Riku led his mother back to bed and helped her get comfy.

"Thank-you Riku." Mileena smiled as she settled under the covers.

"You're welcome mom."

Riku handed the book Mileena was reading to her and exited the room. The teen walk/limped back to the kitchen where his father was waiting.

"It hit you from behind in the Secret Place, right?"

"Yes sir." The teen replied.

"Okay." Lee nodded. "Jecht, Aiken, and I are going to check it out. You stay here and take care of your mother."

"Yes sir."

Lee nodded again and left the house. Riku nodded to himself and headed up to his room. He stopped right outside the door. He'd forgotten to open his blinds this morning and his room was dark. The teen reached one hand in and flipped his light switch on. The overhead bulb blinked on, made a popping noise, and burned out.

"Great..." Riku muttered.

Riku swallowed thickly and ran into his dark room. His legs ached from all the scratches but he ran anyway. The teen sprinted across his room and practically dove over to his window. He grabbed the wand hanging from his blinds and twisted it, opening his blinds. Sunlight spilled into his room pushing the dark and shadows to the corners.

"That was completely wussy." He chastisized himself.

The boy got a new bulb from his desk drawer and change the bulb in his light fixture. He made sure the bulb in his bedside lamp worked before lying down on his bed. Riku looked at the clock. It would be dusk soon. He leapt up from bed and briskly walked downstairs to his parents' room. Mileena was propped up in bed reading her book. She looked up when Riku entered and removed her reading glasses.

"Honey, what's wrong? You look absolutely pale..."

"Can I please stay at Sora's house tonight? He invited me to sleep over." Riku lied.

"Are you sure you want to go out Riku? You don't look well and you were hurt today..."

"I just feel kind of weak." The teen lied again. "Please? I'll be fine. Besides...we live next door. If I fall into a coma April, I mean, Mrs. Everhart can just roll my worthless behind onto our yard."

Mileena chuckled softly. "You're not worthless, Riku. And...since you seem to be perking up...I don't see why you can't go. Just wait until your father gets home in case I need something."

"Of course." Riku nodded. "Thanks mom. I'll be in my room packing a bag. If you need me just yell."

"Will do." Riku's mother smirked, putting her glasses back on.

Riku forced a smile and walked upstairs. He grabbed his phone and dialed Sora's number.

"Hello?"

"Hi April. Is Sora around?"

"Yes he is. Why?" April teased.

Despite his panicking hearbeat Riku chuckled a little. "May I please speak with him?"

"You may. Sora! Telephone!"

There was a click as Sora picked up the phone in his room and another click as April hung the kitchen phone up.

"What's up?" Sora asked.

"Can I sleepover at your place tonight?"

"Uh sure...but are you sure you want to? You've had a rough day."

"I'll be fine. I just...Sora...I..." Riku's voice cracked a bit and he mentally kicked himself for being so weak.

"Riku? What's wrong?" Sora asked softly. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. I just...I need some company, ok?"

"Okay. You can come over after supper...say...six o'clock?"

"Okay..."

"Riku, are you sure you're ok? I mean...if you're crying that's ok y'know..."

Riku smiled weakly. Sweet, understanding Sora... "I'm not crying. I just...I hate being weak."

"You're scared Riku. There's a difference." Sora replied.

"You're right...about there being a difference that is."

The brunette smiled softly. If Riku didn't want to admit he was scared he certainly wasn't going to force him to admit it.

"Six o'clock. See you then."

"Yeah."

"Bye Riku."

"Bye..."

Riku hung up the phone and looked around nervously. He looked out in the backyard. None of the shadows down there seemed threatening.

"Get a hold of yourself Riku." He scolded himself. "Get a grip."

----------------------

The sun was starting to set and Riku was in the kitchen making supper. His mother had moved from the bed to the couch and was currently watching the news. His dad still hadn't come home.

Would the shadows attack dad? I mean Tidus and Wakka's dads are there too, but that wouldn't do any good anyway. My hands and feet went right through those things like...they weren't even there. Maybe I am going crazy. Maybe I was hallucinating and I scratched myself up.

Riku shook himself out of those thoughts and checked on the pork roast.

"Supper will be ready in five minutes!" The teen called.

"Okay!" His mother replied.

Lee returned home two minutes before supper was ready.

"Did you find anything?" Mileena asked, turning the TV off.

"We found some weird footprints in the dirt where Riku was attacked but nothing else."

Riku felt sort of relieved. At least he wasn't crazy. His semi-relief soon faded though. That meant there were actual shadow creatures out there waiting for him.

"Riku is sleeping over at Sora's tonight." Mileena said, waddling to the table.

Riku's father looked like he was going to protest but the woman gave him a look and he said nothing about it. Instead Lee asked Riku how he was feeling.

