Unseen Emotions

Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts characters, but I do own all locations, the storyline, and the original characters.

For Warnings, Spoilers, and Plot see earlier chapters! Thanks!

Pairings: Axel:x:Riku, (slight) Riku:x:Sora, Roxas:x:Sora (not related), and Zack:x:Cloud

A.N. Riku is going to the doctor about his sight! Will they be able to help him? Or will Axel's efforts prove to be in vain? Happy reading!

Chapter Twenty-One: Unveiled

Riku swallowed nervously. He'd been on a plane a few times when he was little, and he didn't really remember it, but for some reason he was pretty sure it wasn't the plane that was making him a nervous wreck. They were heading to a city near Jepsin, called Preoria(1). Preoria was well known for its advancements in technology and medicine, where Jepsin was known for its fashion, arts, and music. They were flying into an airport between the two cities, and then renting a car while they visited the city. This wasn't a big deal, as they had virtually endless supplies of money at their disposal… So Riku assumed it was the actual consultation itself that had him so riled up. He had never really had any good experiences related to visiting a hospital. One was for his accident, the other for Naminé's accident, and of course Roxas' gunshot wound. There weren't exactly any happy memories when he thought about visiting the doctor. Luckily Axel was going to be with him the entire time; he was not going to leave his side. Not for anything. So that made things a bit better. But Riku was still extremely nervous. Something about cutting into his eyes, and laser treatment, and removing all of his scar tissue just made him squirm at the thought. Maybe it was because he was so sensitive about his eyes, he wasn't completely sure. His mind racing with thoughts, Riku barely noticed as they made their way through security and across the airport to their gate where they were to wait about an hour for their flight. It was only when Axel lifted his chin and planted a kiss on his lips that he snapped out of his thoughts, Riku laughing softly and blinking up at his boyfriend. "What was that for?"

"To get you to stop worrying," Axel said softly, squeezing the younger boy's hand. "I'm not going anywhere babe, I promise. You've got nothing to worry about. And if we don't like this guy, we can just walk out. Don't feel obligated to stick with this doctor; if he's not the one for us I can do some more searching, find another specialist, there are a couple others that do very similar procedures…"

"Now who's worrying?" Riku said, tilting his head up for a kiss.

Axel chuckled softly, leaning in and reconnecting their lips. "Alright, so we both need to stop worrying. I guess I should learn to take my own advice, huh?" Riku smiled, his blind eyes looking around as his ears picked up on several strange sounds. One was a Gameboy, then there were several pairs of high heels, and a baby crying… Others he wasn't so sure about, something sounded like air, maybe a fan? Or someone's oxygen? He swallowed, clutching Axel's hands. The red-head wrapped an arm around the younger boy's shoulder. "It's alright, I've got you."

Riku nodded against his chest, trying to settle his nerves. Everything was going to be alright, Axel was here. Axel would never let anything happen to him, no matter what strange sounds, or smells, or feelings he had. Axel loved him, and would do anything for him, and would never leave him, ever. Riku let out a long, calming sigh, lifting his head up and asking worriedly, "It's not supposed to start snowing again until the end of the week, right?"

"That's right," Axel said, nodding, "But if for some reason the snow comes early we can always wait out a few days in Jepsin before heading back. That's not a big deal."

Riku smiled and began to comment, but suddenly the announcer came on over the speaker system at the gate. "The plane will now start boarding first class. First class passengers, please come to the front of the line. Thank you."

"That's us," Axel said, picking up their bags with one hand and taking Riku's hand in the other. "You ready?"

Riku swallowed, but nodded firmly, as if trying to convince himself along with Axel. "I'm ready." He followed along beside Axel, and together they walked to the plane.

-x-x-x-

Riku clutched Axel's hand as they took off, chewing his gum furiously. The last thing he needed was a headache for the duration of a three hour flight, unable to see what was going on around them, unable to do anything about his sudden claustrophobia… Axel rubbed his palm soothingly, his brow arched in concern as he watched his boyfriend. Maybe this was a bad idea; maybe he had pressured Riku into doing this too soon… But as the plane leveled out and the roaring of the jet engines pushing themselves to ascend into the sky dulled to a low roar, Riku seemed to relax a bit, looking over in Axel's direction with a weak smile. "So that was the hard part, right?"

