Disclaimer: The characters used for this fan-fiction in no shape or form belong to me. They are the property of SquareEnix and Disney, and I acknowledge this, no matter how much I wish they could belong to me.

Warning: Shounen-ai implications [male/male]. If you are offended by shounen-ai or yaoi, I do not suggest you read any further; I rather not be flamed for your stupidity.

Note: YES I REALIZE THIS IS JUST A TID-BIT LATE.

***

Quick fingertips brushed over the smoothing surface of a partially rounded paopu fruit, measuring each angle with brief efficiency. Riku sat bent over upon his perch, expression fixed with concentration as he passed the blade easily through the thin skin of the yellow fruit. Slowly and impatiently, he was carving the star-shaped morsel into a slightly lop-sided heart, though reassured himself he could fix it later. Right now, he just needed to complete the outline; the smaller details could come later.

The evening hours were passing quickly, and the silver-tressed boy could feel exhaustion leaning heavily upon his aching figure. It had been foolish of him to wait until the last moment, but he had been so caught up with the happenings around him, who was to expect him to notice?

February was upon him rather quickly, much faster than he had imagined. And the days had sailed by with surprising grace, he hadn't the time to grasp each passing event. And it wasn't until the evening before that he realized exactly where he was, and what dangers he may face the following morning.

'Damn Valentine's Day,' he thought with unintentional bitterness. The holiday was something highly celebrated amongst his peers, and the fact he could end up empty-handed the followingly morning hadn't been appealing. But arts and crafts wasn't the youth's strong suit.

Fortunately for him, the Paopu Fruit Tree was in bloom, and after observing the awkward but frequent swooning of the island girls, they hadn't thought of the idea he had. He didn't have to worry about the male majority, as the holiday seemed to interest the young women more than the boys.

Yet, it was until well after 5am that Riku began to recognize his error. The task was much more difficult than he had hoped, and all his effort and time was being placed into a single Valentine. He doubted he'd be conscious the following hours to even delivery the damn gift.

"Stupid thing, just cut--"

"What are you doing?" Riku suppressed a slight cry as the blade grazed across his flesh, his expression dark with a grimace. Casting a slightly irritated glance over his shoulder, the cold glower of his gaze faded. Sora stood at the bridge joining the separate island to the main island, clothed within simple pajamas. Rubbing sleep from his eye with the palm of his hand, his chocolate tresses fell around his drowsy face in their usual manner.

"Uh.. Nothing," he replied with a forced grin, shifting upon the bent tree. Sora blinked with a slight frown before stepping across the damp grass, his feet bare and pale beneath the moon-light.

"Oh. I looked out my window and saw you out here, thought something might be wrong," he murmured and muffled a yawn, stretching enthusiastically before locking his arms behind his head. A dizzy smile graced his lips as he arched forward, a slight groan escaping from his figure. "You're not normally out here this early."

Riku dropped from the tree with simple ease, tucking the blade back into the protective carrier. He'd already cut himself, he didn't want to risk further injury because of his company. Walking forward to join his young friend, he shrugged, despite the fact Sora's back was to him.

"I just came here to think," he explained. "I've had a lot to think about recently." Inclining his head against his raised limb, Sora regarded the older male with brief curiosity before his arms dropped to his sides.

"Are you worried? About tomorrow I mean. It's no big deal, Riku. Girls just get a little too ga-ga over a guy, shower him with Valentines and that's it." He sighed quietly, and scratched his cheek, cerulean gaze roaming the reflected horizon. "I don't see what's the big deal."

Riku surveyed the younger boy's body language with thought, his figure relaxed, weight shifted to his opposite leg. An arm was folded over his torso, gripping his shoulder in a manner of self-embrace, though Riku didn't doubt it was for lack of warmth. Funny how his best friend was able to seem so delicate and innocent when at other times, he was hardly such.

Allowing his aqua gaze to follow the cloudy vision of Sora's, he watched the moon's reflection twist against the waves of the sea, slightly enchanted by the quiet hum and call of the ocean.

"I guess you wouldn't understand," he began, feeling the chocolate youth's gaze fall upon him. "Until you've found someone special." Sub-consciously, his fingers closed tightly around his paopu heart, reminded of the task he had left unfinished.

"But I have found someone special," Sora argued, watching Riku's retreat back to the Paopu tree. He followed a moment after, pausing as the silver- tressed male climbed upon his usual seat, withdrew the blade from his pocket and idly continued to cut away at the yellow fruit. His head inclined to an angle, mildly curious to what small object Riku concealed with his hand before he simply grabbed his wrist. Then pulling the curled digits to his eye level, he blinked, then pointed toward the item.

