assemblé

by spacebeyonce

Years after Sora, Kairi and Riku connect with each other again, the trio make moves in their new life together, and settle into all the new ways they fit together. or - a slice of life oneshot where they buy a house and then some. sequel to emboîté

hello. me again. hitting the pause button on my botw fic to put this baby out.

I've had it on the back burner for a minute. I had written this BEFORE I got started on emboite, but it wasn't clicking right. so I wrote emboite to figure out how they actually got together and stuff in this au. after that things came pretty easily.

the whole reason I wrote this was because a while ago I was going through the sorikai tag on tumblr and saw a post detailing a drawing in the secret place of the three of them owning a house. I then proceeded to black out and write the first quarter of this fic before putting it on hold. but now here we are! so yeah - I'll just leave y'all to it!

assemblé: a classical ballet term; 'joined together'

---

Riku was the one that found the listing.

He had nothing better to do, trailing after Kairi to the academy even though he was supposed to be resting his ankle, sprained during rehearsals after a fouetté gone sour. But he didn't want to be stuck in their apartment alone, bored out of his mind, so to the studio he went, brushing off Kairi's stink eye when her heavy suggestions to stay home did nothing.

So - there he was, leaning against the mirrors in one of the smaller practice rooms, ankle propped up by their folded jackets as Kairi began to warm up, bending and stretching, and he flipped through his phone to try and ignore the longing to be there next to her, warming up for practice. He was swiping through his notifications to clear them out when he saw it – an email from Traverse Realtors, notifying him of a new listing for a house.

Curious, he opened it – and he paused.

Considered it.

"…Hey, Kairi," he finally called out, not looking away from his phone.

"Hm?" Kairi peeked at him from the corner of her eye, legs in a perfect split, occupied with tying up her hair.

"Could you come here? I need to show you this."

Kairi sighed with only a little exasperation, but rose to her feet, quickly moving to his side. "What is it? Did Sora send something?"

"No – an email from Traverse. But I think – I think you'll like this one."

He held out the phone to her, showing her, and Kairi's lips parted a little as she looked over the listing, considering. "…It's in our price range," she finally said, still lost in thought, and Riku hummed in agreement. "It's back home. Do you mind that?"

"No, that's – that's fine. We haven't been back home in a long time."

"I think Sora will like it." Kairi gave him his phone and returned to the barre as she spoke, lifting her leg onto it and leaning into another stretch. "Will you let him know?"

"I'll send it to him." Riku promised, "should I contact the realtor to check it out?"

Kairi was silent as she thought about it, switching legs on the barre to continue her stretching. "I think so," she finally said, "but just to let them know we're interested – we'll pick a date after we talk to Sora about it."

"Can do," Riku said, his fingers already flying across his phone screen. "I'll send the information to him now; he probably won't see it until he's done with work tonight anyway."

"Right, he's out by the opera house, isn't he?"

"Taking pictures for the orchestra," Riku confirmed, placing his phone by his side just as Kairi finished her stretches.

"Yeah, then we definitely won't hear anything until later tonight, probably. Ah, well." Kairi sighed, "make sure you don't forget, okay?"

"I won't." Riku hesitated for a moment, his thumb lightly hovering over the listing, "…do you think he'll like it?"

Kairi looked up, saw the unsure light in Riku's eyes, and huffed out a little smile. Light on her feet, she made her way over to Riku and crouched close to him, lips still curled at the corners. "I think so," she assured him, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind his ear, "we've been talking about moving for a while. And…this feels right, don't you think?"

Riku bit his lip, thinking about it. "…Yeah," he finally answered, "yeah. This really does feel like the right thing. Besides –"

He looked down at his sprained ankle, smiling ruefully against the dull, throbbing ache, "we can't do this forever, can we? This is probably a message that it really is time to retire."

His heart ached at the admission, and the pain of it must have shown on his face, because Kairi frowned, cupping his cheek in her hand and brushing a soft thumb across the skin. Riku couldn't help but easily give in and turn his face into the gentle touch. "We're not going to stop dancing forever," she promised, "we're just…stepping back from the main stage. That's all."

"I know," he reassured her, because he did know – that didn't stop this from being so hard. Sighing quietly, Riku pressed a soft kiss onto Kairi's palm in an apology. "I keep interrupting your warm-up, I'm sorry. Go ahead and practice, don't worry about me."

"You're sure?" She checked in one last time, and he smiled.

"I am. We're burning daylight, c'mon – showtime's in a few weeks."

"It's not that close," Kairi chided him, but she returned to the floor despite her protest. "Could you turn the music on for me?" She asked as she moved into a starting position, "I want to work on that solo for a little while."

"I got it," he said, opening the show's playlist on his phone and sending the email away – tucking it out of sight for a later time.

Sora had gotten home by the time they decided to leave the studio and was waiting for them when they entered their apartment, placing his laptop aside and rising to his feet to greet them. "Welcome home!" he said brightly, giving them a kiss in greeting, and despite how many years it's been since they got together, it still makes Riku feel giddy every time. "I reheated some leftovers since I'm sure you two haven't eaten much. How was practice? And Riku, did you rest your ankle? I remember telling you to take it easy before I went to work."

Kairi moved past them into the kitchen as Riku rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around Sora's waist and tucking his hands into his back pockets. "Yes, mom," he stressed, and Sora's expression became so full of disgust that he snorted with laughter. "Sorry, sorry, that was mean." It was easy to give his rear a squeeze, with his hands in his pockets, and Riku was never one to let such a good opportunity slip by – plus, it was so funny to watch Sora get so embarrassed, even though they've done much worse.

"Quit teasing!" he said, giving Riku's ear a flick, "you already know we're not doing anything until your ankle's better. Now, come on, before Kairi eats all the food."

"She did more work than I did today, so it's only fair," Riku pointed out, but he let Sora go and followed him into the kitchen, where Kairi was already sitting at the table, plate loaded with food.

"Took you long enough!" Kairi said around her fork, "I was starting to think that I was going to be eating dinner all by myself."

"Of course not," Sora reassured her, "Riku, go sit down and take some weight off your ankle."

"It's fine, I can make my plate really fast –"

"Just sit down!" Sora hip checked him away from the stove, and Kairi snickered at him as Riku limped over to the table and slumped into his seat, scowling.

"You didn't have to do that," he groused as Sora placed two full plates onto the table, taking a seat at his usual spot between them, "I could've done it, you didn't have to go to all the trouble –"

"Riku, I wanted to." He reached out to cup his chin, turning him to look right into his serious blue eyes. "It's not a big deal – I just want you to rest as much as you can, so your ankle heals. I know you miss dancing, so this is for your own good, okay?"

Once Riku nodded, he let him go, starting to eat, "cool – now, are we gonna talk about the house you two found?"

Kairi lit up at the reminder, "yes! Did you see the email Riku sent you of the house? Did you look at it?"

"Ahaha, well…" Sheepish, Sora scratched at his cheek, and Riku narrowed his eyes as he avoided looking at either of them, gaze drifting down to the table. "You see –"

"You didn't look at the listing." Riku stated, pointing an accusing fork at him, "see, I knew you wouldn't – Kairi, didn't I say he wouldn't?" Kairi gasped at Sora in faux betrayal.

"Sora!"

"I was busy!" He cried out, throwing his hands up, "I got so caught up with the orchestra that it just slipped my mind –"

"You were home before us, though! You couldn't have looked then?"

"I just figured that since you two were coming home we could just look at it together!"

"Sora," Kairi sighed loudly, "you're so cute. Riku and I already looked at it! Where's your phone, we can just look at it now –"

"Kairi, you made the rule about having no phones at the table!" Sora said, "can't it just wait until after we eat?"

"I just want to get our plans together now." Kairi sighed, placing her chin in her hand, "we've been looking at houses for ages – I feel really good about this one!"

"Seven months isn't that long," Riku said.

"You really think this one's gonna be the one?" Sora asked, and Kairi nodded, resolute.

"Yes! Even Riku feels good about this one, and you know how picky he's been through all this."

Riku felt heat spread across his face as they turned to look at him with amused smiles, and he shoved a forkful of food into his mouth to not have to say anything for a while. "…it is a really nice house," he finally admitted, "it's back home, too."

"Oh?"

Sora's tone had lightened at that tidbit of information; Riku's heart squeezed in his chest when he looked up and saw how much Sora's eyes had brightened up.

"Yeah," Kairi said softly, "which kinda made us a little more confident in our judgement."

"Well…" Sora said, "I'm looking forward to seeing the listing, then – after we eat dinner." He made a face when Kairi pouted furiously, "you thought you could get me, but you made the rule! You made it!"

"Which means that I should be able to break it, doesn't it? C'mon, Sora!"

"We're almost done eating, Kairi, you can wait a minute."

Riku laughed quietly as they bickered through most of dinner, the light argument eventually tapering off into conversations about how their days went. Soon their plates were cleared, and Sora and Kairi quickly cleared up their mess after pushing Riku to the living room, making sure he was sitting on the couch and elevating his ankle before returning to the kitchen.

After that, the three of them were cuddled on the couch, and Riku and Kairi waited with bated breath as Sora opened his phone, watching his eyes widen a little as he finally looked over the house listing.

"…it's in our price range," he finally said, and Kairi threw up her hands. "That's what I said!"

"Three bedrooms?" Sora asked, looking over at Riku, and he nodded. "And two and a half bathrooms," he confirmed, "good for when we have guests."

"And it's about an hour away from the city, give or take – not as close as our old home, but still pretty close." Kairi added.

"I already reached out to the realtor," Riku promised, "so whenever they come back to us, we can set up a day to visit, if you want – do you want to? Do you like it?"

Sora bit at his lip, thumb quickly swiping through the gallery of pictures for the house, the glow of his phone reflecting in his eyes.

"Yeah," he answered, soft, "I do. I really like it."

Riku's breath left him in a relieved gust, and Sora laughed as he curled into his side, pressing his face into his shoulder.

"I knew you'd like it," Kairi said triumphantly as she leaned into Sora, the three of them slumped against each other. "Now all we need to do is pick a date to go look at it! So we can be prepared whenever the realtor gets back to us. When should we go?"

Humming quietly, Sora tapped at his chin in thought. "I guess…maybe sometime next week? So Riku's ankle will be healed –" he gave him a nudge with his elbow, "– and he can walk around no problem."

"We don't have to wait that long," Riku protested, "it's not that bad a sprain – I should be fine in a few days!"

"I just want to be sure!"

"So, around Monday then?" Kairi asked, and Riku smothered the urge to smack his forehead at their overprotective behavior. "Monday should be fine," Sora confirmed, bumping Riku's shoulder with his cheek, "Riku, make sure you tell the realtor Monday when they get back to you."

"Yes, dear," he sighed, and ow, okay – a nudge to the ribs, fine, but did he deserve a sharp nip on his shoulder?

"That was rude," he complained as Sora kissed his shoulder, soothing the slight sting.

"It's what you get for making fun," he simply said. "Can we get ready for bed now? I dunno about you, but I'm really tired. Today was so long."

"Mmm, yes," Kairi piped in, "I just want to shower and sleep. We've done everything we were supposed to; all we gotta do is wait for the realtor to get back to us."

"Sleep sounds pretty good," Riku admitted, a little self-deprecation slipping into his voice, "even though I didn't really do anything today."

"Riku." Kairi said in disapproval. "You can be tired because you're busy dealing with a healing ankle. Don't be hard on yourself."

"Yeah! With us keeping you resting, you'll be fine enough to go back to doing crazy stunts during rehearsals in no time!" Sora said brightly, wiggling out of their embrace and rising from the couch. He raised his arms overhead in a huge stretch, "I'm going to shower," he announced, heading down the hall towards their room.

"Can I shower with you?" Kairi called after him, and he snorted loudly. "If you showered with me, we'd never get clean."

"Maybe it'll be different this time!"

Sora laughed in disbelief, the light from their room filling the hallway, and soon Riku could hear the heavy rush of water.

"You were right," he sighed as Kairi moved into the empty space Sora left, curling into Riku's side, "he liked it. I'm glad."

"I already knew he would," Kairi said, "but it's still a relief to be right."

Quiet, just for a moment, until Kairi yawned hugely into his shoulder, rubbing her cheek against his shirt. "I'm ready to go to bed," she mumbled, "Rikuuuuu, my feet hurt so much. I'm getting old."

Riku snorted, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Kai, you're like, thirty."

"Okay? Mister thirty-one?"

"You're trying to be rude, but it won't work. Plus, you just proved my point, really – I don't feel old, so I don't know what's up with you."

Grumbling, Kairi gave Riku a shove and hopped off the couch, rising to her full height as she placed her hands on her hips. "I," she said haughtily, "am going to go shower."

"Isn't Sora still using it?" He called out to her retreating back, but Kairi pretended to ignore him, stubbornly moving forward and disappearing down the hall to their room. "Soraaaaa," he heard Kairi call out, voice set in the 'I'm telling' tone. "Riku's being mean to meeeee. Can I shower with you?"

Breathing out a quiet laugh, Riku heaved himself onto his feet and shuffled after Kairi into their room. He could hear the muffled hum of the shower and saw that Kairi was nowhere to be found, so he rightly assumed that she got her wish and was showering with Sora. Letting out a great sigh, Riku flopped face first onto their bed and immediately regretted the decision, already feeling the tempting pull of sleep.

He didn't know if he was up for his usual bedtime shower, but the least he could do was brush his teeth and wash his face. And maybe change into some pajamas.

Get up, he urged himself. Just get it over with, you can do it.

Grumbling to himself, Riku rose to his feet once more, leaving the siren call of the bed behind as he shrugged out of his clothes and changed into pajamas. Combing his hair out with his fingers, Riku silently took in the length and how it was starting to reach past the small of his back. "I should get a haircut," he absently noted to himself, moving towards the closed bathroom door. "I'm coming in," he called out as he opened the door, just so he wouldn't startle Sora and Kairi, and he slipped over to the sink to take care of his last two tasks keeping him from bed.

He could hear the murmur of their voices mingled with the hiss of the shower, but Riku didn't pay it too much mind, quickly washing his face and brushing his teeth, exiting the bathroom as soon as that was done.

Making a beeline back to their bed, Riku cut the lights and made sure to at least leave a lamp on by the bed so Sora and Kairi could see where they were going after their shower, curling up beneath the blankets at the center of the bed.

Slowly, his mind began to drift to the email the received today – to the house. He felt a shiver of nervous excitement at the possibility that this house could be the one. That all this searching would finally be over. All the packing and moving would be a pain in the ass, but it would be worth it in the end – at the end of all this is the home they'll make together.

Riku tried his best to stay awake until Kairi and Sora slipped into bed with him, but, well…he was really tired; maybe Kairi had a point when she said that healing takes a lot of energy. So by the time Sora and Kairi got into bed, warm and soft and smelling like soap, Riku was fast asleep.

That night, he dreamed about the three of them sitting on the beach, leaning against each other as they watched the waves push back and forth.

-o-

The realtor got back to them by Saturday, and on Monday, they were up at what Kairi felt was an unholy hour to go look at the house.

The first thought Kairi had when she saw it was that the house was so blue. The color was almost the exact shade of Sora's eyes, or the skies of Destiny Islands on a particularly good day. Blue, with white shutters and a matching screened wrap-around porch. The stairs creaked in the most charming way as the three of them were led into the house, and Kairi looked around the porch before following everyone inside, taking in the white porch swing off to the side. She could easily imagine spending days in that swing, napping or reading a book – a good sign.

Kairi decided to break off from the group as they walked through the first floor, and she could hear Riku and Sora's voices drifting from somewhere further in the house, asking questions as she moved upstairs. The walls and baseboards were made from a light wood and contrasted well with the white walls of the hallway – freshly painted, Kairi noticed. The previous owners probably painted the walls before they left, to make the house into more of a blank canvas. Something they could make more of their own.

I wonder, she thought to herself, what colors Sora and Riku would want to paint the walls.

It would be something warm, of course, that would go well with the floors – she can almost see it. Almost.

She turned into the first room at the top of the stairs – the possible guest room or office – and slowly spun in place, looking around the small room. It didn't feel like it was at a size comfortable enough to be a guest room, so maybe it will be an office – Sora would be happy about that, she figured. Inspection finished, Kairi moved through the rest of the second floor, peeking in on the main bathroom before walking into what she guessed would be the main bedroom.

It was rather large – perfect for their big bed, in her opinion – and Kairi could see the beach in the distance, the windows facing the back of the house.

She pushed away from the window, staring at the large, empty room and just – imagined it. Their bed, filling up the room, a fresh coat of paint on the walls; their nightstands and lamps and dressers, taking up the space. Kairi thought about it and she felt…good. She felt warm, at the thought of them making a home here.

I should probably check out downstairs before I make a decision like that. Kairi thought to herself, wiping her hands on her shirt and giving the room one last glace before leaving it behind, going downstairs to meet back up with Sora and Riku.

When she moved down the short hall towards the living room and kitchen, Sora was standing in the living room, hands tucked in his back pockets as he took in the space, and she could hear Riku's voice in the kitchen, talking the realtor about something. Light on her feet, Kairi moved to the back door and slipped outside, breathing in the scent of ocean, thick in the air.

There was a screened porch in the back, as well, and this is probably what would sell Kairi on the house – the ocean, just a mere few feet away. She kicked her shoes off and left them on the porch, wood creaking beneath her feet as she walked down the steps and onto the sand, making a beeline towards the shore.

The water was delightfully chilly as it lapped around her ankles, pulling back and forth from the shore. The sunlight across the water made the horizon glitter like diamonds, and Kairi felt like she could stand here for hours, just staring. Already she felt more settled here, a rhythmic calm seeping into her bones; it felt good to be back home, after so many years away from it. She's done her time, she thinks – she's seen different places. Explored the world.

Maybe it was time to come back home.

She didn't hear the footsteps as he kicked off his shoes and joined her in the water, but she was pulled out of her thoughts as warm arms slipped around her waist, and Kairi hummed a little as she leaned back into Sora's chest, nudging her temple against his cheek. She knew it was him just by the feeling, and she placed her hands over his, keeping her eyes on the sea.

"Riku still asking questions?" She asked, and Sora huffed a laugh into her ear.

"Of course! You know how Riku is – always so thorough. I think he likes it, though; he didn't ask this many questions at the other places!"

"Mm. And what about you? Is the house meeting your expectations?"

Sora went quiet, and the two of them watched the tide pull back and forth, filling the air with its hushed, rhythmic hum.

"Yeah." He finally answered, and his voice was so soft. "I really like it. What about you, Kairi?"

He sounded so hopeful, and she giggled quietly, giving his hands a squeeze. "I'm already thinking about what colors we should choose to paint the walls."

"You are?"

He sounded so happy – how could she resist the urge to turn around in his arms to cup his face in her hands? Kairi brushed her thumbs across his cheeks, staring deep into his eyes. Sora has grown so much, while they were apart – when did that happen? It made part of her so mad, that she missed out on it – that they had to figure each other out again.

It doesn't matter, now; she'll make sure to be around for the rest of it.

"Sora." She said softly. "I really want to buy this house."

His eyes sparkled a little, and he couldn't stop grinning even when she pulled his face to hers. At their feet, the ocean continued to gently push them back and forth, humming quietly.

-o-

They got the idea to move back to Destiny Islands because of Riku's mother.

Specifically, because of a phone call a little over a year ago, about how she was planning on retiring from teaching at the local dance studio.

"I'm getting old," she had laughed over the phone to Riku, "and I want to finally step back and put my feet up."

She had been teaching at the dance studio for as long as Riku could remember – she was the reason that Riku had wanted to dance at all, watching recitals from when she was in her prime, eyes wide with wonder at how she moved across the stage. He had wanted to move just like her – just as beautiful, just as graceful. And he was so happy, to be able to follow in her footsteps. To hear her talk about retiring…it was bizarre.

"I need some newer blood in that studio, anyway." She sighed. "Someone fresh, to teach the kids."

And it felt like a sign.

It had given him ideas – ideas that he took to his partners as soon as he was able.

"Kairi," he mumbled into her shoulder one evening while they were cuddling on the couch, the television playing quietly in the background while they wait for Sora to come home. "I've been thinking about something."

"Oh?" She combed her fingers through his hair, and he hummed with pleasure at the sensation, the sound rumbling deep in his chest as he buried his face into her shoulder. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"I talked to my ma, a couple days ago –"

"Auntie Minato?"

"Yeah. And she told me – she told me she's finally retiring from teaching at the studio back home."

"Really?!" Kairi exclaimed, surprised. "About time! I feel like she's been there forever – she was the one that taught us!"

"I know. And it – you know. It got me thinking."

He felt Kairi's fingers pause in combing his hair, and for some reason he felt oddly embarrassed, hiding his face in her shoulder.

"Riku." She gently tugged at a strand of his hair, winding it around her finger. "Tell me."

"Well…" He drew it out, drumming his fingers against her sides. "You know how we're getting older –"

"Really?" Kairi cut him off, her voice dry. "I never would've guessed. I thought my knees were just acting up for fun."

"Don't be rude. Anyway, I was thinking, that, you know – since ma is retiring…there's gonna be some openings at the studio. So –"

"Oh."

Kairi's voice had lightened with clarity, and Riku found the will to pull his face away from her shoulder and glance up at her to find her smiling.

"Riku." She sounded delighted. "Are you saying you're thinking about moving back home?"

"I – yeah. Yeah, I am."

He felt a little better, now that the idea was out in the open, and Kairi's reaction helped him relax even further. Her eyes were bright at the idea, a broad smile curling her face. "We haven't been home in such a long time." She mused, gently tugging again at the loop of Riku's hair she had curled around her finger. "Sora taking us back home for visits reminded me just how much I missed it."

She tilted her head, a lock of her red hair falling over her cheek. "We've been gone for so long, haven't we?"

"…Yeah."

"But we've seen things. We've done everything we wanted."

Kairi was right; they've seen so much. They've reached the top, achieved every dream they had strived for – even the ones that had seemed so out of their reach.

"I think it would be nice," he says, "going back home."

"I think so, too. And Sora will be happy."

Sora.

Riku hesitated, then. "Really? That may be true, but…Sora has his own life, here. He's really established himself, you know? Would he really pick up everything and move back home with us?"

He has to think about this now – they have another person in their lives to consider; it wouldn't be as simple as packing up and going, like it was when it was just him and Kairi. Sora has made a life away from them; he has a good job that he's happy with, that he's been working at for a long time – it wouldn't be fair to make him leave it all behind. Would it?

"Don't overthink it." Kairi chided him, tugging his hair. "I already know you are. We just have to talk to him."

"I know, but –"

"We'll talk to him." She repeated. "That's what people in relationships do. Talk about big things. Haven't we talked about big things? So we can figure them out together?"

"Yeah…"

"So that's what we'll do." Kairi says decisively. "We'll wait 'till Sora gets home. And then we'll love up on him and kiss him a little. And then we'll talk about it. Easy as that."

Kairi always knows how to make things sound so easy – like it's as simple as going from one step to the next. And maybe it is just that easy, but it's not like Riku can just make himself stop worrying.

He loves Sora so much. He doesn't want to do anything to make him unhappy – not when they just got him.

"Riku."

"Okay, okay." He sighs. "No overthinking. We'll talk to him."

Kairi smiles at him and rewards him with a kiss. And when Sora comes home to them, they do exactly what Kairi predicted. They greet him when he walks through the door, letting him put his bag down and change into something more comfortable. And when he returned to them Kairi got to him first, wrapping her arms around him while Riku cupped his face in his hands and pulled him into a kiss, Kairi pulling the three of them down to the couch.

Once Sora was sufficiently loved up on, they told him about it – about everything. About the call with Riku's mother, and her deciding to retire, and the ideas and hopes and dreams that planted in Riku's head.

Talking about it was easier than expected; Sora was hesitant, but not for the reasons that Riku expected.

"I just didn't think you two would ever want to go back home for real." He explained, settling into the mess of arms and legs they had become on the couch. "I've thought about going back home and settling there someday, but…I guess someday is coming sooner than I thought."

"Is that bad?" Riku couldn't help but ask, couldn't help but worry. "I know you have…a job, here. A whole life. If you don't –"

"Riku." Sora chided. "I can find a job anywhere. You're part of my life, now. You and Kairi. If it's time then it's time. Don't worry about it so much! We'll figure it out as we go."

"Yeah, it's not like we're just gonna pack up and leave immediately." Kairi pipes in. "You know this is gonna take a while."

"I know, I just –"

Riku reaches out, brushes Sora's cheek with the tips of his fingers. "You're really sure?" He asked. "You really want to?"

Sora grinned, dazzling. "I'd love to make a home with you two."

Kairi cooed loudly at his words, and how could Riku not kiss him, after that?

-o-

So –

They buy the house.

After the walk through the house, they put an offer on it as soon as they could. And after a month of negotiations and signing a lot of papers, the keys were put into their hands.

The moved into the house in the beginning of summer.

Even though they had so much time to prepare, sorting their separate affairs to leave Radiant Garden behind, it was still – really hard. After talking to Riku and Kairi, Sora's friends from Heart to Hearth threw him a surprise going away party in their apartment, a month before their moving date, and when they guided Sora through the doorway and he saw the decorations and cake, he immediately burst into tears.

He had clung to Roxas for half the night, and even though Roxas tried to laugh it off, he wasn't letting go of Sora, either.

"What am I going to do with my better half so far away?" Sora asked mournfully, leaning his head against Roxas' shoulder, and he scoffed.

"You'll call me, that's what. And Destiny Islands isn't so far away – I'll visit you. I'll bring Xion and Naminè, too."

"You promise? And Xion and Naminè? You spoil me."

And then they looked at each other so sadly that it really sunk in then for Kairi, that they hadn't really been apart for long since college.

"I'm really gonna miss you." He sniffed, turning to everyone. "All of you – I'm gonna miss you so much."

"Aw, Sora, you aren't going far away." Ventus said as Xion wormed her way into the hug he had going with Roxas. "We'll all come and see you soon."

It had started to cement the feeling for Kairi, watching Sora flit between his friends and coworkers to hug them tight, that this was really happening – that they were really about to make this big change.

It became real to her when she and Riku performed at their last show – their final dance.

She knew that this day was always coming, but she didn't really know what to do with herself, now that it was here. This had made up so much of her life – hours of practice and rehearsals, the ache of hours of hard work and the jittery excitement that always came before shows. The feeling of flying as she danced across the stage.

What would she do with herself now that it would be gone?

"Hey."

Riku's hands on her bare shoulders pulled her out of the maelstrom her thoughts had become, and she let out a shaky sigh as he pulled her close in the shadows behind the curtains, pressing a light kiss to her shoulder. None of their peers paid them any mind – they were always like this, before shows.

And they all knew that this one had a little more weight than others, with this dance being their last.

"I'm just nervous." Kairi said, answering Riku's silent question. "I – it's sinking in now. That this is really happening."

She pressed a little closer to him, trying not to mess up her hair or outfit. "I just…don't know what I'm going to do, without all this."

When she was a girl, Kairi always struggled a little with change; deciding to leave Destiny Islands to pursue her dream was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. Losing Sora to the years was even harder. It seems that even at thirty, losing another one of the biggest constants of her life can still shake her up.

"Kairi."

She tilted her head to let Riku know she was listening.

"Do you remember what you said to me, when we were talking about looking at the house? About retiring?"

She did. She did remember, and she nodded shortly, pressing her lips together.

"It's not forever." He reminded her. "We're just stepping back from the main stage. Remember that, okay? We'll always keep dancing."

"I know." Kairi whispered over the tuning of instruments. "But I'm still nervous anyway. And I – I'm going to miss this. All of this. Even the hard parts."

She would miss the studio, and her mentors – her friends. It wasn't goodbye forever, she knew that – but it was still hard to leave them behind.

"Me too."

She could tell Riku was smiling as he squeezed her shoulders. "Sora's out there." He told her. "So let's dance our best for him. Okay? One last time."

Sora. He's always been there for every show, since they got together – he hasn't missed a single performance. Kairi let out a slow, shaky breath, and she nodded sharply, Riku squeezing her arms once more before falling away. "Okay. One last time."

She made sure to brand every second of the show into her memory – to let the feeling sink into her skin and really relish it, because this would be the last time. After this, she would be the one guiding hopeful dancers to the top. But for now, she enjoyed this, the final excited hum in her blood, the nervous energy as her body moved in time with everyone around her, the high ring of the applause in her ears once the show was done.

Kairi and Riku were brought out together for curtain call, with this being their last show, and in the wings backstage Sora surprised them before they were pulled back to the crowd. His eyes were bright and shining with pride, and his arms overflowed with flowers – bouquets made for the two of them.

"You two were beautiful." He said warmly, "I'm so proud of you." And Kairi burst into tears as he placed the flowers in her arms.

"Kairi, don't cry!" Sora laughed, placing flowers in an equally weepy-looking Riku's arms. "You have to go on stage now. Quick, come here –"

He wiped their tears away, pulled them close one at a time to press rapid kisses to their lips.

"I love you." He told them, and it made Kairi feel bright as a star every time. "So much. I'm so proud of you both."

Kairi couldn't stop crying, but that was okay, because when she stepped onto the stage for her final curtain call, she greeted the audience with a wide smile.

And now they were here.

Moving day.

In the weeks before, when they weren't busy with work, the three of them would take the time to travel to Destiny Islands to prep the house – mostly cleaning and painting, before all the furniture had to be in place. The hallway on the second floor was painted now, a warm, peachy color that made Kairi think of sunsets, and she had agonized for hours over the color before it dried. They painted the main bedroom and the kitchen as well and decided to leave the living room as it is – they'd hang up pictures instead. It took a lot of time, but it was worth it; it made the house feel more like theirs.

It also gave them less to worry about once moving day came around.

Kairi had forgotten just how much she hated moving; they had hired a moving company, which was nice for the big stuff, but moving boxes around and unpacking things was still such a pain in the ass. Even more so as the afternoon crawled on, and the temperature outside only got hotter.

She had to take a break for a while, flopping back onto the couch and covering her eyes with her arm, letting out a giant sigh. Over in the kitchen, she could hear the loud rip of tape being pulled away from cardboard, knowing that Riku was busy getting started on unpacking all their dishes. The house was filled with a ridiculous amount of clutter, boxes stacked on every available surface and making everything feel claustrophobic. It would take a week at most to unpack everything, and Kairi wanted to groan at the amount of work ahead of them.

"Kairiiiii…"

Sora's voice reached her in a whine, and that was the only warning she got before he slumped onto her on the couch, resting between her legs as he rested his chin on her sternum.

"Moving is so hard." He complained. "I forgot how much work it is. I'm exhausted."

He was warm and sweaty from all the movement, and he smelled like the banana sunscreen that he liked to use and cardboard. Strangely, this made Kairi want to eat him. She combed her fingers through his hair instead, smiling a little as he groaned at the way she scratched at his scalp.

"I'm tired, too." Kairi agreed. "But hey – we've got a big, strong man to help us move all these boxes."

That made Sora practically pout at her, big blue eyes shining with faux hurt. "Only one big, strong man?" He asked her, and Kairi could see the corners of his mouth twitch as he fought back a smile.

"Well…" Kairi drew it out, pretending to think about it. "I guess you're right. I have a big, strong man – and Riku."

"Oi!"

"Sora, you know Riku is on his own level. He can lift both of us. At the same time."

A ruddy flush crawled up Sora's neck, and he grumbled a little as he buried his face in her chest. "I guess you have a point."

"Uh, yeah, I do - I'm rarely wrong."

Sora grunted, but fell silent after that, letting Kairi continue to comb her fingers through his hair. She was really sleepy; they'd been up since the crack of dawn, moving boxes and unpacking. She felt like she could fall asleep right now, with Sora's warm weight pressing her into the couch.

And she almost dozed off before Sora spoke up, his fingers dancing across the base of her spine. "Hey, Kairi."

"Hm?"

"You wanna fool around while Riku is busy unpacking?"

Kairi cracked open an eye to stare him down, and Sora grinned at her, unrepentant. "Really."

"Yup!" He chirped. "You know that when Riku finds us lazing about we're gonna get scolded, so we might as well go for broke."

"You just want to break in the couch in our new house." She accused him, and he didn't even deny it. He smiled at her like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, and Kairi snorted, rolling her eyes. She could play hard to get, but – Kairi was hot. And tired. And frankly, making out on the couch did sound like a fantastic idea.

"You're right – we might as well have some fun, since we're working so hard."

Kairi grabbed Sora's hands and shoved them up her shirt like she knew he wanted to, with how his fingers kept dipping beneath the hem of her shirt and glancing against her skin. "Better make it count." She said, and he looked delighted as she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him close.

Riku absolutely scolded them once they were caught, but it was worth the little bit of stolen time she had off her feet.

And she finally got to give into that silly impulse and sink her teeth into Sora the way she'd been itching to, so it was a successful break in her eyes.

-o-

Riku still wasn't used to the sounds of the house settling.

It's been a few weeks, since they moved in and unpacked everything; they would be having an official housewarming party that weekend, inviting friends and family and gathering on the beach in the backyard. He knew he needed the sleep; they had to straighten up the house and go shopping to get things together for the party.

But here he was, listening to the house sigh around him as the evening settled over them.

He turned his face into his pillow and groaned softly, feeling so tired. He felt Kairi pressed against his back, spooning him, arm thrown over his waist, but when he reached out for Sora, he encountered cool sheets instead.

That made Riku crack his eyes open, and he stared at the empty space in their bed with a confused frown. He pushed himself up slightly, propping himself up onto his elbow as he cocked his head, listening. He didn't hear anything in the bathroom, so Sora wasn't in there – so that meant he was somewhere in the house.

Where could he have gone…?

It was odd, for Sora to be up so late; if he wasn't knee deep in work, Sora is able to sleep through literal storms. So for him to be up and wandering through the house…it was concerning. And since Riku couldn't sleep anyway, he might as well get up and look for him.

So he shuffled out of bed with a sigh, pulling the blankets up over Kairi's shoulder before quietly leaving the room and heading for the stairs.

Being in the house was still taking some getting used to; he still couldn't believe that this was theirs, that they were really making a home together. Some days he wakes up and just stares, unable to believe his luck, asking himself how he was able to stumble upon something so good.

Riku peeked in the office first, just to make sure Sora wasn't up doing any late-night projects and relaxed a little when he found the space empty. The stairs creaked a little under his weight as he moved downstairs, and he quickly checked the living room to see if he was sitting on the couch. When his search turned up empty, he kept moving.

He finally found Sora in the kitchen, and the quiet noise of the house settling gave way to the faint sounds of the sea.

Sora had opened the window above the sink and was leaning against the counter, staring out at the beach as the wind gently ruffled at his hair. He looked tired but thoughtful, eyes hooded as he leaned against the countertop.

"Sora?" Riku quietly called for his attention as he entered the kitchen, trying not to startle him. "What are you doing up so late?"

He moved to stand next to him, leaning against the counter as Sora gave him a smile, the moonlight reflected in his eyes.

"I should be asking you that question." He said softly. "I thought you were sleeping."

"Nah." Riku shrugged, turning to look out the window. "I just couldn't sleep. And then I noticed you were gone."

"Ah." Sora sighed lightly. "I couldn't sleep, either."

That was worrying. "How come? Is something bothering you? We can talk about it if you want."

He smiled at Riku, so fond. "It's fine, it's nothing bad. I just –"

He sighed, turning to stare back out the window. "I just can't believe we're here, you know? It's still sinking in, I guess."

"I get it. It's still hard to believe for me, too." Even now, there was a slight sting of doubt, and Riku bit his lip as his eyes darted away, hesitating. "You don't…regret it or anything, right?"

"A bit late to regret it, now!" Sora laughed, and he heard him hop up onto the counter. "Riku, look at me."

Fingers pressed against his cheek, lightly pressing and encouraging Riku to lift his head, looking into Sora's warm eyes.

"Come here." He grabbed at his nightshirt and pulled until he was standing between his legs and smiled when Riku placed his hands on his hips. "Moving away is always a little sad." He said thoughtfully, "but we're moving to something better. And hey –"

Sora tugged at one of the loose strands of Riku's hair. "Do you remember that one place when we were kids? On the play islands? Where Kairi and I would make all those drawings?"

"The secret place? Yeah, of course. I remember."

"We had a drawing there – of the three of us, having a house. Because we thought we'd always be together." A fond smile tugged at Sora's lips. "It took us a little longer than I expected, but we got there eventually."

Riku's heart tumbled in his chest.

"I'll never regret it, Riku. I've wanted this forever. So please, don't doubt anything – I'm just getting used to the house, that's all. Just like you!"

Sora wrapped his arms around his neck and hugged him close, nudging their foreheads together. "We have a lot to do tomorrow," he murmured, eyes slipping closed, "so we should go upstairs and sleep. And Kairi's gonna wake up eventually, with us being gone. You know she's not a fan of sleeping by herself."

"Could've fooled me, with how much she likes to hog the bed."

He cracked a smile as Sora snickered under his breath, and his smile widened even more when he squeaked in surprise as he hooked his arms under his thighs and picked him up off the counter.

"Jeez!" He cried out, arms tightening slightly around his neck. "Warn a guy, will you?"

"And not get you to make that noise again? Never."

"You are so – ah! Wait, wait, the window! Close the window!"

Sora rested his cheek in the curve of Riku's neck as he carried him up the stairs. "You are so strong it's ridiculous." He yawned, and Riku snorted with laughter, heading to their room.

"Thanks, it's from all the lifts."

Kairi was beginning to sit up as he shuffled his way in the room, blinking groggily at them and staring at Sora in his arms.

"Oh, so you went to fool off without me?"

He knew Kairi was just teasing, so Riku leaned into it, pressing a lingering kiss against the curve of Sora's neck. "Serves you right – it's payback for slacking off on the couch when we moved in."

Sputtering, Sora pushed his face away as Kairi laughed, sleepily tumbling back onto the mattress. "Fine, fine…" she drawled, "you got me. That's fair. Now come back to bed – where did you two go, anyway?"

"Couldn't sleep." Sora explained as Riku set him on the bed, making sure he was in the middle this time. "I'm just – getting used to the house."

"Oh."

Kairi's eyes slid over to him, and he shrugged in agreement. "I was up for the same reason." He says. "Sora wasn't in bed, so I went to look for him."

She hummed in understanding, eyes sliding closed. "Well…next time, just wake me up too. Okay? We can stay up together for a little while."

Sora's eyes softened at her words, and he leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek before settling in the bed, pulling up the blankets. "Okay." He murmured. "It's a deal. But for now, we should sleep – especially since we have errands to run tomorrow."

He jerked his chin at Riku, silently urging him to get in bed, and he could do nothing else but follow the instruction. It was easier then, to get into bed, Sora tucking the blankets around them as they settled close to each other. It warmed up pretty quickly, under the blankets, and Riku felt his eyes growing heavy as he began to focus on the breathing of the people next to him instead of the noises around the house.

Riku doesn't really know when he fell asleep – he got there eventually – but the last thing he remembers before drifting off is a hand grabbing his, and lips pressing against his knuckles.

-o-

Once they finally got settled down into the house and threw their housewarming party, what happened next was something that Kairi had been dreading –

Going back to work.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go back to dancing – she loved dancing, couldn't imagine a day where she went without it. No, the only reason she had dreaded it was because she was going into a role that she wasn't sure she would be good at – a teacher.

Riku, she had no doubts that he would be a wonderful teacher, though he didn't believe it when she said so, shaking his head and sputtering in denial – but it was true. She had seen in the studios when they practiced, just how good he was at helping other dancers when they were stuck on something or correcting their forms when they needed it. He could deny it all he wanted, but he was a wonderful teacher; Kairi knew the kids would love him.

Now, her? Not so much.

She's never taught anyone a day in her life; she would feel a lot better being an assistant or something before getting thrown into the deep end, but no – here she was.

They had agonized for hours over schedules and notes and getting an itinerary together, and on her own time Kairi snuck away to talk to Riku's mother and get some advice.

"Were you nervous?" She had asked Minato once she got greetings out of the way, hearing Nanami's footsteps as she walked around in the kitchen. "When you started teaching?"

Minato tilted her head as she thought, dark braids slipping over her shoulder. Kairi always thought that Riku's mother was so beautiful and elegant; she even made sitting curled up on the couch look graceful.

"I was." She answered. "It's normal to be nervous – it's a big change. But I think you can do it."

"Do you think so? I'm so nervous that I'm gonna screw this up somehow."

Minato smiled at her, dak skin creasing around her eyes, and she looked so much like Riku, then. "I remember that you were a very hardworking girl in my classes, Kairi. You always worked to bring your best, so I'm sure that it will happen here as well. Don't stress so much; it will take some time to settle, but you will."

Kairi was going to oversee the beginner classes, while Riku worked with the intermediates, and even though Minato said she was going to do just fine, she didn't feel fine as she looked over her plans again and again.

"You're gonna do fine!" Sora encouraged her, but that didn't stop Kairi from shaking all the way to her first class.

And she would have to give everyone who reassured her credit where it was due; all the days she spent worrying and stressing were for nothing, because…it really did turn out fine. It took her some time to get her footing, but it wasn't the end of the world, and once she got it, Kairi wondered why it took her so long to find it in the first place.

Teaching was, well – it was fun! It wasn't too hard to enjoy it, when the kids helped make it fun as well; they were all so sweet and determined, and they listened relatively well. Kairi tried to keep practice enjoyable, making up little games to help everyone understand turns or ways to stay aligned in positions. She made sure to have breaks in between, too, to let the kids have snacks and ask her any questions they wanted about her time as a professional dancer.

"Did you do any competitions?" A boy with silver hair asked, sea green eyes wide with interest. Ephemer, Kairi reminded herself – that was his name.

"Yes, I did! My partner – you'll probably have classes with him when you get older – and I have a whole case of trophies and ribbons from winning competitions. It was a lot of fun!"

One question always opened the floodgates for more, and Kairi would spend the remainder of the break answering questions while the kids ate their snacks.

By mid-summer, Kairi had completely forgotten her worries, and realized with a start that Riku's birthday was creeping up on them.

"I've been so busy I almost didn't notice!" She says to Sora, her forehead colliding with their kitchen table with a solid 'thunk'. "I'm horrible. We have to do something! We're going to do something, right?"

She looks up at Sora with large eyes, and he huffs a laugh, turning back to the onions he was slicing on the cutting board. "Well, I was planning on making a cake for him." He explained. "The one his dad used to make, remember?"

"Oh." Kairi's heart melted a little at the gesture. "Yeah…I remember. Riku will love that."

"I hope so! But gift-wise, I'm not really sure what to get…"

"Should we just throw a party?"

"Maybe…just a little one? We can invite all our parents…maybe some friends?"

He looked just as stumped as she felt; it wouldn't do to not have at least one gift for Riku. Thirty-two was a big deal! They couldn't just do nothing.

Kairi tried to ask Riku that night, when they were getting ready for bed, and he looked surprised at the reminder of his birthday being so close. "I've been so busy I just kinda forgot." He explained sheepishly, and Kairi puffed out her cheeks.

"Do you want anything?" Sora asked, hoping for some kind of hint that would put them on the right path, but Riku just shrugged.

"I can't really think of anything…I've gotten everything I wanted lately. And then some. I've been – I've been too happy to really want for anything else."

He smiled at them, and it was so irritatingly sweet that Kairi pushed him back onto the bed, crawling over him and tangling her fingers in his stupid, beautiful hair, messing up the braid he put it into for bed while she starred into his stupid, beautiful eyes. He blinked up at her, bemused, and Kairi looked up and shared a quiet look with Sora.

"Unbelievable." She says out loud, and Sora groans in agreement.

"What?"

"We're trying to get a nice gift for you, you big dummy." Sora moves to Kairi's side, the two of them hovering over Riku as he stared up at them, wide-eyed. "And you just go and say cute shit like that? Come on."

"But it's true!"

"I don't know if I want to pinch you or kiss you." Kairi mused. A little smile teased at Riku's lips.

"I wouldn't say no to a kiss."

"Not until you tell us what you want for your birthday!"

"But I can't think of anything!"

"Riku." Sora drew out his name, looking pitiful. "Please? We don't want to get you something that you wouldn't like!"

"Fine." Riku sighed loudly. "Fine, I guess…"

His eyes wandered around as he thought, before widening a little as they landed on his wrist – and the bracelet that Sora had made for him when they got together. A sly look crossed his face, and Kairi's hair stood on end as he smiled radiantly at them.

"Well," he said slowly, pretending to think about it, "I guess I wouldn't mind some jewelry."

"That's all?" Sora asked as Kairi's heartbeat slammed in her ears. "Well – do you want a necklace? Or another bracelet…?"

"Either would be fine. Or maybe even a ring."

Asshole, Kairi thinks to herself, heart racing as Sora carried on, oblivious. Riku, you're such an asshole!

Riku's words hit her right in her weak spots, and it's so unfair because he knows what he's doing. Because of course they had a conversation about this – all three of them had a conversation about this, because of course they made sure to talk and be open about the big conversations in their relationship.

"Okay…I guess I could – hmm…maybe –"

"Isn't it supposed to be a gift? You can't spoil it –"

And now Kairi couldn't even look at Sora as he rambled on, feeling like her head was going to explode as her mind started wandering down a path about rings and –

Riku, the bastard, was laying beneath her looking so smug that Kairi was tempted to pinch his nose shut.

"I'll think about it." She says instead, and then leans down to kiss that stupid look off his dumb, beautiful face.

When Kairi and Sora are lucky enough to have a free day, they go into the city and make a day of it, arms linked together as they window shop. Kairi adjusted her sunglasses as they weaved around bodies on the sidewalk and leaned against Sora's shoulder with a soft sigh, enjoying the feel of the sun on her face.

"Oh – Hey, Kairi! Look, over there!"

He was pointing at something, and when she turned to see what caught his attention, she felt herself flush all over when she saw what he was pointing at.

Destinies Entwined.

A jewelry store.

"We can go birthday shopping for Riku!" Sora was saying, completely unaware of Kairi having a silent meltdown. "My dad recommended this place – it's where he gets gifts for mom – and all the stuff here is pretty good!"

He grinned at her, and in the reflection of his own sunglasses Kairi could see herself, flustered and red all over.

Never in a million years was Kairi able to say no to that smile, and she wasn't about to start now; so she lets Sora lead her by the hand, feeling a little dazed as they walked into the little store, the bell chiming overhead. It was a small, cozy store, surrounded wall to wall with glass cases, and the employee behind the counter greeted them with a bright smile.

Sora made a beeline for the counter while Kairi let him go, deciding to wander around the space on her own. There were so many beautiful pieces – necklaces on thin gold chains and earrings that glittered in the sunlight. Uncle Aouli had good taste, Kairi thought to herself; it would be hard to choose just one thing.

"Oh, are you interested in any of the rings?"

Kairi startled a little, pulled from her musings by the voice of the attendant. When she realized what case she absently moved to, she flushed to her hairline, eyes darting across the case filled with rings.

"We do have matching sets, if you're interested in purchasing a piece for a special someone."

She could pick up on what they were saying. Quickly, her eyes darted to Sora, attention still riveted on the case in front of him, and then back to the attendant.

"Um –" Kairi squeaked, her skin on fire. "I, um – well –"

And suddenly, a small part of her brain said - you know what? Screw it.

"Well…" She said, shyly tracing a finger across the glass. "There might be – um. Two special someones?"

She peeked up at them through her lashes, and she had to give them props for their customer service face, because they didn't even blink. "Do you know their ring sizes?"

"I think so…"

Kairi couldn't believe what she was doing as she scanned the cases, waiting for something to catch her eye. She kept Sora in her peripheral, making sure that he didn't catch on to what she was doing – and then she saw them.

Thick gold bands with carvings and etchings that made them look like they were braided, interspersed with bits of white gold in the center of the band. They were simple, but still eye-catching in their own way, and Kairi liked them very much.

"What about these?" She pointed at the rings, and the attendant brightened up.

"Oh, good choice! There's an option to engrave something in the band as well – would you be interested in that?"

Would she ever. "Yes!"

The transaction went quickly after that; picking a phrase to engrave on the rings, setting up a payment plan, and soon Kairi was walking over to Sora in a daze. He turned to her with a bright smile, a little blue bag dangling from his wrist, and Kairi quickly stuffed her receipt into her shorts pocket before he noticed.

"There you are! I found this bracelet I think Riku would like – the gems in it are the same color as his eyes! I'll show it to you over lunch. Did you get something?"

"I did."

"Well? Where is it? Can I see it?"

"Ah…" Kairi bit her lip to hide a smile. "My gift isn't going to be ready for a while. It might miss Riku's birthday, so…is it okay if we give him the bracelet together?"

"Awww, what? Kairi, we can go to another store and grab something –"

Kairi eventually gave in to Sora's coaxing to find something as a fitting secondary gift for Riku, and her heart trembled with excitement. She wouldn't be able to pick up the rings for a while, but that was fine –

They would work better as anniversary gifts, anyway.

-o-

Sora and Kairi were both staring at him as though he just killed their dog.

"Guys." Riku said as they crowded him, pushing him back into the kitchen counter. "Guests are coming soon. Guys – guys, it's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Sora practically wailed. "Riku!"

"I'm just going to run errands." Kairi said, repeating what he had told them this morning when he kissed them goodbye. "Run errands, sure – that's why you didn't tell us what you were doing!"

They looked up at him with the most devastated expressions on their face, and it took everything in Riku to not burst into laughter, digging his teeth into his lower lip. And he knew they were feeling a type of way because not even that distracted them.

"Guys." He said again, placating. "It's just hair."

"It's not just hair!" Kairi cried out. "Riku! I can't believe you!"

"It's not like I cut it all off!"

Just…most of it. It was back to his shoulders again, the same length he had it when he was seventeen and about to leave the islands. Having hair that long was fun and all, but – things were starting to get out of hand. And he was sick of how long it took to dry.

"Are you two really that upset?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear.

Kairi watched the motion with eyes sharp as a hawk, and sighed loudly just as Sora groaned, shoving his face into his chest. "No," they both sighed, voices echoing as one, and Riku forgot just how weird that was.

"So you're just being dramatic."

"Rude!" Sora cried out, his voice muffled. "We – it was just unexpected!"

"I guess we like it though." Kairi said begrudgingly, and then she smiled brightly at him as Sora finally pulled away, staring at him thoughtfully.

"It is nice," he finally admitted, reaching up to lightly brush Riku's bangs away from his face. "It's just like when we were kids! You still look exactly the same."

"More winkles though, I bet."

"No! Riku, stop, you're not that old –"

"You can't just say things like that." Sora says, aghast. "It's your birthday."

"I know. And here I am, on my birthday, being harassed."

"You're really something." Kairi sniffed at him, finally moving back so he can wiggle away from the counter. "Keep being sassy and you won't get the birthday cake Sora worked hard to make for you."

"Huh?" Sora snickered at him as he perked up. "Cake? For me? Is that what I was smelling yesterday?"

"Maybe…" Kairi drawled, coy, and Riku opened his mouth, frowning –

Only to be interrupted by the doorbell.

"Oop! That's probably our folks. I'll get it!"

Kairi twirled on her heel and skipped off, and Riku was absolutely not pouting as he looked down at Sora. Definitely not. He was a grown man. And Sora just laughed at him, reaching up to cradle his face in his hands.

"Don't pout!" He teased. "You'll get some cake, don't worry."

"I wasn't worrying." Riku mumbled, and he couldn't help but smile as Sora smoothed his thumbs across his cheeks. Heat prickled across his skin as Sora rocked up onto his tip-toes, their noses brushing together. His eyes were so warm, and Riku felt like he could just tumble into them and stay there forever.

"Happy birthday, Riku." He said softly, just before sealing his lips over his. Sora pressed him back into the counter, but he didn't mind too much, parting his lips to give Sora access after he lightly traced his lower lip with his tongue.

"Alright, lovebirds, coming in!"

"Sora! Uncle Riku!"

He didn't know how long they were kissing, but must not have been too long, Riku pulling back as Kairi's voice echoed into the kitchen, Nalani's eager footsteps following soon after.

All in all, Riku spent the day celebrating quietly; the only guests they had at their house were their families, and of course they all came with gifts in tow. Nalani even made a card for him, which earned the prized placement on their fridge, and when Sora and Kairi came out with a cake laden with candles, the first bite of his dad's familiar recipe brought tears to his eyes.

And now he was sitting on the wicker couch they set up on the back porch, leaning against his mother and watching the sun set as the others settled on the beach. Keone and his mom were standing nearby and speaking quietly while Aouli walked with Nalani to the surf. Kairi and Sora were sitting on the sand, leaning against each other and watching the sun sink to the horizon.

The light of the sun caught the gems on his newly gifted bracelet just right, making them shine, and Riku couldn't resist holding his wrist up to marvel at it.

"So gorgeous." His mother said quietly. "Sora has very good taste."

He laughed lightly, shaking his head. "He got advice from Uncle Aouli, so he can't take all the credit. I don't deserve it, really –"

"Riku, you deserve all that and more."

He sheepishly rubbed at his cheek, saying nothing, and his mother just laughed, resting her head against his shoulder with a sigh. Her eyes slid closed, and Riku took the moment to look over his mother's face – at the new lines creasing her skin, and the grey hairs poking through her dark braids. So much time has passed.

"I'm glad you decided to move back home."

Riku snapped himself out of his thoughts and found his mother looking at him. "I know we talked, while you were away. And I know you left to achieve your dream – and I'm so, so proud of you for it. But – I still missed you. You're my baby, of course I did. So to have you back…it's nice."

It felt like the lump in his throat was choking him. Riku sighed shakily, resting his cheek on the top of his mother's head, wrapping an arm around her. "I missed you, too." He spoke. "You and mom. I – I always knew we'd be back eventually. No other place really felt like home."

They sat together in peaceful silence, watching everyone wind down as the day slowly ended. He watched Sora hop to his feet and run to the shore to his father, grabbing Nalani's free hand and helping his father swing her between them. Her laughter echoed across the beach, bright and bubbly, and it made Riku smile.

"I'm glad I got to celebrate my birthday with you." Riku told his mother. "All of you. It's been a really long time."

"I'm happy, too."

He left his mother reclining on the couch, pressing a kiss to her cheek before making a beeline to Kairi. He smiled at his mom as he went, giving a greeting nod to Keone before taking a seat on the sand next to Kairi, letting out a gusty sigh.

"Had a good time?" She asked, immediately closing the small gap between them to cuddle into his side, and Riku hummed, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"The best. It's been good to see everyone."

"I'm glad. And after the housewarming party, having something a little smaller was way more relaxing."

"Yeah." Riku sighed. "We'll save the next big party for Sora's birthday."

"Oh, what, not mine? You know my birthday is before Sora's."

"Well, if you want a big party just say so. I guess big and loud suits you as well."

"Hey!" She laughed, but quickly settled down, a little smile on her lips as she stared out at the ocean. Riku closed his eyes for a second when the wind brushed across his face, and when he opened his eyes again, he was automatically drawn to Sora. He watched him hold Nalani's hand, grinning as he kicked a little water at her and bursting into laughter when she splashed him in return.

Just the sight made Riku feel warm, something soft and fuzzy filling up in his chest. The feeling apparently made his brain disconnect from his mouth, and he found himself speaking before he had a chance to think about it.

"Kairi."

"Mm?"

"Do you still want kids?"

He felt Kairi go still against his side for a second before slowly turning her head to look up at him. Riku felt his face burning, and he couldn't find the courage to look her way.

They had talked about it five years into their relationship – when they were well into their rising careers. This was before Sora – before they even knew they had a chance. Riku knew that Kairi was it for him, and he's still astounded that she thought the same. They talked about it for a long time – what they expected out of the future, what they wanted from each other, just to make sure they were on the same page.

"…Yes." She answered slowly. "Why? Do you wanna start trying now?"

"Huh? No!" His cheeks felt so hot, as he snapped panicked eyes over to her – but he relaxed a little when he saw that she was smiling at him. "No, I just – was asking. Because. We haven't talked to him about it."

He watched Kairi turn her head, comprehension filling her eyes as she watched Sora from a distance.

"You're right." She agreed. "We talked about – um – you know."

She shuffled in place, flustered, and Riku couldn't resist the opportunity to tease.

"What, about getting married?"

He nudged her side, and Kairi went red so quickly it was amazing she didn't get lightheaded. "Don't tease!" She cried out, nudging him back.

"Kairi, we've talked about it for years –"

"I know! But I just – every time I think about it, I get so happy it's embarrassing. But anyway!" She forced them back on track while Riku's heart melted into a puddle. "We will talk to him about it! So don't start worrying!"

"I wasn't gonna worry!"

"Riku, don't lie to me. Besides –"

The flush in Kairi's face had lessened some as she pressed a hot cheek against his arm. "I think…that the conversation will go very well. You know Sora's pretty good with kids."

"Only pretty good?"

"Riku. No teasing." She smiled at him, eyes soft. "He'll be a wonderful at it. And so will you. We'll talk to him and make sure we're all on the same page, and then whenever we're ready for it – then it'll happen. Okay?"

He felt like his heart was lodged in his throat, choking him. "…Okay."

Kairi nodded at him, her smile suddenly becoming something devious. "And until then, we can get lots of practice in."

Riku choked on his own spit and tumbled back into the sand as Kairi burst into laughter, flopping next to him and curling up into his side. Her laughter apparently caught Sora's attention, because a few seconds later he heard him call out over the heartbeat slamming in his ears, "hey, what are you laughing about? Kairi, what's so funny, is Riku okay?"

-o-

"So, how's the homeowner life treating you?"

Roxas rested his cheek in his free hand as he stared at Kairi, taking care not to move too much as she held his other hand. They were sitting on the swing in the front porch, Kairi's legs thrown over his and his hand in her lap as she carefully painted a layer of gold polish on his nails. She had just finished painting her own a soft robin's egg blue when she had seen the gold nail polish and thought how nicely it would go with Roxas' eyes.

After she realized that Roxas didn't hold Sora's heart the way she assumed, Kairi got along with him like a house on fire. She could understand now how he and Sora came to be so close; he was witty, with a nose for mischief that almost matched her own. He was a little calmer in contrast to Sora's constant bright attitude, but there was still an energy in him that came out when he got excited. It was always fun to be around him and talk to him, and Kairi looked forward to his visits almost as much as Sora did.

"Mmm…" She pursed her lips. "It's still a little weird. Like, I go downstairs into the kitchen and see them making breakfast or something and I'm just like – wow! I can't believe it, you know? That we were able to get here."

"That sounds sweet." A little smile teased at Roxas' lips. "It's a little unbelievable. I never really pictured Sora getting a house."

"No?"

"Not really. I thought he'd be in that apartment in Radiant Garden forever." His eyes went a little melancholy, then. "But I guess that's not realistic."

"You really miss him." She guessed, and he sighed, shrugging lightly. He still took care to not jostle Kairi as she painted his nails.

"I'm his better half." He said, like that was all he needed to say for it to make sense – and it was. "I'm happy that Sora has moved on to something better, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop missing having him around."

"Well…" Kairi blew gently on his nails as she thought on her words, and then silently asked for his other hand. "You'll have a lot of reasons to come see us, in the future."

"Really? Like birthdays and stuff?" He smiled. "How domestic of you."

"It's only gonna get more domestic." She warned him. "I've got a pretty good anniversary present up my sleeve and it's probably gonna make them cry."

"Both of them? That's ambitious."

"It's really good!" Kairi stared hard down at Roxas' hand. "At least I think so. It was – kind of an impulsive purchase, I'll admit it. But we've talked about it for years, so it's not gonna come as a surprise."

"Kairi." Roxas sounded amused. "Should I be expecting an invitation in the mail sometime soon?"

"Not soon." She hedged. "Maybe, uh. A year or two. We're still settling. But when we get there, sure."

"Seriously?"

"Why would I lie? We've been together for so long – it's only a matter of time, honestly."

Kairi tapped at his knuckles, thinking about whether she wanted to say the words that were sitting on her tongue. Then she shrugged internally and went for it. "And after that, probably expect a call from Sora for godfather duty."

Roxas looked stunned, and Kairi had to pause in painting his nails to sputter with laughter, folding over her lap at the look on his face.

"You – you think so?"

He seemed genuinely touched, eyes shining, and Kairi's laughter tapered off as she gave his hand a squeeze, resuming painting his nails. "You're Sora's better half." She reminded him. "So yeah – I really, really think so. Stay cool until it actually happens though, okay? You can cry in a couple years."

Roxas fingers twitched in her grip, like he was about to squeeze her hand and then remembered what she was doing. He was lucky he didn't smudge the polish.

"Okay." He whispered. "I'll hold you to it."

Summer was slowly ending, the air becoming less heated as the days pass. The children of the islands started going back to school recently, making her shift her dance class times around to work with the after-school hobby hours. She feels like time is zooming by – soon it will be her birthday. Then, the end of another year.

It's crazy, Kairi thinks to herself, just how good this year has been to her. She's never been so happy – so content with her life. And her boys were content, too; Riku was settling into his classes as well as she was, and a few months into moving into the house, he finally sleeps through the night, and Sora was able to find a job with a studio in the city and had side freelance work besides. They seamlessly wound themselves back into the easier pace of the islands, and Kairi has never been so happy to be back home.

Letting out a little sigh, Kairi placed the nail polish back into its bag with all the others, admiring her handiwork. She was right – the gold really did compliment Roxas well.

"Come on." She hopped off the porch swing, using their joined hands to pull Roxas to his feet. "Let's go in and eat something. I'm no Sora, but I can still cook well enough. And hey, maybe Sora's woken up from his nap!"

The stunned air that hovered over him slowly faded as Kairi pulled him to his feet, and after scooping up her bag of nail polish, he was back to his regular self. He smiled, pulling open the front door and holding it for her so she could step inside.

"I'll help. If he hasn't woken up yet, I'm sure the food will do it."

-o-

Sora wasn't in bed again.

It woke Riku up – the absence, the cool lack of presence in their bed. He sat up, and shivered a little when the blankets slipped away, cool air prickling across his skin. Kairi murmured a little in her sleep, and he reached out to soothe her, making sure she didn't wake. Her eyes still looked a little swollen from crying, and she stayed asleep as he pressed his hand to her cheek. Her fingers curled into the blankets at her chest, and in the dim light of the moon, Riku could see it – the thin, braided gold band on her finger, the pink gems winking slightly.

It pulled his awareness to the new weight on his ring finger, and Riku couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face.

As far as anniversary presents go, this one was pretty incredible.

Their anniversary rolled in with springtime, and they decided to go to Radiant Garden the day before their anniversary to attend the local spring festival. It was just the three of them, this time, and they spent the day walking along the river and enjoying the sight of blooming flowers before visiting the stands, playing the games and buying trinkets to take back home. When the sun was starting to set, they went to Bastion Diner for a quick dinner before getting on the road to head back home, where they promptly dropped all their bags after arriving home in the middle of the night and tumbled into bed.

The next day, they woke up in the afternoon, and Sora made them breakfast in bed. They traded kisses between sips of coffee, and when they had woken up enough, they went to one of the more secluded corners of the beach to swim, a pre-made picnic lunch in tow that was quickly forgotten in favor of getting lost in kissing as they treaded water. It was a perfect lazy day – they had all made sure to take time off, to be able to spend all their time together – and it only got more perfect when Kairi surprised them with gifts.

Riku wasn't expecting the ring – even though he teased her about it in the summer, he was still speechless when she pulled out two velvet boxes, face as red as a tomato. But despite how flustered she appeared, her eyes were serious, and her hand barely shook as she held the boxes out.

"I, um. I know we've been talking about this for a while. A long while. So I figured that – you know. It was past time to do something about it."

She placed the boxes into their hands, and Riku saw Sora stare down at his, blinking rapidly.

"Sora, Riku, I –"

Kairi huffed out a breath. "I love you two so much. I always have. And I always want us to be together, no matter what. We don't have to do anything right away, I just – this is just a promise. For whenever we're ready."

Sora's eyes locked onto his just then, and he couldn't hold back the breathless laugh that burst out of him as his lips curved into a smile.

"Kairi." Sora chided, voice thick. "You beat us to it – you're so mean."

Her eyes narrowed a little in confusion. "Wha –"

Her voice caught in her throat as Sora pulled something out of his pocket, eyes ridiculously wide as he held out his own little velvet box.

"Riku and I went out to run a little errand ages ago." He explained, placing his gifted ring box on the table to grab Kairi's hand. "And we've held onto it just – waiting. For the right time. And you go and beat us to it!"

He opened the ring box, and Kairi's breath caught in her throat.

"We want to be with you, too." Riku says as Sora picks up the ring – a thin, braided gold band, studded with pink jewels. "And whenever you're ready, we're ready – if you'll have us, that is."

"Don't say stupid things." Kairi said, eyes shining, and Sora laughed wetly. "Of course – yes. Of course I do. Of course I will."

She dissolved into tears the moment Sora placed the ring on her finger and could barely see straight as she placed her rings on their hands, too. They took a second to marvel at the fact that it was official, it was happening, before the night melted into a mess of tears and kissing as they properly celebrated their engagement.

And now Sora was gone and Riku was here, awake in the middle of the night.

He remembered the promise he made to Kairi, all those months ago, and placed a hand on her bare shoulder to gently shake her awake. "Kairi," he said softly, and her nose wrinkled as she turned her face into the pillow. "Kairi, wake up."

"Wh'ss'it?" She croaked, prying her eyes open, and Riku brushed his knuckles gently across her cheek.

"Sora's snuck out of bed again." He explained. "And I promised I'd wake you up the next time it happened, remember?"

Her face creased with a frown before clearing up in recall, and she pushed herself up, blankets slipping away and pooling around her waist. "I remember." She said, her voice still hoarse with sleep. "Okay…okay. He's probably downstairs. Let's get dressed."

They stumbled down the stairs together, wiping sleep from their eyes, and embarked on their search for Sora. It didn't last long – Riku quickly spied him on the porch outside, sitting on the wicker couch and staring out to the sea.

"Kairi," he called, "I found him."

The air was a little chilly when they stepped outside, but it was easy to ignore, Riku sliding the door shut behind them as Kairi went to the couch, sitting at Sora's side.

"Oh, Sora." She said, placing a hand to his cheek. "What's wrong?"

Riku's heart jumped in alarm when he caught a glimpse of Sora's face and saw it wet with tears.

Kairi began to wipe the tears away, and Sora laughed a little. "It's fine." He sniffled. "It's fine – they're not sad tears. I'm just happy."

His eyes filled with a fresh film of tears, and he swiped at his face, laughing a little. "Never in a million years, you know? I never thought I'd be so lucky to get everything I ever dreamed of. But now -"

His eyes danced between them, wondrous. "I'm just really lucky."

"Sora." Riku chided gently. "You could've woken us up to talk about it instead of going off somewhere."

"I know, I just –"

"Just nothing!" Kairi leaned into him, a hand still pressed to his cheek. "It's hard to sleep without you. And I'd rather wake up in the middle of the night to talk than find you running off to cry by yourself."

"Besides," Riku chimed in. "If anyone should feel lucky, it's probably us."

Sora blinked at him, tears making his lashes clump together. "You?"

"Yeah. Sora, you have no idea how much we pined. It was kind of embarrassing."

"Really pathetic." Kairi agreed. "There aren't any words to describe it."

"I can't tell you how amazing it is, getting to have all this –" He gestured to the house, to the rings on their fingers. "– with you. It's nuts. I wake up every day and see you two and think – how is this my life? How'd I get it so good?"

"So I think it's safe to say that we're all each other's dream person and we're meant for each other." Kairi says, letting her hand drop from Sora's cheek to lace her fingers with his. "So no more crying, okay? Even the happy tears."

"Yeah, save it for the wedding." Riku says, and watches with some amusement as Sora starts to tear up all over again.

"Ri-ku." Kairi said lowly, scolding, and she reached around Sora to swat him. "He just stopped crying. Cut it out!"

"Sorry, sorry!"

"Kiss it better you moron! Take responsibility!"

"I –"

Between them, Sora burst into wet laughter, swiping at his eyes as he curled into himself. "I love you both so much." He sighed, sitting up and slumping into the couch. "I'm so glad that this is going to be the rest of my life."

He smiled, eyes hooded and soft with sleepiness, and Riku figured that this was his best opportunity to 'kiss it better', as Kairi said. So he leaned in, and pressed light little kisses across Sora's face, from the curve of his cheekbone to the tip of his nose, down to his lovely smiling mouth.

"We should go back inside." Riku murmured against Sora's lips before sitting back, watching Kairi as she wrapped her arms around Sora and pulled him close, pressing a kiss to the curve of his jaw. "Since it's the middle of the night and everything. And I dunno about you, but I'm ready to go to back to sleep."

They shuffled back into the house and up the stairs, and Riku made sure that everything was locked up before following them to their room.

"Sora, you get in the middle now." Kairi was saying, pushing Sora to the bed. "You're getting cuddled."

"Well," he said, pulling off the sweatshirt he was wearing and tossing it in the vague direction of the hamper. "If you insist."

"I do!" Once his shirt was discarded, Kairi tackled him, sending the two of them tumbling into bed.

"Do you feel better, now?" Riku asked, watching them untangle from each other as he approached the bed.

Sora knew what he was asking right away and smiled at him. "Yeah. Even though I didn't feel bad in the first place!"

"I dunno…" Riku crawled into the bed, letting the blankets gather around his hips. "If it was just happy tears, then you could've stayed."

Sora didn't say anything, and that confirmed the hunch he had. He sighed quietly and scooted closer until he had Sora boxed in, staring up at him with wide blue eyes. Kairi had moved in on his other side, effectively smooshing Sora between them, making sure he couldn't turn away.

"Sora." Kairi spoke up, waiting until his eyes snapped over to her. "I don't have the words to explain just how happy I am that I get to marry you, and have this house with you, and eventually start a family with you. Sometimes I get so mad that it took us so long to get together, and that I missed so much with you – but I think it happened when it was meant to."

"We love you very much." Riku said softly and watched the way the words made Sora's eyes shine. "We always have. Never doubt that."

"I don't." Sora croaked out. "It's just hard to believe that I get to have such nice things. I've believed for so long that you two – you were way too good for me."

"That's not true and you know it." Kairi said stubbornly. "We're not too good for you, you – you're just what we want – what we need! You're perfect!"

Sora's lip wobbled a little at her words, and Riku laughed fondly. "Don't cry." He said. "You just finished crying."

"I'm not crying!" He denied, just as a tear spilled down his cheek.

Riku sighed, exasperated, and kissed the offending tear track away before lying down, throwing an arm across his waist just as Kairi threw her leg over his hips, pressing her cheek against Sora's chest. Being pressed so close, Riku was able to have contact with both of them, his fingers pressed against Kairi's upper arm while her toes bumped against the back of his thigh.

"Do you feel better?" Kairi asked. "For real this time?"

"…Yeah." Sora breathed out. "I feel a lot better. Thank you, Kairi, Riku."

"Of course, Sora." Riku said as Kairi pressed a kiss to his chest, right over his heart. "We love you."

-o-

It was cool out, as the day slowly woke up, but Kairi didn't mind it too much – she was happier sitting out in the fresh air than pacing around the house.

She squinted out at the rising sun, carefully raising a hand to wipe away the remaining traces of sleep clinging to her lashes. The faint cry of birds and the distant, rhythmic push and pull of the waves threatened to send her to sleep; she hasn't been getting the best sleep, these past few weeks, and that hypnotic noise threatened to send her under.

Kairi leaned back against the wicker couch, shifting a little to find a better position, and closed her eyes. She soon drifted off into an in between state; dozing but alert, awake but not as she listened to the sounds of the sea.

Distantly she wondered how the studio was doing; she's been on leave for a while and has wondered about the kids and their lessons. Winter break was coming soon, and she knows that means more time for lessons; maybe she could send in a revised schedule for Minato, who was kind enough to fill in for Kairi while –

A light brush against her chest brought her back to earth, and Kairi smiled down at the little bundle wrapped up beneath her large cardigan. Sleepy violet eyes blinked back up at her, and tiny nails scraped against her breast as Kairi readjusted her hold, curling a hand behind a soft, downy head and tiny bottom.

"Haru-Haru." Kairi said in sing song to the baby in her arms. "You're all done, huh? Had a nice satisfying breakfast?"

All she got in response was a slow blink and a tiny, squeaky yawn, and Kairi laughed, using the end of her sleeve to wipe away some milk still clinging to her lip. At three weeks old, the only thing she does is eat, cry, poop, and sleep.

"Milk drunk, huh?" She asked, amused. "That's fair. Go ahead and sleep – at least one of us is resting."

Kairi curled up in the corner of the couch as the baby slowly drifted off in her arms, making sure that her blanket was wrapped around her so she didn't feel any of the cold. She still felt that overwhelming disbelief as she looked over her – an expanding sense of awe as she stared into eyes just like hers - looking over her head of curly black hair, just like Minato's, and her little nose that was the exact shape of Riku's. She traced over each tiny fingernail and couldn't believe that she was here.

She's had that feeling ever since she was born, placed into her arms on the birthing beaches in Destiny Islands. It was a ridiculously long labor, and Haruka screamed loudly at the affront of being brought out into the world, little arms and legs flailing. Kairi couldn't blame her, since the three of them had been crying as hard as she was.

Sora had tucked his head into the curve of Kairi's neck, weeping silently as he held onto her, and Riku kissed every available part of Kairi he could reach – which was, at the time, quite a lot. He kissed the back of her hand, lips glancing over her wedding ring, her sweaty brow, the curve of her cheek, her neck, her shoulder – all while looking like his world had been scattered and put together again.

He had cried so much, when she told him that she wanted to name the baby after his father – but it felt right, to Kairi. The name suited her.

She looked back out at the horizon, watching the rising sunlight shine across the waves, and feels…pretty good. Tired, but – content.

"I didn't know you were up."

Kairi turned a little and smiled brightly up at Sora as he stepped onto the porch. "I got a wake-up call from this little one." She tells her husband, jerking her chin at Haruka, and he huffed a laugh in understanding.

"Let me see her."

Careful as anything, he scoops the sleepy baby out of Kairi's arms, one hand gently cupping the back of her head as he pressed kisses across her tiny face. "How's my sweetest girl?" He murmured to her, "everything's cool, now that you've gotten something to eat, huh, little Haru?" He gave her another string of kisses before letting her rest on his chest, smiling as her tiny fingers curled into his shirt.

"Riku's up, too." He says, burying his nose in Haruka's curls. "So I better get my cuddles while I still can."

That was fair – Riku was a bit stingy when it came to holding the baby.

"Do you want to go back to bed?" Sora asked, rubbing his hand along Haruka's tiny back. "You look really tired."

"Mm." She shrugged. "I'll take a nap later."

"Kairi…"

She sighed at the new voice, smiling up at Riku as he approached them. "Later." She promised. "I want to sit here with you right now."

Neither of them argued with her after that, Riku helping Kairi shuffle over and make enough room so he could sit next to her, letting her curl up into her side. "I made coffee, whenever y'all are ready to go in." He tells them. "Did Haru eat?"

"Just finished." Kairi confirmed. "And now she's sleeping – you can hold her later; I already know you're about to ask."

"I –"

"Riku, I want to cuddle my daughter. You cuddle her all the time!"

It was crazy, Kairi thought, how surreal it still was to hear Sora say that – their daughter. It made her heart swell up in her chest so much she thought she would choke on it. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, their soft, playful bickering soon mixing in with the push and pull of the sea.

This was her life now, she thinks. How incredible, all the winding roads it took to lead them here.

"Kairi?" Riku's voice pulled her back, concerned. "Did you fall asleep?"

"Mm, no…" She hummed, soft. "Just thinking."

"'Bout what?" Sora asked, tilting his head, and she shrugged, smiling.

"Nothing serious. I'm just happy."

"Oh!" Sora's eyes went so soft, and he smiled, a little wobbly. "I get it. I'm happy, too."

She reached out to brush a thumb over his cheek, smiling so fondly. Kairi could feel Riku press a kiss to the top of her head, and she leaned into him with a sigh.

In the distance, the seagulls cried overhead.

They pressed close together and watched the sun rise.

---

oooooooo-kay! so! there it is. over 16k of mush. it kinda just feels like little vignettes, smooshed together into a oneshot, haha.

I hope it's acceptable. I've been working on it on and off for a long time lmao. most of the year I think! I only really got to work to get this out recently.

I do have hopes and dreams to get more kh fics out - I've got a few ideas that could keep me busy. but I'm back to wrapping up part two of my hyrule world tour - if you like botw and zelink and wanna check that out, feel free!

but until then let me know what you think! comments and kudos are appreciated. I hope everyone is having a good holiday and pleasant winter solstice. so!

until next time!