A/N: Sorry about the long wait,, I had to re-install windows on my comp due to a nasty virus that made it impossible to create new files (That includes copy/paste), and basically I had to re-write the whole chapter. That's no excuse, I know, but still, please have mercy. I'm not that talanted of a writer to be able to write 2-3 chapters per week (I wish I could though... Christmas is close, I think I have something nice to ask for this year!)

Thank you again for all the people who read this, and for my lovely beta and friends, mother who made me tea and served me bellpeppers and all the people who choose to review ;P!

Riku's breath hitched. Thinking about falling in Love and being certain about it were quite different things.

"Sora," he whispered, taking the youth's hand and placing a delicate kiss over his knuckles.

"I'm sure," the brunette replied quietly, biting his own lip.

Riku chuckled then, bowing his head. "Let's go back…" he sighed, cupping Sora's cheek with his free hand. "It's getting late and you'll freeze if we stay longer."

The youth murmured something incoherent and hugged Riku close.

Not too far away, by the small campfire that kept the pile of three sleeping teenagers and Kairi. The birthday girl was quietly watching, torn between her feelings of happiness for Sora finding someone as Riku to fall in love with, and the bitterness for being forgotten.

She decided not to poke the subject any further, for now. If she was to step into a battle over Sora's heart, she would probably lose, not because she was less important, hell no… It was because she missed that special spark Riku and Sora shared the small light that always drew Sora to think about the young artist. Was she losing him? Perhaps, in one aspect or another… But she surely wasn't about to be forgotten.

Upon Sora's and Riku's return, the brunette finally realized he had totally forgotten about Kairi; and now that the guilt was panging at him, he understood how hurt the girl must have felt. She probably though she was an outcast, a third wheel… Sora was determined to show her it wasn't so.

He cautiously made his way towards the redhead, lips pursed into a tight line and fists balled into knuckles as he approached her, quietly taking his seat next to her.

"You got caught up in the moment," Kairi mused, turning to look at Sora with a somewhat demanding look.

The brunette shifted uncomfortably, licking his lips and gesturing Riku, whom was standing not too far away to wait and allow the two teens talk in privacy.

"I… Got caught up in the moment," Sora admitted, shaking his head once. "But you know… I didn't intend to ignore you," he bowed his head down. "You know stuff like this happen, right?"

"I do," Kairi replied curtly, pressing her hands against the oversized rug they were sitting on and allowing her shoulders to slump out of their tight posture.

Sora winced at her tone. "You're my best friend," he bit his lip, curling his toes as guilt once again washed him over.

"I'm not your love interest," Kairi shook her head before turning to smile at him. "Sometimes, I read love novels and understand why the main hero often leaves his whole life behind in order to run away with the heroine he has feelings for…" he explained, hands curling behind her back as she chuckled. "So I'm not all angry at you, but I am hurt, Sora," she noted, granting the defeated teen beside her a warm look.

"Plus, when I find the love of my life, I'm pretty sure it would cut on our together time as well, huh? So we're even," The redhead said smiling in an optimistic manner before easing into a calm and serious expression at once. "Promise to always come back to me in the end," she whispered, hunching her shoulders.

"I will," Sora finally spoke, leaning close so he could embrace the girl. "It's a promise… You know nothing can ruin our friendship, right?"

"Right," Kairi smiled inwardly, allowing herself to share the rare moment of warmth with Sora before slipping away from the hug and tapping the boy's shoulder. "Go see him, he looks lost without you," she chuckled, gesturing at the young artist whom occupied himself with poking the sand while Sora and Kairi shared their conversation.

Sora nodded once and pulled Kairi into a last tight hug before getting up on his feet and jogging his way down the beach. "Riku!"

The young artist jerked his head from it's place upon hearing his name, only to grin lightly a moment later, standing up to his feet and making a few steps in Sora's direction.

Sora chuckled and crossed his hands behind his head, grinning bashfully. "Missed me?"

