Ex Animo


Kairi watches the water as it ripples away from their little boat. She sighs, fingering the end of her uniform tie. "What do you think happened?" Her voice is low, a strain of exhaustion showing in the first five words she has spoken outside of school today.

Sora doesn't quite look at her, keeps his eyes trained on the paddle in his hand and the steady motion it makes as he pulls them closer to the island. "Nightmares, probably." He lets his gaze flick over her for a moment, "which if I had to guess, you've been having too?"

She gives him a wane smile, "not too bad."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Do you want to talk about yours?"

It's Sora's turn to smile, a full upturn of his lips. "You got me there." He lets the conversation slip away, replaced instead with the kind of companionable silence that only comes between best friends.

"You know, if we want Riku to talk, we're going to have to share." Says Kairi as they dock at the little island. She reaches out to Sora, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Sora doesn't let go of her as they walk across the beach, towards the Seaside Shack. "Well, this way there'll be no spoilers."

Their hearts flutter as they re-emerge in the sun. It's enough to let them know Riku is on the little islet with the paopu tree. They share an easy smile as they trip their way across the bridge.

He's sitting on the curve of the tree, his back towards them. They each make quiet note of the way Riku seems to be trembling.

Sora launches himself onto the tree-trunk from behind, while Kairi meanders around the front, braces her foot against the tree and holds a hand out to Riku who helps her up without a word.

They sandwich their friend, sitting close enough to brush arms and knock knees. Sora sets everything into motion.

"I have bad dreams," he says, "that I never found you. That the heartless eat everything and there's nothing I can do about it." Nobody is making eye contact, confessing secrets to the horizon and the setting sun instead.

Riku's whole body stiffens; Kairi can feel him holding his breath. "Namine has nightmares about Castle Oblivion, about the things they made her do," she doesn't add the things they did to her, "I have problems on full moon nights." They don't ask her for clarification. Riku taps her fingers until she slips her hand into his.

"I don't," Riku pauses to clear his throat, "it wasn't a bad dream this time." Kairi squeezes his hand, "I was brushing my teeth, getting ready for school. I looked up at the mirror and," he drifts off again, worrying at his lip and not looking either of his friends.

Sora nudges him with his shoulder. "Riku, man, you don't have to sweat things like that. It doesn't matter if you shape-shifted into a starfish in the middle of the night, that's just an outside appearance." He leans forward to tap at Riku's chest, "it's what's in here that counts."

"It always has been," says Kairi at his side, "you'll still be you. Nobody can change that."

"I know, it's just-" Sora and Kairi cut him off, embracing him suddenly and almost tipping all three of them off the back of the tree.

"It's scary." Sora confirms.

"But we're here for you. You don't have to go through this alone."

Riku smiles, a little twitch of the lips that they almost miss. "I know, thanks guys."


End Note: Originally written for the lj community kh_drabble challenge [254] Expressions of Love. This drabble tops out at 600 words exactly.