Cursed Stone

by Scififan33

For years his only company was the stone statue of the boy and the animals of his island. it had been an accident and one he thought he'd feel guilty for for the the rest of his life. He'd never thought anything would change, but it did. MPreg, childbirth

Disclaimer: Don't own KH

One-shot. AU – no Keyblades

Mpreg and birth. Past non-con.

Cursed Stone

He walked into the cave, not needing light to make his way on the well-used path. Inside was a statue, one he visited every day unless there was a storm. It was of a teenager frozen in the motion of taking a step back, one hand half raised, eyes wide in shock. It was lifeless, the grey stone dull, and yet he came back to see it, to lay a flower at its feet, seeking forgiveness that couldn't be given. If only a statue was all it was, but it wasn't…years ago the statue had been a boy of flesh and blood, one who had washed up on shore and had staggered along the beach, seeking help, until their eyes had met.

He'd been years younger than the boy then and now, well he didn't actually know how old he was or how old the boy had been but he thought he was getting close to the boys age now, he was only a bit shorter than the statue now. Thanks to the protection of the cave, the statue was untouched by the elements, preserving it. Was that good? Or was he condemning the boy to an eternity of torment? No…he surely had to be dead, his whole body unfeeling stone now.

His Mother hadn't been dead for long when the boy had come and he hadn't begun carrying a blindfold yet. Now he made sure he always had something at hand to cover his eyes with. Thankfully, animals were unaffected, they were his only company…and source of meat. He only ate those that were old, sick, or he found already dead, unable to bring himself to kill…again. His fangs ensured those that were alive had a swift death as he injected venom into them, venom that didn't affect him when he ate them thankfully.

He lifted his hand to trace the cold stone cheek, unable to remember the colour of the boy's skin, his hair, eyes…even his clothes. It had all happened so quickly. He took a shaky breath, leaning slightly against the statue, the closest he'd had to human contact since her death.

"I wish I knew your name," he whispered. He couldn't give him funeral rights or pray for him without knowing his name. Did anyone remember him? Or was his soul now lost forever just like his body? His hand moved to the back of stone hair and he pressed his forehead to a cold one. "I'm sorry."

Riku stepped back from the statue and retraced his steps out of the cave. He needed to tend to his garden, there was a storm brewing in the distance and he couldn't risk losing the crop of vegetables and herbs. The fruit trees would be fine at least but he'd check them for anything edible before the storm hit.

By the time he was finishing, the wind was picking up and he pulled up his hood, gently pushing back one of the serpents mixed into the mass of silver hair that tumbled down his back. They were too curious and playful for their own good sometimes. He tugged the cloak tighter around his body, balancing his basket of food as he headed home.

It wasn't much, but it had been the home his Mother had made for them when they had come to the Island and he hadn't been able to bring himself to try and make another once she was killed. It hurt, that within months of her death he had made the same mistake and the only reason he had lived was because the boy had been alone. There had been a storm two days before he had washed up on the beach and Riku could only assume he'd been on a ship that had sunk.

He pushed aside the hangings that served to help keep the cold out, kneeling down to set his food onto the woven mat before lighting the fire to warm the 'room' even further. He still remembered watching her weave them even as he had played with handmade toys at her feet, listening to the stories she shared as she worked. He'd never known his Father, knew it was likely he was dead in one way or another. Riku knew he'd been human though, knew that interbreeding was why he had hair, even if the colour was 'unnatural', rather than just a head full of serpents. Mother had told tales of the first Medusa, cursed by the gods, and despite the centuries the curse remained, though slightly weakened. He might have hair but he still couldn't look at anyone without turning them to stone. There had to be a way to break the curse but what did it matter when he'd be the last? He was the first male in their line, maybe another sign of the curse weakening, but that made it even more dangerous to try and have a child. Besides, he had no idea how, all he knew was it took a Father and Mother to do so. And that would never happen when he was alone.

He knew his fate was to live out his life totally alone except for the animals until either he died or he was killed. No matter how much he wished for someone to talk to…someone to love.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku carefully ran his hands over the statue, fearful it…he had been damaged but he found nothing, not a chip or crack in the stone. Ever so gently he levered him back into a standing position before placing the flower at his feet.

The storm had been the worst he'd ever seen, bad enough that the seaside cave had been damaged, though it thankfully hadn't fully caved in. If it had…he shuddered.

"I'm sorry, you're too heavy for me to move to a cave closer to the island centre," he explained as he went to work cleaning up the cave.

He wished he could, it would save him the daily walk to the shore and…it'd be safer. If anyone ever came to the remote island then the beach beneath the cave was the most likely landing place as it was the safest area to bring a ship close to shore. Which meant the statue could be discovered or Riku could be spotted coming and going. It was why he kept his hood up outside the cave just in case a ship passed. But if anyone came ashore…well, he had only one way to defend himself and it'd only work if they all looked.

He shifted the rubble the best he could to help shore up the cave to keep further cave-ins from happening. Once done, he sank to the floor, tired from the unaccustomed from of work. He curled up at the boys feet, one hand wrapped around a stone ankle, even as his eyelids grew heavy, instinctively seeking any kind of contact or comfort. He was soon fast asleep, unaware of the slight warmth beneath his soon lax hand.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku sat on the ground, weaving the dried leaves together to make a new basket, talking softly just for noise, despite knowing his 'companion' couldn't hear him. Even if he could, why would he want to listen to his killer? And yet he found himself spending more and more time in the cave lately, was he really that lonely?

"I am," he whispered, glancing up at the stone face, expression frozen in confusion and burgeoning fear. "If only…" but there was no point in thinking about such things.

If only he'd realised someone was there in time to duck out of sight or cover his eyes. Or if only he were human… it was silly, he was what he was, cursed for life like all his ancestors. Even if he had covered his eyes, the boy would have realised what he was, would have feared him, run from him or…or tried to kill him. He'd been a child, still grieving, he wouldn't have been able to fight the older boy off without uncovering his eyes which would have led right back to where he was now anyway. But he'd always wonder if maybe…if maybe the other boy would have seen him for who he was, not what, if he could have had someone to talk to even if it meant spending the rest of his life blinded. He could do it, permanently blind himself, it wouldn't take much to damage his eyes that badly, but would that stop people turning to stone? Would he have to…fully remove his eyes? Not just blind them? What was the point? No one had come to the island since the boy had washed ashore.

He sighed and rubbed a hand across his eyes, surprised to find moisture, tears? He hadn't cried since watching the colour drain from the boy, his body going stiff as flesh turned to stone. He wiped at his eyes again before lowering his hand, yanking his hand back when it brushed against cold stone.

"Sorry," Riku didn't want any moisture risking damage to the boy, even if it was just a few tears. He didn't notice the tears soaked instantly into the stone shoe.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He walked along the shore, hood covering his head, searching the sand. He could swim to a point but he didn't particularly like salt water despite having been told as a child that many people loved swimming in the sea. He wasn't sure if it was a Medusa thing or just a him thing, but fresh water was much better, though even then he preferred going no deeper than his knees if possible. But there'd been a storm and all kinds of things washed ashore during storms. He had nets to fish with but sometimes the ones that washed ashore in the storms were different, bigger. He'd gotten a good knife from the beach after a storm a few years ago, rope another.

Riku glanced up and froze, staring with wide eyes out to sea. Was that…he slowly sank to the sand and then began moving backwards, heart in his throat. A ship, it was a ship. He cowered in the dunes, praying to every god his Mother had ever spoken of that they hadn't somehow seen him from such a distance, that they were just passing a bit closer due to the storm.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He'd shifted the boy so that he was against one of the walls of the cave, to ensure there was no chance he'd tip since he had died in the process of stepping back. He hadn't left the cave since seeing the ship, hadn't eaten in days since he had no food there, but…he was scared. He leant against stone legs, face turned to rest against them, hearing the soft hissing from the serpents, their reaction to his distress. He wanted someone to hold him and tell him it'd be okay but that would never happen again. He bit his lip, fighting the urge to cry, it was stupid, tears didn't help anything.

He forced himself to stand, adjusting his cloak, his stomach clenching even as he stumbled, dizzy. Food…he had to eat, to drink water, but that meant…he pulled out a blindfold, holding it tight in one hand, and then forced himself to leave the cave.

He stayed low, hiding as best he could but…he couldn't see the ship. Had it gone? He'd have to go around the whole island to be sure but he had to eat first which meant home. He slipped away from the shore and into the trees, relaxing a little as the birds sang around him.

Riku looked down as something furry bumped his leg, bending to scope the young rabbit up in his arms. There couldn't be strangers on the island, the animals would be hiding if there were. He petted the soft fur as he walked, eventually setting it down once he reached home, the serpents in his air moving forward, forked tongues flicking even as Riku's vision wavered, joining with theirs to reveal only the cold of his home since the fire wasn't lit. He slipped inside and collapsed in the blankets for a second before dragging some food and water over. He'd need to wash up too but that could wait.

The walk home had exhausted him and he barely managed to wrap himself in a blanket before he fell asleep.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku checked the statue carefully, he'd taken to checking for damage every so often since that cave in ages ago. The thought of anything happening to him…it terrified him now, though he didn't understand why. He ran a cloth over the stone to ensure no dust or anything gathered on it and then blinked as he realised he now looked right into his eyes; he'd grown again without realising it. The old clothes he wore were too big on him, sometimes he wondered if they'd been his Dads', so he often didn't realise he'd grown until he compared his height to the boys'.

Riku didn't even know how old he was, he'd never counted the days when his Mother was alive or after she was killed. But he assumed he was probably around the same age as the boy had been since they were now about the same height. He lifted his hand, tracing a stone cheek.

It was so easy to hate himself for the boy, he'd never wanted to hurt let alone kill anyone. He knew his Mother wouldn't want him to feel like that, it had been an accident, neither of them was to blame. No one had ever come looking for the boy either, had no one else survived or had he been assumed dead when the rest made it to wherever they were going? He felt sad for the boy and any family he might have had; sad no one had come looking for him, so did he not have family? Sad for any possible family since they'd never know what had happened to him.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered. How many times had he apologised over the years to someone who couldn't hear him? "You didn't deserve this. If…if I could take your place, I would." He found himself pressing his lips to the stone cheek for a second before he sat down, leaning against the boy as he picked up his work. He'd torn his cloak on a branch and it needed mending.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku was in his usual spot, leaning against the boy, talking softly as he sorted through his supplies. He needed to collect the seeds since some of his plants were at the end of their lives and needed replacing. He yawned, stretching briefly to pop his back even as he continued digging out the seeds, enjoying the soft flesh of the fruit while he worked.

