"So, what should we do?" Sora motioned around them. "About this."
Riku only looked at him.
Sora paused, realizing Riku didn't know what he had meant. "About getting out of here. I don't think I can climb with these injuries and neither of us have the energy to use cure."
Riku looked like he was deep in thought suddenly, but Sora knew what it was about and cut him off immediately.
"No, you are not going to try to cast it! I used up my mana just getting you to that point, so what good is it if you exhaust yourself for my sake?" Sora thought about putting it another way when Riku's determination still shone brightly.
"It's... it's like giving back a gift!"
The taller boy looked dejected suddenly, and Sora knew his words had finally gotten through. "Thank you," he offered him for understanding his wishes. Riku still wasn't in the best of condition himself, but thanks to Sora's earlier healing he was in a better place.
Sora let himself lie back on the ground, looking up at what little of the sky he could see through the trees.
"Maybe if I just rest a while we can try to climb by nightfall." He knew it was dangerous even as he said it, but he didn't see any way around it.
He looked over at Riku. "You lie down, too." A rigorous shaking of the head was his reply.
Sora frowned and closed his eyes. "You don't like the plan, I know. It's not the best idea to be out here during the night, but what else can we do?" He knew Riku couldn't offer any new ideas.
He was wrong.
Sora heard rustling around him and opened his eyes to see Riku trying to scale the steep hill. His heart sank.
"Are you going to leave me here?" The sadness in his own voice surprised his ears. Wasn't it a good idea to go get help if he himself could not?
Riku didn't even turn back to face him before shaking his head slowly back and forth. He kept testing his footing for a while longer, and Sora could only look on in curiosity. Once it appeared Riku seemed satisfied, he walked back over to the other boy and offered both hands.
"Wha-" Sora didn't even get a chance to finish his question before his own hands were within Riku's grasp, and he was pulled forward in a seated position. Sora looked up to try and search his eyes, but Riku looked away before he could find anything inside of them. Sora sighed and reached his now-freed hands out to cup Riku's face. He tried to nudge it slightly in his direction. Riku froze, his blood feeling as though it had likewise gone cold.
"If you can't talk to me, at least let me see your face." Riku fought a little against the movement when hearing those words, as though they sparked a whole new motivation to never let himself be seen. He was obviously flustered, but of course Sora did not notice it at all.
"I need to have some way of knowing what's going on in your head." Riku still didn't let himself be moved. Sora tried instead to move his own face to see Riku's, but the silver-haired boy's evasion was quicker. He was suddenly out of Sora's grasp, and instead turned around on his knees. His hands was down at his sides, proffered as support for the other boy. Sora just stared for a while.

He heard an annoyed exhale. So Riku can still make some sound, he thought offhandedly.
A few long, awkward seconds passed by. Riku looked as though he was faltering in his decision, shaking the slightest bit, but held fast to his position just the same. Sora knew what Riku was trying to do, but if he had no way of knowing the inside of Riku's thoughts, then neither would he know his for the moment. There would be no words to check first or even offer a hint of knowledge. This was the best revenge he could think of.
Sora moved his center of gravity forward, arms outstretched. His chest collided with his friend's hard back as his arms coiled around firm shoulders. For a moment he thought he felt Riku jolt like a frightened, wild animal about to run from impending danger. He laughed a little, dangling from his shoulders. "Did I surprise you?" He had suffered less bruising on his arms, so he was able to keep a steady grip.

Riku remained silent, of course, as he could offer no biting remark. Instead, he opted to take his hands and support Sora's legs, getting up as quickly and nonchalantly as he could.
"Whoa!" Sora hadn't expected him to react so quickly. He tightened his hold, locking his hands together in front of Riku's neck.
As expected of Riku, he began nodding to himself in praise of his best friend's fortitude. They would always be like this, playing back and forth with one another.
They were finally on equal footing and Sora loved it. He lightly and playfully bucked his feet against Riku's sides as though he were riding an animal. "Onward!"
He couldn't tell, but Riku was smiling.

At first Sora had been trying to strain himself in Riku's hold, feeling as though he had to at least try not to let all the effort come from one person. He wasn't exactly rigid from being held, but he wasn't relaxing into it completely either. A while after beginning their wobbly ascent, he relaxed against Riku's back a bit more, saving his strength. That way Riku wouldn't have to support the both of them during the entire climb.
Some time passed and the two had gotten about twenty feet off the ground. Sora breathed against Riku's neck, resting his head in the crook he found there.
"You really shouldn't be pushing yourself." He was worried about the older boy. He may have been in better shape of the two now, but Sora couldn't shake the memories from his mind about how hurt Riku had been. He nuzzled gently against his neck. Riku seemed to stop breathing for a few seconds before leaning his head to the side in order to barely touch Sora's. He shook his head back and forth, trying to reassure the other he was fine.
"Okay," Sora sighed, "but if you get tired, we can switch places." He felt the shoulders beneath him shake.
He scowled. "I've grown too, ya know! Just because I'm still shorter doesn't mean that I can't carry you." He had no idea whether or not this was actually true and made a note to put it to the test when he could.
Feeling a placating nod rub against the side of his head put him at ease.
"Okay, as long as you're in agreement." Sora didn't really realize it, but it had been easier to communicate with Riku this way. He was somehow more honest without his evasive speech. One couldn't hide every movement they made, after all.
Riku took a break every few minutes, letting himself relax a little against the ledges wide enough for the two of them to perch themselves on the edge of. Pacing oneself was the key to endurance. He never let his body be completely at peace, however, as that would put them in too much danger.

