Riku was getting ready to leave. He'd showered, scarfed down the last of the stale pastry, and picked out a clean pair of subdued clothes. Picking up his knapsack, he filled it with the sketchbook and pencil set. Taking the slip of paper balled in his fist, he hazarded his first step into the sun in days.

It's too bright, he noted, annoyed and yet thankful for the warmth. His apartment got cold when the curtains were drawn. Squinting, he saw the outline of a boy gasping for breath a little ways away.

That boy looked up towards him. He looks… Riku squinted, shielding the sun from his eyes. Familiar.

Then it clicked.

"Guh," Riku grimaced, able to vocalize at least that much.

The other boy had heard. "Wha," he recoiled, stamping forward. "What is that supposed to mean!?"

Riku was grasping for the sketchbook around his back, avoiding the stare of the angry Sora as he bridged their distance.

He glared up at him.

Riku finally grasped the pad, bringing it out, careful not to meet those fiery daggers.

"Riku," Sora huffed.

He twisted his body further, taking his time locating a pencil all the way at the bottom of his bag.

"Riku!" Sora yelled, causing Riku to stop and face him, shakily.

"I was worried about you, you…" he sniffled, rubbing the back of his hand against his nose. "You jerk!"

Riku felt the air vacate his lungs, a hollow 'oh' the only response he could muster. Before he had the chance to write something, a flurry of brown filled his sight.

Riku looked down, registering dreamily that the smaller boy was hugging him. Tightly.

"Riku," he whimpered.

I'm sorry, he thought desperately.

Pushing him away gently, the smaller boy looked even more hurt. Riku quickly gave a reassuring squeeze to Sora's shoulder, then put up his hands, signalling him to wait as he hurriedly found a pencil and wrote a new note. I'm sorry. I'm still not ready to talk.

"But why?" Sora asked quietly, hurt taking the energy from his words.

Even now, I'm pushing you away, he realized, angry at himself. He moved to add onto the note.

I'm trying to be ready. I was just on my way somewhere that might help.

Sora's expression lightened, relief bouncing his step. "Oh," he exhaled. "Where? Can I come?"

Riku's expression was strained.

Sora saw it. "Pleeeease?" he smiled his silliest smile, pleased to see the silver boy's lips curl.

Sora waited impatiently for Riku to write him another note.

I'd have to go in alone. Would it be too much if you waited nearby?

After he'd finished reading, Sora peeked up at Riku's sorrowful eyes and his breath caught.

"I, uh," he coughed. "I mean," he smiled, pushing forward. "I'm fine with waiting!"

Riku chuckled at his dear friend's flustered actions, forgetting his worries for one welcome moment.

"Ah," Sora remembered. "But first," he reached into the bag to offer Riku his favorite almond star. "Let's eat."

Tearing half off and laughing when some of the paste spilled, he handed the silver boy his piece. Riku looked down at the half his friend had given him, unable to convey how much the action had meant. He shrugged off the worry, instead letting it fuel his determination to work past the issue blocking his speech. Stifling the trembling of his hands, he accepted the gift, facing Sora with a soft smile restoring the color to his features. The younger boy's face beamed as he quickly took a messy bite. A breathy chuckle escaped from the older boy's mouth as he, too, had his share.

Riku and Sora had walked side-by-side, the smaller boy rambling about all of the places he wanted to show the other once he felt better. The silver boy looked on at his excited face, unable to hide his smile. He nodded every now and then to signal that he was listening intently.

Finding a nearby cafe, Riku handed him a few sheets of paper from his sketchbook, as well as a colorful seal pencil to use. Finding amusement in the childish boy's look of glee, the not-so-stoic boy waved good-bye to him, promising to be back in a while.

He paused in front of the building whose address was printed on the paper he couldn't stop eyeing.

Bracing himself, Riku stepped forward.

At the cafe, Sora had ordered a colorful fruit drink. He marveled at the flower-shaped ice cubes as he took a sip from the bendy straw he assured the staff was completely necessary.

So good, he observed happily before Riku entered his mind. I want to share it with Riku, he caught himself thinking. His pulse began to quicken as he remembered Kairi's words.

A nervous smile crept across his face.

Notice what he says without words, huh, he contemplated, replaying their most recent interactions. I must have been really upset, I don't remember much.

I do remember, he realized. He pushed me away. Sora's heart clenched, but he forced himself through the rest of the memory. His face looked so sad, and he, he touched my shoulder.

Sora couldn't help but smile as he swore to pay more attention from now on.

Riku had been instructed to wait for a while. Luckily, he'd been able to get a relatively quick time slot. The perks of this place being small, he guessed.

He busied himself writing a series of notes before being called into a nearby office.

Riku gulped as he saw that the therapist was male, but bowed all the same, to which the middle-aged man all but jiggled with a chortle. "Sit down, sit down," he gestured to a plush chair his opposite.

"My name is Laharl," he grinned, eyes barely visible from his squint and laugh lines. "What can I help you with?"

Riku situated himself and breathed, purposefully handing him the first note.

My name is Riku and I'm in love with my best friend.

"Oh my," Laharl chuckled. "And this is information crucial to this session?"

Riku nodded solemnly.

"I see, so your trauma is linked to your best friend," he nodded to himself.

Riku looked surprised, causing Laharl's features to bend apologetically. "Ah, Doctor Anise told me that I might be seeing one of her patients soon. She was vague but, there aren't many people who go to talking therapy who can't talk."

The silver boy couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"So, what about your best friend has caused this trauma?" he asked. "It sounds like you have some idea."

Riku pointed to the piece of paper Laharl was still holding.

The older man inspected it further, turning it around.

My best friend is a boy.

"Oh," Laharl breathed. "Oh my."

