Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I only borrow its characters for my own nefarious deeds every once in a while…and keep Riku tied up in my closet...but let's keep that quiet. –shifty eyes-

Warnings: Well I assume that you've read the summary and know that this is indeed a yaoi fic, so if you don't like it, then why are you still here? Anyways, there shall be language and (eventually) slightly graphic lemon-y goodness. I tend to not go into explicit details since it makes me blush to no end, but kiddies beware.

oOoOo

Chapter 2: Scared of the Dark

oOoOo

Riku stood on the front step of Sora's house, raising his hand to knock on the door and then hesitating mid-action. He had been contemplating all afternoon whether it was a good idea to be doing this and had never managed to find his answer. It had been so long since he and Sora had just spent normal time together, and he missed it so much…but then there were the dreams.

If Sora found out what was going through his head…Riku wished he didn't even know himself…it was too much of a burden to push onto Sora as well. Riku lowered his hand, letting it fall loosely to his side, sighing. But on the other hand, if Riku didn't stay, then Sora would think that something had come between their friendship. Either way the boy would just worry…

But Riku's last chance to make a decision slipped away as the door opened in front of him, surprising both the silver-haired boy and Sora's mother.

"Oh my! Is that really you, Riku?" she exclaimed, a bright smile appearing on her face, very similar to Sora's. Seiya Hikari looked remarkably like her son, her deep blue eyes mirroring his almost exactly. "You've grown so much since the last time I saw you!"

"Er…yeah. Well it's been awhile, Mrs. Hikari," Riku said awkwardly.

Her eyes softened and she nodded thoughtfully. "I'm glad you're here, Riku. Since Sora came home, that boy has been sighing over you nonstop…is everything okay?" Seiya asked gently.

"Th-there's no need to worry over me. I'm fine," the boy replied, hoping his smile looked natural.

She studied him for a moment and then smiled back. "Well come inside then. Sora's up in his room, I think. I'll just be out running a couple of errands, and I'll be back to make dinner. Your favorite, of course."

"Thanks, Mrs. Hikari," Riku said, a genuine smile appearing on his lips now. In the countless times he had stayed with Sora when they were younger, she had been almost like a second mother to him, making sure that he was always welcome in the Hikari home.

"There's no need to thank me, sweetheart. You've taken care of Sora so much…I should be the one thanking you," Seiya replied, inclining her head slightly.

"I haven't really," Riku murmured. All I've done is hurt him.

Seiya opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by her son bounding down the stairs.

"Riku!" he laughed, throwing his arms around the older boy. "You're here!"

Riku worked hard to keep his features cool and composed, fighting off the blush he could feel creeping up his neck as Sora hugged him tightly. "'Course I am," he mumbled.

"Well then, I'll see you boys later," Seiya chuckled.

"Bye Mom!" Sora replied as she closed the door. Then he turned back to Riku, smile softening as he let go of his friend. "You're here," he murmured again.

"You already said that, stupid," Riku muttered, pretending to be looking at the clock in the living room when really he was just trying to avoid Sora's gaze.

"But I…well to tell you the truth, I kind of thought you wouldn't come after all," Sora confessed quietly.

Riku's eyes flickered back to Sora, catching the brief sadness that passed over the brunet's face. Guilt crept through him, and he was suddenly very glad that Mrs. Hikari had opened the door on him. "Come on, Sor," he smiled. "Let's get started on that homework."

Sora groaned, but Riku didn't miss the poorly disguised grin underneath. "Meanie," he pouted, sticking out his tongue at Riku.

Riku quickly turned to head upstairs to Sora's room, this time unable to stop his blush as tried to shove away the sudden images of things he'd prefer Sora to be doing with his tongue.

oOoOo

After an enormous amount of food was forced onto them by Mrs. Hikari with the observation that they were both "much too skinny", and several hours of Riku trying and failing to teach Sora the basics of trigonometry, the two boys decided it was time for bed. Or rather for Riku, time to force himself to stay up all night.

He had decided that it would be okay as long as he didn't have to stay in the same room as Sora…although he had a feeling this wouldn't go over terribly well with the brunet. Still, he had to try.

"Hey Sora, got any extra blankets or anything I can use?" Riku asked nonchalantly, hoping that he'd be able to do everything according to plan.

The brunet cocked his head in confusion. "For what?"

"The couch," Riku replied.

"Ehhh? You're not gonna sleep on the couch, Ri-ku! You're sleeping here with me!" Sora replied cheerfully, flopping down onto his bed and patting the space next to him.