The sunlight filtering into the cave was nice and warm, relaxing him further as he worked. His eyelids grew heavy, his fingers fumbling, the knife in his hand slipping, the fruit falling to the ground even as bright red blood dripped to the floor. Even his serpents had fallen silent as he slumped back against the boy, his bloody hand resting on lifeless stone. He had no energy, his head spinning, thoughts muddled as the blood seemed to be sucked from his wound and into the stone. His eyes slid shut, head slumping to his chest, body sprawled limply against the statue, unaware of anything.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He gasped in a gulp of air, stumbling, feeling hard rock at his back, heard the soft thud of something hitting the ground. What…where… he took in a shaky breath and then another, looking around wildly. Cave…he was in a cave? He pressed his hands to his head, he felt so confused. What was happening to him? He tried to remember but…there was nothing. His breathing sped up as he was met with nothing. Who…who was he?

He looked down and yelped, eyes wide as he stared at the figure sprawled unconscious there. There…there were serpents! He didn't remember who he was but somehow he knew that was not normal, dangerous…but how? Why…why couldn't he remember? He stumbled away, sinking to the ground, curling into a ball, shaking, tears falling.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku groaned, slowly opening his eyes. He'd…fallen asleep? He went to push himself up and hissed in pain, lifting his hand to see a wound, thankfully it had stopped bleeding. He carefully sat up and then realised he wasn't leaning against the boy and…he could hear something. His head snapped around and his eyes went wide as he spotted the curled-up form before looking around. The statue was gone and a boy was there. It wasn't possible…was it? His eyes roamed the curled form, taking in the brown spikey hair, tanned skin, plain but serviceable clothing…that was wet as if he'd just staggered onto the beach. The cave wasn't exactly warm, he could get sick very quickly.

What should he do? Run? Try to help him? He bit his lip but then pulled out a blindfold and covered his eyes, the world going dark. He couldn't risk turning him back into a statue especially when he had no idea how the boy was suddenly alive. Riku carefully got to his feet, making sure his hood covered his head, not wanting to scare him, then again his hood had been down when he woke so maybe he'd already seen? But then why had he stayed?

"Hello?" he called softly, hearing the sound of crying stop, but he could hear the boy breathing. "Are…are you alright? I won't hurt you," Riku murmured. He heard movement, straining to try and work out what the boy was doing, and then he got a flash of heat signature, he was sitting up.

"What…what happened to me? Who are you? Who…who am I?" the other asked, voice soft and fearful.

Riku froze in shock. "You…you don't know who you are?" he asked shakily. Was that because of how he'd ended up on the island…or because of being a statue? Was it his fault?

"No," the whisper was barely audible and his heart sank to his stomach.

Riku hesitated but then slowly held his hand out towards the boy. "My name's Riku," he told him. "This is my island, you're safe here."

"I saw…what are you?"

He fought not to flinch, so he'd seen his hood off. He wanted so badly to see him but he couldn't. Turning to stone once hadn't killed him but there was no way Riku could risk it happening again. "Do you remember anything?" he asked gently, unused to actually talking to someone and not wanting to scare him more.

"I…" there was the sound of movement, cloth against cloth, shifting to a more comfortable position? "I know serpents aren't…normal…dangerous? We're in a cave, I can hear the sea…I know what things are." He sounded frustrated.

Riku hesitantly shifted closer, hands out and empty. "I won't hurt you," he murmured. "Are you cold? Your clothing is wet."

"How," he sniffled, "how do you know that? You're eyes…are you blind?"

"No, I'm not blind," he shook his head. "But it's too dangerous, I have to wear the blindfold since you're awake. I saw your clothing before."

"Oh," now he sounded confused. "Serpents…eyes…" his breath hitched, "I know that…I do…I can't…"

Riku finally closed the distance between them, guessing from the flashes his serpents had given him, relieved when his hand touched the boy's knee, feeling him stiffen, alarmed by his touch. It felt so strange, to touch cloth, to feel the heat of another person. "Shh," he whispered, "It's okay, don't try to force it." He didn't know anything about losing your memory but it was safe to assume that pushing too much wouldn't help, it could probably even hurt.

"I…I'm scared," the boy choked out, and Riku reached out to him with his other hand, lifting the one on his knee, shocked when the boy simply fell into his arms, shaking, crying.

He rocked him like Mother used to rock him when he was scared of the storms, rubbing his back with one hand and slowly the boys' body went limp, relaxed. It felt…almost too much, part of him wanting to run from the contact. But he owed him such a debt, he couldn't do it. No, whatever the boy needed, he would give him.

"You're not alone," he promised, unable to help himself as his hand moved up to run through surprisingly soft hair. His own clothing was becoming damp but he wasn't going to move until the boy was ready. Riku nearly jumped when a hand tangled in his tunic, the other wrapping around his waist, but he managed not to, letting the boy cling to him.

Eventually the boy seemed to calm, his grip loosening, and as much as part of him wanted to move away, he stayed where he was, leaving it up to the boy.

"S'rry," the boy mumbled, head rubbing against his chest like some of the animals Riku had held when they were sleepy.

They were both wet now and the cave was cold, surely that would put him at risk of getting sick if they stayed there too long? He didn't want to upset him or anything but they should probably move before he fell asleep. "Do you think you can stand?" he asked carefully. "You're wet and this cave is cold." He could probably carry him if necessary but wouldn't it be better if he could walk? Or would it take time for his muscles to get used to being used again?

"Go where?" was the nervous question.

"My home," he answered. "You can wash up and get warm, you can use my clothes, and there's food too. A soft place to sleep," he explained.

He felt…excited by the idea of sharing his living space with another person even while being terrified by the idea. There were so many ways it could go wrong and maybe…it'd be best to put together a place for the boy to live by himself. But it'd take time and he needed to get warmed up now.

He felt the boy slowly let go, strangely missing the feeling of his body against his own. Riku heard movement, realised he was getting to his feet and got up himself, steadying him when the boy swayed dangerously, thankfully towards him which let him sense the incoming movement.

"Easy, lean on me," he offered. Slowly they began moving out of the cave, Riku relying on the boy to be his eyes since he wasn't used to navigating the area while blindfolded.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Everything was so confusing and he was scared. His nose was all stuffy and his eyes hurt from crying but…he maybe felt a little better? He leant on…Riku's shoulder even as he shifted his weight a little and Riku adjusted their course a little to avoid a large rock. How'd he get around if he was blind? His own legs felt like jelly, his whole-body aching and weak but the idea of being dry and warm was too good to pass up.

Riku had avoided his question about him though, and he didn't know what to think. Every instinct screamed Riku was dangerous but…he'd been so gentle, had held him and let him cry on him, was offering food and shelter. He stumbled and Riku's grip tightened, keeping him upright.

"Almost there," Riku promised, and he nodded before remembering Riku couldn't see him.

If he wasn't blind, why cover his eyes? An injury maybe? No…it had something to do with…with the serpents mixed in with silver hair. They didn't look scary, a darker shade of silver/grey than Riku's hair except for one near his right ear that was more of a blue colour. If only he could remember… he'd take remembering anything really but he'd like to know his name and why Riku felt dangerous the most.

Soon another cave came into view and they stepped inside, only for him to blink at the hanging cloth around a slight bend. Riku reached out and pushed it aside, helping him move beyond. His jaw dropped as he looked around, amazed by the well lived in space. There was a large fire pit in the middle, bedding to one side, an area that looked like it was used for food storage and preparation…the walls and floor were covered in material and pillows, softening it, and probably helping to keep the heat in.

"Wow," he whispered. He turned to Riku to see his face had darkened, was he blushing?

"I know it's not much…"

"It's amazing," he assured him.

"This way," Riku led him to one of the walls and pulled the cloth back, revealing another passage. At the end was a pool of water with steam rising from it. "It's naturally heated all year round," he explained. "It'll warm you up and it's not very deep, there's even places to sit so you won't have to hold yourself up. Do you need help stripping? I'll hang your clothes to dry and get you something to wear."

Did he need help? He cautiously shifted away from Riku's hold, swaying, but he stayed upright. He tugged his jacket off and then the shirt under it, hands going to the belt, fumbling with it but he managed to get it undone, then his pants. He found a band of leather on his wrist and removed that too, as well as the chain and pendant around his neck…a crown? His shoes stumped him though, and then Riku was kneeling, holding his hands out, so he shifted first one foot and then the other towards him. Riku stood taking his arm to steady him as he carefully stepped into the water. He hissed in shock at the heat but then slowly sank into it, sitting on a rock as the heat soaked into his battered body, shivering as his body began to warm up.

"Alright?" Riku asked, covered eyes staring in his direction.

"Yeah," he offered, watching as Riku felt for his clothes and shoes, gathering them up and then heading up the path to the main room.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku removed the blindfold once back in the main room of his home, blinking in the very low light. He quickly moved to hang the wet clothes before stripping off himself to change as well, hanging his own clothes beside the boys. He then dressed in clean clothing, picking up some for the boy as well as a towel. He put that all by the tunnel and then got the fire going, gathering up food and water for a meal while he could see. Adjusting to the blindfold while at home was going to be interesting but there was no other choice.

Once he was done, he re-covered his eyes and headed back to the boy. He couldn't keep calling him that but he didn't remember his name…so maybe he could pick a temporary one? But…what if he never remembered?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The days fell into an easy pattern, helping Riku tend the gardens was relaxing but Riku would go alone to gather fruit from the trees…somehow. Which was another tick in the not blind box. He'd tried asking a few times but it was very obvious Riku didn't want to talk about it. He still knew there was something to his differences, even if he didn't remember what they meant, but…Riku was nice to him. He didn't have to let him live with him, to share his meagre belongings but the longer he was there, the more he recognised that Riku had been on his own for a very long time. So maybe…he liked having him there? Liked having company after so long?