Through the green eyes of the self-titled Guardian:

It's strange. Before today I was terrified whenever he touched me. I was scared I would want something more and keep contact for far longer than was normal between friends. But now, after carrying him on my back for the past few hours, it's become something I've had to get used to out of necessity. I have grown accustomed to his nigh-constant touch, and even use it to communicate with him in place of words. I've had to nod against him or shake my head in contact so he was able to feel my answer. Such a thing feels extremely intimate, and my face heats whenever I have to do so, but it's also strangely calming. I thought being in such close proximity to him would be difficult, but it just feels right. Maybe it's okay if I lost my voice for a while. No, wait, what am I even thinking? No matter how safe this feels, it's still bad. My voice will come back eventually, and, no, even before that-

Riku's thoughts were scattered. He wanted this to continue, but knew it couldn't. He also knew not having access to vocal communication was a double-edged sword. Without it, he could get close to him like this, and yet his words were what shielded he and his feelings the most. He was vulnerable without them.

They would reach the top soon and Sora's legs would be able to handle walking on solid ground. This physically-demanding, yet sweet time was about to end. He tried to give himself solace by thinking it had been nice that such a chance had even happened, but immediately hated himself. Sora had gotten hurt for this to happen, and for him to think that it was worth it for even a second was horrible. He stopped for a moment and slightly nuzzled the skin on Sora's forearm. The other boy was hardly surprised at contact anymore, as this had become their system.
"What's the matter, Riku?" Sora piped up, sounding a little tired.
"Do you want to switch?" A shake of the head met his arm.
"Don't push yourself." A nod against his skin.
It was sunset now. "Riku?" He was nudged to let him know Riku had heard his call.
"I felt water." The boy beneath him suddenly went rigid, every hair standing on end. Sora could tell he had taken his observation very seriously.
"Um, but it's okay! I can see the top from here. We should be there soon, so even if it did start to seriously rain, we should be okay!" Riku didn't relax from his words. He felt the rain now, too. They still had a ways to go, despite being able to see the top from Sora's vantage point on Riku's back.

A gulp. "Riku?" He quickened his pace, no longer taking any time to rest. His hands dug deep into the dirt to secure their stance and his legs kicked.
I shouldn't have rested to begin with. Why didn't I just get him out of here as quickly as possible? My condition doesn't matter! He could no longer tell if he had rested in regard to his own condition or to lengthen the amount of time he had Sora this close to him.
I'm such an idiot. No, "idiot" isn't bad enough for me.

The soil had started to loosen under his grasp. His once-regulated breathing came out in pants as he pushed his body further and further past its limit. Sora felt a warm liquid pooling between his fingers. It was distinct from that of the cold, biting rain pricking at him several times a second. He moved one hand just enough to see what the cause was. Confusion only flashed through his head upon seeing the red substance. It didn't make sense. But then Riku's pained breaths became apparent to him and he connected the ever-so-obvious dots. Riku had never healed as much as he had thought. He had kept himself in check by taking his time and restoring his energy on breaks, but now that the rain was pouring on both them and the hill, that regulation had gone out the window. The other boy had been doing everything he could to get them out of there as quickly as possible now.

He hesitantly tightened his grip on the injured boy.
"Riku! Stop! Your wounds are opening again!" Riku had to stop as a coughing fit took hold of him. Sora immediately got off of his back, and his sudden absence terrified Riku so much that he gripped one of Sora's hands in his own as soon as the sensation of the other left him. It was like he thought Sora would surely fall in he wasn't holding onto him.
"Riku, Riku!" The coughing intensified as did his grip on Sora's hand. It had hurt, but Sora dealt with it.
"Riku, I'm okay. Please, let me carry you!" A pause.
"No, not 'please.' I am going to carry you now. Enough with your stupid pride."
He led Riku's arm around his shoulder and used his free hand to support Riku's back. He started to climb. "Just hold on!" Riku's intense grip on his hand transferred to Sora's shoulder as he realized he had to depend on his friend.

Such an obvious thing, why didn't I realize it sooner... He wanted to laugh for trying to do everything himself. That wasn't how any relationship, friendship or otherwise, worked. Both people put in effort and both could depend on the other when they were weak. There was no "hero" by default; just the switching of roles. He had been trying to shoulder everything himself, show Sora how dependable he could be, and in a way show off.
I guess I'm still a kid too. He wanted to tell Sora of the things he had been thinking, but he knew Sora would just laugh in his face and say, "Of course that's the way things are!"
He really is smarter than me when it comes to matters like this, Riku closed his eyes in acceptance, letting his best friend shoulder his burdens just a little.