Axel sighed as well before laughing softly, "That, and the landing. In between it's pretty much like riding in a car. There might be a couple of bumps now and then, but other than that…"

A stewardess walked by after a few moments of level flight, dipping down and asking sweetly, "Hi there boys, is there anything I can get for you? A refreshment? Headsets for the movie?"

Axel looked to Riku, squeezing his hand gently. The blind boy hesitated, but then said, "A sprite would be nice, if that's okay?"

The older boy smiled, and then nodded to the stewardess before adding, "I'll have a cherry coke, thank you."

The girl walked off to fetch their drinks, Riku listening to her footsteps as she left. He relaxed his hand in Axel's grip, tracing his fingertips against the red-head's palm. "A cherry coke, huh?"

Axel smiled, "Just in case you get tired of your sprite."

Riku laughed softly, leaning over and resting his cheek against Axel's shoulder, closing his eyes and letting out a long, deep breath. "Do you really think that this doctor will be able to do anything to help?"

Axel reached up, rubbing Riku's back as he replied, "My mother normally knows what she's talking about, and I did a bit of research myself. His other patients have had very impressive results after their procedures. The numbers look promising, but I've never met the man. So we'll just have to wait and see what we think…"

The stewardess returned a moment later, Axel taking the drinks from her before offering the sprite to Riku, pressing it to the back of his hand. The girl made a soft sound when she realized what Axel was doing and why, saying softly, "Oh, I'm sorry sir. I hadn't realized…"

"It's alright," Axel said, Riku shifting against his shoulder in mild embarrassment, "Thank you for the drinks."

She nodded and backed away with a smile, moving on to talk to the passengers sitting in the seats behind them. The blind boy listened to her leave, then said softly, "Sometimes I forget that people who don't know me are surprised when they find out I can't see."

Axel took a sip of his coke, rubbing Riku's back again. They sat in a comfortable silence, both thinking about different things, the soft rumble of the air against the cockpit ever present around them, like a blanket of sound.

-x-x-x-

As they descended Riku took another piece of gum from Axel, chewing as he felt the gravity around them shift and the plane's nose dip towards the ground. He let out a shaky breath, Axel holding his hand firmly, whispering softly, "It's alright, trust me. This is what it normally feels like."

Riku nodded, pressing himself against the back of his seat and holding onto Axel's hand, his sensations a jumbled mess as the volume of the engines rose, and the plane dipped even further towards the runway. Then, all at once, they bumped against something, Riku recognizing the sound of tires against pavement, and slowly the plane slowed itself to a minimal crawl as it drove across the runway to the boarding gates. They had made it. They were in Preoria. This was it.

They were walking off of the plane a few minutes later, two of the first to leave the plane. Their bags had already been taken care of; someone had packed them neatly into their rental car, which Axel located easily in the airport parking lot. They got into the car, buckled their seatbelts, and then sat there for a moment, the red-head looking over at the pale blonde beside him with soft eyes. "Are you ready, Riku?"

Riku glanced over towards the sound of Axel's voice, his chest twisting with anxiety and excitement. "Yes. I'm ready."

With that, Axel turned the key over to start the car, and they left the airport, driving to the west towards the heart of Preoria. The car's internal GPS guided them for most of the way, before Axel started to notice landmarks he recognized from the eye specialist's website. "Alright then, it should be just up the hill here…" They drove a little ways further, turning into a small parking lot in front of a small, glass building. There were beautiful flowers surrounding the entrance, and there was also a small, bubbling fountain in the middle of the walkway leading up to the sliding glass doors. It was ritzy and exotic looking. First class service from the outside in. Axel parked the car, then reached over and clasped Riku's hand, saying, "If at any time you want to leave, you just say the word and we're gone."

Riku nodded, his heart pounding so loudly in his ears he was almost certain Axel could hear it too. "O-Okay…"

Axel, sensing the younger boy's inner torrent of emotions, leaned over and kissed him softly, Riku sighing against his lips and returning the kiss. "Promise me you'll tell me if anything's wrong?"

"I will," Riku agreed, Axel pressing their foreheads together gently. "I'll tell you if I think he's not the one. I promise."

They climbed out of the car, and then walked up the stone path to the entrance together, holding hands. As they passed, Riku reached out towards the sound of the fountain, his fingertips gliding against the edge of the small waterfall. It was cool and soothing, and somehow that simple touch of water against his skin put him somewhat at ease, the boy allowing Axel to lead him along as they opened the glass doors to the clinic and stepped inside. Riku could hear water in this room as well, two fountains echoing falling water from either side of the main lobby. Axel stepped forward to talk to the receptionist, Riku at his side, the scent of lilac and gardenia lingering in the air. "We're here for an appointment with Dr. Red?"

