Hi friends!

You lovely people better be ready for a long chapter 'cause that's what we got today. Not even what I intended when I started writing it, but then I got them feels and my hand slipped and it just kept going and going and- honestly, I'm quite happy with how wholesome it turned out to be.

Specific tags include:
during KH 2; KH 2 ending scene; established relationship; romance; fluff; apologies; catharsis; talking things through; mending a bond; making peace with oneself; some suggestive moments at the end; alternating POV

Hopefully you enjoy! ^-^

Chapter 7: Juxtaposition

End of the road, indeed.

Nothing to see beyond this quiet, eerie, dark ocean. Their adventure started the day they left the beach… seems fitting that it ends at one, as well. It could be worse, right? At least, they know everyone else in the Realm of Light will be safe from now on – they accomplished their mission. And, at least, they're together.

"Man… I'm kind of getting hungry."

The soft growling of Sora's belly puts a smile on Riku's face. "The world just ended but you're the same as ever."

"Yeah? Well, you must think you're pretty cool now, with long hair and all that."

There's no one and nothing else in this beach to hear their laughter, and the sound is muffled by the gentle breaking of the waves by their feet. After facing a foe as formidable as Xemnas, they're both exhausted, sore, dazed… but, if they close their eyes, they can almost feel like nothing happened and nothing changed. Like the whole journey was nothing more than a crazy, vivid dream.

Yet Riku knows it's not this simple… it can't be this simple. Not after what he's done. Maybe he's, indeed, too used to staying in the dark? Maybe he'll never be able to not flinch at the sight of light? But truth is… even if he was able to right most of his wrongs, those actions and choices can't be erased. The pain and heartbreak he provoked left scars, inside and out, on so many people that he never meant to hurt. And the best example of it is sitting right beside him, on this patch of wet sand. Come to think of it… Riku has never properly apologized, has he? Might as well take the chance, now. It really doesn't look like they'll be leaving any time soon.

"Sora–"

"Just kidding. I actually love your hair like this."

"…That's not–" Way to be caught off guard. Riku has been separated from Sora for so long that he almost forgot the younger one's spontaneity. Almost forgot how much he truly missed it. Pulling his knees tighter against his chest, Riku starts absently doodling with a finger on the wet sand. "–not what I was gonna say."

"Mhm…" Sora sits in his usual lighthearted manner, every limb sprawled. Glancing to the side at Riku, he smiles. "You were probably about to say more silly stuff, weren't you? Like, you belong here in this creepy place and you have no right to return home with me after everything? And you and Darkness belong together, so why am I even bothering with you?"

The sand drawing has become just a lump of squiggles and non-sense, till Riku wipes everything clean with the palm of that hand. If only you could erase the bad things you do just this easily… but, then again, if the good things were also written on sand they wouldn't last very long, either. Dusting off his hands, Riku leaves his arms around the knees again. "Look at you… since when are you Sora the Wise?"

"You missed out on a lot, actually. Don't you see how much I've grown?"

"Still shorter than me."

"I don't mind that. It makes the hugs all the better."

Now Riku has to smile. For the longest time, Sora would throw a tantrum whenever reminded of his short stature… and it only started changing when Riku helped him see it from a whole new perspective. "And it means you're always at perfect kissing distance for me."

It was this sentence exactly, and Sora reacts to it with a grin of his own.

It almost feels like happiness and joy don't belong here, in such gloomy location, but if the world truly has come to an end for them… they may as well make the best out of it. What do they have to lose, after all? That's what Sora thinks, anyway. Shifting to his hands and knees, Sora moves closer to Riku and settles in between his legs – kind of sitting on his lap, kind of sitting on the wet sand, kind of sitting awkwardly, but it works for him. For them. With his arms also wrapping loosely around Riku's neck, he leans in till their foreheads are pressed together.

"I still can't believe you're here with me… you're really here. I really found you, after all this time."