"Tons," Riku winked right back at him, hands resting on his hips limply, with only the pads of his fingers pressing against the skin-clad bone.

The brunette bit his lip, kicking the cool send with his toes and strangling a tiny smile. "Seriously now?" he hummed, shaking his head once.

"Seriously," Riku shrugged, bowing his head lightly and snickering at Sora. "Is it that hard to believe? I thought you already knew how much of a sap I can be with you around," he pointed out with a single, court not of his head. "You bring the worst of me…"

Sora's grin grew wider at the artist's small confession. "Yeah, it's so great!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air and stretching them, indulging the feeling of his muscles straining after a long time of being mostly motionless.

Riku rolled his eyes and scrunched his nose lightly. "By the way… How is she? Your friend, Kairi… She looked upset," he pursed his lips, frowning at the light pang of guilt that wallowed at his conscious for being such a glutton when it came to Sora's attention, or to the younger male in general…

Sora nodded. "She's gonna be okay, we talked some," he pointed out, his toes now digging into the sand. "We're good now, we clarified some things," he grimaced as his toe bumped into a broken seashell buried in the sand.

Riku's hands were soon enough warped around Sora's small form, pulling him into a loose hug. "Am I coming in between you two? Is this making you unhappy?" for as much as Riku didn't really care for Sora's friends, he knew very well that they were the key to major part of the youth's happiness… And that Riku didn't want to shun away at any cost.

Sora's smile and cheery, carefree self were what brought him into the charming whirlpool of emotions and feelings he thought were pretty much forgotten. It took a special person to revive the will in him, and as far as the artist knew, Sora was for more than just special. He was unique, like some sort of fresh, immensely alluring fragrance that you wish to have more of.

"Let's go to bed…" Sora suggested quietly, reaching to squeeze Riku's sides.

"Let's," the other teen answered with a single nod, smiling.

Riku groaned, his sore muscles shifting lazily as the early-morning reality dawned upon him.

"You're up," a soft, sweet voice giggled.

"Guess I am," the artist sucked a deep breath in, opening his eyes with a few slow blinks.

"It's pretty early, you might want to go back to sleep," the voice, which belonged to a fairly young girl, no older than 14 was Riku's guess, spoke again.

"I doubt I can," Riku answered groggily, eyeing his surroundings, smiling lightly as he realized Sora's head was nestled on top of his stomach, the brunette's arms resting over his chest and hips in a sloppy manner.

"With Sora sleeping on your tummy? You can move him, he won't notice!" the owner of the voice finally revealed herself, waving her hand at Riku as she looked at him from above, her brilliant green eyes shimmering with something the artist found most akin to excitement.

"That too," the artist snickered, stretching his hands with a tiny yawn.

"You can wake him up," the girl offered, pushing some or her bangs behind her ear.

"Perhaps I should," Riku sighed, burying his fingers in Sora's mane of spikes and ruffling it lightly.

"Sora likes you very much, so he won't be angry…" Selphie pursed her lips in thought. "You two seem close…"

"Mmm… 'ikuu…" the male brunette hummed, shifting so he could lie over Riku's limp body.

"Uh," the artist chuckled quietly, gulping down a small knot of worry that formed at his throat.

"Did you two kiss?" he was cut short by the brunette's curious voice.

"We…" Riku was just about to answer when Sora leaned up and clumsily pecked the corner of Riku's mouth.

Selphie snickered. "I guess you did…"

Riku averted his gaze.

"You know, I don't mind the two of you liking each other," the brunette girl crossed her hands behind her back. "Sora wouldn't date aaaaaanyone," she swished her finger through the air to empathize her words. "So it's kind of good the two of you are together," she smiled fondly, cocking her head the slightest.

Riku pursed his lips. He didn't really like the girl's explanation to why he and Sora should be together but… it was better than being rejected by the small group of Sora's friends, which he knew would make the younger male miserable.

"Rikuuuu…" there was another displeased moan coming from Sora's direction, causing the older male to turn his head and face a sleepy, cuddly brunette that was struggling to pull himself up and kiss Riku properly.