"Right this way," the receptionist said, stepping out from behind the large marble counter and walking towards the stairs leading up and around the lobby. "Watch your step."

Axel nodded, leading Riku carefully up the stairs as he always did when they were at his house, the blind boy following after him carefully. When they reached the landing at the top there was another receptionist, the girl smiling at them and holding her hand out towards a large room at the end of the hall, "Welcome sir, the doctor has been waiting for you."

Riku squeezed Axel's hand, the older boy nodding to the girl and walking towards the room at the end of the hall, noticing that the walls were made out of glass, a giant garden clearly visible through the glass walls surrounding them. As they stepped forward into the room, a doctor stepped forward to greet them. He was very tall, and about the age of Axel's father. His hair was a rusty red color, and he had a scar over his right eye. He reached out; shaking Axel's free hand, then looked over at Riku. The smaller boy was half-hiding behind Axel, his hand shaking lightly in the other boy's grasp. "It's nice to meet you both." Dr. Red said, clasping his hands behind his back and walking back into the room, "Please, step inside. Dr. Cait will be here shortly."

Axel looked down at Riku, noticing the younger boy's nervousness. "Do you want to go?"

"N-No, not yet…" Riku said, trying to still his racing heart. "It's just all becoming very real to me, all of a sudden. I guess it's just now hitting me that we're actually here doing this…"

"It's normal to be nervous about this sort of thing," a kind voice said, Axel looking up to see a young doctor walking towards them with jet black hair, a warm smile across his face. "It's not something you can really prepare yourself for. You just have to gather your courage and do it." He looked from Axel to Riku, saying softly, "You seem to be doing a fine job so far."

Riku perked up his head, listening to the sound of the other doctor's voice. It was light, and friendly, and he smelt like the flowers from the lobby. "Are you Dr. Red's assistant?" he asked questioningly.

The dark-headed boy chuckled softly, walking past the two boys and into the room with his fellow doctor, saying as he went, "I'm his partner in crime, I guess you would say. He is the surgeon, and I do the evaluations." He turned back towards Axel and Riku. "Come on in, I assure you I won't bite."

Axel looked down to Riku, the blind boy holding his hand a bit lighter than before. He seemed to be a bit more relaxed, following the younger doctor's voice with his dead eyes. "Riku?" he asked softly, the younger boy glancing up to him, and nodding with a soft smile.

"I think it will be alright." He said softly, "Let's see what they say."

-x-x-x-

Cait Sith was an excellent doctor, careful to take his time as he felt across Riku's forehead and cheeks, then the scar surrounding his eyes. "Close your eyes?" he said softly, Riku fidgeting slightly from where he sat half laid back in the doctor's chair, but following the other boy's request. Cait reached up, feeling gently across the scar, his white gloves smooth against Riku's skin. Axel sat beside him, gently tracing his fingers against Riku's arm and shoulder, watching the doctor's work. "Alright, now open them again." Riku did so, searching the darkness for where he knew the other boy was hovering over him, wondering what he looked like. He smelt nice, his voice was sweet, and Axel seemed to approve. So he must be alright.

Dr. Red was a bit more serious and intimidating, the thirteenth doctor in his family to be specifically refined in restoring eye sight. His education was the top of the line, and his work was immaculate. Cait kept bragging about him as he felt across Riku's eyes, the older doctor standing stoic in the corner, watching his younger friend's evaluation with a half-smile. Cait's words seemed to set Riku's mind at ease, Axel watching his boyfriend's expressions carefully. The worry had faded, the fear was definitely gone, and now his unseeing eyes seemed to hold nothing but excitement and amazement within them. Maybe he had managed to find the perfect match on the first try. It was a long shot, but then again, anything was possible.

"Alright then! Now the last thing I want to try is to see if we can get any sort of light sensitivity to show up on our little computer here." He reached over, picking up two small discs, pressing them to Riku's temples. They stuck there like small suction cups, the blind boy blinking and looking up towards the doctor and Axel searchingly. "Those little sensors are designed to monitor the intake of light into your irises, even if you can't detect them yourself. They'll let us know if the surgery will do anything to restore your sight. I can already tell that removing a layer of the scar tissue will stop the pain you experience when you tense up your face, or cry. But let's see what else we can find..." Riku nodded, twisting his fingers around Axel's, waiting to see what the doctor would do. Cait reached over, clicked a few buttons on the computer sitting beside the chair, and then picked up what looked to be a sleek flashlight, several different colored buttons on the side of the device. "Let me know if you see anything by yourself too, okay?"

