Sora woke pressed against Riku's body, a strong arm wrapped around his waist. At first, he felt a strong burst of happiness in his heart; then, immense dread filled his stomach with a leaden feeling.
Riku's eyes fluttered open, finding a troubled-looking Sora beside him.
"Good morning...?" Riku offered.
Sora noiselessly swung his legs over the bed, burying his face in his hands.
Riku's feet touched the floorboards, and he said to Sora's back, "I'll talk to you out there." He silently dressed himself and closed the door.
Sora slid his hands down his face, the guilt settling like silt at the bottom of a river. He stood, his lower half aching, and dressed himself. He felt dirty, though he knew no amount of water would wash away his sin.
Weary, he met Riku in the tavern. He found Axel and Roxas had woken, but the boy they had brought with them had not. They gave him a slight wave in acknowledgement, but Sora passed by and plopped down across from Riku.
"I'm really sorry," Riku began, "my judgment was skewed, and I shouldn't have let you seduce me."
"It's all my fault," Sora dismissed, "We should've buried our romance a long time ago."
"It was harder for me to let go than it was for you," Riku explained, "my heart could never love another."
"Did you try?" Sora asked.
"Of course I tried," Riku scoffed, "nothing ever felt the same."
"For years I pretended to love Naminé, but I feared telling her the truth," Sora agreed. "What am I to do now?"
"Tell her about me," Riku answered, "tell her how you fell in love with me."
Sora stared down at his hands. "I'd break her heart..."
"If she loves you, she'll understand," Riku said.
"And what if she doesn't?" Sora wondered.
"Then...I suppose it was never meant to be." Riku replied.
"I buried our son...it was meant to be somehow. I can't stop thinking about Ven's eyes, how the light left them so quickly all because of - Sephiroth..." Sora faltered, lowering his head.
Riku sighed. "I am truly sorry to hear about your son..."
"I wanted you to meet him," Sora said, "I hoped someday you'd come back and help me raise him."
"I've never been good with children," Riku shook his head.
"Ven would've loved you," Sora groaned, "he was so kind and I...I couldn't take care of him how Naminé asked..."
"Sora," Riku said gently, lifting Sora's chin up, "upon your return home, tell her."
Sora nodded, the tears stinging in his eyes. "Will you visit me someday?"
Riku nodded. "That is, if I'm not running from the law."
"Running from the law...?" Sora repeated.
"Once they find out I haven't gone back to Britain, they'll track me down. But for now, I can hope that they won't." Riku explained. "I hope we meet again someday."
Sora let a fleeting smile flicker across his lips. "I do, as well."
The ragged gang of men returned to their rightful homes within weeks. Prompto had gone home to Cindy, ready to start a family now that the war had ended. Axel and Roxas brought Vanitas back with them, aiming to take care of him and hopefully learn French while they taught him English. Reno returned to the shipyard, now free of British tariffs. Hayner returned to Olette, also looking to start a family.
Sora sighed as he opened the tavern doors, and was immediately tackled by Naminé. He wrapped his leaden arms around his wife as she cried quietly into his shoulder. They agreed to visit Ventus' grave soon. Kairi threw her arms around her brother, agreeing to travel with them to visit Zack's grave. Noctis, who was about Ven's age and had barely remembered Sora, shook his hand as Sora relayed to him the bravery of his father.
That night, Sora and Naminé sat in the empty tavern. Both said, "I have to speak to you."
Naminé went first: "My sister, Celes, had a daughter. She died during childbirth, and her husband died in the war. Their daughter, Lunafreya, has no place to go; I offered to adopt her as my own, but I wanted your opinion as well."
"I wish I could've been a better father to Ventus," Sora answered, "and though I know I can never, ever replace him, I feel as if I must take in your sister's child to make up for the father Ven lacked."
"I will let my father know," Naminé agreed, "the child is in his custody as we speak."
Sora nodded, his stomach roiling with the truth he had to spill.
"Also...I know it's sudden, but...I want to try to have another child as well." Naminé added. "I wanted two children, but..."
She glanced away, tears forming. Sora placed a hand on hers.
"I understand. I'd be more than happy to have another child with you." He gave her a weak smile. "But for now...we should plan to visit Ven."
The two visited Ven's grave a few weeks later. Gray clouds hung in the air the day they traveled to the site, the looming threat of rain beating down on them. Sora gripped Naminé's hand, the strength of his heart already shattering. He knew, as he gazed upon his son's headstone, that he had been proof of Sora's love and care for Naminé. Now that the world was without him, Sora doubted himself.
"What was the last thing he said?" Naminé asked.
"He...he told me I had been a good father..." Sora answered, "because I doubted myself so..."
Naminé squeezed his hand. "He was right, then."
"No...I wasn't there for his childhood..." Sora dismissed, hanging his head.
"You were there when he needed you, and that's all that was asked." Naminé assured.
Sora knelt at Ven's grave, his fingertips tracing the stone. "I love you, Ven."
A cold wind blew through the trees, and thunder rumbled low in the distance, like the sound of an animal growling.
Sora's heart twisted, knowing fully that Ven had heard him. He only wished Ven could be there when he needed him.
Lunafreya, a small blonde baby girl of perhaps no more than five months old, arrived at the tavern with Naminé's father. Upon seeing her bright face, Sora immediately burst into tears. Though she resembled the woman Celes whom Sora had never met, he also saw Ven's smile in her eyes.