"Not bad." Riku replied, getting the pork roast out of the oven. He removed the veggies from the stove and served his family supper. They ate in silence. Afterwards Riku excused himself and went upstairs to finish packing his overnight bag. The boy looked outside and shivered. The sun was just starting to set. Riku put a flashlight and a bunch of spare batteries into his bag and went downstairs. His mother was now reading the paper and his father was putting supper's leftovers into the fridge.

"Well I'm off to Sora's. See you guys tomorrow morning."

"Have fun, honey." Mileena smiled. "C'mere."

Riku walked over and his mother placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Stay out of trouble." Lee said.

"Yes sir." Riku smirked.

The boy went to the front door, put his shoes on, and left. He walked over to Sora's and knocked. April let him in.

"Sora's upstairs. How are you feeling, Riku?"

"Okay. Sore and weak, but okay." He replied.

April nodded and gave the boy a pat on the shoulder. "I'm glad you're ok."

Riku smiled and nodded. "Thank-you."

"Did your father and the others find anything?"

"They found some kind of weird animal tracks, but nothing else." Riku replied.

April nodded and returned to the living room, sitting in front of the television. Riku went upstairs to Sora's room and knocked on the door.

"It's open." Sora replied.

The silver-haired boy pushed the door open...and nearly had a heart attack. Sora was sitting on his bed wearing nothing but a pair of baggy denim shorts.

Sora shirtless. Must not stare...

"It's hot this evening, hey?" Sora panted, fanning himself with the comic book he'd been reading.

Riku nodded. "The wheather has been weird lately."

The older boy set his backpack on Sora's desk and moved to sit beside the brunette. Sora leaned forward to examine his friend.

"Are you sure you feel ok?"

"Yes." Riku nodded.

"Okay. So...what do you want to do?"

Make out? Riku's mind suggested.

Riku coughed slightly and shrugged. "I don't know."

The brunette smiled and walked over to his desk. He got out his deck of Magic: The Gathering cards ad made his way back to Riku.

"Let's play." He grinned.

----------------------

Riku was so into the card game that he didn't even notice how late it was until April stuck her head in.

"I'm going to bed boys. Don't stay up too late."

"We won't." Sora promised with a grin.

"M-hm." April scoffed, chuckling as she left the room.

Riku looked up at Sora's bedroom window to see that it was pitch black outside. He shuddered almost violently and dropped his cards on the floor.

"Riku?" Sora frowned.

The silver-haired boy didn't look at him and Sora could tell his friend was embarrassed.

"Do you want to go downstairs and have a soda or something?"

Riku nodded. "Sure."

The teens put Sora's cards away and made their way downstairs. Sora got two sodas from the fridge, handing one to Riku. Riku nodded his thanks and looked at the clock. It was almost ten.

"Want to watch a movie?" Sora asked.

"Yeah sure."

The brunette smiled and the two friends made their way into the living room.

"Any particular one?"

Riku shook his head. "Surprise me."

Sora briefly considered a horror movie but then thought that might freak Riku out. Instead he chose a slapstick humor movie, popping it into the VCR. They sat in silence for the entire movie. The only noise either made was when they took a sip of their pop. By the time the movie was finished it was nearly midnight. Sora yawned and stretched, smiling sleepily at his friend.

"Ready for bed, Riku?"

"Yeah."

The boys stood up. Riku took their empty soda cans into the kitchen while Sora shut the TV and VCR off. The platinum-haired teen looked out the Everhart's glass patio doors. It was dark, but it didn't seem at all threatening.

Maybe the shadow creatures are gone...

"Coming Riku?"

Riku looked over his shoulder and nodded. He headed up the stairs to Sora's room while the brunette locked up and turned all the downstairs lights off. Riku stripped to his jeans and sat on Sora's bed. Usually when he slept over Sora would put an air mattress on the floor for him, but...he really didn't want to sleep alone. He hoped Sora wouldn't get the wrong idea...

"You know Riku...since you shared your sleeping bag with me when I was scared I have no problem sharin' my bed with you."

Riku yawned to cover up the grateful smile that tugged at his lips. "Okay. Cool."

Sora laughed softly. Riku was trying his damndest not to look scared so the brunette just let it slide. He stripped down and put a pair of striped pajama bottoms on.

"Want to borrow some pajamas?" Sora asked.

"Nah, it's ok. I wore my comfy jeans." Riku replied.

"Okay. Well...goodnight."

Sora turned the lights off and his room was bathed in pale blue moonlight. Riku got under the covers and rolled to face the wall. The feeling that the shadows were creeping up on him swept over Riku.

"Mmmn..." Sora yawned, crawling into bed.

The shadows seemed to retreat as Sora cuddled up against Riku's back, draping one arm around his friend's waist.

"G'night Riku."

"...Night Sora." The teen smiled.

Sora fell asleep almost instantly, but it took Riku a while to fall asleep. He felt safe whenever Sora was around, but there still was a tiny feeling of the lurking shadows nagging at his brain.

To be continued...

Aww. Sora/Riku snugglies X3. R&R Please .