"Okay…" Riku replied softly, allowing the doctor to tilt up his head, resting back against the chair and staring upwards. Cait flicked the side of the flashlight on, and like a strobe light it began flashing different pulses of color at different levels of intensity, the light reflecting in Riku's eyes and making little bolts of data on the computer screen beside him.

"This device will flash different types of light; each one will make your eyes react a bit differently." Cait said, looking over at Axel. "You'd be surprised how sometimes your eyes are still able to recognize certain levels of brightness, or a specific color, even when everything else is black. We have a patient one time that couldn't see-"

Riku gasped suddenly, clutching Axel's hand. The older boy looked over in concern, asking, "Are you alright?"

"I saw red!" Riku said happily, "I saw it! I swear! It's the same color as your hair!"

Cait looked over at Axel, "He's been able to see you before?"

The older boy hesitated, and then replied, "We always thought it was just his imagination…"

"And green!" Riku cheered, laughing and squeezing his boyfriend's hand. "I knew I could see you! I knew it! You have bright green eyes and red hair. I knew I saw it…"

Cait smiled at the blind boy's excitement, reaching over and clicking away at his keyboard for a moment, the flashlight continuing to pulse before Riku's eyes. "Yes, this is very good. We're getting strong readings for color recognition." He looked back at Dr. Red, who nodded, stepping forward towards his young companion.

"If you recommend the surgery, I would be more than happy to perform the procedure for our new patient." The older man looked at Riku, then Axel. "It will take a few weeks to prepare everything, and finish analyzing the data, but if you would like to then we may proceed with the preparations."

Axel looked from the doctor to Riku, rubbing the back of his hand gently. "What do you think?"

The younger boy nodded, a broad smile across his face. "Yes, I'd like that. Very much."

-xxxo0:O:0oxxx-

A little over a month passed, and Axel and Riku waited patiently for the phone call that would tell them whether or not they would be able to do the surgery. Cait Sith assured them both that he would let them know as soon as he found out the final results, and that they would make arrangements for the surgery as soon as possible after. All they could do in the meantime was wait.

Naminé smiled over at her brother from across the table at the crepe shoppe, asking, "Is that one any good?"

Riku nodded to her, taking another large bite out of his crepe, it was strawberry and banana with vanilla ice cream. "It's very good! Thank you for telling us about this place!"

She nodded, laughing a bit and looking over at Axel. The red-head was talking with Sora and Roxas at the counter, trying to help them decide which crepes to try. "So, how are you and Axel doing?"

"We're great!" Riku said happily. "I'm so glad that mom said he could stay with me during the surgery. I know she and dad wanted to be there, but with their work and everything…"

Naminé nodded, replying softly, "I'm glad that Axel is going to be there with you in the room. I would have loved to have been there, but Cloud and I will be there afterwards when you wake up. We promise."

"That is, assuming that I can even have the surgery…" Riku said softly, taking another bite out of his crepe and chewing slowly. "We still haven't heard anything…"

Axel joined them at the table a moment later, sitting down beside Riku and sighing loudly while looking over at Naminé. "Are they always so damned indecisive?"

She giggled, nodding profusely. "Oh yes! You should see them at the coffee shop! Do I want non-fat milk? Do I want soy? Do I want hot coffee or should it be cold? Or maybe we'll just get tea instead!"

"Are you the reason why my ears are burning?" Roxas said, sitting down beside her, the girl laughing and swatting his arm.

"Did you finally decide on something?" she asked, taking a bite out of her blueberry crepe.

"We went with green tea ice cream, then I got chocolate chips in mine, and he got strawberries in his."

"Of course," Axel said, rolling his eyes. "Because you can't have it completely the same, nor completely different."

"You're one to talk, Ax!" Sora said, sitting down beside Roxas and grinning over at the red-head. "You and Riku share your food all the time too! What fun would it be to share if you got the exact same things all the time?"

"Touché," the older boy said, taking a bite out of his peanut butter and banana crepe, reaching beneath the table and squeezing Riku's hand. The white-blonde smiled over at him, taking another bite of his crepe, when suddenly Axel's phone started ringing, the older boy pulling his hand away from Riku and reluctantly pulling it out of his pocket. "That'll be Demyx, demanding to know why he wasn't invited…"

"Tell him it's because he's too busy sucking face with Yuffie!" Roxas jeered, Sora scowling at him and shaking his head.