He finished covering the seeds he'd planted and wiped his hands clean of dirt before standing up, glad he was feeling stronger. He wasn't sure why he'd been so weak at first but he could make a guess since he hadn't spotted any boats and he obviously hadn't lived on the island before losing his memory. So he must have been in a shipwreck or washed overboard which could also explain his amnesia.

He wandered back to the cave Riku called home, lost in thought. Riku had suggested he pick something to be called but how was he meant to choose a name for himself? He didn't remember any names to pick from, didn't remember any people. Unless he named himself for something he did remember? He still remembered things like items, even one or two things he was sure were places somewhere.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku blinked but the darkness didn't lift…because he was having to sleep blindfolded. He'd actually forgotten after having Sky with him for what had to be a while now, days and days. Sky had said something about months but Riku'd never had a reason to keep track of time beyond the seasons. And it was Sky that had woken him, he lifted his hand and softly touched his hair, stroking it, the other settling into a deeper sleep at his touch. It was so tempting to lift the cloth, to peek, but he could never be 100% sure that it'd be safe so he never risked it unless he knew Sky was well away from where he was.

He wasn't sure why he'd ended up deciding to be called Sky but it was what he'd chosen so Riku called him that now, though sometimes in his own thoughts he slipped up and still called him the boy because that's who he'd been to him for so long. He still wasn't entirely used to his presence, sometimes it all felt too much, but others it felt like he belonged. If Sky left or something happened to him…Riku didn't know what he'd do. Could he go back to being alone except for the animals?

Still, Sky slept on his own side of the nest so how'd he end up with his head on Riku's chest with an arm around his waist? It felt…nice but scary. When…if Sky ever remembered… he should tell him, but how? How was he meant to tell him it was all Riku's fault?

Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Sky, sleep calling. For now, he was happy and he had to just let things come as they did.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sky laughed as he splashed at Riku, hearing the serpents in his air hissing but it wasn't at all threatening, more like they were laughing along. Despite the blindfold, Riku's return aim was spot on, soaking him in return. It was hot so they'd gone to the freshwater creek to cool down which had led to a water fight. They were naked, Riku couldn't see him but he'd made sure Riku was okay with him seeing his body months ago. He knew that being naked around people was an individual thing, but Riku hadn't seemed at all concerned.

They were so different, Riku's skin was pale and smooth despite living on a sun-drenched island, his hair long and silver. He wondered what colour his eyes were but just knew he'd never see them. Riku wasn't human even though he looked it other than his serpents and Sky was pretty sure his hair colour wasn't human either. And sometimes when he smiled or talked, Sky was sure there was something different about some of his teeth too. Surely someone living alone would have signs of old injuries with no one else to help but Sky couldn't see a single scar on his body. Sky had scars though not a lot (and he wondered where and how he'd gotten them), his skin was tanned, his hair short and wildly spiked, though it was getting longer now. He'd chosen the name Sky because of his eye colour which he'd seen in his reflection in water. They were of similar height though Riku was a bit broader through the shoulders, more muscular, so Sky assumed they were of similar ages.

Riku was…pretty, mysterious but kind and sometimes…it felt like his heart went funny around him. He shook it off as he got a face full of water, spluttering, before attacking back. Riku's laugh was wonderful to hear and then Sky grinned, ducking under the waist deep water to sneak attack, tackling him, hearing him yelp. They rolled along the bank, laughing and trying to dunk each other until Riku's blindfold came loose and Riku panicked. He scrambled free, covering his eyes desperately with his hands.

"Riku?" Sky got to his knees, scared. Had he hurt him?

"Just…stay there, please," Riku begged, voice shaking. "Where…my blindfold…" he used one hand to feel blindly for it, and Sky snagged it as it floated by.

"Here," he got to his feet and moved out of the river.

"Don't…don't look Sky, you can't!" Riku pleaded, head bowed.

"It's okay," Sky whispered, he reached for Riku's questing hand and pressed the piece of soaked fabric into it. He then turned his back. "I'm not looking, promise." Something deep inside told him that looking would be more than just dangerous…but he didn't believe Riku would hurt him, it was so confusing.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku fumbled with the soaked material, hands shaking in terror at how close they'd come to… he gulped in air, hearing the agitated hissing, feeling his fangs extended, even as he struggled to get the blindfold back on. As it settled into place he reached up to gently stroke scaled heads, trying to calm them. He dared lift his head, the flash of heat that was Sky ahead of him but…he'd turned his back, he was safe. It was so tempting to look but no, he'd had his one look at the other boy, he'd never risk another. He forced himself to breath, to calm enough for his fangs to retract.

"Riku?" Sky called softly.

"It's on," he managed to say, and he heard Sky turn and then a warm hand brushed his cheek and he forced himself to not pull away, heart still pounding from the too close call.

"You're okay?" Sky asked, his gentle touch almost burning his skin.

He choked back a hysterical laugh; Sky was worried about him when he'd been the one in danger.

"Riku? Hey, come on, talk to me," Sky urged, hands skimming down his shoulders, obviously looking for injuries.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he gasped out.

"Riku? What's going on?" Sky asked, gently taking his hands, thumbs stroking the backs and…and it felt so good.

Being touched felt nice now, after having Sky there for ages. And now…he might lose that again, probably would. Sky wouldn't stay with him once he knew, he might…he might even….well Riku might be seeing his Mother again soon, he just hoped it wouldn't hurt. He wouldn't try and fight Sky, he couldn't.

He shivered and then Sky was pressing against him, an arm around his waist. "Come on, let's get you home," the boy murmured, guiding him to his feet.

Riku leant into him, he couldn't help it, not when it might be the last time. He pressed his forehead into Sky's shoulder, shaking slightly, and Sky wrapped his arms around him.

"It's okay," Sky whispered, hand running up and down his back.

Riku shook his head without lifting it. "It's my fault," he forced the words out.

"What is?" Sky asked, obviously confused. He shifted them and Riku knew he was looking right into his covered eyes, even as the serpents in his hair hissed, picking up on his agitation. "I'm the one that knocked your blindfold out of place enough for it to come loose."

Riku shook his head, wanting to move away, but he couldn't. "Your memory…I think…"

"What?" Sky sounded confused. "I was in a shipwreck or something, probably hit my head or swallowed way too much seawater before washing up here."

"Maybe," Riku hadn't thought of that, maybe his amnesia wasn't because of being stone? But he'd never spotted anything that looked like a wound on Sky, his clothing had still been wet when he 'woke up' after all and there'd been no wounds on the back of his head from the look he'd gotten. Surely a wound on the front would have been noticeable even in stone.

"What do you mean maybe?" Sky asked.

Riku hesitated, Sky deserved to know but…he'd loose him… "I…I'm not human Sky."

"I figured, the serpents in your hair were the biggest clue," the tone was a shaky attempt at teasing, and Riku bit back a whimper as he felt Sky stroke one of his serpents, it felt really good. "Them and covering your eyes, your teeth…it means something…I just can't remember what," and now he sounded frustrated. "It's…it's something dangerous but I know you wouldn't hurt me."

"But…I did," Riku whispered, feeling Sky freeze. "It was an accident Sky, I didn't…I didn't know you were there but then suddenly you were and… I…I'm…I'm a Medusa, Sky."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"I…I'm…I'm a Medusa, Sky."

Pain lanced through his head and he stumbled back from Riku, pressing his hands to his head, whimpering.

"Sky?" Riku's voice sounded far away.

He collapsed to his knees, gasping for air as his head pounded. Medusa…Medusa…images flashed through his head, pictures from books…stories and then…the feeling of wet clothing, exhaustion, hot sand…staggering up…a boy…meeting wide eyes and then…then…he choked on air, scrambling back on the ground.

"Sky? Sky breath! Please, you need to breath," Riku's voice broke through the memories, and he gasped in a breath, then another. "That's it, keep breathing."

"You…a boy…there was a boy on a beach, it hurt…" he gasped out, slowly raising his aching head to look at Riku. "He…he looked like…"

"Me," Riku whispered, slowly sinking to his knees in front of him.

"But it couldn't be you, he was little," he denied. Did Riku have a brother? But then where was he?

"It was me," Riku whispered and Sky was shocked to realise there were tears slipping from under the blindfold. "I didn't know you were there; I didn't carry the blindfold back then. You looked up and then…you looked so scared, tried to step back, and then it was over. You…you were a stone statue for years Sky."

He felt sick, it couldn't be true…could it? He'd…he'd met a Medusa's eyes and been turned to stone. But then how? "How am I?"

"I don't know," Riku admitted. "I don't really know about…it was just Mother and me and she died before you washed up." He was sitting now, knees to his chest, arms around them, head bowed. "No one…no one ever came for you; I don't know if they thought you were dead or maybe the whole ship you were on went down…nothing ever washed ashore but there was a bad storm two days before."

And now it'd been years, if he did have family, he'd have long been presumed dead. He still couldn't remember who he was, was Riku right? Had he done this to him when he turned to stone? Were the memories gone forever? They were both huddled on the ground, feet apart, but it felt like so much more. How…how was he meant to deal with this? Riku had…Riku had basically killed him but…he'd been a kid. Did he believe it'd been an accident? Riku had been so kind, was that just guilt? He didn't know what to believe now.

He looked at the Medusa and he looked…miserable, even the serpents seemed to be drooping. But…there was something different about him, compared to the images he half-remembered.

"You have hair," he whispered, seeing Riku jerk slightly, a hand going to the silver strands, already dry in the afternoon heat.

"Yeah, Mother…she said it's a sign the curse's weakening," he explained softly.

"Curse?" Riku was cursed?

Riku nodded, seeming to curl in tighter on himself. "I'm the last, at least Mother said so. Never knew Father but she said he was human, like hers. Intermixing has been weakening the curse slowly, she hoped I'd be even more human than I am. Animals are safe, she hoped humans would be too…"

"But we're not," Sky finished for him.

"Sky I swear, I would never hurt you. It was an accident; I hide if there's any chance of people but no one comes here. I've only ever seen one ship in the distance."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku didn't know what else to say. He honestly had no idea what had caused Sky to become flesh and blood again and he figured it could have been a lot worse than a few days of weakness and ongoing amnesia. Sky hadn't really moved, his serpents giving him flashes of a huddled form a few feet away. He hadn't run or attacked him, was that a good sign? He didn't know but…he seemed afraid, his heartrate was up and his serpents were reacting to the sensation of fear. He hated that, hated that Sky was scared of him. He buried his head in his knees, not wanting to know any more.