"She's beautiful," he said, his voice weak.
"She is," Naminé agreed, "like my sister was..."
"What was she like, your sister?" Sora wondered.
"Beautiful," Naminé began, staring into space wistfully, "independent...she was a little aloof - in fact, she preferred to be alone than in the company of men. It seemed as if she would never marry...but she did..."
"What do you suppose Luna here will be like?" Sora dangled a finger above Luna's head, Luna reaching out to grab it.
"Independent, kind..." Naminé mumbled, as if in a daze. "There's...someone coming up the road to the tavern."
Sora glanced up, seeing Roxas and Axel heading their way. Behind them trailed Vanitas.
They opened the doors themselves, striding inside.
"We came to see our new niece," Roxas said.
Sora approached them, holding Luna out to them. Luna smiled, grasping the air for one of her uncles' fingers. Axel let her hold his, and he smiled.
"Vani, this is Luna," Sora explained.
Vanitas nodded, drinking in Sora's English. "Luna..."
"Your English has gotten so much better in just a few months." Sora acknowledged.
"Much thanks," Vani replied.
"Sora, I have some exciting news to tell you," Naminé said, a genuine smile on her face.
"Yes...?" Sora tilted his head to her.
Her smile shone brighter than the stars. "I'm expecting."
Sora's heart soared, his body feeling lighter than air as he was filled with happiness once again.
"That's excellent news!" He beamed.
"Congratulations, you two," Roxas offered, clapping Sora on the back.
The tavern doors swung open, revealing Kairi and Noctis. Naminé ran to greet Kairi, immediately relaying the news. Kairi laughed aloud with joy, throwing her arms around Naminé.
"You'll have another cousin, Noctis!" Kairi exclaimed.
Noctis gave a brief but genuine smile - he was almost a teenager now, and he didn't have many cousins his age besides Vanitas, and he missed having a cousin to speak to.
As the family rejoiced, they almost didn't notice the man standing in the doorway.
"Having a celebration without me?" Riku asked.
Sora paled, his stomach sinking. He passed Luna over to Naminé, approaching Riku as if he had become an apparition in the doorway.
"Riku...I didn't expect to see you again so soon..." He said.
"So soon? I thought you hadn't seen Riku since the war began?" Naminé said.
Riku gave Sora a particular glance, realizing Sora had not come clean about his brief affair.
"I suppose the time seems to fly by..." Sora answered.
Riku deepened the furrow in his brow, while Roxas and Axel (who had heard the two during their affair) shifted uncomfortably.
"It's great to see you again. Please, stay as long as you'd like." Sora offered quickly.
"I wasn't planning on staying at the Destiny Inn," Riku answered flatly.
A brief silence hung between them.
"Where were you planning on staying...?" Sora wondered tentatively.
"Well, I might find another tavern in town," Riku said, "or stay with one of your relatives, if possible?"
"Kairi, you don't mind if Riku stays with you, do you?" Sora asked almost frantically.
She scowled at Sora, but changed her expression when facing Riku. "Riku, would you like to come stay with me?"
"Thank you, Kairi, but I'm afraid it would be unsightly for a bachelor such as I to reside in the home of a young widow." Riku excused.
"Riku, I really insist on your company," Kairi pressed with clenched teeth.
Riku sighed and gave her a smile. "Your hospitality is most appreciated."
Kairi grabbed Sora by the sleeve and dragged him to the kitchen. "What the hell is going on?" She hissed.
"Nothing is going on!" Sora insisted.
"That's doubtful," Kairi retorted, "the tension was so thick, we could feel it. Now tell me the truth."
Sora hung his head. "Riku and I...we had an affair about a month and a half ago, before I came home."
Kairi's hand slowly drifted to her mouth. "Oh..."
"I obviously haven't told Naminé yet," Sora added, "and...I suggested to him that he marry you so he and I can be close."
"And then what, you'll have an ongoing affair with him forever? Naminé isn't stupid, Sora; she'll catch on eventually. And I would rather you tell her and explain yourself before she finds out on her own! Do I make myself clear?" Kairi growled.
Sora gulped and nodded swiftly.
Sora lay Luna in Ven's old bassinet, his hand lingering on the wood. His smile faded quickly, and he sat down on his bed.
"Is something bothering you?" Naminé's comforting voice inquired.
Sora's stomach trembled as he eased out the truth. "Riku and I...we had more than just a brotherly relationship..."
Naminé remained silent, patiently waiting.
"We...I...fell in love with him..." Sora admitted, staring at the floor, "he made love to me when we were about sixteen..."
Naminé knit her brows and pursed her lips.
Sora clenched his fist. "Then he left, and I pined for years, then we had that fight and I pined harder...finally we met again after the war was over and...I had an affair with him."
Naminé exhaled silently, turning on her side and throwing the covers over herself.
Sora buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
Naminé said only one thing, "Was your love for me always a lie...?"
Sora paused, expecting her to be bitter and receiving what sounded like the opposite. "No. I love you very much, but very differently. I'm sorry, but I will never feel the passion I feel for Riku; but I will always love you as the mother of my children, as the woman whose presence made me happy when I have been so sad for so long."
Naminé did not answer; she only sighed softly as she has drifted off to sleep.