Lapis Lazuli

Opening Note: Because I keep writing AU stuff. This will be a threeshot, written first from Kairi's POV, then from Riku's, and then Sora's. Okay. Not first person POV, or third. A weird kind of second, actually. Whatever.

Discalimer: noun (law) a voluntary repudiation of a person's legal claim to something. I claim no legal ownership to Kingdom Hearts. Blah, blah, blah. The characters belong to SquareEnix. But you know what? I don't want a legal claim. Because if I did, I'd have to have Sora fall in love with Kairi. So I'm content sitting here, twisting and manipulating.

Dedication: For all the authors on my favorites list, and for all those who have me on theirs.

II. Riku

You wonder, as you watch him play with Tidus and Wakka, what he would say, how he would react if you told him. You hate yourself for not being able to say the words, but you can almost hate yourself just as much for feeling this way in the first place. He turns to smile and wave at you, his eyes a brief flash of pure lapis lazuli before he turns back to the game, jumping up and splashing as the clumsily hits the blitzball at Tidus. The water clings to him, and you have to look away before you start having those thoughts again.

You finger the object in your pocket, the keychain you've made for him. It's a simple piece of silver bent and woven into the shape of a heart. You like to think your heart looks exactly like this one, artistically shaped, a gentle curve here and a sharp angle. It's asymmetrical and shines when you tilt it. You hope he'll accept it. Of course he will. The one in your pocket for sure. But what of the other?

"Riku!" he calls. "Come be on my team!"

You smile softly and head into the water, reaching out to ruffle his damp mess of hair before joining in the game. He laughs, and you laugh with him.

Later on you lean against the paopu tree and he lies in the gentle hammock bend of it. Neither of you say much, but you like it that way. At length you take the gift from your pocket and hold it out to him. He stares at it a moment, and then he's taken it and is admiring it, thanking you.

"I know you probably can't summon the keyblade anymore, but..."

"Thank you, Riku."

"Yeah..."

You look out at the sea and remember the conversation over a year ago that started the whole thing. Thinking back on it, you let a quiet chuckle escape. Really. How could you want to leave this island? Everything you need is here. Sora is here.

He's clipped your gift to one of the belts at his hip, and you smile.

"Do you ever... think about leaving again?" he asks, hesitantly.

"No," you answer after a moment. He visibly relaxes. "I had my adventure."

"We had an adventure," he corrects, laughing.

"We did." You sigh. "Hey, Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"What if we'd never found the light? What if we'd been stuck there on that dark beach?" He thinks about this often.

"Well..." Sora swings his legs back and forth, looks out at the waves. "I... wouldn't have minded."

You look up at him, hopeful. "Wouldn't you have missed Kairi?"

He looks at you, puzzled. "Yeah... I would have.'

You nod. Of course. There was Kairi to consider. And you already knew about Roxas and Namine. You scoff at yourself. How could you think Sora would let that go?

"But I would have had you."

You shift your weight from one foot to the other. The way he says that... You look up at him again. "Kairi would have missed you." His face falls slightly. "She would have missed both of us, Riku. But if she... if she knew we were together she might not feel so bad."

You can't resist the double meaning of that.

Clear lapis lazuli eyes blink once, twice. He seems to be waiting for something. You notice now he's leaning down just the slightest bit, and then a little more. If you wanted, you could reach up and drag him down. Kiss him.

"I wouldn't have minded it, either," you hear yourself saying. "Being there... so long as I had you." There's too much truth in your words and your common sense is telling you to back away, change the subject, step away. Step back, Riku. And you do, very reluctantly. Is that disappointment in his eyes? You decide not to think about it, and look out at the ocean again, heart racing. If only he knew how well he plays your heartbeat. Like a drum.

"I told you about Pooh, right?" he asks suddenly, and you nod, wondering why he's bringing up a stuffed animal all of a sudden.

"I just... thought of something he said to me."

"Oh?" You're curious now.

Sora smiles, looks you straight in the eye. "If you lived to be one hundred," he begins, his face close to yours again. Breathe, Riku. "I want to live to be one hundred minus one day..." You reach out to steady him, keep him from falling, but he leans into your touch, and you can feel that he's trembling. And not from fear of falling. He's not that far forward yet, just far enough to –

"Sora?"

"So that I'd never have to live without you," he finishes.

You decide to lock your common sense away in the far corner of your mind. This is perfect. You, Sora. The keychain you made him on his hip, tilted at that angle where it shines. All that's left is for you to say the words.

You've formed them in your mind, and just as you open your mouth to speak, something that sounds vaguely like a music box and a parade cuts through your perfect hesitant pause.

Sora groans, pulls back, and rummages around in his pocket for the cell phone.

"Mom?" he says. You can make out his mother's voice. Not the words, no. But she doesn't sound happy. Sora winces.

"Sorry, Riku," he hops down from the tree, shoves his hands into his pockets and kicks at the ground. "Mom says if I'm not home in fifteen minutes I won't be allowed out here anymore. I... kinda left my chores..." he shrugs, grins.

You nod.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he calls, heading for the dock, your gift bouncing on his hip.

You sigh and head out to the beach as well, thinking you'll just sit for a little while before going home yourself.

You're standing there, just watching the quiet waves, and you don't hear her come up behind you.

"There's always tomorrow," she says. You look around at her, not daring believe... She smiles, and you know she knows. How could she not? She was the one who saw through your disguise. How could she miss this?

"Kairi..." You expect her to start crying. Not loud uncontrollable sobs, but don't-worry-I-understand ones. So you nearly choke on your own spit at what she does say, perfectly calm, "I'm surprised you didn't pin him to the tree and start molesting him."

"You were watching?"

She shrugs.

"No. But I knew you two were over there." She grins. You start to think she perhaps spent too much time around Selphie while you were gone. You even open your mouth to comment on it, but instead, "There's always tomorrow."

- The Writer