The silence seemed to grow and he curled up even more. He didn't want to know if Sky left or was going to kill him. He just wanted to go back to how things had been when they were playing in the creek. Why did he have to open his mouth? Sky hadn't even hinted at asking what he was in ages.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when a hesitant hand touched his arm, tensing in preparation for a blow, but nothing happened. He could practically feel Sky's racing heart through his hand, staying utterly still, confused when the hand cautiously moved up his arm towards his shoulder.

"R…Riku?" Sky sounded so lost and scared that it hurt.

He slowly lifted his head, working to keep his serpents as still as possible, hearing them hiss softly. Warm fingers touched his cheek and Riku froze again, even as they wiped away the tears that had leaked from under his blindfold.

"Sky?" he breathed, vision flashing to heat as they lifted up, their hissing becoming a bit louder. Sky was kneeling right in front of him, one hand on his face, the other braced on the ground.

"I…I don't…" he took a shaky breath. "I don't know how to…you're so kind to me."

"I never meant to hurt you," Riku whispered, pleading for understanding. Then he nearly jumped again when Sky's forehead came to rest against his, feeling his warm breath, the way he was trembling slightly. "I kept you safe in the cave, couldn't move you any further, visited every day," he was babbling now. "I thought you were dead; you were solid stone after all, but I couldn't offer prayers or anything because I didn't even know your name. All I could do was give you flowers and keep you safe. Then I'd wonder if doing that was just trapping you eternally in torment if you had any awareness."

He heard the hitch in Sky's breath and mentally cursed himself for saying so much, expecting him to pull away…but he didn't. Instead, Riku found himself pulled into a shaky hug, shocking him. Slowly, hesitantly, he lifted his arms to return it, breathing in Sky's familiar scent, everything that had come to mean he was no longer alone.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sky sat alone in the garden, it had expanded a lot since the first time he saw it, two people needed more food than one after all. Things had been…different since the day at the creek. Riku was even quieter, withdrawn, and he was still struggling with the idea that he'd spent years as a stone statue. The vague image of a kid he had in his head told him it'd been at least a decade that he'd missed, frozen and unageing.

Was he scared of Riku? That…wasn't an easy question to answer, not now. He wished he hadn't remembered about Medusa's, even if it hadn't been a lot. The whole time since he'd…well, 'woken', Riku had been nothing but kind, protective too. How lonely must he have been before then? He'd had nothing but stone and animals to talk to and Sky couldn't imagine that. How was he sane?

If he had a way off the island and back to civilisation, would he take it…or would he stay? That wasn't any easier of a question and did it really matter? There was no way off. And where would he go anyway? He had no idea where land was, no clue where he was from, nothing. The island…was home.

He groaned and buried his face in his hands. Why did everything have to be so confusing and complicated?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku kept his distance from Sky, no matter how much it hurt, giving him time and space to think. He didn't want to push him, to risk losing everything…maybe even if his life. It was hard though since while the island was a good size, there was only one home on it. Sky had taken to the garden though so Riku'd been letting him do the work there without approaching. He spent his time wandering the island, watching for ships, seeing to the fruit trees, checking the animals…anything to give Sky space. If he did see a ship…he didn't want to but he knew the right thing to do would be to call Sky, to give him the chance to try and signal for rescue.

He didn't want Sky to leave but maybe that was what would be best for him. Maybe back among humans there'd be some way for him to regain some or all of his memories. To get his life back…then again Sky said that based on Riku's aging that it'd been a long time, people would have moved on. Did that mean he wanted to stay?

They still slept in the nest together, on opposite sides, there'd been no repeats of the night he'd woken to Sky resting with his head on him. They barely spoke though they still shared meals. It hurt…the idea of being stuck in solitude again made him feel sick, but there was nothing he could do.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sky slipped out of the cave to sit and stare up at the stars. He could name some of the constellations but he didn't know why he knew their names. It was hard to keep track of time on the island, days blending into each other, but…he knew he'd been awake now for months, maybe closer to a year since it'd surely been several months since that day at the creek.

He felt lonely now though, they barely talked and the most they saw of each other was at night and morning when they ate. Well, he saw Riku and he stayed quiet…oh. Riku couldn't see through that blindfold otherwise Sky would be stone again, unless…could he use the serpents to see maybe? Did serpents see like people did? Or was he totally reliant on sound and touch with the blindfold on?

He bit his lip and glanced back into the cave before taking a deep breath and standing. He crept back in, having memorised where everything was ages ago. He knelt on the nest of blankets and pillows, eyes adjusting to the dark so that he could see Riku, asleep and curled on his side, back to where Sky usually slept. He swallowed but then lay down, his front to Riku's back and carefully wrapped an arm around his waist, cradling Riku to himself. Within moments he felt Riku's body go lax as he fell into a deeper sleep, cuddling into Sky's warmth. He closed his eyes and slowly relaxed, it felt…nice, right. He smiled slightly as he heard the contented, soft, hisses from Riku's serpents.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku woke slowly, he felt warm and utterly relaxed. Something…something was different. And then he felt a shift of movement against his back, waking up further, held…he was being held. Sky's arm was around his waist, their bodies pressed close to each other, the thin tunics they slept in barely noticeable with the way Sky's heat soaked into his body. Riku's eyes went wide behind the blindfold, breathing picking up. He needed to move; to get away before Sky woke up because surely it would ruin what little he had if he woke up like this. One of them had moved in their sleep, was it him?

"Mornin'," Sky murmured, hold tightening slightly.

"Morning," he whispered, swallowing against hope.

The hand on his waist shifted, carefully tangling their fingers together. "I'm sorry."

"What?" he asked shakily, confused.

"It wasn't your fault, you were just a scared kid," was the answer, and Riku felt that hope grow. "The person I know now…he's kind, caring, protective and even shy," Sora continued. He shifted, wrapping his other arm around Riku as well, full on hugging him.

Riku shuddered, biting back tears, even as he lifted his hands to cling to Sky's arms. "Please…stay," he breathed, hoping Sky didn't hear him.

The hug tightened, Sky's face pressing to the back of his head, and he stiffened, worried, but the serpents shifted, allowing the touch, some of them moving against Sky's skin gently, tongues flicking along his face.

"Always," Sky whispered, and Riku closed his eyes, unable to help the sobs.

He couldn't mean it, he couldn't, no one had ever stayed. He felt himself being tugged, moving, until they were face to face, Sky's arms now looped back behind his head, fingers soothing his serpents. And Riku found himself clinging on tight, arms around Sky's back, fingers digging into his tunic.

"It's okay," Sky was murmuring. "It's okay, I've got you."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sky grinned as Riku knelt beside him, working together in the garden like they used to. He watched how he moved, one hand used to help him balance which made sense, sight was part of how people balanced.

"Riku?" he asked curiously, watching as Riku tipped his head to the side, turning to him,

"Yes?"

"Can you see at all?" he'd finally worked up the courage to ask him, he'd been worried it would upset Riku.

Riku absently lifted his hand to stroke a few serpents even as they all focused on Sky. It didn't scare him at all, he liked the little guys. They were all mini-individuals but also kind of the same, it was confusing. But they liked him, that much was obvious, they really liked it when he'd pet them. "They can," Riku finally said. "It's not sight like you have. They see heat impressions. You're the clearest because you're so much larger than the birds and animals but there's no detail. I…I only know what you look like from when you were stone…and when you first woke up. I saw you then, just your back."

Sky blinked but then smiled, relieved he had some way of seeing. He shifted closer, slowly lifting a hand, he never moved fast to let Riku realise he was nearby. He touched the blindfold and then moved back to stroke the serpents who hissed in what sounded like delight to him, Riku smiling softly in reaction.

"Do you want to?" he asked.

"Want to what?" Riku asked, confused.

"See me."

"I can't!" Riku pulled back, a hand pressing his blindfold.

"You saw my back without anything happening, it's eye contact right? So…what if I wore the blindfold for a bit? It's not fair that you're the one having to be blinded all the time."

Riku just stared at him and he was sure his eyes were wide behind the blindfold. "What?"

"I can wear a blindfold and let you have your sight. You might need to stop me walking into stuff, I mean I can manage home okay in the dark but probably not anywhere else."

"You'd really…" Riku carefully reached out to touch his face, feeling his smile.

"Yeah, I trust you not to let me walk off the cliff," Sky laughed.

"When?" Riku asked, Sky could tell he wasn't sure but he'd show him it could work.

"Whenever you want," he promised.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"You're sure you can't see anything?" Riku asked again.

"Positive, everything's pitch black," Sky answered.

"Okay," he took a deep breath and slowly reached up, removing his own blindfold but keeping his eyes shut. He stared at the ground, not wanting to risk it, but then he slowly opened his eyes to see grass. Riku took a deep breath and carefully lifted his head. Kneeling in front of him was Sky, his eyes covered by the black cloth.

"So?" Sky asked, and Riku took a shaky breath.

He reached out and slowly touched his cheek, awed that Sky didn't even flinch at his touch when he couldn't see it coming. He traced his features, taking in what they looked like animated with life and warmth rather than carved from cold stone. Sky just sat and let him run his hands through his hair, noting how much longer it was now that he was alive since it now rested below his shoulders, over his face, down his shoulders. He was wearing clothing that used to be Riku's today, his own clothing had been battered by whatever he went through to wash up on the island and hadn't lasted all that long. All that remained were his necklace and the leather around his wrist, he went barefoot like Riku now, his shoes having fallen apart a while ago.

"Riku?" Sky sounded a little nervous now.

"I forgot," he whispered.

"Forgot what?" Sky asked, head tilted to the side cutely.

"Your colours," he felt his face warm, glad Sky couldn't see it.

"Oh. What colour are your eyes?" Sky asked.

"Kind of a greeny blue I think? What about yours?"

"Well, there's a reason I picked the name Sky," he admitted, shrugging slightly.

"For your eyes." That sounded pretty. He took his hand, seeing the contrast in the colour of their skin.

"And apparently you don't tan." Sky was grinning now.