There's so much that Riku can say back to this, starting with that apology that never came out and that he still wants to return to. But he doesn't, and rather places his hand on Sora's cheek, and then cuts the final distance left between their mouths. It's a tender kiss, with no rush and no urgency; it's just savoring the moment and relearning Sora's flavor all over again. Like Riku is coming home after a long, long time away.

And it is this sense of familiarity, of being back to his sanctuary, that prompts Riku's next teasing comment.

"You've improved a lot."

"Huh?" Sora blinks, by far not satisfied with only one kiss but willing to make a pause for the sake of satisfying his curiosity.

"Your kisses. Now you don't even smack me with your teeth anymore."

"…Shut up, that only happened once! And I didn't know what I was doing."

"And now you do? Who have you been practicing with, Mr. Sora the Wise?"

The succession of cheeky remarks earns Riku a playful little bite to his lower lip, and he laughs. Laughs in a way he hasn't laughed for… more than a year, really. Laughs like he means it, and not only like he's going through the motions. And Riku is surprised that he still remembers how to laugh like this.

"You're lucky I love your smile, Mr. Riku the Poopie!" Sora's fingers get tangled in the long strands of silver hair, gently brushing them back and off Riku's face – his own expression holding that fake edge for an instant longer, just for the sake of proving his point, though quickly reverting to a smile. "It's funny…"

"What is?"

"Your face… I'm only now noticing how much it's actually changed. I mean, you look the same to me, but at the same time… you look different. You look–" What's the best word to describe it? Sora purses his lips in thought for a second. "–more mature. Grown-up."

"Well… it has been a year."

"Yeah, well, look at me… I still get asked if I'm twelve. First time we visited Twilight Town, I got asked if I was lost and where my parents were." Come to think of it, maybe that had to do with the fact that Sora had still been wearing his old clothes back then. It's hard to believe anyone wearing shorts like that could be older than twelve.

"You have a baby face. And that's not a bad thing."

"Easy for you to say!"

"Does that mean you don't wanna be my baby, anymore?"

Smooth, Riku. Very smooth. Sora feels his smile going a lot more on the bashful side, and leans in to leave a kiss on the older teen's cheek as his hand drops down to find Riku's, lacing their fingers together.

"I'll always be your baby. Don't forget our destinies are intertwined."

Ah, yes… the good ol' Paopu fruit they shared. It's only been a couple years at this point, yet it feels to Riku more like a different lifetime. Back when everything had been so much simple, so much clean. A double-edged memory, as it is; tugging at Riku's heartstrings, soothing his fear as much as it rekindles the fire of insecurity.

"Sora… Do you ever regret it?"

"Regret what?"

"That promise. The… Paopu."

"Riku, are you stupid? Why would I regret it!" Sora answers with so much vehemence it's almost like he took personal offense on being asked such a thing. Scratch that, he did! How dare Riku ask if he regrets one of the most meaningful moments of his life, this dummy!

"Because I let you down."

"Riku–"

"It's true. Can't change what I did."

Sora resists the urge to pinch Riku's arm till it turns purple; for continuing to be a dummy, for sliding further down into the dummy hole even. "There's things I wish I could change too, you know."

"Like what?"

"Like… the first time we met in Traverse Town. Yeah, I should've just hit you with a frying pan and dragged you along with me and the guys. That would have solved everything!"

Riku laughs quietly, shaking his head; unable to tell if Sora is being serious or not, but he appreciates the attempt.

But Sora's not finished yet. "Why do you look at the past so much, anyway? We have the present. And we'll have the future."

"I don't think our future will go anywhere besides this beach, Sora."

"Then we'll have this beach, that's okay too! Don't you see? I've come all this way to find you, Riku… I lost you so many times, before. But now I have you right here with me – it's really you, it's not a dream or an illusion. Why would I look back at what's already happened, when now I have you here? None of that matters anymore."