"He doesn't like her you know! She just thinks he does…"

"And yet they spend all of their time together…" Roxas said, raising an eyebrow and looking over at his boyfriend.

"Still! I don't think they're like that…"

Axel chuckled, pressing his phone to his ear, "Hello?" His demeanor instantly changed, the other boys at the table noticing and going quiet.

Riku looked over towards Naminé, asking softly, "What is it?"

Naminé shook her head, reaching across the table with her recently de-casted arm and squeezing his hand. "I'm not sure…"

Axel make a few soft sounds of agreement, then a wide smile twisted his lips, the boy looking over at his friends and nodding, his eyes moving to Riku, "Yes! We can do that! At the end of the week? Sure! That's great! I'll let Riku know."

The blind boy's heart was pounding, was Axel talking to Cait? He waited, holding his breath, until his boyfriend said goodbye and placed his phone down on the table with a small thud, searching the darkness hopefully. "Axel?"

The older boy turned and wrapped his arms around Riku, pulling him close. "They said that they could do it! That the surgery is set for this weekend!"

Riku felt a dam within him break, tears of joy pouring out of him like a well needed rain. "T-They said they think I'll be able to see again?"

Axel pulled back, reaching up and holding Riku's face in his hands, wiping away his happy tears with his thumb. "They're going to do everything they can to make sure you have a full sight recovery. It's possible that you'll see as well as you did when you were a kid, Riku! Cait sounded extremely confident!"

Riku smiled, allowing himself to cry, the corners of his eyes prickling unpleasantly but the boy not caring one bit. This was really going to happen, wasn't it? He was going to be able to see again. He was finally going to be able to look up at Axel when the boy dipped down to see him. He was going to be able to tell his sister how pretty she looked when he saw her in the hallway. He was going to be able to see his brother, and their mom and dad…and all of their friends. And Sora, he would be able to see Sora again, after all this time. He sobbed into Axel's chest, a whirlwind of pent up emotions crashing through him like a wave. The older boy held him gently, Naminé looking over to Roxas and Sora, the brunette sniffing and wiping his eyes where he too had been crying happily. They were all together again, and healing, and becoming whole. And after everything they had been through, in the end, it was worth it.

-xxxo0:O:0oxxx-

The night before the surgery, as Axel and Riku curled up to go to sleep, a sense of uncertainty passed through the younger boy. He couldn't sleep, couldn't seem to let his mind settle enough to fall into pleasant slumber beside his loving boyfriend. Axel could tell something was wrong, pulling Riku close and asking gently, "Do you want to wait? You don't have to do this right now, you know…"

"I know," Riku returned softly, "But I think it'll feel this way no matter how long I wait. It's like what Cait said the first time we met. This isn't something I can prepare for. I just have to do it. I have to be brave."

Axel smiled, leaning in and kissing Riku gently. The younger boy reached up, pressing his fingertips against the other boy's chest, gasping softly when Axel moved over him and pressed him down into the sheets, kissing him again. Slowly their touches became more explorative, Riku moaning softly as Axel rubbed his leg against him, his whole body igniting from that touch. He wouldn't lie and say that he hadn't thought about Axel touching him again when he was enjoying his showers in the morning. But lately they had been so preoccupied with Riku's surgery that they really hadn't had the time to relax and be with one another. Now, with the time that had passed since the last time they had been together, their bodies seemed to be hypersensitive to one another's touch, Axel shuddering beneath Riku's hands as his fingernails dug ever-so-slightly into his shoulders.

"Do you want me to touch you again?" Axel asked softly, the smaller boy shuddering against him and nodding, a fierce blush crossing his cheeks. The red-head smiled down at his boyfriend, kissing his lips gently, slowly pulling his boxers down and wrapping his fingers around his length, Riku moaning and pushing up into his hand. They pressed against one another, kissing hotly, Axel moving his hand faster against Riku's hot flesh. It didn't take long before the younger boy cried out and spilled against Axel's hand, the pale boy shuddering and whimpering as his boyfriend pulled his hand away, clinging to his shoulders as the red-head kissed him again. Chuckling softly, Axel asked, "You feel better now?"

Blushing, Riku laughed softly, replying, "You always make me feel better, even without doing that."