"Tan?" he asked in confusion.

"Yeah, where your skin gets a bit darker after a lot of time in the sun. But you're really pale."

"So your skin isn't naturally this dark?" he asked, amazed.

"It's not too much lighter," he twisted their fingers around together playfully.

Riku grinned and then gently tugged his hand, Sky moving with him to stand up, swaying slightly.

"Oh!"

"You okay?" he asked in concern.

"Just off balance," Sky promised. "Vision and balance are linked…and I don't know how I know that, but I do."

"I've got you," Riku promised, carefully guiding Sky along the well-worn path.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sky grinned as Riku moved away, he could do this, he could. They'd been taking turns blindfolded for months now, Riku guiding him around as he learned the island without vision. Now he was going to attempt getting around without help, Riku would be right there if he needed him.

Okay, they were near the creek, he could hear it to his left. Which meant the garden was off to his left, about three hundred of his size steps. Home was behind him, four hundred steps. Knowing the major landmarks was easy, it was walking around without walking into a tree that would be the hard bit.

"Find me," Riku called softly, and Sky turned to where he was sure his voice had come from.

He took a deep breath and then a step, dragging his foot a little to check for rocks or anything else that might trip him up. He moved slowly along and then stumbled, hands reaching out, only to land on Riku's arms, his friend laughing as he caught him.

"Good work!"

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku touched a finger to his lips, they were kind of…tingly? He felt strange, his heart racing. What…what was that?

"Riku?" Sky's voice was hesitant and unsure in a way it hadn't been in a long time.

He reached out, finding Sora's hand, taking it before he could move away. "What…what was that?" he asked.

"You've never…been kissed before?"

That was a kiss? He remembered Mother kissing his cheek but never his lips. "A kiss?"

He felt Sky's hand gently touch his face, leaning into it automatically. He loved being touched or held, no matter how long Sky had been there he never got tired of it after so long alone. He didn't know what he'd do if he didn't have Sky there.

"I'm sorry," Sky whispered, drawing away, but Riku didn't let go of his hand.

"Why?" Riku asked in confusion.

Sky made a noise of distress and Riku ignored his own confusion to reach out with his other hand, pulling Sky into his arms, holding on tight. He leant their heads together, feeling Sky's breath, using it as a guide to press his lips hesitantly to Sky's. It felt just as strange but also…good. Sky moved, arms wrapping around him, his lips moving against his own and Riku just held on, following what he was doing because it was feeling better and better. Sky eventually pulled away and Riku could hear him breathing heavily, his own chest heaving.

"Wow," he whispered. That was…he shakily lifted a hand to check his blindfold, tugging it straight again.

"Good?" Sky asked nervously.

"It felt…really good," he whispered.

"Good," Sky was smiling, he could hear it in his voice.

Riku leant in again and Sky laughed but then their lips were pressed together, kissing, they were kissing. He liked kissing.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sky snuggled deeper into the blankets even as he ran his fingers through Riku's hair. He didn't have to worry about the serpents, they'd twine around his fingers, tickling him with their tongues. Riku's hair had been pretty messy when they met but slowly Sky had untangled it, helped him with keeping it untangled despite the serpents doing their best to make it a mess. Riku's hair had gotten longer since he'd first woken but so had his own. They had one comb between them and nothing to cut their hair unless they used Riku's knife. The serpents all came from Riku's skull and they weren't growing like his hair, meaning his hair was longer, so Sky had taken to braiding it beyond them to try and keep it neater and out of the way. His own hair was now long enough to do the same and it felt weird but it was cooler than having it loose.

Things had changed since they'd kissed. He'd thought he'd messed everything up till Riku had kissed him. Riku hadn't even really known what kissing was, why had he been surprised by that if he'd been alone since before Sky had washed up? He had a few tattered old books that must have belonged to his Mother but his reading skills weren't the best, neither were Sky's although he was better than Riku. But those books didn't have any kissing or anything in them.

He knew there were gaps in his own knowledge but he knew about kissing, about…more…so either he'd read about it before or…he'd been involved with someone he didn't remember. Riku was the only person he knew now and he'd fight to keep him safe, for him to be happy. Just spending time with Riku made him happy in return. He…he was pretty sure he was either in love with Riku or well in the way to being so. But did Riku feel the same?

Riku tipped his head back, pressing into his fingers, yawning wide enough to reveal his own more serpent like canine teeth. He'd done a really good job of hiding them for ages but seriously, if the serpents in his hair didn't scare Sky, why would his teeth? It wasn't like they'd tried deeper kisses yet; he wasn't going to push Riku and he seemed comfortable with what they were doing.

"Deep thoughts?" Riku asked, and for the millionth time Sky wished he could see his eyes.

"Not really," Sky pressed a kiss to his forehead, happy when Riku smiled.

Riku reached up to tug him into a proper, if upside down, kiss. Sky moved around until they were lying face to face, wrapping an arm around Riku's back. Riku pressed harder and Sky realised he wanted more but didn't really know what more was, so he carefully began guiding him into deepening the kisses, Riku following his lead eagerly. Yep, kissing was great even when Riku's, well fangs, were involved. At least they were retractable to a point.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku sat on a rock, staring out at the sea. Things had changed and he really liked how they'd changed, the way Sky looked at him now. and he got to see the way Sky looked at him thanks to his bravery in offering to share the burden of being blindfolded. He'd gotten good at navigating, especially considering he didn't have the advantage of occasional heat vision.

He loved life with Sky, everything was so much better now that he wasn't alone but…in some ways it was even better than his memories of being with Mother. Was that…bad? But it had been so long since she'd been killed and he'd been alone so long, surely she'd just want him to be happy?

He didn't know what the warmth he felt around Sky was, he'd loved Mother but this felt different. He tugged his braid around to look at the end, tied off with the leather bracelet Sky had woken with. One of his few possessions and he'd given it to him without hesitation.

He froze as he saw something….he dropped off the rock and rushed back to where he knew Sky was, tripping as he fumbled his blindfold, shoving it on, world going dark.

"Riku?" Sky's voice came to him, alarm evident, and then warm arms were around him, stopping his mad dash. "What is it? Are you hurt?"

He shook his head, gulping in air. "Ship," he gasped.

Sky said something he wasn't familiar with and then they were headed for home. "Stay here, if someone spots me it's okay but if they see you… I'll come and get you when they're gone."

He grabbed Sky's lower arms, clinging to him. "Sky…" he could signal the ship; he could go back to humanity…

"I am not leaving you," Sky swore and then kissed him. "Go, hide," he pushed him towards home, and Riku hesitated before going.

Sky would come back, he'd promised.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He knelt in the brush at the border of the beach and swore as he spotted the rowboat approaching. There were too many signs of occupation on the island, especially if they were coming to search for water or food. He could let them see him, see he was obviously human, but that might prove just as dangerous. Pirates wouldn't care, they'd try to take him, to sell or use or kill, it didn't matter. Merchants might leave him alone. Military crews would likely want to 'rescue' him.

He needed some way to make them leave and never come back, but how… and then he grinned. Sailors were really superstitious, the fact he knew this made him wonder if he'd been one before, and he could use that.

Three hours later he was watching the pirates flee for their lives from 'ghosts'. Idiots. But the caves near shore had such wonderful acoustics. And getting the mimicking birds to play along hadn't been too hard after months of whistling and teaching them various tunes. He stayed where he was, watching, grinning when the ship set sail. Brilliant.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He was coming back, he'd promised. Sky wouldn't leave him there alone; he wouldn't break his promise. But…what if he wasn't given a choice? What if the people came ashore and took him or…or killed him? No, he wouldn't think about that, he wouldn't. Sky would be fine. He wasn't going to stumble across his once again cold body. He wasn't…

"Riku breath!"

He jolted, gasping for air, realising gentle hands were on his shoulders.

"That's it, I'm here, we're safe. Just keep breathing," Sky drew him close, and Riku latched on, clinging tight. Gentle hands ran up and down his back and through his hair, his serpents hissing in pleasure.

"You're here," he choked out, face buried in Sky's shoulder.

"I'm here," Sky promised. "You're freezing, you should have wrapped up if you were worried about lighting the fire," he chided, coaxing Riku to his feet.

He stumbled alone with Sky, realising they were headed for the 'bath'. His limbs felt strangely heavy, leaving Sky to strip him and help him into the water and then Sky got in as well, holding him close.

"It's okay Riku," Sky whispered and then kissed him softly.

Riku clung to him, kissing back hard, as Sky sat down on one of the ledges, Riku settling in his lap. And…oh! Well, that felt strange but also…really nice. It was something he'd never felt before, didn't understand, but it felt right.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sky moaned into the kiss as Riku rocked in his lap, struggling to focus as blood flow was redirected. It felt familiar, another tick in the he'd been involved before column, but…he pulled back from the kiss, panting softly, seeing the slight confusion mixed with growing pleasure in Riku's expression. Sky had been really careful to see to such needs when alone, not wanting to push Riku and now he was wondering…had Riku even had that talk if his only parent had died when he was so young? Did he know what his body wanted? He'd never noticed anything that'd give the idea Riku was dealing with such needs in private either.

He let his hands drop to Riku's hips, slowing him until he was stopped and Riku actually whined softly. He was adorable, his serpents writhing and hissing, obviously agreeing with Riku.

"Hey," Sky called, lifting a hand to stroke his cheek, and Riku leant into his touch. "Riku…do you know what you're doing?" he asked gently, but Riku still flinched slightly. "It's okay," he soothed.

Riku hesitated but then shook his head, hands still clinging to his shoulders but he'd stopped moving against him when Sky had urged him to which was good. Now he just had to give him that specific talk that he didn't even remember receiving! He hoped whoever had told him had done it in a non-embarrassing way.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku lay on his side, Sky wrapped around him comfortably, but he couldn't sleep. His mind was spinning from the earlier panic, then pleasure, and…he felt his face warm. But…he'd never felt that before, not like Sky said was normal…for humans. Maybe Medusa didn't feel that? It wasn't like Medusa gathered or were around people. So his body had only done that because Sky was there? What Sky had explained sounded strange but also…kind of exciting? Did he want to do that?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sky laughed as Riku pounced, taking them both down into the water. For safety, now when they played in the water they both went blindfolded. It gave Riku an advantage but Sky had found his own senses becoming sharper the more often he was cut off from his vision. He was getting better at detecting Riku's sneak attacks but this one had gotten him. he grabbed Riku around the waist as they rolled in the water, hauling them both back to the surface, eyes closed till he was sure the blindfold was in place.

