Sora sat out by the ocean, looking over the waves that rolled in and out. He inhaled the sweet scent of the water and tilted his head back, closing his eyes. He sat like that for a while, thinking about Riku. Sighing, the brunette opened his eyes and looked forward. Even after turning the man down he still couldn't get him off his mind. But it wasn't just the fact that Riku was always prodding in his mind that frustrated him. The silverette had never come back. Sora stood up. He was getting more and more frustrated. As he figured it, Riku was just upset that he had hurt Sora. He thought that giving into Sora's want would make everything ok. Of course, he was wrong and Sora knew that. If he had been anymore naïve, Sora might have given into the want that had haunted him so long and dated Riku. Running his hand through the older man's silver locks, pressing light kisses to his cheeks, holding hands with him while eating ice cream together on the pier. Sora tried to rid himself of these thoughts. That wasn't what happened, and it wasn't going to happen either. Sora knew it.

He just wished that through all of this, he had stopped loving Riku.

"Riku!" A 5 year old Sora giggled and ran around to the back of a barn. He was running from his best friend, who was trying to tag him. His usual cheerful smile was placed firmly on his face as he climbed up the back ladder to the roof of the old red building. Wind tousled the small boy's brown hair and he gaped gleefully at the view. Forgetting the game, the small boy called to his friend again. "Riku! Riku! You have to see this!"

A head of silver hair popped up from the edge of the roof and made its way over to the boy. Wonder filled aquamarine eyes as the 6 year old saw the land placed beautifully before him. The silverette took the brunette's hand and kept it firmly in his grasp. "Wow Sora, this is so cool!" The brunette nodded and giggled again.

"I know!" The brunette looked out over the fields of flowers and crop, his blue eyes sparkling with delight. The two boys sat there, hands clasped together, looking out over the land. Riku looked over at Sora, taking in the younger boy's appearance. Sora noticed the boy's gaze and flushed. "Do I have something on my face Riku?"

"No, I'm just happy I get to share this with you Sora." The silverette's hand grasped the brunette's tighter as he pulled the smaller male closer to him. "You're my best friend Sora. I know that no one will ever be able to replace you in my heart." These words danced around the ever blushing Sora, making his heart pound.

"Y-Yeah... Same here Riku."

Sora was cooking in the kitchen when Riku burst through his door. Sora turned down the heat on his noodles and angrily went into his living room.

"What the hell!" Sora glared into the living room until he saw the panting Riku. His eyes widened and he raised his eye brows. "Riku?" No answer was given. Riku looked into Sora's eyes and walked over to him, grabbing the brunette by his waist.

"I'm ready," were the only words that escaped Riku's mouth before he crashed his chapped lips to Sora's. Sora's mind blanched and his eyes widened to a comical size. When Riku pulled back, the brunette stayed there, hands gripping the front of Riku's jacket. He was resting his weight on Riku's arm, too shocked to do anything.

"I... Well... Riku?" Sora blinked at his friend. Riku turned red and leaned his forehead on Sora's.

"You remember when you were 5 and I was 6? We were out at the farm and I told you something that is as true today as it was then. Lately, I've done nothing to prove it and when I married Kairi I made it seem untrue. I'd forgotten how happy you make me." Taking a deep breath, Riku shut his eyes tightly then opened them and looked directly into Sora's now shining blue eyes. "Sora, you're my best friend. I know that no one will ever be able to replace you in my heart."

Sora didn't miss a beat. He pulled Riku's face down to his and crashed their lips together. Forget waiting. Forget making sure he was ready. Forget caution. Riku was here, Riku was willing, and god damn it, Sora wasn't going to let what may be his last chance slip by. He feverishly pushed his lips to Riku's. The silverette pushed back with as much vigor and deepened the kiss by tilting Sora's head back. The two men breathed harshly through their noses, not wanting to break the kiss for something as minimal to them as breath. Sora's arm sneaked behind Riku's neck and pulled him closer and Riku's arm tightened around Sora's waist. Noodles forgotten, Sora let himself be pulled to the couch by a lustful Riku. Riku plopped onto the couch and pulled Sora on top of him so that the brunette was straddling his waist. Sora groaned and pressed his body closer to Riku who did not stiffen against the contact. Two mouths opened and unleashed wet muscles to the fray. Teeth clacked and tongues fought as the heat rose. Riku's hands wandered to Sora's ass and they gently squeezed, causing the male to gasp and kiss the elder even harsher. Riku accepted this reaction and greedily squeezed to get more of the delicious sounds Sora made.

