Sora shifted around in his bed. He couldn't sleep. Not with a new person- more correctly prisoner -living under Yen Sid's roof. He stared at the roof above his bed, then looked over at Kairi and Riku's peaceful lumps. Oh, the things that he hadn't told them... He knew that they could be trusted with anything he told them, but he had finally found something he didn't want to divulge to his friends just yet.

Sora had found love in the most unlikely of places: with the Xehanort traveled from the distant past.

Now, he knew the old man he faced presently was rotten to the core, but this wasn't the case with this youthful incarnation. He was starting to rot, but Sora had discovered that he was still soft at heart. Somehow he managed to mold apathy into a surprisingly genuine care, and now in all honesty he had fallen in love like you fall off a cliff: suddenly you're dropping through the air and you could barely remember why.

Sora closed his eyes with a soft smile. He finally sat up and walked out of their small dorm. His blanket huddled around his shoulders as he quietly checked the rooms. Where were they keeping him, anyways? "Xehanort..." He whispered, "Xeha... Are you here?"

Sora paused. He heard a muffled, "I'm here."

He turned towards the sound and entered the room. Of course Yen Sid felt the very top of the tower was secure, it was where he had poured most of his defensive enchantments. The air positively buzzed with sanctuary. But Sora wasn't thinking of that as he walked over with a frown. His hand reached out towards his odd companion, "They..." He tapped the light that stood between them, "they caged you?"

Xehanort chuckled. Deep, bitter, with a defeated lilt, "You know what they think of me."

After a moment of silence, Sora removed his blanket and held it through the bars, "It's... cold tonight..."

Xehanort stood and accepted the gift. Sora leaned in closer so a kiss could be placed on his head, "Thank you."

Sora reached in and held him, "They're being cruel."

It was sweet relief when those hands held him back, "It's the way things are. I've been cruel to them-"

"You weren't!" Sora whispered, "not YOU you..." Gentle strokes combed his spikes. A soft sigh was little reassurance that his words got through. "You're from a different time. Different personality. You're not like... him." Sora finished his thought.

Another kiss, "That's why I love you. You're almost too forgiving. It's rare and beautiful." It was Sora's turn to be silent.

He closed his eyes and tried to hear Xehanort's heart and ignore the cold bars against his cheek. "If we never let this happen... Y-you wouldn't be treated like this-"

"Sora, look at me."

Sora did so, watching those uncannily golden eyes. Normally they held little compassion, but now they let vulnerability show alongside gratitude.

He tweaked out a small smile, then gently began singing, "If I never knew you... If I never felt this love, I would have no inkling of how precious life can be." Xehanort stroked his cheek, "If I never held you, I would never have a clue," his hand gently took Sora's, "how at last I'd find in you," Xehanort touched Sora's hand to his heart, "the missing part of me."

Sora's began trembling. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all. He didn't want to fall in love, but now that he'd accepted it he didn't want that love to go away.

"In this world so full of fear," Xehanort continued, "full of rage and lies... I can see the truth so clear, in your eyes." He chuckled and wiped at the tears that began appearing on Sora's cheek, "So dry your eyes."

He nodded his head and shook Sora's hand, trying to pantomime the emotion that had gone foreign in his heart for so long, "And I'm so grateful to you. I'd have lived my whole life through... Lost forever, if I never knew you."

Sora pulled away and shook his head with frustration, "I thought our love would be so beautiful. Somehow we'd make the whole world bright." He looked back at the door to his friend's chambers, "I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong," he turned back to Xehanort, "All they'd leave us were these whispers in the night..." He held Xehanort's hands and whispered, "But still my heart is saying we were right..."

He suddenly began speaking louder, passion starting to burst through his caution, "For if I never knew you,"

Xehanort tried to interrupt him, so he could at least let Sora shoulder none of the blame in his heart, "There's no moment I regret,"

Sora powered through, shaking his head even more, "If I never knew this love,"

Xehanort tried to get his attention, "since the moment that we met."

Sora was not going to let Xehanort say anything, "I would have no inkling of-"

But he wasn't going to let Sora beat himself up over this, let alone with the very words he had said, "If our time has gone too fast,"

Sora held Xehanort's face, sobbing, "How precious life can be..."

Xehanort sighed, "I've lived at last..."

The two sat there a moment before Sora leaned into him and bawled. He cursed the cage for holding him back, but he scrambled and held on as tightly as he could. Xehanort rubbed Sora's back, watching the door, wondering if someone was going to come in. He was terrified if that was going to happen. What would they do to Sora? What would they think of him?

"Sora, you should go..." Xehanort whispered, backing away.

"I don't want to." Sora whined back. He tried wiping his tears. He looked like a little boy who had a nightmare.

Xehanort pulled Sora in once more and kissed his forehead, "You know what they would think. I don't want any harm to come to you, emotional or otherwise." Sora shook his head again, but he seemed to listen and understand. Xehanort smiled, "I'll be fine. If their hearts are anything like yours, I'll be fine." Sora turned to leave, his hand dangling with Xehanort's before reluctantly letting go. Well, it was less letting go and more conveniently slipping out of his grasp.

Xehanort sank back, murmuring, "And I'm so grateful to you. I'd have lived my whole life through..." He paused to try and stem his own grief, "Empty as the sky..."

Sora stopped in the doorway. He felt a new wave of tears dig into him, and he balled his fists. "Never knowing why..." He mournfully replied. With that, he closed the door.

Somehow, the two of them remained in sync. As Sora collapsed against the wall outside and Xehanort went back to his imprisonment, they sang:

"Lost forever... If I never knew you..."

And you guys wanted me to get back to work on this one. Careful what you wish for loves. Before you all go "but wait wasn't there SoKai like x chapters ago?" Well friends there's a thing called multi shipping. There's also crack shipping and tbh SoXeha started as a joke and now it has become a crippling weakness of mine.

man it's been awhile since I touched this fic. My writing's gotten better...?