He was glad things hadn't become awkward after the day the pirates had come, they could have, but things had been normal the next morning. They still worked and played side by side with no hesitation or embarrassment, even when they were naked.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"We're going to have to cut this," Riku sighed, the weight of his braid resting in Sky's hands. Their hair was getting kind of crazy long now.

"Yeah," Sky agreed sadly. He undid it, running his hands through Riku's hair and he closed his eyes, enjoying it. But eventually he handed Sky the knife and he gathered the hair up. "Cutting," he warned, and Riku felt the tug and pull as the knife worked through his hair.

He felt lighter as the weight of hair was cut away but he'd enjoyed Sky running his fingers through it a lot. Still, it did get in the way, even braided back it could get caught on things.

"Done," Sky finally said, shaking out what remained, and Riku was happy it still fell to his shoulders. Sky then pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder and Riku smiled, leaning back into him. They were naked to spare having to pick the cut hair off of their clothing and he really liked feeling all of Sky's body against his. Sky laughed and held him close, peppering him with small kisses. "My turn," he finally said, pulling back.

Riku waited, listening to Sky pull his blindfold on and then turn so his back was to him. He removed his own and ran his hand through his hair. He stood up and stretched before he turned around and sat at Sky's back, picking up the knife. "Ready?" he asked.

"Ready, go for it," Sky told him, so Riku carefully gathered Sky's hair. It was shorter than Riku's had been but still too long.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sky kissed Riku who lay on his back in the nest, kissing back eagerly. He wished he could see his eyes but he knew it was impossible. One of Riku's hands tangled in his hair, the other grabbing his shoulder, pulling him closer and…oh! Okay. If that was what Riku wanted then he was definitely good with that. He settled his weight over Riku who moaned softly, arching his back to press even closer. The serpents hissed and writhed through Riku's hair as they moved together. Riku was making noises, some didn't sound quite human, writhing against him and it felt so good. His fangs had extended meaning Sky had to be careful kissing him but he'd gotten good at that. The noises he was making changed, becoming more… begging, his legs parting even more.

"Riku?" he asked breathily.

"Please," Riku gasped, head moving restlessly, his blindfold shifting.

Sky kissed him and then moved off him, getting a whining hiss of frustration. "Easy," Sky soothed as he grabbed things he'd been wondering if they'd one day need.

The oil from the leaves was non-toxic thankfully, it should work. He also grabbed his own blindfold to be safe. Doing this blind would be interesting since he didn't actually remember if he'd ever done it before but he wouldn't put Riku through the horror of accidentally turning him to stone, again. There probably wouldn't be any coming back from it a second time and it'd kill Riku if it happened. He made sure he knew where everything was before settling his blindfold in place and closing his eyes just to be extra safe.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku nearly sobbed in relief when he felt Sky's weight settle over him again, but not where he needed him. His head tossed against the pillows, it felt like he was on fire, he'd never felt anything like it.

"It's okay Riku, just relax," Sky whispered before kissing him, and Riku found himself relaxing into the nest. Sky's hands moved over his body and it felt nice, soothing the burn. "If you want me to stop or it doesn't feel right, just say," Sky told him, and Riku reached up to touch his face, confused when he found Sky was blindfolded too.

"Sssky?" he managed to get out and then Sky kissed him again, almost missing his lips since neither of them could see.

"No risks," Sky answered, breath a bit shaky, hands moving lower.

Oh…made sense…moving a lot, could come lose. He gasped as Sky touched him somewhere different, the fire surging again. He could hear noises…coming from him? Everything felt…fuzzy, waves of fire and pleasure washing through his body, thoughts scattering.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sky was amazed by Riku's reactions, hearing him whine and hiss, high pitched and obviously needy. He wished he could see his face even as he withdrew his fingers, though something about it all seemed different to how it should have been, Riku's body accepting him too easily…a Medusa thing? He carefully shifted their positions, keeping his hands on Riku to know exactly where he was. Something was definitely different to how it should have been but he wasn't able to focus enough to work it out, not when Riku was making those desperate noises and he was more aroused than he could ever remember feeling. He took a deep but shaky breath before moving, he knew what to do but it felt…he shuddered, reaching blindly until he found one of Riku's hands, holding on tight, feeling Riku grip back. He moved and Riku moved to meet him, quickly finding a rhythm that worked for them. He kissed Riku again and then trailed kisses along his jaw and down his throat even as Riku's free hand moved to his hair, tangling in the loose strands.

"Love you," he gasped out. "Love you Riku." He kissed him again.

"Sky," Riku whimpered, clinging tight to his hand. "Lllove," he moaned.

Sky gasped, slumping down on Riku, panting even as he pressed a soft kiss to Riku's shoulder. They were a mess, should go clean up…and then his head exploded in pain.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku woke slowly, feeling the solid weight of Sky on top of him, lifting a heavy arm to run up and down his back. He…ached, bone deep, eyelids too heavy to open, but he felt good too, utterly relaxed and content. It was quiet, utterly silent but the sound of their breathing…there was something wrong with that but he was too tired to work it out. His arm slipped from Sky's back as sleep dragged him back under.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

His head was pounding as he was slowly drawn back to conscious, wanting the painlessness of unconsciousness but no, something was pulling him back to the waking world. The Captain would be mad at him if…he jolted, scrambling up and away, looking around in confusion. This…wasn't the ship or the Captain's quarters where he slept to be close at hand if needed by his master.

It was…home, this was home. Sora choked back a sob of relief; he was Sora…he was Sky. He giggled, Sora meant Sky, he'd given himself his name without remembering. He shivered slightly, the fire had died and…he was naked. He reached up to find his blindfold as the memories came back. Riku was a Medusa and now he remembered all the stories he hadn't when Riku had revealed what he was. But Riku was nothing like the ones in the stories, no, Riku was kind and wonderful and he loved him. But…would Riku still love him? When he was Sora not Sky?

"Riku?" he called, crawling back to the nest. He touched an arm and found Riku's skin felt warmer than normal.

Riku was warm but usually a bit cooler than he was, but now he felt human level warm. He followed the arm up to his face, finding his blindfold mostly in place, so he removed his own, blinking to adjust to the low level of light in the cave which meant it was day.

And then all he could do was stare in shock at his sleeping friend…lover…partner…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He dimly heard the call of his name, felt a hand on his arm then his face before it was gone. He shivered, cold, naked but in the nest. He forced his eyes open only to find everything was black, his blindfold. He reached for the heat vision of his serpents but nothing happened.

"Riku, can you hear me?" Sky, that was Sky and he sounded really worried.

"Ssskky," he slurred, and then there was a hand under his head, lifting it, a bowl pressed to his lips, and he greedily drank the cool water. And then he was being drawn into Sky's arms, curling into him.

"Are you in pain?" Sky asked softly.

Pain? His head felt so fuzzy, what had happened? he lifted a hand to his head and then froze, reaching for his hair…for his serpents…his breathing hitched, beginning to panic, and then Sky's embrace tightened slightly, brushing a kiss to his forehead.

"Sky? What…where are they?" They'd been his companions all his life, the one constant after Mother died.

"Riku…you look human," Sky murmured, moving a hand to stroke through his hair and it felt as good as always, but there was no happy hissing, no serpents twining with Sky's fingers.

"What?" It was impossible, the curse was unbreakable. They all knew that; Mother had told him stories of those who tried and they'd tried everything. Ever spell, ritual, old wives tale…so how could he have broken it?

He grabbed Sky's wrist when he touched his blindfold. "Don't," he warned shakily.

"Riku, you're human warm, the serpents are gone, open your mouth," Sky urged and he did so, knowing what he was looking for so he concentrated. "And no fangs."

"It's too dangerous," he denied. He couldn't lose Sky, not now. He…he loved him, if he became stone again…

"It'll be okay," Sky whispered, both hands now on his blindfold and then it was sliding off.

Riku slammed his eyes shut, shivering when Sky kissed first one and then the other. No, he wouldn't open them. Sky moved and he let it happen, until he was sitting on Sky's lap, face to face and he felt a thrill from the position, his heartrate picking up a little. That was strange, it'd taken more than this before for his body to react. But Sky reacted that fast…human reactions. And then Sky kissed him and oh! He clung to him, kissing back, it felt so much…more.

He gasped for air, pulling back, eyes open….he froze in terror, staring into bright blue eyes, unable to look away, it was too late anyway, he was going to lose him…but seconds passed and Sky just stared back at him, smiling softly. He lifted a shaking hand to touch Sky's face, feeling warm skin beneath his. He…he was…human?

"Your eyes are beautiful," Sky whispered.

Riku gasped in air, shaking, and Sky just wrapped him in his arms, holding him close.

"It's okay, we'll be okay. Just breath Riku."

He clung to Sky and listened to him, his head a jumbled mess.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora watched Riku sleep, dried tears on his face, and it hurt to see them but in the end he thought they hadn't been bad tears. It'd been an emotional release, cleansing. Riku…he'd thought he'd be cursed all his life, to suddenly find it broken… he couldn't help reaching out and running his fingers through silver hair, finding it strange not to have Riku's serpents play with his fingers. He missed them and he knew Riku would to, but would he want them back if it meant being a Medusa again?

If this was permanent, they could leave the island, but where would they go? Sora had gone down with the ship at least thirteen years ago, he'd had no family so there was no one to reach out to. And how would he explain his age if there was? They could go and try to live somewhere but they knew nothing of the last decade and that would make them stand out, possible dangerously. He'd been only a step above a slave, had no employable skills outside of a ships servant. And he never wanted to sail again so that was out. What could life among other people give them but suspicion and the struggle to make a living? The island provided everything they needed.