Selphie giggled and waved her hand again. "I'll be back when everyone wakes up!" she grinned, bouncing off cheerfully, her colorful flip-flops leaving textured prints on the cool sand.

Sora scrunched his nose and hunched his shoulders. "My shoulder's… Coooold…" he slurred, reaching his hand to wipe the sleep out of his eyes before smiling sluggishly at the older male. "Morning…"

"Morning," Riku snickered back at his, hand reaching to tangle in Sora's hair without a second thought.

The brunette purred pleasantly and stretched. He lifted on his elbows a few moments later, grinning goofily at Riku. "I want a kiss…"

The silveret snickered at that, running his thumb over the unruly spikes. "A good morning kiss? Come and get it."

Sora giggled and collapsed down on his elbows, nudging Riku's cheek with his nose. "Good thing everyone's asleep, right?" he cooed, the free part of his hands from the elbows down tending to knead Riku's biceps.

"Mmhm," the older male agreed quietly, shifting lightly so he could warp his free hand easily around Sora's waist, relishing the soft warmth that greeted him.

The brunette snickered and lifted himself back up so he could look at Riku and slowly inspect every inch of the artist's face. His eyes carefully raked over the sharp, almond shaped eyes that would put a rare gem to shame every day with the inner light that spilled from them.

Sora's left hand gently cupped Riku's cheek, thumb rolling against his sculptured cheekbone, squeezing a content sigh from the older teen.

"I… want that kiss to be the fullest," the youth whispered, cheeks reddening with sudden self awareness. His fingers brushed the tender silvery bangs away from Riku's forehead. "And I want us to go eat ice-cream together again…" he bit his lip lightly. "And cross the sea to the small island, and get some more coconuts…" Sora whispered softly, eyes overflowing with longing.

Riku's hands warped securely around Sora's shoulders. "We have all the time in the world, until September ends… Then I have to go to college," he murmured, gently pulling Sora closer.

The brunette nodded. "And… And sometime, I'd like to have you draw me… Like Namine…" he admitted, averting his gaze as his cheeks darkened.

The artist's hands carefully moved to rest on the sides of Sora's head, coaxing him into locking deep blue with dark turquoise.

"We have time for that…" Riku offered him the warmest of smiles, his fingers curling comfortingly over the other's cheeks. "We have time until we gain enough trust to do that… Until we feel it's okay to grant our privacy to each other…" he paused briefly, rubbing Sora's heated cheeks. "I… Want to make it special… To experience every little thing we have," Riku whispered, gently pulling Sora down for a tender kiss.

The brunette growled quietly, pressing his lips lightly against Riku's. He felt so silly, rushing like that. "Riku…" he cooed quietly, his mouth ghosting over the silveret's as he allowed himself to fully lean against the young artist.

Riku's tongue swiftly traced Sora's bottom lip, snapping the youth back from his thoughts into the kiss and leaving his mind in a comfortable state of carelessness.

Sora purred, grinning at the ticklish sensation and pulling back lightly, only to melt back against Riku's warm and inviting mouth less than a moment later, soaking up all the bliss the kiss offered.

And not too far away, Selphie was watching the young couple, grinning from behind her floral pillow. Ah, she was right about Sora and Riku being a perfect match…

Sora waved his hand at Kairi and Tidus as him and Riku turned to leave.

It was a long day, Sora decided, crossing his hands behind his head. He knew that Riku wasn't really interested in his friends and their party games yet coped with them, which almost made him feel somewhat childish and silly, but he had to thank the artist anyway.

"Riku," Sora sighed as soon as they were far enough, moving his back to rest on his other shoulder.

"Present," the painter replied casually, smiling at Sora.

"I thought maybe… I could present you to my parents… And maybe if it's okay you'd stay over for a bit and… in my room, and not in a sneaky way but in the way it's supposed to be," Sora's gaze rose to meet Riku, eyes filled with endless hope.

