sidekicks?"

Riku cringed. He was not a sidekick.

She took a deep breath, speaking nervously. "Reno, it's you. You look different, you sound different, but I know it's you."

"Yuffie, be careful," Sora warned. "I know he's your friend, but-"

"Then why would she need to be careful?" asked Reno, moving close to Yuffie. He put a hand on her shoulder. "How long's it been? It's so easy to lose track of time when you're a recluse."

Yuffie pursed her lips. "Seven years."

"Seven years? Geeze, I've gotta get out more. I spent some time rampaging through the worlds in Maleficent's army out of boredom, but I haven't really done much in awhile."

"Maleficent's army?" Yuffie said quietly. "Out of boredom?"

"Yuffie, he's a Heartless," Riku reminded her. "He's not the person he used to be."

She seemed not to have registered Riku's plea. "Listen Reno; we all miss you. You're lonely here. Won't you come back with us?"

He frowned. "Is that idiot Squall still running things?"

Yuffie gulped. "Yeah, he is."

"Are you all insane?" Reno's Heartless lost his cool demeanor. "That man is the reason our world was almost destroyed! He's the reason the others are dead!"

A glint of fear lit Yuffie's eyes for the first time since their encounter. "We all miscalculated. You can't blame Squall for a mistake that was all of our faults."

"He said he checked it but he didn't!" Reno exclaimed. "He rushed into the thing and look what happened! Here I thought you were coming to join me… guess I was wrong. You should leave, Yuffie."

"I'm not going anywhere until you agree to rejoin us."

"Yuffie, leave before I do something I'll regret if I ever regain my heart."

"Then let me help you!" she begged.

"It's too late! The Darkness has consumed me!"

"No! I'm not leaving!"

Reno's Heartless looked almost regretful. He turned around quickly, lunging toward Yuffie, clenching a fist around her neck and hoisting her into the air. "Then you'll have to die."

"No!" screamed Sora and Riku in unison, jumping at Reno and hitting him with their Keyblades. He fell backward, dropping Yuffie before regaining his footing. She braced herself with her shuriken and attacked, hitting him strongly in the midsection.

The Heartless raised his hands above his head, creating a strong ball of force that Riku immediately recognized as Dark magic. He swung it around his body, throwing powerful bullets of energy at the three. Riku tried to defend them with Dark Aura, but it was impossible to stay by both Sora and Yuffie. He couldn't keep the shield up for long periods of time, and found himself weakening from the heavy hitting pellets. Riku bounded after Reno's Heartless, blocking his attacks with Way to Dawn. He struck the man several times before having to jump back, the Darkness of Reno's attacks weakening him. Sora jumped at him next, Ultima shredding into him as the Heartless writhed in pain, falling onto his hands and knees. As Sora swung his Keyblade again, Reno emitted a rumbling growl, a burst of energy consuming the cavern and knocking his three opponents from their feet.

A horrible pain struck Riku, running through his fingertips, up his arms, spreading through his entire body. His back slammed against the wall. It was the worst pain he had ever felt, transcending even that of Xehanort's possession. He opened bleary lids, trying to reach for a potion with a weakened hand. Sora and Yuffie lay next to him, their bodies mangled from the Dark attack. He watched as Sora raised his Keyblade with aching muscles, healing the three with barely a whisper of the word.

Riku felt the pain subside from his body, leaving his limbs weak and flimsy. He sat slowly, supporting himself with a still aching hand as Sora and Yuffie tried to do the same. Remembering her mission, Yuffie pulled herself to her feet and stumbled over to the fallen Heartless.

"Reno!" she yelled, her voice rasping.

Riku and Sora lifted themselves off the ground and staggered toward the two. They watched from a distance as Yuffie scooped the man's limp body into her arms, supporting his head with a shaking palm.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I k… I killed…"

She grew still as a light encircled the Heartless. Riku watched in amazement as his features changed, his hair turned from black to a vibrant red, his face softening. Yuffie gasped as his eyes blinked open to reveal green irises.

"Y… Yuffie?" a higher, lighter voice than his Heartless had possessed graced their ears.

"It's you," she whispered. "It's really you this time."

Riku and Sora let Yuffie and her reunited friend return to the keep, neither wanting to butt in on what they were sure would be an emotional homecoming. After listening to Reno's long apology and thanks, along with Yuffie's insistence that they return, Sora and Riku explained that someone needed to watch the house overnight. With Reno having recently reacquired his heart, they knew that the others had a lot of catching up to do.

"They didn't seem too sad to be rid of us," smirked Riku as Yuffie and Reno left their sight.

"Nah," Sora waved a hand in disdain. "I think leaving us be was just Yuffie's weird form of thanks. She usually never leaves us alone."

He relaxed as Sora slid his hand into his, locking their fingers together. Riku squeezed it tightly in comfort. As much as he loved this new feeling, sometimes he needed to reassure himself that it was real, that he hadn't invented it in some obscure illusion or dream. Sora seemed to sense this and squeezed his hand back, wrapping his thumb around Riku's.

"So that was weird, right?" laughed Sora. "The whole Reno thing, I mean."

"Yeah, I'm still surprised it worked as well as it did," said Riku. "I half expected one of us to accidentally kill him. And for awhile there I thought we were goners."

"A couple seconds longer and we would've been," Sora frowned, dropping Riku's hand as they entered town.

"Without Curaga we'd all be dead several times over," admitted Riku as they neared the house, unlocking the door and letting them in.

"You should really learn to use it," suggested Sora as he walked over to the refrigerator, taking out two sandwiches and throwing one to Riku. "I know you've got really good potions, but there's nothing like Curaga when you're in a bind."

