A/N:

Well.

I updated...with another ONE SHOT!

This is a present to all of you for all the support that you have given me! Thank you soo much!

Also, I won't be on for one week. ONE WEEK. Got it memorized? (Sorry. Axel moment!)

Well, enjoy this!

I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Thankful

Sora Misonai spent almost two years away from home. He never thought it would be the same that things would be awkward, but they weren't. His mother and father had accepted him home like nothing had happened, like he had just come home from a really long trip for school or something like that. The boy only wished his best friend had the same advantage.

Riku apparently had wanted to leave home for more than the reason being bored with his surroundings. The sixteen year old was never on good terms with his father, but now, it seemed being away from home for so long had only made it worse. While Riku would never tell anyone what really happened in his home, Sora knew. Sora always knew.

Sora was sitting at home on a rainy day, eating a bowl of popcorn slowly. His mother was teaching one of her students upstairs, he could hear the mismatched notes of a piano song. Smiling to himself, Sora realized that life should always be like this, calm, quiet and not full of wicked beings trying to take people's hearts.

Yep, this bowl of popcorn and the Keyblade Master could quite possibly be best friends. Although the rain prevented him from going outside today, just sitting and enjoying something so small was the best thing that had happened in awhile…well…to him at least.

Unbeknownst to the boy inside, his boyfriend was dragging himself to the porch, a cut on his forehead bleeding. Riku finally made it to the door, banging a hand onto it. Sora was shaken out of his stupor, dropping his popcorn piece.

Padding to the door slowly, Sora opened it, to have a slightly disoriented Riku fall into his arms.

"Riku!" Sora said; his voice filling with concern. Riku smiled up at him.

"Hey Sora…." he said, softly, "Can…I stay with… you… tonight?"

Riku passed out in his arms, his breathes becoming even. Sora saw the blood drop to his white t-shirt and he gasped.

"MOM!"

20 minutes earlier

Riku Hikari almost spent two years away from home. Thankfully, he had done so to ease his nerves since his mother's death, an event he continued not to think about too often because of the pain that filled his heart. When his mother had died, he was in need of a caretaker, and his father was there…sometimes. Naturally, the father took on the parenting roll, but, sadly, Kurushi Hikari wasn't the world's best father.

Things were more important to Kurushi than taking care of his son. His company was one of them, being the man who gave Destiny Islands its power source. At the age of ten, Riku cared about his father being around, but now, at the age of sixteen, he could care less. Unfortunately, Riku's father hadn't been going to his work much in the past year, nor had he been ignoring his son or any and every type of alcohol.

Riku slipped silently into the study, clutching a book to his chest. He walked to the bookshelf and replaced it quietly, pulling out another book. The boy turned around to find that his father was in the door way, empty bottle hanging loosely from his hand.

"Riku…did you decide to come home…"

Riku clutched the book in his hands, looking at his father hard. The scent of alcohol filled his senses, making his eyes burn. The man's aqua eyes were set, looking at him with a cold glare. Riku went to walk past him, saying nothing, but an arm stopped him.

"Answer me, brat…" said Kurushi harshly.

"Yes…I did…" Riku said, quietly, looking up at the man.

"Decided not to stay with those rotten low life family, I see..." he commented, Riku clutching the book harder. Riku said nothing, because he knew that if he did, someone would end up hurt and it probably wouldn't be Kurushi.

"Those Misonai's…" chuckled Kurushi, "They work so hard for the little money they make…huh, guess it's their fault for having that mistake they call a son at such an early age…."

Riku gritted his teeth. "Don't you dare call Sora a mistake…." he said, voice low, "He's done more for this world than you could ever imagine…"

Kurushi snorted. "Don't take up for the wretched, boy. Families like that are doomed for failure. Overheard Misonai talking about that little mistake; said that the boy wants to go to college to be a teacher…Talk about failure…"

Riku spun around to his father, glaring at him with the utmost loathing. "Stop talking like you know them! You don't, father! The Misonai's are the best family on this island! So what if they have to work harder than everyone else. They work. Sora has worked harder than anyone I know to save many people and never asked any questions. He's a better person than you'll ever be!"

His father smirked, looking down at his son. "You talk about the boy like you love him…"

Riku stood very straight and looked into his father's eyes. No one would talk about his Sora like that.

"It's because I do…"

Riku didn't know if the gravity of the statement sunk in, but the next thing he felt was a glass bottle breaking on the side of his head. He fell down on the study floor, blood slowly falling from his hair line. Riku tried to pull himself up, but he received a kick to the stomach, right before his father stumbled out.