Hopefully when Riku woke up, they'd be able to talk about things…like his returned memories. He stared down at his hands, picking out the scares gained over years spent at sea. He'd been in battles and he shuddered to remember the chaos, the noise and blood. He'd had to survive them unarmed, staying at his Captain's side, running to get him anything he needed, dodging attackers or cannonballs. He'd lived a life of servitude and violence, what if…would Riku see him differently?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku woke slowly, eyes gritty, head aching mildly. He could feel Sky curled around him and it took him a few moments to work out why he felt like he'd been crying. He…was human? Had it been a dream? No…there were no serpents in his hair anymore. How had it happened? It couldn't be because of what they'd done, otherwise Mother would have been human, the curse never would have been passed down for so many generations. But it had happened after they'd mated…what had Sky called it…sex? So it had to be connected somehow.

He felt Sky shift, nuzzling into his neck, and he smiled sadly. His serpents would have been hissing in delight and giving him their own good morning in return, teasing him fully awake. Instead he carefully rolled over and took a deep breath before opening his eyes, taking in the sight of Sky sleeping peacefully. He was still scared that Sky would wake up and then turn to stone but he hadn't before.

He was just glad that whatever had happened to him, hadn't hurt Sky…and then he frowned, no…just before he passed out…there'd been a sound of pain. Had it hurt Sky? He couldn't see any injuries and he was sleeping peacefully, no signs of pain now. and then he began to stir, bright blue eyes slowly opening and then Sky smiled at him.

"Morning," he leant in for a kiss that Riku was happy to have.

"I can't believe this is real," he admitted.

"It's real," Sky promised, but there was something in his voice…

"Sky?"

"Sora," he whispered, and Riku frowned in confusion. "My name, it's Sora…which means Sky so…." He shrugged slightly, and Riku's eyes went wide as he realised what Sk…Sora was saying.

"You remember?"

"Everything," he looked down, and Riku's heart plummeted.

Had he remembered something…family…a lover…was he going to leave him now? He couldn't do it, couldn't live there alone, truly alone now he was human.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora looked up and saw Riku panicking, able to read him easily, his eyes making it even easier. He grabbed Riku's hands in his and then sat up, drawing him with him. "I love you," he whispered, and Riku jolted, searching his eyes. He offered a shaky smile. "I love you Riku, whether you're human or not," he swore. He would have stayed with him even if Riku was still a Medusa.

He took a deep breath, were his hands shaking? From the way Riku's grip tightened, thumbs stroking the backs of them, he thought they must be.

"Sk, Sora," Riku corrected himself awkwardly. He leant in and kissed him softly, and Sora closed his eyes, returning the kiss. "I…I love you," Riku whispered against his lips. And then he pulled back, blinking slowly, not focused on him.

"Riku?"

"Is that…" he murmured, and Sora stayed quiet, letting him think. Finally Riku looked up at him again. "Other Medusa have mated but this hasn't happened. So what was different?"

"You think cause we're in love?" Sora asked curiously, and Riku nodded, looking shy. Huh, could it be that simple? Had no Medusa fallen in love and been loved in return since the beginning of their existence? "I guess, seems strange that it would never have happened before though, unless it did and no one spread the story around. Which does make sense, saying you were a Medusa once probably wouldn't be well accepted." You'd either be declared insane or killed as a threat probably, another reason to not leave the island. "There are stories, about love breaking spells and stuff too, all the old fairy tales."

"Fairy tales?" Riku asked.

"Uh, stories with fantastical things. Like fairies, mermaids, even a Medusa would probably count since no one really believes they exist anymore."

"I guess now they don't," Riku admitted.

"Are you…upset?" Sora asked carefully. Riku not being human hadn't bothered him, it'd just meant adjustments and being careful. Riku had been a Medusa all his life, what must it be like to suddenly be different?

"I…I wanted to be human, to be able to be with you without risking your life," Riku answered softly. "It's so different, I feel…" he reached up to tug at his hair.

"Lost?" he asked, and Riku nodded. "You're not alone, whatever help you need, I'm here," he swore. Sora opened his arms in offering and Riku shifted into his embrace, curling into his body. Sora pressed a kiss to the top of his head, arms wrapped around him firmly but not restraining.

Focusing on helping Riku let him ignore his own issues, Riku had a lot more to adjust to than he did. Riku was now a different species, he'd just gotten his old memories back, obviously Riku was the one who needed to be focused on.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It was strange that despite having his eyes uncovered all the time now, he felt half blind. He hadn't realised just how much detail his serpents had added to his view of the world and he missed it, missed them. He felt strange all the time but this was what he'd wanted for so long, to have the curse broken. He just hadn't really thought about what it'd mean for him to be human.

He was more affected by the climate now, got tired more easily, injured far more easily and didn't heal as fast as shown by the long scratch down his left arm from where he'd slipped climbing a tree. Sora had cleaned it for him, showing him what to do to make sure it wouldn't become infected. He was weaker too, climbing the trees to collect fruit and then cart it all back was harder and they no longer worked separately in the different areas, instead they worked together. After all, there was no longer any danger to Sora's life if they were together all the time.

Sora…he loved him, but he was different now, different to Sky. He supposed it made sense; Sky hadn't really been very old really. Yes, he'd known things, but he hadn't had any memories. Sora was quieter, not quite as quick to smile and laugh, no he was almost…haunted sometimes. He'd admitted that it'd been a shipwreck that had led to his washing ashore, that had to have been distressing. Sora had told him there'd been over six hundred people on board when it had gone down in the storm. As far as they knew, Sora was the sole survivor. Sora hadn't said much of his old life and Riku thought that was what made him quieter, something sad had happened beyond the shipwreck.

He was worried about Sora but he didn't know what to do.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora woke to a strange sound and then sat up, scrambling up and towards the entrance. He found Riku doubled over outside, throwing up and looking panicked. He winced in sympathy, vomiting was not nice and from things Riku had said and he'd observed over the years, he didn't think Riku would have ever been sick.

He dropped to his knees, gently pulling his hair back with one hand while the other rubbed soothing circles on his back. "Easy, it's okay, don't fight it," he murmured, ignoring the smell. He was not going to join him! Finally, he stopped, gagging a little, but Sora got him up and away from the mess, kicking some dirt over it for the moment. He sat Riku down on a nearby rock, letting him lean against him.

"Wha…" Riku coughed.

"You vomited. Was your stomach feeling upset?" Sora asked, and Riku frowned slightly, pressing a hand to his stomach.

"It's felt…funny the last few mornings but today was bad."

"Huh. You haven't eaten anything different?" he asked, and Riku shook his head. "There's only the two of us, so it seems weird that you'd suddenly get an illness."

He reached his hand out and Riku moved his, letting Sora touch his stomach, feeling around. He was no ships surgeon but he'd seen enough diseased and injuries on board and run enough errands for them, to have some basic ideas. He felt carefully around and frowned slightly.

"Sora?" Riku asked in alarm.

"Feels a bit firmer than normal but there's no bruising. Did you get hit in the stomach?" he didn't remember hitting Riku there the last time they'd messed around in the creek but with all the limbs flailing around he might not have noticed.

"No," Riku denied, "it doesn't hurt."

He didn't like this; they had no access to any real medical supplies or help and now Riku was vulnerable to normal human issues.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku wiped his mouth, reaching for the water to rinse with. It had become routine now, he was sick every morning, no matter how much or how little he ate the day before. He felt fine for most of the day but come morning he would be sick. It was definitely not a part of being human that he liked and he could see the growing fear in Sora, knew it wasn't normal. His stomach remained hard to the touch too, not rock hard, but firmer than was normal.

He felt Sora wrap his arms around him, above his stomach, and went willingly into his embrace, turning away from the mess he'd made, letting Sora comfort him.

"We'll figure this out," Sora promised. He watched how much Riku ate and drank, used his hands to measure the thickness of his limbs, chest, stomach…checking for weight loss.

He was scared, what if…what if breaking the curse had consequences like a long slow death? But they couldn't find anything really wrong with him. he didn't want to say anything but… "I'm tired and I ache," he whispered, feeling Sora's grip tighten, before a hand pressed to his forehead, checking for fever, then his lips replaced his hand.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora gathered up the up the fruit he'd harvested, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He put it all in the basket and then turned for home, eager to get back to Riku. Finally, the daily sickness was lessening but now he was exhausted, listless, and was needing the latrine far more frequently. He was also craving the mangoes Sora was bringing back to him and at least he kept them down. Sora paused, staring at the fruit, that was impossible.

Riku was male, there was no way. And yet…the symptoms fit; how could he ever forget? He'd been little yes, but he would never forget how he lost his Mother. There had to be something with the same symptoms, but what? But then his mind went back to that night…to the vague impression that something was different to how it should be, trying to analyse what that could have been.

He made it back to the cave and went inside after cleaning the fruit. He cut one into slices and put it on the wooden board that served as a plate. "Here," he called softly, and Riku pushed himself up. Sora studied him as he ate, he couldn't see anything really different, but he wouldn't yet, would he?

"Sora?" Riku asked, staring at him in confusion.

It was crazy but…"Can you lay down, I…uh, there might be…I need to check something." Was he really doing this? But Riku lay down, trusting him. Sora knelt between his knees, gently nudging his legs further apart, glad for the dim light even with the fire going. Okay, he could do this. He skipped the obvious and carefully touched Riku, freezing as he felt something, hearing the soft noise Riku made in reaction. He let his finger move back, finding the expected, his face warm.

Riku…that was…how? Okay, Medusa weren't human, but Riku was now. So shouldn't this be gone? Was it really possible that Riku…was pregnant?

"Sora?" Riku asked in alarm, leaning up on his elbows.

"Riku…I think…you're pregnant."

Riku frowned in confusion. "What?"

"A baby Riku, I think you're going to have a baby," he explained more simply. Riku was smart, it wasn't his fault he didn't know things.

He watched cyan eyes go wide, Riku's hand pressing to his stomach. "A baby?"

Sora nodded, moving so that Riku could sit up again. He felt…stunned. He…he was going to be a Father?

,,,,,,,,,,,

"Sora, why are you so shocked?" Riku was confused again. Mother had only ever told him mating could lead to a baby, he'd been too young for her to explain more. They'd mated so why was it so surprising. Did…did Sora not want a baby with him?

"Riku…we're both male," Sora murmured, and Riku nodded, he knew that. "Males, human males…can't have babies. You uh…you're different, down there. I was too distracted to really notice it that night. But you're human now…unless being pregnant meant it stayed?" Sora was kind of rambling but if he was hearing right then it shouldn't be possible.