Riku chuckled. Could he ever resist the adorable look the younger male portrayed? No, he probably couldn't…

"On one condition," he decided, stretching his fingers.

"And that would be?" Sora cocked his brow, hands snaking into his pockets.

"We eat ice-cream first," Riku announced with a smug smile.

"I'd love that," Came a reply a few seconds later from the grinning Sora. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Riku murmured, reaching to ruffle Sora's hair affectionately.

The brunette chuckled and pressed his side against Riku in a brief hug. "You remembered…"

"I aim to please," Riku winked, hand sliding from Sora's hair to his shoulder, rubbing it lightly before registering there. "Plus, it would make you happy, right? And the happier you are, the happier I am, it works just like that," he smirked, squeezing the brunette's shoulder.

"You remembered," Sora cooed, breaking the hug but letting his hand linger around Riku's waist, keeping the older boy close as they went.

Riku nodded once. "It's part of being in a relationship, you know? Remembering all the little things that make your special person happy," he snickered, drumming his fingers against Sora's shoulder.

"I am happy," Sora nodded, granting Riku a brilliant grin. "We'll eat, and then go back home…" he sighed, sweet thoughts and emotions slowly sinking inside as he pressed closer still to the older male. "Thanks…"

"Hey, you're welcome," Riku shrugged, fingers abandoning Sora's shoulder in order to rub his upped back lovingly. "What flavor of ice-cream would you like to get?"

A tiny frown crossed Sora's features as he tried to figure out what flavor he felt like nibbling upon that moment. "Chocolate and oranges, I think," he cocked his head. "Why?"

"Just curious," Riku smiled. "I'm gonna get raspberry, since they don't have peach," he chuckled. "Pity, isn't it?"

Sora had to agree. "Peach sounds nice," he answered courtly before leaning the side of his face against Riku's tensing and relaxing bicep.

"I… Wanted to ask you something," the brunette muttered, licking his own lips nervously.

"Shoot," Riku swallowed back a soft yawn, eyes concentrating on the road as he kept his mind free for Sora's words to come.

"You… I'm sorry if I sound rude but… You don't make much of a living on your drawings, then how do you live… With no money?" the brunette bowed his head in shame and hunched his shoulders as he spoke, pausing a few times to phrase the next few words in his head.

The artist stiffened lightly. "My parents send me money every week…" he murmured, averting his gaze. "I would really rather they didn't, and I try to keep what they send me for savings…" he bit his lips, falling silent. "I want to get to college and pay for my studies, and still be able to spoil you every now and then," he allowed the tiniest of smiles on his lips.

Sora blinked at him, looking mildly confused. His huge, innocent blue eyes blinking slowly as realization soaked in, making the brunette shake his head fiercely. "Riku… I don't want you to push yourself for me, I don't want to be spoiled," he empathized his words with another shake. "We have so much together… No gift can compete with the waves of the ocean… The dawn… And my first kisses," he explained sheepishly, hunching his shoulders.

Riku winced lightly, his fingers flexing between their current spot over of the blades of Sora's shoulders. "You make me sound so shallow…" he wheezed out finally, hands slowly returning to their previous rubbing.

The brunette grinned. "You're not. I'm just silly enough to think up things that most people would think… I guess lame," he shook his head, reaching his hand to capture Riku's and bring it to his lips, kissing the joint f the artist's thumb.

The older male allowed a tiny blush register over his cheeks. "You're a miracle," he chuckled almost silently, pulling Sora into a brief, but nonetheless tight hug in the middle of the empty, sunset washed street facing the seaside.

"Only on special occasions," Sora chuckled back at him, kissing the tip of Riku's finger with a bashful smile. "Let's… Go get that ice-cream," he decided as his lips slowly, but steadily stretched into a grin.

Riku stood in front of the door to Sora's house, combing his sticky, salty dreads of hair with his hand in order to at least look decent. His cheeks were flushed pink from the sunburns he got from forgetting to put sunscreen on, but otherwise, he looked pretty much normal.