Light is so dim around them, making it difficult to discern little details and nuances. Even in this looming dark, however, Riku can see the glint in the blue of Sora's eyes; the same glint that always takes over whenever Sora is passionate about something. Whenever he's made up his heart and mind, and there will be no force on this earth to stop him. And, again, while it does warm his heart, it also makes Riku's guilt triple in size and weight. Because he doesn't believe he deserves this… he doesn't deserve someone like Sora looking at him like this.

"You're too good, Sora. You're kind and brave and loyal… and all too good for someone like me."

"Riku… haven't you pushed me away enough?"

"Have you considered that was always for your own good?"

If nothing else, there's solace to be found in the fact that their arguments to see who's more stubborn and who gets the last word are still exactly the same; only the topic has changed. They used to argue to see who could race faster to the end of the beach, who could climb the tallest palm tree to grab a coconut, who was more skilled at playing swords, who could bat back more of Wakka's balls, who could find the best birthday present for Kairi… pretty much everything. Their bond was always built on competitiveness but the kind that pulled them up rather than down, so that they always made each other better.

Even after they shared their first kiss, they started competing to see who kissed better.

Who could better and more easily sweep the other off his feet.

Sora has no issue admitting that Riku wins more often than not, especially in this last category. Because Riku is always so confident, so certain of what he's doing… he used to be, and he still is. How else would he have been able to keep Sora safe, all the way from Castle Oblivion to this beach here? Even if from the shadows. Because shadows don't mean good things are non-existent, they're just harder to be seen – it just means Riku needs help to see everything good he is and has done. And Sora finds his words again, after a brief moment of silence, keeping his smile in place as he leans in to rest his cheek on Riku's shoulder.

"Have you forgotten that I'm a really bad learner?"

They stay like this for a bit longer, with Sora's head in the crease of Riku's neck and Riku's fingers gently running through the spiky brown locks. Does time even pass, in this realm between Light and Darkness? Does it exist, does it make sense? Are the two of them frozen, while everyone else above and below them continues moving on? Thoughts that Riku is entertaining himself with, because they are the perfect excuse to not think of the rest.

To no one's surprise, it is Sora who eventually breaks the little moment; not because he's not thoroughly enjoying it, not at all, but because it is physically impossible for him to stay idle for too long. Leaving another kiss on Riku's cheek, Sora stands up and stretches with a happy noise as his back pops. The battle with Xemnas did leave him wrecked, but… it also left him drenched in sweat. Sora remembers Riku at some point talking about what Darkness smells like… and, well, he himself currently smells like he really needs a bath. Kicking off his shoes, then, just letting them roll on the sand each to a side, Sora does a little sprint into the waves, till the water starts kissing at his shins.

"Is it cold?"

"No! It feels just like back home."

Getting up as well, Riku dusts off the back of his pants out of habit. Didn't he use to hate the way sand gets everywhere? Right here and now, it's like heaven on earth. He leaves his shoes behind along with Sora's, though in a far less chaotic manner, and goes to join his beloved. The water is warm, indeed… Maybe this means they're not as far away from Light as they first thought? Dreaming still comes for free.

"It does, doesn't it?"

Sora doesn't reply, already venturing deeper in the water so he can dive into the welcoming waves, clothes and all. And Riku is watching with a smile, contemplating to do just the same, but the younger one is faster. Emerging in front of Riku, Sora grabs him by the nearest arm and all but tugs him down into the water as well, with a gasp of surprise and a big splash.

It's almost like life is simple and clean, again.

"Just wait for it, you little rascal!"

Threats tend to not be very effective when you're laughing at the same time, but Riku can't help it. Brushing his now soaked hair away from his face, he's just in time to see Sora approaching again with the same mischievous grin on his face – but, this time, to leave his arms wrapped loosely around Riku's neck. Not a whole second passes before their lips are entangled once more, the taste of each other mingling with the salty flavor of the water.