"You know I'm no good when it comes to magic," Riku reminded him as he tore into the sandwich. "Kairi caught on somewhat, but for some reason I can barely master a simple fire spell."

"Well, I had a better teacher than the two of you did," Sora admitted. "I can apply what I've learned, but I'm not very good at teaching it. It still couldn't hurt to try again."

Riku sighed. "Why do I see this ending badly?"

"It probably will," Sora snickered. "But it doesn't mean we can't attempt it."

"Right, we'll do that first thing tomorrow," nodded Riku, his tone sarcastic as he finished his sandwich and headed upstairs. He walked to the bathroom and took a shower, washing away the grime that had accumulated during their trek and battle. He walked to his room and dressed, drying his hair with a towel and reveling in the feeling of cleanliness. Finally relaxed after the hectic day, Riku walked to his window and stared down at the village below. Its half-timbered structures basked in the glow of the falling sun, their radiance glimmering onto the cold pewter cobblestone below. Riku rested his arms on the pane and relaxed, thinking of nothing but the scene below.

His heartbeat quickened as footsteps approached. Strong arms wrapped around his waist; a hand pressed against his chest and gripped his shirt as a face burrowed into his hair, inhaling deeply. Riku closed his eyes, relaxing into the hug, twisting around to kiss the lips of his embracer. He lifted his hand, sifting it through Sora's spiky hair. Opening his lids, he met Sora's saddened eyes.

"What's wrong?" Riku asked, outlining Sora's jaw with his fingertips.

"It's nothing," Sora's mouth turned up slightly. "I'm just glad you're here. Earlier in the cave… You were in bad shape. I was just afraid-"

Riku clapped his hand over Sora's mouth, chuckling to himself as Sora struggled to talk. "You need to stop worrying about me, okay? I've been through a lot; hell, we both have. A little thing like that isn't going to kill me."

Sora pulled the hand from his mouth, clenching Riku's wrist. "I know it's ridiculous, but I-"

His words were silenced as thirsty lips pressed against his own, smothering his speech with each deepening kiss. Riku pulled away slightly, breathlessly whispering. "You were saying?"

"I don't really care right now."

Yearning hands traveled up Riku's chest, pushing him solidly against the window. He shivered as Sora's lips brushed his neck, the smell of morning shampoo enticing his senses. He decided to give in… for the moment at least. Sora's teeth nibbled at his collar, his tongue traveling to the nape of his neck. Riku groaned as the sensation flowed through his body.

"How do you do that?" his whispered voice rasped as Sora lifted his head to meet his eyes once again.

"Skill, I guess," he smiled, pressing his lips into Riku's once more. Riku accepted it, sliding his tongue against Sora's mouth. With a murmur of desire he allowed Riku's tongue to mingle with his own. Riku pushed them away from the window, slowly gaining control as they stumbled toward the bed.

Sora's legs struck it unexpectedly and buckled from underneath him, sending the two tumbling onto the bed. Sora fell with an "oof", the sound stifled by Riku's tripped figure.

"Are you okay?" asked a laughing Riku as he tried to get up.

"Of course I'm okay… But I don't know where you think you're going," Sora sat up abruptly, pulling Riku onto his back. The younger man jumped forward with his hands on either side of Riku's shoulders, bending his head down to kiss him again. Riku met him halfway, bracing himself on his elbows as he pushed up into a seated position. Fingers tugged at his shirt, traveling to the bottom hem before it was pulled upward and over his head. He smiled slightly at Sora's usual gape before hungrily grappling the other's shirt, discarding it onto the floor without a second thought. Riku was surprised to find himself still mesmerized by the sight. Despite living on an island, until they had started doing… whatever it is they were doing… he hadn't seen Sora without his shirt off in several years. He eyed the toned chest and ripped abdomen, unable to resist. Riku pushed him back onto the mattress, straddling Sora's hips and leaning down, kissing his neck, his chest, running his tongue over a pec. Sora moaned as Riku's tongue grazed a pert nipple. Riku smiled inwardly, sucking at it, moving his tongue in slow circles. Sora gasped, his arms slipping from Riku's back, along his sides and to his belt buckle, fingers loosening the hold. Caught off guard, Riku stopped his rampage momentarily. Sora took the opportunity to wrestle Riku onto his back, grabbing his pants and sliding them down his legs.

"You cheating bastard!" Riku joked, unfastening the button on Sora's pants as the Keyblade Master pulled him into strong arms, meeting his lips once again.

Riku kissed back slowly, his mood sobering he tugged at Sora's zipper. Sora broke the embrace, gulping as he looked into his friend's aqua eyes.

Sensing the same apprehension and anticipation in Sora that he felt, Riku took a deep breath, asking the question on both of their minds. "Sora, how far do you want to take this?"

He smiled, his expression confident as he held Riku's hand in his. "I'm ready… if you are."

Riku smiled back, his heart soaring as he leaned up to kiss Sora again, consumed only by the love and desire he had for his friend. His fear melted away in the embrace, forgetting every notion but the bond they shared, one he knew would never be broken again.

Yay! That was a pretty fun chapter to write. Sorry I don't update as often as I used to, but I've been bogged down lately and unfortunately haven't had as much time on my hands. Hopefully the length of the chapter makes up for that? I'm really excited to get started on Fourteen; I've had it mapped out in my head since the beginning. Major turning point. Should prove to be a fun time.

Once again, thank you for the reviews; they always make my day!

Oh, and Happy Re: Chain of Memories Release Day! I'm going out to get it shortly. I hope you have as much fun playing it as I'm sure I will!