Sora, on the other side, was completely calm when he pressed on the bell, looking as if he was truly glad to hear the monotone 'ding-dong' sound.

Riku sighed, clutching his bags tightly in his hand.

A woman with curly, light brown hair opened, wiping her wet hands over the apron tied to her torso. "Hello?" she hummed, fixing some of her hair that wasn't braided behind her ear but no avail, the tiny curl sprang back into the front of her face.

Sora was soon enough bending and kissing the woman's cheek. "Mom, this is Riku, my friend. Riku, this is my mom," he grinned, returning to his earlier position next to the artist.

"Riku," the woman repeated, taking a moment before smiling fondly at the young male and opening the door for the two boys and returning to the kitchen. By the smell coming from an oversized black metal pot, dinner wasn't too far away

Sora chuckled and dragged Riku inside. "Mom! We'll be upstairs!" he called, waving his hand at the older woman. "Call us when you need help with setting the table!" he grinned, dragging Riku up to the second floor where his bedroom was.

As soon as they were inside and the door was closed behind them, Sora turned to squeeze Riku's hand with a pleading expression on his face. "Tell me more about your parents…?"

The artist winced lightly. "They're… Great. Over-protective, a bit old-fashioned but still pretty open-minded… They didn't want to let me come here," Riku took a few steps back, leaning against Sora's desk and eyeing his own toes.

The brunette nodded, sitting on his bed and kicking his feet idly as he listened to the other teen's words.

Riku shifted slightly. "I'm pretty sure they were planning on engaging me and Namine, my mom always talked about how much of a good parent she would be since she was so gentle and kind-hearted, yet had the power to be firm and control people…" he frowned. "My father… Is a lawyer. He didn't want me to be a painter, but I was stubborn and told him that there was no way I would do something as boring as being a lawyer for my living…" Riku paused then, curling his toes and scowling. "We had a fight about it… A big one, but we made up and we're good now," he allowed his eyes to slide shut.

"I hurt him pretty bad back then," Riku rubbed the back of his neck. "It was one of the few times I saw him cry," the artist paused, turning to look at Sora. "I was a stubborn little jerk back then. I called my father a close-minded person who wouldn't let me choose my path in life and instead insists to cage me up in a prison of books about how justice should be done.." he shifted again, crossing his arms over his chest as he made his way back to bed.

Sora watched him intensely, soaking in every detail that he could.

"My mom is a math teacher, she often tutors students at home, so the extra money she gets from her private lessons, she sends over to me for my studies," Riku shook his head, sitting next to Sora. "I have no siblings, and I never had a pet. That is pretty much my family," he ruffled his own hair, "We need a shower, both of us."

Sora chuckled softly and nodded. "You go first, I'll set the extra bed you're sleeping in and go talk to my mom downstairs," he sighed, crossing his hands behind his head.

Riku nodded once. "Thank you," he smiled a moment later, hugging himself with a tiny sound he made. Sora's house was so warm and welcoming… It was as if no boundaries existed inside the tiny building, unlike his own home, where he used to live before he moved back to Destiny Island. There always was some sort of an official feeling that restricted you from being completely free.

The older male nodded at the towel Sora offered him, as well as the set of one of Sora's boxers and Sora's father's shirts and training pants.

"You can wear those to bed later if you want to," Sora announced with a wide grin. "Shower is in the corridor, you can use it as long as you want, we have enough hot water for the whole street," he nodded with much importance, proudly placing his hands on his hips.

"I'll note that," Riku winked, leaning down to grant Sora a light peck on his spiky head before heading towards the mentioned bathroom.

"I'll be downstairs then!" the brunette called, blushing at the tiny kiss and waving his hand at Riku. "So sweet," he whispered under his breath, hugging his sides tightly and shaking his head.

"He's an artist?" Sora's mother hummed, tucking a group of hair together and tightening it against her head with a pin.