"S-Stop..." Sora mumbled these words so quietly Riku didn't stop for a moment. It wasn't until Sora pulled back, his lips puffy and red, saliva glistening at the corner of his mouth, that Riku got the message.

"What?" Riku breathed impatiently. Sora stood and jerked his head to the kitchen.

"Noodles. Wanna eat quick?" Sora held out his hand to Riku who took it and pulled Sora to the kitchen.

"Fine. But we-"

"We need to talk while we eat Riku, before we even think of continuing." Reason had kicked back into Sora; however, he did not pull his hand from Riku's. He only broke the contact when he went to the stove and pulled the fully cooked, and amazingly not burned, noodles from the burner. Sora prepared the noodles and poured the sauce over them, mixing them quickly. He got out two plates and ungracefully plopped spoonfuls of noodles on the white circles before setting them on the table. "Now Riku, what made you come back?"

"Well, Sora, I've been doing a lot of thinking. You were right. I did tempt you with touches and I did freeze up when you touched me. But, after thinking about it, I know my attraction to you was always there. When I was younger, it was a lot more noticeable. I guess as we got older I began to notice how people treated gays and got scared. I mean, you remember that weird red headed guy? He was beaten to a pulp because he kissed his boyfriend in the hallway. And his boyfriend, that one blonde that played the sitar I think, was put into a coma himself. I got so scared that I started trying to be more straight. I denied my attraction and tried to be all masculine." Riku paused to take a sip of water. "Part of me wanted you to tell me that you loved me so I could just drop everything and go 'Oh Sora, I love you too!' But, you never did that, so after training and going off to war and getting Kairi's letter, I figured it would be best to get over you. But I was still attracted to you and I would tease you. And when you touched me and my attraction flared up, I would tense because I was so nervous." Riku ate some noodles and looked around the kitchen. "When you told me you were gay, I wasn't angry or disgusted. I was shocked, yes, but also relieved. Although, learning this so late made me a little frustrated and I took that out on you." Sora held up his hand and silenced his friend, now hopefully to-be-lover.

"Stop there. As cheesy as your story is, I think I believe you. But what about your whole, 'I think I can learn to love you that way' crap?"

"Oh, yeah, that." Riku sighed. "Like I said, I was attracted to you. I didn't know if I loved you. But, after thinking about it, I began to realize how deep my feelings ran. And when I remembered that day at the barn, it finally clicked. I love you, Sora. I really do." Sora looked at Riku, who looked back. They sat there, just staring at each other. After a moment, they looked at their food and began eating again. Neither of the men looked up throughout the meal. After he had finished, Sora took his plate to the sink. He stood there and looked down the drain. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around his waist as another set a plate on top of his. Said arm then wrapped joined the other around his waist and pulled him towards a warm body. "So Sora, what say you?" The brunette leaned into Riku's touch and tilted his head back to rest on Riku's shoulder.

"I love you too, Riku." Sora kissed Riku, shifting his body so their stomachs were pressed together. The kiss they shared was gentler than the fevered kisses they had shared before. Their lips gently meshed together as they tried to express their caring. Sora pulled back and let out a rush of air through his nose.

"Sora, shall we...?"

"Oh hell yes... My room. Now."

Riku hung up his cell phone and set it on the kitchen counter. Sora walked into the kitchen and wrapped an arm around his lover's neck. He placed a chaste kiss on Riku's cheek.

"Hey, wassup?"

"Kairi called. She wants to visit me. Someone informed her I'm with someone and she wants to meet them. They didn't tell her it was you." Riku slowly wandered from Sora's touch to the living room couch. "She's going to rub it in my face that she was right." Sora sighed and saw next to Riku.

"Do you want to stage being with some girl?" Sora asked sadly. Riku frowned and took Sora's hands.

"Don't you think for a moment I'd want to do that. She may rub it in my face that she was right, but, for once, I'm really glad she was. I love you Sora, and if she even thinks of trying to come in between us I'll... Well I'll do something!" By now Sora was smiling wide and giggling. Riku chuckled and leaned close to Sora.

"Alright alright! No crazy schemes. And for that I am glad, honey." Sora pecked Riku's lips. Riku, unsatisfied with this, leaned toward Sora and captured his lips again.

Kairi walked to Sora's house smirking. She knew the two would end up together. And evil smirk worked its way across her lips. Sure, Riku probably thought she would rub it in his face. But no, what she was going to do was much, much worse. Sora always felt guilty about liking Riku and she was going to make him feel so guilty... Oh, the outcome was probably better than anything she could imagine. The Devil red headed woman walked up to the door of Sora's house and knocked. Riku opened the door and sighed.

"Come in Kairi." Riku left the door open and walked away. Kairi huffed at the cold welcome but walked inside. Her eyes were immediately graced with the sight of flustered Sora. The small man ran from Riku, who was grinning.

"God! Riku! Kairi is here!" Sora's face was red and he was tucking in his shirt. Kairi wrinkled her nose and sat on one of the chairs in the dining room.

"So, I see you two are living together eh?" She looked at her nails as she spoke, flicking off a small piece of lint.

"Oh yeah," Riku replied. "Adopting soon too." If Kairi had been drinking something she would have spit it out. Her jaw dropped and she sputtered.

"W-What?" Her hands gripped her knees, anger slowly boiling inside her. Already? They were getting a kid ALREADY?

"He's so cute too!" Sora pipped in. "We're getting him half off too since Riku knows the owner!" The brunette sighed. "He's such a cute kitten..."

"Oh. Yes. Of course. Kitten." Kairi mentally scolded herself. Of course it was a kitten! They wouldn't be adopting so soon into their relationship. Although, she was beginning to doubt there was a relationship to be spoken of. The only evidence towards anything was when Sora was flustered when she came in. But, knowing Sora, there could be many reasons for that. "So, Riku, I heard you finally got together with someone." The silverette nodded.

"Yes, I finally asked Sora out. And, luckily for me, he said yes this time." Riku took Sora's hand and nuzzled his cheek. Kairi relaxed and smirked. So they were together. She felt silly for ever doubting the fact that these two loved each other. Kairi's smile faltered and fell. She looked up at the two men and as she watched them banter jokingly and send each other love filled, not lust filled, but love filled glances she realized that doing anything to this relationship was practically against the law. Sora and Riku were in love and she had to get over the fact that the two boys, now men, that she had crushed on as a young girl and a young woman were never going to be anymore to her than friends. As she looked up again she saw them share a tender kiss. Guilt washed over her at the sight. It seemed as though love itself grew from the kiss her friends shared. Sighing and raising herself up, Kairi walked into the kitchen.

"I just want to say I'm glad for you two. Honestly." Kairi could tell that what she said shocked them. Obviously they had anticipated she would attack them, and for a time, they were right. Smiling, Kairi spoke again. "I know you were expecting that I was going to attack your relationship, and I was. But, after seeing you two so helplessly in love for each other, I realized that doing anything to you two would be a crime against nature." She shook her head and pulled some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "I forgot how much I cared about you two and got wrapped up in trying to be with one of my two crushes. I really liked you guys in a more than friendly way and that blinded me for a long, long time." Kairi looked up and smiled at them warmly for the first time in many years. "But I've actually gotten over that. I want to leave here knowing that you two get my blessing. Please, have a great relationship you two. I'd blame myself if you didn't."

For a long time Sora and Riku were quiet and opted to stare at their girl friend for a long time. Finally, Sora went over to her and grasped her in a tight hug.

"I missed you Kairi," came Sora's muffled voice. Kairi looked over at Riku, who smiled at her briefly. She knew getting on with him wouldn't be as easy as before, but she would try and make it work.

"So, do you two think you have room at this dinner table for an old friend?" Kairi pulled away from Sora's hug and gestured to the table.

Sora's smile was bright and trusting. "Of course."