Riku avoided his gaze, handing him the next sheet of paper.

I've thought about this for… a while. I don't want to tell him, but, now this happened. Tell me there's another way.

Laharl sighed after he finished reading, shaking his head.

"If I'm honest with you, our bodies have ways of telling us when they've had enough of something. You can only take so much," he continued. "It can help to cope with certain situations we may find ourselves in."

Riku tilted his head, listening.

"We can talk about it later, after you tell me more about this," he sat back, relaxing into his position.

Riku swallowed, having already resolved to offer an embarrassing degree of information, but didn't see this part coming. He gave himself a minute to write out a full page to continue the session.

I don't remember how young I was. We lived here, so I vaguely remember seeing him around. He was younger, so he wasn't in my grade as I first entered school.

I've never been very good around people. Once I get to know someone, I can open up, but most people don't make it through my patience long enough for that to happen.

Laharl chuckled.

The other kids were fine. They played, and even offered for me to join them.

I tried. I did try.

They always wanted to be around others. I didn't understand it. Honestly, I still don't.

I began avoiding them, exhausted from their constant attentions.

Soon, even the determined among them gave up. I can't blame them.

I sat alone, both in school and out.

Being alone now and then is nice, but even I get lonely.

Laharl eyed the boy, hesitating from his gaze as he peeked from his peripheral. Smiling at him, he kept reading.

I started going to the beach after school, so my parents wouldn't worry about me not having friends.

One evening, I saw this other kid. He was alone too, but I didn't move to meet him.

At first, he kept his distance, playing in the sand, making sand castles and creatures. That sort of thing.

It all started when he caught me looking, even just a glance.

His face lit up and he practically fell over himself running over to me.

"Hi!" he said, with an enthusiasm I found overwhelming.

"My name's -. Do you want to play with me?"

I was bitter at the time. Seems to be cyclical, I guess. But, regardless, I turned him down.

"But why!" he cried, only serving to feed my annoyance.

In the end, he relented in me joining him, but still sat down nearby.

There I was, staring in disbelief at this kid who just started making sand castles by me. After I just rejected him so readily.

He slowly built it out further, until it stretched just before me. I saw him peer over with those big, blue eyes of his.

And then I picked up a rock, forming a wall around the castle's edge.

He excitedly built more, and I bolstered his defenses, until our castle was truly a force to be reckoned with. Or at least avoided. Anyway.

After that, he proclaimed that we were now best friends, and that he would see me there the next day to play again.

And somehow, I didn't mind.

Laharl put down the sheet of paper to see a pale boy shaking like a ball of nerves.

"You look pretty unsure, but," he smiled. "What you wrote betrays you."

Riku glanced at him before his eyes darted back away.

"Your feelings are plain to see."

Trembling, the weary boy met his gaze. Laharl was glad for the progress, but he still looked like a deer in headlights.

"I'm not going to judge you or your feelings," he reassured him. "That's not my job. I'm here to help." His dimpled cheeks rose when he saw the tremors rocking through Riku's body lessen.

"What happened next?"

Riku handed him a quickly-scrawled note. It's a long story.

Laharl shrugged. "We have plenty of time."

The silver boy nodded, steadying himself under his decision, moving to write even more.

Sora tried his best to busy himself at the cafe, but he quickly ran out of paper and there was only so much the scenery outside the window shifted. The island town crept to a relaxing but dull pace.

He was resting his chin on his arms, the cool of the table long lost from his constant body heat. I wonder what to do about Kairi, he sighed, unable to silence the thoughts he'd done his best to ignore.

I definitely like her, so why did she deny it?, he frowned.

He looked back on their recent interactions. Kairi had always felt like home, the one he was returning to when he finished his adventures. She had been the goal he was seeking, but now they were back and everything felt off.

Home, he regarded dully, looking through the window at passing birds, lost in flight.

I wanna see all sorts of places, and show them to… He caught himself, blushing as soon as he became aware.

I'm thinking about Riku again, even now.

He eyed the nearby sketched he'd attempted. They were of places he imagined travelling to, with fantastical landscapes and creatures. But one thing never changed: he had added a stick figure with a determined smile and handsome face embarking on said adventure. By his side was his best friend.

I should make Riku look more cool, he grinned, getting to work on perfectly capturing his dear friend's essence.

While he did so, his mind wandered.

The person I like, huh…

He sighed.

Thinking is too complicated.

"I can't tell you what will solve this," Laharl told him, causing Riku to openly display his worry.

"But," he interrupted. "If your body has taken away your ability of speech because you've been holding back, then," he paused and Riku's breath stopped with him, hanging on his every word. "It's most likely telling you it can't handle lying anymore."

Riku quickly and messily jotted down the next note, handing it to him quickly.

I never lied.

"It's a lie by admission," he stated curtly. "And you're well aware of that, deep down."

Riku shrank back, unable to deny his words.

"It really sounds like you want to be closer to him, and, talking about your feelings will definitely do that," he stopped, his tone lowering just enough to make Riku's hair stand on end. "Even if he doesn't turn into that kind of partner."

Riku gulped, blocking out the possibility from romance from his mind. He will definitely turn me down, he reminded himself.

"From what you said about your recent interactions, he really cares and wants to know how he can help you."

Riku nodded sadly.

"And," Laharl continued. "His way of dealing with it is talking."

Riku sighed after hearing that, the statement reaffirming his fears.

He wrote down a note with impossibly small letters.

I know.

"I'm sorry that this isn't what you wanted to hear," Laharl sighed, looking genuinely disheartened for the boy. Then he had an idea.

"Think of this as practice," the older man forcibly chuckled.

Riku peeked up at him.

"One crucial step along the way of talking to the one you care about most."

The one I care about most, Riku mirrored.

My most precious person.