Years passed, and Sora had not written a single letter to Riku.
His children were now about five years old. Luna had Naminé's delicate features, and Tidus had Sora's strong playfulness.
The three of them lived in a small house by the sea in Maryland. A vegetable garden grew in the yard, and chickens ran amok on the lawn. The waves crashed against the shore, reminding Sora of Boston. He wrote letters to his family, but he seldom visited Boston. He wished to visit during Christmas, but he was afraid of the conditions with his young children.
His heart, though it had grown somewhat stony from the deaths of his firstborn son and his wife, still pined for affection.
Unsure if Riku still resided in Kairi's house, Sora sat down and wrote him a letter.
Weeks later, a reply came from Riku; it said he would visit as soon as Sora had received the letter.
Despite the fact Sora had not asked for Riku to visit, he knew there was much they had to discuss.
Riku arrived in another two weeks, the orderly knocking on the door waking him.
He stumbled out of bed, his hair and clothes disheveled and stubble sprouting on his jaw, finding Riku in the doorway.
"Come in," He offered sleepily.
"Did you build this place yourself?" Riku wondered. Sora yawned and nodded.
The two sat down in the small kitchen. The house was quiet, as the children had not woken yet.
"Riku," Sora began, "I miss you very much."
"I miss you, as well." Riku returned.
"I have realized that my heart simply was not meant for a life without you," Sora admitted, "I need you..."
"I need you," Riku repeated, "I love you. I never, ever stopped."
Tears pooled in Sora's eyes. "Did you end up marrying Kairi? She never spoke of it in her letters."
"No; Noct is a young adult now, and has no need for a fatherly figure anymore. Kairi encouraged me to seek you, to finally rest my wandering heart at your doorstep." Riku explained.
"Will you stay in this little house by the sea with me?" Sora asked. "Will you help me raise my children, and be their father?"
"Are you asking me to marry you?" Riku chuckled.
Sora grasped Riku's hands. "Please...marry me. Of course, it won't really be legal, but we'll be married in our own eyes. Please say yes."
Riku's eyes twinkled. "Of course."
In a sudden flash, Sora pounced across the table, slamming Riku's chair onto the floor with Riku still in it.
"Careful, Sora! We're not teenagers anymore, you could seriously hurt me!" Riku laughed.
"You make my heart feel so young," Sora said, capturing Riku's lips in his.
Riku moaned softly into Sora's lips, his hands sliding down Sora's back. Sora tangled his fingers in Riku's hair, his body consumed with passion.
"Mm...your chin is scratchy; seems you've become a man, after all," Riku murmured.
Sora laughed softly, taking in Riku's lips again.
Small feet padding against the floor and a soft voice asked, "Daddy, what's going on?"
Sora's blood chilled, his stomach sinking. Riku removed his lips, laughing. Sora pouted, his cheeks warm.
"N-nothing, Luna," he answered, awkwardly clambering off Riku's body, "Daddy's just...uh..."
He stood, brushing himself off. Riku rolled off to the side and stood beside Sora.
Tidus entered the room, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He focused his eyes on Riku, and pointed at him. "Who's that?"
Sora took his children's sides, with Luna immediately hiding behind Sora's leg. Tidus tilted his head at Riku, still studying the strange man his father had been sitting atop.
Sora nudged his children toward Riku. "Kids...this is Riku. He's going to be your father."
Tidus frowned. "Father? Then what's going to happen to you?"
"Nothing, but Riku is also going to be your father." Sora explained.
"So we'll have two fathers?" Luna asked.
"Yes." Sora smiled.
"Oh...okay. So...who do I call 'Father' then?" Tidus wondered.
Riku and Sora exchanged glances. "Um...well..."
"Because now that we have two fathers, it might get confusing," Tidus said.
"You can call me Riku," Riku offered.
"Okay Riku." Tidus decided.
Riku knelt to his stepchild. "Hello, Tidus."
"Hi Riku," Tidus said, waving.
"Did you know you were named after one of my best friends?" Riku asked.
Tidus shook his head.
Riku looked over at Luna, who ducked behind Sora's leg.
"It's okay, he's not going to hurt you," Sora assured, nudging Luna toward him.
Luna tentatively approached Riku, reaching out to touch him. She placed her finger on his forehead. "Why is your hair gray? Are you old?"
Riku laughed. "Oh, I suppose...but I've had gray hair all my life."
"What's all this about 'supposing' you're old?" Sora joked, "You're over thirty-five, aren't you?"
"You're no spring chicken, either," Riku teased, rising to his feet. He held his arm out, which Sora curled up into. Riku kissed Sora briefly on the lips, and the children shrieked in disgust.
"That's gross!" Tidus shouted.
"Kissing is gross!" Luna added.
"Alright, run along now; you have an hour to play before it's time to go to school." Sora ushered his kids out of the kitchen.
"I traveled alone all the way out here," Riku mentioned, "and I didn't see a school anywhere."
"I teach them myself. Every weekday, from nine in the morning to noon, we have school lessons." Sora explained. "Then we have lunch. After lunch, we go out and tend the garden and feed the chickens. Then the kids play while I prepare dinner. I tell them stories before bedtime. On Sundays, we have church in our own home."
"You really have become a great father," Riku said, "Kairi said you always used to doubt yourself."
"I realize now that the war robbed me of being able to raise Ven properly," Sora agreed, "and...of course I still mourn for him and Naminé, but their memories don't make me as sad."
Riku slipped his hand into Sora's and gave it a squeeze. "You know, everyone misses you. You haven't come home in five years."
Sora shook his head. "I know, and I miss them all greatly. I've been so afraid of the road back, I've feared my children catching a cold and..."
"I understand." Riku finished. "But you - we should return for Christmas this year."
December 1785, Sora and Riku packed the carriage Sora had left home with and the two journeyed back to Boston with their children.
Snow had softly powdered the city, and the warm lantern-light of the Destiny Tavern shone like a beacon of home.
Sora's eyes watered as they approached the home he had abandoned five years ago.
Riku let go of the reins and gave Sora's hand a squeeze. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Sora answered, and he tethered the horse.
Inside, Aerith saw the carriage pull up to the tavern, and her grown son clamber out with his children in his arms. Her hands flew to her mouth, and she motioned for Cloud to look.
The doors swung open, and Sora met eyes with his parents for the first time in a long time.
Aerith embraced Sora, softly weeping into his shoulder.
"You've come home," she said, "I thought you never would..."
Sora's heart twisted, and his eyes too filled with tears as he held his mother.
As the family sat near the fire exchanging gifts and stories of the past several years, Sora became overwhelmed with a sense of guilt.
"Somehow, I feel as if my entire secret romance with Riku has caused so much pain with this family..." Sora admitted.
"Sometimes fate just has cruelty in store for us," Cloud explained, "the most we can do is take what fate has given us and move on."
Riku placed his hand on Sora's, giving it a squeeze.
"Cloud, would you do us the honor of officiating our wedding?"
Sora's cheeks reddened. "Wedding?"
"You mean you haven't even asked Sora to be your bride?" Kairi teased.
Riku chuckled, "He asked me, just not in front of his family."
He stood, only to get down on one knee. He took Sora's hands in his and said, "Sora Strife, will you marry me?"
Sora melted into a flustered mess, barely able to utter the word "Yes".
"Cloud, can you marry us now?" Riku asked.
"Now?!" Sora exclaimed, his body on fire.
"Why not? I've waited long enough to finally make you mine," Riku said.
"I suppose that is true," Sora admitted. He stood, turning to his father. "Please?"
"Without asking for my blessing?" Cloud joked.
"Sir, may I have your blessing to marry your son?" Riku asked.
Cloud smiled, shaking Riku's hand. "Of course."
Cloud then retrieved the Bible from upstairs. He opened it, reciting a few passages as Sora and Riku faced each other, eyes locked.
"Riku, do you take Sora to be your lawfully-wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" Cloud asked.
Riku's eyes glimmered in the firelight. "I do."
"Sora, do you take Riku to be your lawfully-wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" Cloud recited.
Sora's heart overflowed with joy as he barely whispered the words, "I do."
"You may now kiss the - groom?" Cloud offered.
"Sora's still a bride," Kairi joked.
Riku yanked Sora close, their lips colliding in passion.
"Eww, they're kissing!" Tidus and Luna squealed.
Sora chuckled against Riku's lips, finally able to call Riku his.