Axel chuckled again, laying down beside his lover, pulling Riku into a gentle embrace. "Go to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow."

Riku hesitated, and then asked, "But, what about you?"

Axel pressed a kiss to his lips, and then said, "When you're better, after the surgery, then I'll let you. I just…I don't want to lose control and not be able to stop myself. I would never forgive myself if I hurt you."

Riku blushed, pressing his face against Axel's chest. He was talking about more than just touching, wasn't he? He was talking about them having sex… Which appealed to Riku, but was still something new and foreign to him, and he wasn't sure of himself on the matter…

Sensing he may have given Riku a bit too much to think about, Axel sighed and rubbed his boyfriend's back gently, then softly began to sing.

"We watch the season pull up its own stakes
And catch the last weekend of the last week
Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced,
Another sun soaked season fades away…

"You have stolen my heart…
You have stolen my heart…"

Before he could continue, Riku shifted against his chest, sighing deeply and whispering, "You've stolen my heart too, Ax…"

Axel smiled softly, kissing the younger boy's forehead, humming to him softly until he fell asleep.

-xxxo0:O:0oxxx-

The surgery took a couple of hours. Axel was sitting by his side the whole time. When Riku awoke, Axel was there, squeezing his fingers gently. "Hey babe, how you doing?"

"Head hurts…" Riku said softly, wincing and reaching up to feel across the back of his eyes. His face was wrapped in a thick soft bandage, gauze peeking out from underneath.

"Alright, I'll go get you something, okay? I'm going to send Naminé and Cloud in to see you now that you're awake."

"Mmm'k…" Riku whispered groggily, Axel kissing his forehead before leaving to go find some pain medicine. Soon after the smell of caramel and marshmallows filled the room, Naminé reaching over and taking her brother's hand gently, Cloud standing by his shoulder and patting his arm.

"Hey kid, you feeling okay?" his older brother asked, Riku smiling and tilting his head towards his voice.

"Yeah, I'm okay…" he said softly, Naminé laughing and holding Riku's hand between her own. "Hey Nami…"

"Hey Ri-kun. I'm glad you're awake. Mother and father are here, and Sora and Roxas are coming by soon too!"

"You didn't have to invite everyone…" Riku said softly, but he felt his sister shift as if she were shaking her head.

"Axel insisted, he flew everyone out to see you. He wanted to make sure that you were okay when you woke up. He thought that all of us being here would help you feel better!"

Riku's heard fluttered, happiness soaring through him. His boyfriend was always so thoughtful, so caring, so wonderful. He was so in love with him. The smell of cinnamon filled his senses as Axel returned, pressing his hand against Riku's, the boy letting go of his sister's hand and taking the pills and cup of water his boyfriend offered, tentatively lifting his head to swallow down the pills, drinking a few sips of water to help them down.

Axel took the cup from him once he was done, standing back with Cloud while Naminé held her brother's hand. Cloud reached over, wrapping an arm around the red-head's neck and whispering to him softly, "Thank you for doing this for my little brother."

The younger boy looked over at Cloud, his green eyes shining. "I would do anything for him, anything to make him happy."

Cloud nodded, smiling at the other boy. "I know you would. That's why even my parents are starting to approve of you." He sighed, saying with a mild pout in his tone, "Now if only I could get them to like Zack, our little family would be perfect…"

Axel chuckled, Naminé looking up at the two boys, Riku tilting his head towards them as well. "Axel?" the younger boy asked, his boyfriend leaning down and giving him a soft kiss.

"Your brother was just welcoming me into the family." He said softly, Riku smiling and squeezing Naminé's hand, then reaching up with his other hand to touch Axel's face.

"I'm so glad you're here with me." He said, his voice faltering a bit, his heart twisting with emotion. "Thank you so much for this. For all of this."

Axel kissed him again, saying softly when he pulled away, "I would do anything for you, Riku. I love you with all my heart."

The blind boy smiled, his heart fluttering as he stroked his fingertips against the red-head's cheek. "I love you too, Axel. I love you so much."

(1) Preoria is pronounced (preh-oh-ree-ah), and is a large city near Jepsin.

The surgery was a success! But what will Riku's recovery bring? Will his eyesight be perfect as it once was? Or will there be complications along the way. With high hopes, the boys continue their journey to becoming whole…

5 more chapters left in our story! I hope you enjoy the ride!

See you next time! :x:Myou:x: