Hey everyone,
This chapter is going to focus on something that both KH I & II just completely skipped over and that I – at the point of me writing this – hope won't get the same treatment in KH III. I'll probably rewrite this AN once I have played the game, but for now, I think we should focus on the matter at hand; the second chapter of Leaving The Islands.
Let's do this,

Venquine1990

Chapter 02
Mothers And Fears

Riku's POV

"Hey mum, you wanted to talk?" I ask, closing the front door of our simple home behind me as I come in and my mum, who I got most of my looks from, smiles at me as she says: "Yes, dear. Sit down. What did the others want to talk to you about?" I sigh and say: "About how Sora and I have been holding back when we spar with them. We, kinda, came clean with them."
"That's good. It doesn't do to keep secrets from your friends, even if you're not as close to them as you are to Sora and Kairi." I rub the back of my neck and think: "Might as well continue that streak." "Sora and I are dating. We've been dating for some time now." Yet mum giggles as she takes a seat on the table, me having done so earlier and she says: "I know. You two aren't exactly subtle about it."
I gape at her, not having expected this and say: "But Tidus, Wakka and Selphie had no idea.""They're not around you and Sora as much as Kairi, Lenora and I are. They only see you once every few days and you know plenty of places where they hardly ever go. But you two always come back home together and the way you walk closely together when you do so says it all."
"So you're – you're not upset? I mean, this does mean you will never have grandkids." I mention, feeling a little awkward as I do as I'm sure Sora hasn't even thought about such a thing yet, even though we are considering moving out to another world to live together. Mum rolls her eyes and says: "No, I'm not upset, you've obviously only just started dating and there's always a chance for adoption, am I right?" Making me smile at her.

"Now onto what I wanted to talk to you about. Riku, I – I think you're getting old enough to – to leave. The house, I mean." This both relieves and startles me as I admit to myself I hadn't even given it a thought on what mum might think about my plans and I turn my head as I whisper: "Sora and I – we – we're kind of – sort of – already planning for that."
A startled look crosses my mum's face, but it stays only shortly before she smiles and says: "I knew it. You plan to leave the Islands again, aren't you? Don't you lie to me, Riku. I've known since you became a teenager that you've been feeling trapped on this small world. It's something I knew would happen if I told you of what you were ready to do; leave home and make a living of your own."

I grimace in concern at this, feeling a little better about the whole thing with my first journey now that I've heard someone other than Sora or Kairi tell me and deciding to see if I really am the only one who believes me to be the culprit behind what happened to the islands. "Mum, you – you remember when Sora, Kairi and I first left the Islands, right?" I ask and go on after her nod.
"We were able to do so – because of me. I – I met this guy named –." But then mum stops me and says: "Stop right there, Riku. Kairi told me all about your adventure when she came back, before we all – for some strange reason – forgot about Sora. She's also been keeping me and Lenora up to date on your travels every time the two of you vanish on a new journey.
I know about Xehanort, Ansem, Xemnas and all the other forms of that ancient weirdo. I also know that it was Sora's love for you that made his light strong enough to beat Xehanort's darkness and give that old coot the beating he very well deserved. Heck, Kairi even had these guys named Terra and Lea visit and they told us all about what Xehanort did to them and their worlds."

I gape at the woman, shocked that she has actually been aware of all of our stuff this entire time and the woman laughs as she says: "Riku, you were gone for years. Do you really think Kairi would just leave us hanging like that. You know the girl wouldn't be able to do that." I rub the back of my head and think: "No, but it really shouldn't have been her job either." Yet for once I don't care.
"So you're not upset?" I ask instead and the woman shakes her head as she says: "No, but I do think you need to talk with Sora. Not just about this belief of yours that you were to be blamed for Xehanort's filthy tricks, but also about something else. Something I noticed the other day when watching you two come home."
I look at her curiously and she asks: "I know that you were completely focused on Sora while walking and having your little chat, but did you notice at all that Jessica from the south-west Island was passing you two? Because trust me, sweetheart, Sora did and he noticed how her full attention was on you and how she was so obviously trying to gain yours.

He may have tried to hide it, but I noticed that quick twinge of fear and self-doubt that flittered across Sora's face as he turned from her and back to you, even if you were completely obvious to it all happening." This confuses me and I ask: "Why? Why would Sora care?""Because Jessica had worked harder than most girls usually do when trying to get your attention and he noticed it."
"But he doesn't even need to try and get my attention, just being around him makes me want to focus on him. So why would that –?" I ask, getting angry as none of this conversation makes sense, yet then mum says: "Because that's his fear. What happened all those years ago is yours and this is his. I wouldn't even be surprised if that fear is one of the reasons he never approached you before now."

The woman's words shock me and just add to my confusion as I think: "Could – could this be true? Could Sora – really doubt his looks that much that he thinks I would be more interested in people who look like Jessica? But Jessica just looks like your everyday famous barbie doll. Why does he think I'd be interested in someone like that?"
"Oh Riku, you grew up way too fast. You completely skipped a part in your time as a teenager. Though Sora still seems a little stuck on that part." Mum giggles as she sets a pot of tea for us and I ask: "Wait what? What part?" Mum laughs and says: "The part where you think beauty equals popularity and for that to be the most important goal in life; the one thing everyone will notice."
At this I rub the back of my head and say: "I – I didn't skip it, I just – I never put much thought behind it. I was – I was just always too – too focused on other things to really care. Sure I cared about how I looked, but that's because I wanted to look good for my friends, not for people I didn't care about."
More laughter escapes mum as she says: "And yet, so many others, like Jessica and her gang, saw you look that good, got attracted to it and wanted those good looks for themselves. So they themselves worked even harder to look good, so they would match your good looks and attract you to them as well. You just never noticed it, because you always considered it a side-task, never a priority."

"But Sora doesn't either. He only needs to get out of bed and run a hand down his hair and he's done. Okay, he seems to have put more attention behind whether or not his cloths match these days, but he told me that's because the fairies gave him these nice matching cloths in his second journey and he realized that having matching cloths just made him feel better about himself."
"Especially now that he has a boyfriend. It's a bit of a common thing that people want to look their best when around the ones they love and date. You said it yourself, Riku, you like looking good for your friends." Mum replies and I sigh as I say: "I know I said that, but that still doesn't explain the situation with Jessica. She's a girl and I'm in love with Sora. Why does he think I'd like her?"
"Because Sora, as sweetly simple minded as he might sometimes be, doesn't look at gender. He looks at how good someone looks. The better they look, the more he feels threatened. Like a lioness who needs to defend her rights to be the mate of the alpha male against an outsider who tries to take that right and role from them. And I know that Sora's male, but the point still stands."

"The fact that he changes into a Lion cub when entering the Pride Lands probably doesn't help either. I wonder –." I think to myself as I lean back in my seat and cross my arms. "I wonder if this problem of his is going to worsen if we travel to other worlds. There are definitely guys and girls who put just as much effort in their looks as Jessica and those girls usually do."
"I think that's something you'll have to talk with Sora about, Riku, though I do think you need to talk about it before you leave. Speaking of which, do you guys have a date planned?" I nod and say: "Next Sunday. We were – kind of planning to tell you guys between now and Friday and then hold a party at the restaurant on the other side of the island. You know, to say goodbye."
"Good, glad to know that you weren't planning to just go up and leave us behind. I was afraid for a second that I might have needed to rely on poor Kairi again." Mum laughs and I rub the back of my head at this before the woman sighs and says: "Now, this is just a thought, but I think I know why Sora fears this so much." I look at her, greedy for more knowledge about this before I talk with Sora.
"Sora looks a lot like Brian, Robert and Dwayne. If not for the hair color, you might even mistake them for twins sometimes. But you and Jessica don't have that and neither do some of the other girls that constantly try to work so hard to make you look at them." I sigh and mutter: "Our looks are unique. Sora is afraid that I think his looks too bland and that it might turn me away from him."

"Exactly, dear. Now why don't you go and reassure that sweet brunette boyfriend of yours that he's wrong." At this I laugh and retort: "Well, he's not alone in that. Have you really not noticed how amazingly toned he is. He's a freaking bodybuilder these days, and a hot one at that." Mum laughs as well, yet her next words shock me into almost dropping my tea-cup.
"Sweetie, I saw Sora come out of the ocean the other day, I know exactly how toned he is. Heck, I even saw something you didn't. I saw him take off his shirt to rinse it dry, so I got to have a good look at that eight pack that he sports. And who knows, you might be lucky enough that you get to see the same sometime soon. Though I really don't get why you didn't turn around when that happened."

I gape at her as that was just two days ago and Sora had done so because he felt he needed a challenge and just taking the raft didn't help with that for him. Yet I also agree with her and think: "Sora has an eight pack and I blew the most obvious chance of all to see it. I wonder if reassuring him will give me another chance." And this thought in mind makes me smirk as I leave the table.
"Off to see Sora, honey? Do make sure you and him go talk with Lenora about your plans. She deserves to know as well. And don't worry about that party, I'll take care of that for you. As long as you and Sora just make sure you have everything ready for your journey ahead, of course." Mum smiles as she sees me out and I nod as I say: "We do. We've been gathering and refreshing our supplies for some time now. It's why we go to the island every day."
"Now those are my boys. Off with you now." I nod at her and leave, yet my happy mood takes a deep dive down into the depths of the oceans surrounding our island when I see that there is a group of girls – girls I hardly ever pass let alone talk with when I do – standing on the other side of the road, all working hard to improve their own looks, but only looking more shallow and fake to me as they do.

"This is what Sora is so afraid of? Well, I never said my fears were 100% rational. Guess it's time I return that favor he keeps granting me calming mine down." And without even so much as a second glance, do I just pass the girls, turn the corner at the end of the fence and head back for the shore, thoughts of what Sora's eight pack might look like bringing my mood right back up.
Yet at the shore, do I smile even wider as Sora is already there, even if I feel a little let down over the fact that he again chose to take his boat instead of going for another swim. We hug each other close and I fight the urge to move my hand to his stomach in the hopes of getting a quick feel of those abs of his, reminding myself of what might potentially lie ahead of me. "Hey, how did your talk with your mum go? Did she want to talk to you about anything important?"

"Yeah, she felt that I was ready to move out of the house and wanted to tell me this. She also told me that Kairi has been keeping her and your mum up to date on what we've been through and even reassured me that her thoughts about Xehanort and our first adventure were similar to yours; that it wasn't my fault our world was lost to Darkness."
"See, I told you I'm not the only one who thinks that.""Yeah well, I told her about our plans and she told me that we should go to tell your mum together. Also, just between you and me, the only one who ever looks good enough to have my heart is the one who does the least to look as good as he does. And you, Sora, unlike Jessica, Shirley, Isabelle, Rosa and all those other fakes, fit that description.
I know I do try to put some attention to my looks and I know that you've been putting more attention behind whether or not your cloths match, but it's not just your looks that made my heart yours. And even if we go to a world where other guys look good just by being themselves, it won't change how I feel about you. Heh, mum noticed it when Jessica passed us on the way home a few days ago."

Sora sighs and mutters: "I know it's not just my looks that attract you to me. I know it's the strength of our hearts and the bond we've had since childhood as well. It – it's just – here, on the Islands, I look like your average Andy.""Hardly." I think to myself but I keep quiet as Sora says: "And then, when looking at you and the others that look so dashing, I just feel I come up short."
I softly lift Sora's face up as he had been leaning his forehead against my chest and whisper: "Sora, you can never come up short with me. I love you, looks, heart and everything else. As long as I am the only one with the privilege of having your heart, I don't care how you look. And I definitely don't care how others look as they don't hold a candle to you.""But what is it about my looks that you like?"
Sora asks, actually sounding desperate and I decide to try my luck. I kiss his lips, softly and sweetly and whisper against them: "Why don't we discuss that, with me pointing it out to you one at a time, once we're done talking with your mum, okay?"
Sora sighs in the kiss and I feel him nod his head against mine. I turn around, make sure to be next to him and pull him close against my side as we head over to his own home off on the coast, me knowing that those stupid girls are standing just off the side from where Sora can see them. I turn my head their ways and tonelessly say: "Never going to change." At them before focusing back on the road ahead.

Way to go, Riku.
And trust me, those girls are going to come back this story. I have a few plans for them and they're going to test Sora and Riku's relationship a little, but also their patience. Though this does mean one thing. While Never They Cannot was only a 4-chapter story, this one will definitely not be – or so I thought. And then I had a change of heart and decided to turn this whole thing into a three-way sequel. Yeah, go figure.
Next chapter: Sora talks with his mum and then with Riku. And Riku's plans of showing Sora just what he likes about him are going to really please Sora, but he will also give his boyfriend exactly what Riku wants, even without him knowing it. However, the topic that Wakka and the others teased him about also comes up again. How will that go?
Let's have fun,

Venquine1990
PS. Many thanks to Kiri Kaitou Clover who helped me create the prequel to this, Never They Cannot. Be sure to check out her version as well as mine.