"Get out…" His father said, voice leaking with malice, "I don't need a damn faggot like you in my house…Get. Out."

Coughing, Riku laid on the floor for a few more seconds, tears leaking out of his eyes.

Damn it…I can't cry…

"Sora…seriously, do you think you got all of it?"

"I don't know, Kairi, I've only been to his house a few times….Just help me get it in here…"

Riku heard voices whispering to each other, trying very hard to keep a low tone. Riku moaned and opened his eyes, the light making his head pound even more, noticing that his head was bandaged.

Sora and Kairi were dragging a large bag into the room, both dressed in all black, beginning to take things out of it. Riku looked at them strangely.

"G-guys?" Riku said; his voice strained.

"Oh, Riku," Kairi exclaimed, her voice ringing in his head, "You're awake!"

Sora rushed over to him as he began to sit up, but his head swam dangerously. The boy's rough hands were on his shoulders, pushing him back down gently.

"Don't get up," Sora said, carefully, "You've got a pretty good sized bump on your head…"

Riku lay back as Sora sat down beside him, blue eyes filled with worry. Kairi began to take things out of the bag and place them around the guest room of Sora's home, like pictures, clothes, and anything they deemed that Riku would want or need.

"It was him again…wasn't it? Kurushi-san?" Sora asked, quietly. Riku looked at him, than turned his head away, not looking into those concerned eyes.

"Why didn't you just hit back…," Sora stated, looking at him significantly, but realizing the answer, "It's because he's your father…I know I couldn't hit my parents…but…Riku…"

"He called you a mistake…" Riku said, not minding the volume of his voice. Kairi was their friend too. "He said you and your family were a bunch of failures…"

Sora smiled sadly at him. "Riku…I told you, we don't mind being called that. We know the opinions of the people who matter to us. Who cares what one person says…"

Riku looked at him. "But I mind, Sora. You're my friend, and I don't like people calling you that!"

Sora still had on that sad smile. "He wouldn't be the first person…" Riku pushed himself up, despite his protesting head, and wrapped his arms around Sora.

"I love you," He said simply, "And I don't care what anyone has to say about that…I don't care what they call me, but I do care about what they call you…You're not a mistake, Sora, you're a blessing…"

Sora suddenly pushed back, albeit, not very far from Riku's hold.

"He called you…he didn't call you that…"

Riku smiled sheepishly. Sora always knew. Sora looked like he was going to kill someone's father, namely Riku's.

"Oh that is it!" His boyfriend yelled, "I'll show him who's a faggot by giving him a Keyblade to the face."

Sora got up and stomped out, Riku slowly lying back down. Kairi smiled to Riku and sat down beside him on the bed, holding a picture frame.

"Not going to stop him?"

Riku smiled. "Nah, his mom will at the front door, take him into the kitchen and let him rant about it."

Kairi giggled softly, handing a picture to Riku. He saw that it was the one of him, Kairi, Sora and their friends, The King, Donald and Goofy. Riku knew what she was trying to say to him.

"Thanks…Kairi…"

Sora's head popped in, glaring at Riku. Apparently, he was on his way down to murder a certain someone, but his mother had stopped him, just like Riku had said.

"If you ever go over there again, you will be the one receiving a Keyblade to the face, got it?"

Sora stomped away again, leaving Kairi and Riku to smile at each other over the boy's loud ranting downstairs.

"He called me the minute they got you settled…said that we were going to your house to get your things…"

Riku closed his eyes, still holding on to the picture Kairi had handed him.

"Thank you…Sora…"

Sora looked outside to the rain, sighing as he ate another piece of popcorn. Riku sat on the couch, reading a book quietly, adjusting his reading glasses occasionally.

"Riku…I'm bored…" Sora drawled. It had been one month since Riku had come to live with them, and he seemed happier since that day, even though Sora was close to killing his father to eliminate the problem permanently.

"Then why don't you go play piano…"

"Did that…"

"Okay…why don't you read a book?"

"We don't have any good books…"

"That's a lie," Riku said, looking up, "This one is really good."

Sora got up and walked to him, promptly looking at the boy as if he needed to move. Riku sighed and moved around so Sora could sit comfortably between his legs. The sliver haired boy held the book open so both of them could see it, Sora occasionally placing popcorn in his mouth.

"Read it to me?" asked Sora quietly, looking up at Riku with innocent ocean blue depths. Riku smiled at him warmly and obliged, reading from his stopping point. The two sat like that for hours, thankful for the smiles that warmed their hearts, thankful for the gift of being with each other...

And most of all, they were thankful for the blessing of a family that loved them, no matter what.

BEACH TIME!

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See you in a week!