"You can never get enough, can you?" Riku murmurs into the kissing, though not complaining at all.

"Of what, kisses? Or you? In both cases, the answer is no."

"I'm still wondering who else you've been practicing kisses with."

It's just Sora's luck that, the moment he bounces in reaction to this teasing and is prepared to retaliate by means of merciless tickling, the layer of sand underneath his feet gives in. Nothing too serious, just a less stable spot that sinks in… though it does cause him to lose his balance and go for an unprepared dive much like what he did to Riku a minute ago. Karma is a force to be reckoned with, even by this side of the Light. It's Riku's turn to laugh, as soon as Sora surfaces again coughing and sputtering, making sure that the younger teen is steady by holding securely around his waist.

"Graceful as a swan."

"Shut it! It's all your fault!"

To be fair, this is the sort of blanket statement that Riku is the first to agree with, but… Somehow, right now, this self-destructive thought is a bit easier to push away. Sora's smile and laughter can save just about anything and anyone, and maybe this is why the next words suddenly fall off Riku's lips; absently and unplanned, like a thought that gained wings and flew off before it could be trapped in a birdcage.

"My sunlight."

"…What?"

"Nothing. C'mon, let's head back before you drown yourself."

Unlikely, given that both of them swim like a fish, but a) Sora's talent to be clumsy should never be underestimated and b) Riku needs a smooth way out of the little confession he just blurted out without meaning. Saying that your significant other is your sunlight is terribly on the sappy side, isn't it? And Riku isn't a total sap, thank you very much. So he begins his way back to the wet sand, headed now for the remnants of what seems to be an old raft that must have crashed on the shore, at some point.

"This is kinda nostalgic, isn't it?"

"Do you think it's ours?" Sora follows close behind, still wiping bits of sand and salt off his mouth and offering the raft a similar fond look.

"Hard to tell. Maybe some other kids from some other island had the same idea."

"Good to know we're not the only dumb ones out there."

The smile of amusement lingers on Sora's lips, though he doesn't necessarily mean what he just said. Taking back their decision to leave Destiny Islands would erase everything else – he wouldn't have met Donald and Goofy, Mickey and Minnie and Chip and Dale, Jiminy and Leon and Aerith and Yuffie, Pooh Bear, all the other friends he's made in so many different worlds… no, Sora definitely wouldn't take it back. If his heart brought him where he is now, he does not regret it one bit.

"'Least it's gonna be useful, now."

The water was warm and so is the weather (Does this place even have "weather"?), but staying in drenched clothes for too long won't be a good idea. Sora easily pries some pieces of wood out of the raft and makes a small pile, then uses the last droplets of his MP to produce a flame. Luck is on their side for once, and the wood catches fire and quickly grows into a very nice improvised bonfire. The two of them strip their jackets and shirts and stand closer to the flames, Riku getting entertained with wringing the water out of his hair while Sora stretches out his arms to wiggle his fingers even closer to that wonderful heat.

"Careful you don't burn yourself."

Such a simple thing for Riku to say but, thanks to it, Sora's heart is suddenly as warm as the fire. Thinking back, he can't pinpoint the moment he realized he was in love with Riku… maybe because love isn't one big spectacular thing. Love is a gathering of small and constant things, that silently weave themselves into your life and make it worth living. Love is someone offering you their jacket when it's cold, holding your hand when it's storming outside and you're scared, bringing you a nice cup of tea when you're sick, telling you to be careful because they can't bear the thought of you hurting or being hurt… just like Riku just did for him. Just like Riku always did for him and, yes, he's purposefully ignoring the horrors that Ansem provoked. That doesn't count, and if someone ever dares to tell him otherwise and that Riku deserves to suffer for what happened then they're gonna get a Keyblade to the face.

"Sora…? What's wrong?"