"Weeeell… You could say," Sore frowned thoughtfully, chewing on his bottom lip in an attempt to form his thoughts into words.

Sora nodded, lacing his hands in front of him. Riku's bed was set next to Sora's in his room, waiting for the night to come. "He drew the painting for Kairi's birthday, that's how we met," he grinned, shrugging once.

"And you said he lives on his own?" the woman inquired, cutting another slice of apple and popping it into her mouth.

Sora nodded once more. "He lives on his savings and the money he makes from drawing," he reached his hand out, cupping it in a way to say he wanted some of that apple his mother was eating also.

"Sounds like a responsible boy," she chuckled, placing a couple of slices in Sora's hand. "Unlike someone here," she winked, discarding the remains of the apple into the trash bean nearby.

"Don't say that because it's not true," Sora huffed, pursing his lips with clear discontent.

"Is it? Who's dirty socks have I found on the carpet last time I cleaned your room?" the woman shook her head, sounding rather amused. "And did I mention yet you forgot to wash the windows after I asked you twice this week already?"

Sora rolled his eyes. "I'll do it next week. I had a lot on my mind! And I was just about to pick up the socks you know, I wouldn't have left them there…"

"At least not for the whole week, just for a couple of more days," his mother snickered, imitating Sora's tone of speech and shaking her head. "Ah, doesn't matter, Shkoda. Dinner should be ready now, help me set the table until your friend comes?" she clapped her hands together, standing up and heading the kitchen.

"Mmhm," Sora grinned, following suit and waiting for his mother to take out the dishes for him to put on the table.

"Oh, I hope that you cleaned the room from all the empty snack bags you left there, I doubt Riku would like knowing his friend is a little pig," the older brunette mentioned offhandedly, handing Sora a stack of plates.

"Yes, in a matter of fact, I did," the youth huffed, scrunching his nose. "See? I am responsible!"

"Good for you," she chuckled. "Now let's see if it lasts and maybe then you'll start tidying up your place without me nagging you on a regular basis," she snickered, reaching Sora some knives and forks to arrange on the table also.

Sora rolled his eyes and quietly placed the cutlery next to the plates.

"Sora, your friend is here," the woman mentioned quietly, placing a pile of napkins in the center of the table and tapping Sora's shoulder once.

"Riku!" the young teen grinned, quickly setting the last set of silverware he had in hand and making a beeline to the silver-haired artist standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey," Riku chuckled softly, crossing his hands behind his head as Sora stopped right in front of him.

"Just in time for dinner," Sora announced proudly and spun around.

"Do you have problem with beef?" Sora's mother asked from the kitchen, pressing a scorched wooden spoon to her lips and sipping its contents.

"No problem as long as it's cooked," Riku chuckled, following Sora to the table.

"Well then, in that case, a few minutes more and you'll have dinner," the woman announced, taking off her apron and hanging it on a hook near the fridge.

"By the way, will dad be in time for dinner?" Sora hummed, leaning on his elbows and drumming his fingers against the tabletop.

"He'll be home late today," the woman sighed dejectedly. "He has some business dinner, so he said he won't be eating with us tonight," she paused briefly. "Still, I made a lot of food."

Sora snickered. "No biggie, I promise I'll eat it tomorrow."

"Oh, what would have I done without you, Shkoda?" Sora's mother mock sighed, placing a deep porcelain dish with floral decorations and a matching ladle in the center o the table.

"Would you rather have plain rice or rice with mushrooms as your side-dish, Riku?" she asked politely as she took Sora's plate and poured some stew into it.

"Mushrooms," Riku confirmed, lacing his fingers and leaning his palms on top of the table.

Sora sighed inwardly. His mother might be a nice woman, but she could be quite the critic when she came to it. Although she wouldn't actually forbid Sora from seeing someone he considered a friend, or maybe even more than just it, she wouldn't save back nasty glares and fleeting comments about her displeasure.

So he prayed.

A/N: Soon. Soon the real plot will begin, I promise!

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