"What's that?" he inquired, allowing Riku to free himself from his light grasp. Holding the heart between his index finger and thumb, he inspected the nearly completed valentine with thought before shrugging.

"Nothing special.. Just a valentine for someone." Sora blinked once more then averted his gaze, deciding a slumbering seagull on the nearby shore was suddenly much more intriguing.

"Oh. That's what I thought," he murmured quietly and knelt at the island's edge, arms surrounding his bent knees. Slowly, he began to rock back and forth upon the balls of his feet, vision masked by his chocolate tresses. "Guess it must be nice. You always get Valentines." Riku's thoughts came to an abrupt halt as he directed his attention toward the emotionally crippled youth.

"You get them too, Sora. Kairi gives you one every year," he pointed out then added as an after thought. "And rumor has it Selphie's going to join the Sora Fan Club this year."

"But I don't like them," Sora replied without missing a beat, and inclined his head, gaze fixed upon Riku's upside-down figure.

"Well, I don't like any of the girls I receive Valentine's from either." Sora's blank expression was replaced with oblivious confusion as he turned himself around, chin tucked against his knees.

"Then who are you making a Valentine for?" he questioned, ignoring the slight glance of exasperation he received. With a roll of his eyes, Riku simply shook his head and shrugged.

"I don't know. I just felt like making one, that's all. Why aren't you making one? I thought you said you liked someone," he remarked, hiking a brow as the knife passed over the paopu fruit once more, slimming the lop- sided angle. A brief silence stretched between them as Sora failed to reply, his cerulean gaze admiring his damp feet.

"Because.. Why bother? I doubt he likes me so why embarrass myself?" Riku's sub-conscious performed a 360, wondering blissfully if Sora had made an error or was it deliberately true?

"He?" A pale blush emphasized the chocolate youth's cheeks as he raised his gaze before he stood, and turned away from his friend. Then proceeding forward once more to the opposite bank of the island, he simply stood against the fading moon's silhouette.

His obvious discomfort was enough to answer's Riku's question. Once more retreating from his perch on the tree, he slinked to stand beside the blushing figure, peering into his shaded features with apparent amusement.

"So the rumors are true. Little Sora does swing that way," he teased with a conscious grin. "We always wondered why you seemed to edge away from Kairi's affection." Slightly irritable, Sora offered an ugly glare toward his best friend before stepping away from him, his arms folded stubbornly over his chest.

"Shut the hell up, Riku. Like you'd understand," he growled, then flinched away from Riku's comforting hand. Regarding his digits to see if they were infected with an invisible toxin, he allowed his hand to drop to his side, bringing himself to stand beside Sora once more.

"And how would you know? Are you well intuned with my love life?" he asked innocently, dodging the playful banter as Sora threw a blind swing. "Tch, slow as always."

"Just shut up! You don't know what's like! I can't expect you to understand. I've liked him since we were kids, and he hasn't showed the faintest interest in me! I doubt you have that problem, Mr. Womanizer," Sora seethed, and simply turned away. "I just don't care about Kairi the way I care about him.." Though his new nickname for Riku was hardly appealing, it hit the pale-haired youth a little below the belt.

"Maybe I understand more than you know," he replied quietly, then glanced toward the dawning horizon. Soothing hues of orange and red were beginning to paint the sky; dawn was coming. The fourteenth was here.

"It's nearly morning."

"Thank you Mr. Obvious."

"You should go back to bed before your mom finds out you're gone."

"Maybe I will."

"Sora..." Riku reached for him but he only flinched away once more, his figure lined by the rising sun. With a slight sigh, Riku pinched the bridge of his nose; why did he have to be so difficult? Aqua gaze roaming to the paopu heart, he considered a thought.

His arms enclosed around Sora's shoulders, and he felt the smaller boy jump slightly within the embrace. Then unfolding the youth's arms, he lifted his hands and idly slid the paopu fruit against his palms. Riku's fingers guided Sora's to curl around the yellow treasure, and he lifted the boy's hands, leaning slightly over his shoulder to grace a kiss across the bent knuckles.

"Riku?" Sora's wide cerulean gaze begged for explanation, his cheeks heavy with a dark blush. A slight smile tugged at the corner of Riku's lips as he turned chin against his throat, his lips touching the boy's earlobe.

"Sora, will you be my valentine?"

***

And that's my poor excuse for a Valentine to the readers of FF.net [not to mention late].