The same Riku now staring at him with a curious frown, and it's when Sora notices a soft dampness on his cheek that has nothing to do with the previous sea-dive. Is he crying…? Seems like it, as he brushes his fingers over that cheek and catches what's left of the tear that broke free. He laughs quietly at it and it probably looks a bit odd, because another tear just followed the first and he's laughing and crying at the same time.

"I've always been the crybaby, huh?"

Is it such a bad thing, though? Tears are a way for the heart to express what it's feeling, as much as happy faces. And, right now… Sora's heart feels so warm. So soothed, so tranquil. Turning to face Riku, he takes the older teen's hands on his own.

"Don't worry… they're happy tears."

"Only you would find the happy side of the end of the world."

"Why not? I mean, Xemnas is gone. We stopped the Organization, Kairi and the King and everyone else are back to the Realm of Light and they're safe. I wish we could do more for Naminé and Roxas, but… it's already good enough, isn't it? And I found you, Riku. I finally found you, you're finally here with me again. If the price to pay for all of this is being stuck at this beach forever with you, I don't think that's too bad."

Sunlight, Riku muses yet again. What can he say to all this? It's like any words he may try to add will only ruin Sora's beautiful perspective, so he refrains from it. Instead, his hands cup the younger one's cheeks and his thumbs gently brush away the tears, and he can't help but smile at the way Sora so promptly stands on his tippy-toes and leans in for more kisses. It's different this time, though… these kisses aren't lazy and sweet like before, rather with a bit more urgency. A bit more eagerness. Sora's hand finds its way to the back of Riku's neck and stays there in a manner that is almost possessive, and the feather-like little touches of those fingertips send a shiver running down Riku's spine.

"Sora–"

"I love you."

Nothing could have prepared Riku for this, though; the whole Castle That Never Was crumbling loudly to pieces wouldn't have rattled him more. Which is perhaps strange, because it's not like it's new or unexpected; it's not like Sora just said something Riku did not know, all modesty be damned. But… have either of them ever said it out loud? The three magical little words that fairy tales and happy endings are made of? They never did, did they? It's been just something that was subliminal. Something that neither of them doubted existed, even if they'd never given it a label. Yet, to now name it and make it real, it's like Riku has Mushu's fireworks exploding inside his chest. Before he can answer and say it back, however, Sora is faster once more and goes on.

"I love you, and I don't care if we spend the rest of our days here. Riku… you're here with me and that's all I want. All I need."

Still no chance to say it back, because the kissing returns as soon as Sora is done talking and Riku can swear it's growing gradually more intense. It's not that Sora was ever shy before, but at the moment he seems keen on showing that sunlight can also be fierce. Maybe it is still the last tidbits of post-battle adrenaline, the same drive to conquer; the same thrill that rushes to the head and lowers all filters and inhibitions. In fact, before Riku knows what's happening next, he's being tugged down and flops unceremoniously with his butt on the sand, exactly one second before there's palms on his naked chest to push him back. Just as fast, Sora is straddling him by the hips and hovering over with a hand by each side of his face… and at this point, quite frankly, Riku is done caring for the end of the world, or worrying about his past actions, or anything else at all really.

All that matters is Sora's face so close to his own; the crown necklace that is Sora's favorite and that he wears at all time hanging from his neck, swaying softly and in time with the younger teen's growing breathing. And maybe, yes, they're both sore and bruised and dirty and nasty from the consecutive clashes with Xemnas, and now there's salt water drying up on their hair to boot and the damn sand is everywhere as usual, but even so – as Riku glances up at Sora and notices the glistening blue of his eyes, the blush tingeing his cheeks and nose, his lips left damp and swollen after so much kissing… Riku has no doubt there's no one more beautiful in this world, in the next, or in any of them at all. Inside and out.

"I love you, too. I love you so much… I love you more than anything, my sunlight."

I'll leave you guys to imagine what happened in that beach next. *winkwink*

Thank you so much for reading and see you for the next chapter!
Theia