"We're not little kids anymore, Sora," Riku tried, half dreading sharing a bed with his crush who was clad only in a pair of boxers, and half terrified of what would happen if he had another nightmare.

"Oh come on, it's big enough for both of us," Sora pressed. When Riku remained rooted to the spot however, the brunet sighed, getting up. But judging from the devious glint in his eye, he wasn't relenting. With a wide grin he threw himself at Riku, causing them to fall back onto the bed, limbs tangling as the younger boy landed on top of his startled friend.

"Gotcha," he said teasingly, but Riku was much more preoccupied with the way Sora's warm breath puffed onto the back of his neck and the fact that one of the brunet's legs was pressed firmly in between his own.

The older boy inhaled sharply, head swimming as he felt heat begin to pool in his stomach. "Fi-fine, I'll sleep here! Just get off already, will ya?" Riku surrendered.

"Heh…can't always win, huh Riku?" Sora smirked, rolling to one side of the bed much to Riku's relief.

"Guess not," Riku murmured, repositioning himself next to the brunet as Sora reached over to turn off the light.

They lapsed into silence, Riku's heart hammering as the room plunged into darkness. But then Sora shifted closer to him, and suddenly he felt safe again as the warmth of the younger boy washed over him.

"Riku?" came a soft voice, closer to his ear than he had thought.

"Yeah?"

"I…I'm sorry, if I'm pushing you too much. It's just…we lost so much time and…I missed you, Riku," Sora whispered.

"…I missed you, too. And…it's okay. I'm glad I came over today. Thanks, Sor," he said, smiling although the brunet couldn't see it in the dark.

"G'night, Riku."

"Good night, Sora."

oOoOo

Time ticked by as slowly as it possibly could, and Riku desperately fought the sleep that was trying to take him, instead focusing on Sora. Eventually his eyes had adjusted enough to see the boy's face a few inches away, a peaceful expression on it that made Riku's heart give a contented little flutter as he watched the boy. But soon listening to the steady lull of the brunet's breathing made it hard to keep his eyes open, and he was pulled into a dream once again…

It was different, though. This time he was on the small island by the paopu tree, sitting with his back against the tree. It was bright and sunny, and if he was sure it would be warm if he could feel it. He looked up at the sound of footsteps, and found Sora standing above him, grinning. The brunet reached down to offer Riku his hand, but as the older boy stretched out to take it, the darkness suddenly began intertwining through his fingers. Riku grabbed Sora's hand desperately, wanting it to stop But instead it only spread, crawling up the younger boy's skin as well. Blue eyes widened in fear as the darkness began to consume them both. Riku dropped his hand but it was useless, Sora was going to disappear…even his light was being tainted by him. Because it was the darkness in his heart that must be coming out, the impure feelings he shouldn't be having for Sora finally making their appearance. And it was because of them that the smaller boy was fading away from him now…

"-ku!"

I'm sorry, Sora.

"Riku!"

Suddenly he was jerked awake, light flooding his vision. He squeezed his eyes shut, spots forming behind them at the unexpected brightness. Then Riku opened them slowly, aquamarine meeting with azure. For the first time he noticed small hands clenching his shoulders tightly, the brunet hovering over him, worry cleanly written across his features.

"Riku, I know you don't want to talk about, but please…please just tell me. I hate that I can't even do anything to help you when you're like this! I want to fix it, Riku. So don't…push me away again. Just let me fix it," Sora whispered, reaching out and holding one of Riku's hands in his own.

The silver-haired boy stared at their hands, half-expecting the dream to come true. "Hey, you know what you said earlier-about being scared of losing me? Well I…I am too," Riku confessed.

"But why? It's over, Riku! We can be together now," Sora said, squeezing the older boy's hand tightly.

"Sora…everything that happened wasn't just because of the keyblade, you know. Maybe you won't really understand…but Sora, not everyone is like you. We aren't all pure and caring and innocent…I'm none of those things. And if I always have this darkness in me, then…what if it happens again, Sor? What if I hurt you again, or lose you forever this time? I can't-," but Riku was cut off as Sora let go of his hand suddenly and threw his arms around Riku for the second time that day, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

"Don't say that Riku," Sora said in a muffled voice. "I'll stay with you, no matter what! You won't ever lose me, so don't…," Riku felt something warm and wet trickling down his neck. "I don't care if you still have the darkness, Riku."