"What do you mean I'm different?" Was there something wrong with him? Was their baby going to be okay?

Sora went red but took his hand, showing him the differences. Oh. Even human, he wasn't normal, why couldn't he be? Was he still a monster? He was…warm arms wrapped around him, holding him close, and he slumped back against Sora, watching a tanned hand move to caress his stomach, Sora pressing a kiss to the side of his head.

"The symptoms match," Sora's voice was shaky but…it wasn't disgust, but there was some fear.

"You're scared," he murmured, worried.

"My Mother…she died having a baby, Riku. I was really little. I don't know anything about birth, if anything goes wrong…"

"We'll be okay," if his body was meant to do this, then it'd be okay, right?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

As time passed, Sora's shocked diagnosis proved true, Riku's body changing as their child grew within. Thankfully the sickness passed and Riku even regained energy, though Sora was very careful to ensure he didn't overdo it. he kept his niggling worry to himself, not wanting to scare Riku but…their child had been conceived while Riku was cursed. Would he or she be human…or a Medusa? He would love them no matter what but it would be difficult to raise a child they could not look at and Riku had never had to live blindfolded without another method of 'sight'.

Eventually, Riku could no longer fit any clothes, having to go naked as the blankets were too big and too warm to try and make something temporary out of. Sora thought he looked incredible and ended up discarding his own clothing too, not wanting him to feel self-conscious.

The first time the baby kicked when his hand was there…there was no way to describe the joy and wonder. Their baby would never know the kind of childhood he'd had or the loneliness Riku had.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku leant back against Sora, smiling softly as the baby kicked where Sora's hand was resting. He assumed it was a girl, since he was the only known male Medusa…then again Sora said human babies were slightly more likely to be male than female. He was terrified their baby would be a Medusa since the curse had broken after, how could they raise a baby they couldn't look at? How would Sora take that? He hadn't been able to tell Sora he was worried it was possible, not when he was so happy.

But that sadness from before still lingered. Something in Sora's past made him sad and Riku whished he could make it better. He reached for Sora's other hand, holding it as their baby settled again. Sora thought the baby would be born soon and he hoped he was right, he was uncomfortably large, not very mobile anymore.

"Okay?" Sora asked softly.

"Feel huge," he answered, and Sora laughed gently.

"Well…" he teased, and Riku slapped his arm.

"You're happy here, aren't you?" he found himself asking before he could stop himself.

"Of course I am," Sora immediately answered, leaning forward to see him. "I've got you and our baby, what more could I ever want? The island gives us everything we need, we're safe here," he explained. "Are…is there something…"

Riku sat up, holding a hand to his stomach. He really did feel huge and it made things difficult, he couldn't even see his own feet anymore! He was also done with always needing the latrine and while it had been strange to be so…aroused a lot of the time, that had passed as his stomach expanded and he gained a permanent back ache thankfully. He reached for Sora's hand once they were facing each other. "Sora, before you I was totally alone. I've never been happier. It's…still weird sometimes, being human, but I wouldn't go back if I could," he promised, glad when Sora relaxed.

"Then what?"

"Sometimes…you're sad. I thought maybe you miss someone," he admitted, feeling Sora's hand tense in his. "Sora?"

Sora looked down at their hands. "Sometimes…I wish I didn't get my memories back," he admitted softly. "There's not much good in them. I didn't choose to go to sea, I was a servant, barely above a slave."

Riku knew what a slave was, Mother had warned him that if not killed by humans they'd take Medusa as slaves, keep them blindfolded and use them to deal with enemies. Sora too had told him that pirates dealt in human slaves, that slavery was legal. That Sora had been almost a slave…it made him feel sick. "What about your family?"

"Father was a sailor; he never came home. Mother died with my baby sister. I was alone by the time I was eight. Got snatched up by a naval Captain. I got a tiny bunk in his quarters and the bare necessities in exchange for working on the ship. Some of the sailors were okay, they'd teach me things, even a little fighting."

"Have you…been in battle?" Riku asked softly, still holding tight to his hand, not letting him pull away, heart aching for Sora. In a way, he'd been just as alone as Riku had.

Sora nodded slowly. "Mostly against pirates, mostly at canon distance but…we boarded a few times and once got boarded. I…I got captured with some of the crew."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora couldn't bring himself to speak of what had happened aboard the pirate ship after he'd turned down the offer to join them. He'd been tempted, but something about Captain Pete had told him it wouldn't be smart. He'd been given to the crew then…forced into the cabin of one of the crew. He knew he was lucky that the Destiny had attacked and rescued them the next day or else his fate would not have been pleasant. Another reason to be grateful he'd lost his memory before meeting Riku. He wouldn't have been able to let Riku touch him if he'd remembered. He knew he'd been lucky, that it could have been a lot worse than it was, that the pirate had been a lot gentler than expected, but it had still been terrifying and painful.

If one of the Lieutenant's hadn't been among those captured, he knew they never would have been rescued. But thanks to his presence, the Destiny had to come after them. Sora'd been below deck though when they attacked and had had to fight his way to the deck, the scar on his chest, nearly over his heart, had come from that fighting. He'd staggered onto the deck, bloody and barely clothed where the bos'n Dilan had spotted him and grabbed him, hauling him back to the Destiny to be deposited with the ships surgeon. He'd been very lucky that Even was as skilled as he was, people on shore died from such injuries, either from the injury itself or infection, but Sora had survived. That had been only two months before the ship was hit by the storm and sank, he assumed with all hands but himself. Unless they'd made the lifeboats or something but there were no other islands around for others to have washed ashore on.

"Sora?" Riku's voice called him from his memories, causing him to jerk slightly, eyes wide. "Sora, you're safe," Riku soothed, and Sora slumped back against the wall.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Something bad happened to you," Riku murmured, and Sora nodded, free hand rising to the scar.

Let him think it was just the wound, how would he react to knowing what else had happened to him? Riku had never tried or seemed to want to change things when they had sex and Sora was glad because he wasn't sure he could do, not without a flashback or something. Maybe one day he could, but not yet. Just like he'd have to tell him what had happened during his one night of captivity, it wasn't the kind of secret he could or should keep from Riku forever. Even without counting his time as a statue, it'd been years since then, but it was still too raw.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku walked slowly and carefully to the bathing pool, looking forward to soaking in the hot water. He couldn't forget what Sora had told him about his past and he knew there was something more he was holding back but Riku wouldn't push, he'd talk when he was ready. Sora had been a little jumpy since then but thankfully it was settling.

He was halfway down the corridor when he found himself leaning against the wall, stomach cramping. That hurt. He'd had some cramps before but that felt different. He hesitated but turned around and made his way back to the main cave. Sora had shared what he knew of birth, which wasn't a lot and distorted by a child's fear, but one thing he was sure of was that it was messy. So Riku shifted a few pillows and a blanket away from the rest and then settled down. He was nervous but Mother's stories had never included a Medusa dying in childbirth…but he was human now. No, everything would be fine.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora walked in and then dropped the basket, moving to Riku's side and then behind him to support him as he gasped in pain. "Time?" he asked, and Riku nodded. "Okay, so getting worse and more frequent?" he knew that much, the closer they got to the birth the closer together they should get.

"Think I wet myself," Riku admitted miserably.

"No, that's meant to happen," and that was pretty much the whole of what he knew. He'd been kicked out of the room but had stayed listening in the hall. "Sorry I wasn't here." It wasn't like they'd known he'd have the baby today and with Riku unable to work, it took longer for Sora to tend the garden and check the fruit trees, as well as the lures he'd designed for fish since Riku had been craving meat while pregnant and fish were the closest they had since they couldn't rely on an animal dying or getting hurt enough to kill.

Sora timed the pains by counting slowly in his head. He wanted to stay where he was, supporting Riku, but he would need to help the baby. He shifted and then piled pillows behind Riku to support him before moving to the fire, putting the knife in to heat and sterilise. He'd see his baby sister…after…knew there was a linking piece that had to be cut, though he was not looking forward to that.

They'd talked about what they knew would happen but Sora was scared they didn't know enough.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku collapsed backwards, panting, his hair plastered to his face. He heard an unfamiliar noise and then Sora was laughing happily. Sora looked up at him, tears in his eyes, but he was smiling.

"We have a son," Sora told him. "He's beautiful, bit wrinkly." Sora picked up the knife and did something out of sight and then he was lifting a tiny little person, carefully handing them to Riku.

He took the baby and stared at him, cradling him close. He had hair, ten perfect little toes, ten fingers…and looked fully human. Blue eyes blinked up at him and Riku smiled. "Hello." The baby was messy but Riku agreed with Sora, he was beautiful.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora was relieved when the stuff that had caused his Mother to bleed to death left Riku's body without trouble. There was nothing he could do if it hadn't. Riku and the baby needed cleaning up now but then Riku gasped in pain and Sora froze. No…no, he couldn't lose him. "Riku?"

"Need…to push."

What? Sora scrambled up and took the baby, setting him down on a blanket. Why would he need to push again? He had to stay calm, he couldn't help Riku if he panicked.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He heard Sora gasp and then quick movement, trying to tense even as exhaustion pulled at him. "Sora?"

"A girl," he answered, but this time, his voice was tense.

"Is she alright?" he asked in alarm, and Sora finally looked up at him, this time…the tears were sad.

"Riku, she…she's," he held the child up, a strip of cloth over her eyes, tiny little movements in her hair.

Riku gasped in air, no…not their baby….

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Roxas slow down!" Sora called as the boy rushed ahead.

He turned his head at the sound of giggling to see Riku walking along the path, Kairi perched on his hip, her serpents hissing happily, the light cover over her eyes allowing her to see without hurting anyone. The two toddlers were a handful but Roxas was definitely the wilder of the two. He was the more adventurous, always the first to try something new. It was why he was running for the creek while Kairi clung to Riku, letting him carry her. And Sora wondered if maybe Medusa grew up at a different pace to humans, which meant Riku could be even older than he'd first assumed. Still, she was happy and that was all that mattered.

"Come on, let's catch up," Riku told Kairi who nodded seriously. Riku grinned at him and then they were running.

Sora snatched Roxas up as they raced along, the twins laughing and shrieking in delight.

The end