"Sora, you don't understand! It's…it's not something that I can control! If it takes over again…I might not be the same Riku anymore," the silver-haired boy said in a pained voice.

Defiance flashed through Sora's eyes as he pulled back to face Riku. "Don't be stupid, you'll always-"

"You know that it could happen! You know better than anyone what I was like when it did the last time! I hurt you so much, and it could've been even worse…I could've killed you and Kairi both! I could've-," Riku stopped as his vision began to blur, blinking against the sting in his eyes. He had always known these things, but voicing them for the first time just made it that much more real.

"But you didn't! Some part of you never changed, Riku…so it's okay…even if there's darkness, there's still light somewhere," the brunet said, smiling softly.

It's you.

"What if something happens to that light…because of me?" Riku asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked, brows furrowing cutely.

"Er, well let's just say…hypothetically of course…that there's a particular person who's kind of my...light. What if somehow they become part of the darkness too…because of certain…feelings I have?" Riku said slowly, hoping that Sora was dense enough not to realize exactly what he was talking about.

Sora's eyes widened and a faint blush tinged his cheeks, an expression that Riku did not like the look of. What if he knew…?

"Riku, is there…someone you love?" the younger boy asked, chewing on his bottom lip.

Riku flushed, quickly breaking eye contact with Sora. "We-well, that's…I'm not…yeah," Riku stammered, feeling like a complete idiot. "…There is."

"O-oh." Slowly Sora let go of Riku, moving back to his side of the bed. "Um, maybe we should go back to bed. It'll be okay, Riku…I'm sure anybody would be really lucky for you to feel that way," the brunet said, although he didn't exactly sound convinced himself.

Riku frowned as Sora curled up on his side, flicking off the lights again. "What are you thinking about, Sora?"

"N-nothing!" the younger boy responded hastily.

"Just tell me," Riku sighed.

"It's just…the person you like…is it…"

Oh god, he knows.

"Kairi?" Sora finished quietly.

"W-what? No! Kairi's just a friend…I mean maybe at one point, but not now," Riku explained in a rush, realization hitting him. Sora had only been worried that he was in love with his girlfriend…of course he would never even consider that Riku would have feelings for him…and he'd never return them even if he knew.

"Oh!" Sora sighed, flipping onto his back again. "I was afraid you might steal her away from me," he said in a teasing voice, although Riku knew that underlying it was complete sincerity. "Hey, Riku?"

"Hmm?"

"The person you like…I think you should tell them," Sora said.

Riku's eyes widened. "I really don't think that's a good idea," he whispered.

"But Riku…maybe the reason you're having all these dreams and stuff is 'cause of these feelings you have. Maybe you just need to get them out in the open," Sora said brightly.

Riku groaned inwardly. Looking back on their conversation now, he wondered how it was possible for Sora to not put two and two together. From saying that he was afraid of losing Sora to saying that he might lose the person that's his light…This was a new level of naivety, even for Sora.

"I think that person likes someone else," Riku sighed, trying a different tactic, although it stung slightly to say it out loud.

"But how do you know unless you tell them? Come on, Riku, you can do it!" the brunet said, the end of his sentence muffled by a wide yawn.

Riku laughed. "How 'bout we just go back to sleep for now?"

"Alright," Sora said. "…You okay?"

Riku blinked. Honestly he had been so focused on Sora that his dream seemed like just a distant memory now. "Yeah," he said slowly. "Thanks, Sor."

"Anytime, Riku…I love you, ya know," the brunet said.

Riku's heart began thumping wildly and he felt his face heating up, despite the fact he knew it wasn't meant in that way. It never would be.

"I love you, too," he murmured.

More than you'll ever know.

oOoOo

Author's Notes: Okay, I know I lied about finishing my other story first…I'm having issues with the ending. But it'll still come out this weekend! And if it doesn't, then I apologize profusely and you can all have ginormous cookies and a super-long chapter of this. Better?

Hmm I guess I like this chapter well enough but I have no idea how I'm going to get Sora thinking homo thoughts XD So this story might end up longer than I expected…although seriously I have like no outline or much in the way of plot ideas so who knows where it'll go. I guess I'll have fun finding out :)

Sankyuu to Katraa, Elle-Sempai, and Countcainn, my oh-so-lovely reviewers of chapter 1! I'm so thankful for the feedback early on, especially getting continuous support from a couple of FWR readers(I really am sorry for the lack of an ending XD). Happy reading, and much love.

-Emmy-the-Pooh

…because Eeyore is my hero. :D what a cutie