Hello friends, welcome!
I'm Theia and it's awesome to see you here. :D

Let me introduce this project a little:

In a nutshell, this will be me sharing SoRiku scenarios and exploring their bond from different perspectives and under different circumstances. You can expect chapters taking place all over the canon of all the games so far, in no particular order, as well as chapters taking place before and after canon. You can also expect a lot of my personal headcanons and chapters taking place in original settings. And! You can definitely expect a lot of angst, fluff, smut, friendship, romance, introspection, character study and development, adventure and fantasy, fighting and canon-typical violence, teenage awkwardness, and cameos by other KH characters.

Most chapters can be read either as connected or as independent from each other, it's really however you prefer to interpret them. That said, I will be using specific tags to group the chapters that "officially" belong in a same verse. These will be referred to as mini-series:

- The "Merlin Quests" mini-series contains chapters taking place in post KH 3 where Sora never vanished and is home and going on adventures with Riku. This will be where I explore canon-divergent stuff and where the boys are officially together and getting themselves into all kinds of new messes.

- The "Riku's Heart" mini-series contains chapters where SoRiku aren't an established thing and it'll be where I explore mostly Riku's process of coming to terms with the fact that *maybe* he likes his best friend as a *little* more than just a best friend. Meanwhile, Sora 100% reciprocates the feelings but he's not yet aware of it and doesn't think much on it, in classic Sora fashion, so Riku is convinced the two are just not meant to be but will be there to keep Sora safe no matter what while sighing quietly in the Friendzone corner.

That's the gist of it, I guess!
Time for the actual first chapter~

Specific tags include:
pre-canon; pre-KH 1; first kiss; fluff; lazy afternoons at the beach; Riku's POV

Hopefully you enjoy! ^-^


Chapter 1: Osculate

Boy, it's a slow day.

It's one of those days when nothing happens and there's nothing to do. It's slow even by the standards of the ever-calm Destiny Islands. If today was a food, it would certainly be a loaf of stale bread. Bland, tasteless, unappealing in every possible sense of the word. If today was a color, it would be that kind of faded white-ish left on an old t-shirt that's been washed far too many times. And, if today was an animal, it could only be a lazy sloth trying to push through the first Monday morning after summer vacation.

Riku has lost count to how many times he's yawned in sheer boredom since waking up. He does it again anyway, watching the limitless sky above. There isn't a single cloud to be found in that vast expanse of bright blue, which only contributes to the pervasive sense of slowness. There's no breeze sweeping over the small mounds of sand at the beach, either, and even the sound of the waves breaking is far too tranquil. Of course, he's well aware he ought to be grateful he lives somewhere peaceful. Sometimes, fishermen and merchants bring word of distant cities where conflict has escalated or that are otherwise afflicted by disasters or other nasty occurrences, natural or man-made. Of course, Riku is grateful and appreciative in regards to the good life he and his family and his friends lead. It's just that… sometimes… sometimes, it's too much. Too much of the same.

It's also one of those days when Riku, if he could, would ban all sand in this world from existence. Sand gets everywhere, all the time – your shoes, your clothes, your pockets, your bags, everywhere. He's tired of so much sand; some days, it's like there's nothing else to this life other than sand. Sand and palm trees and wood shacks. Again, not to be ungrateful, but there are days when he feels like he'd gladly pay all the munny he doesn't have for a chance to see different sights. To go somewhere where sand doesn't exist or, at least, doesn't exist everywhere. Somewhere that isn't so monotonous. Somewhere where things actually happen.

"Let's get out of this island."

"Huh?"

Riku didn't mean for such fleeting thoughts to come out loud, but maybe it isn't the worst thing either. He's a generally outspoken person, after all, never afraid to express his opinions nor to play the trailblazer part if that's what the situation requires. His slightly younger companion is now offering him an inquisitive look, but Riku allows for suspense to hang in the calm, warm air for a moment longer. Lazily, he shifts to slip his arms under his head, enjoying the roughness of the tree trunk his back is rested on. Sora is just beside him, flopped down on the beach ground instead, sprawled like a drowsy starfish and each limb tossed carefreely to a side. When he gets up he's gonna complain about sand everywhere just as much – except, between the two of them, Riku actually makes an effort to not let it happen. Sora is one of those persons who's never ready to notice that his actions come with consequences.

"Nothing."

"C'mon Riku, what was that just now?"

What can they do, anyway? They've been best friends for as long as Riku can remember, it's hard even to imagine his life without Sora in it. And all that time has been spent here, at Destiny Islands. No trips anywhere, no new people to share tales with, not a single thing out of the ordinary ever happening. If they're lucky, every now and then, some big fish will swim closer to the shore than usual and there'll be rumors about mermaids for a day or two… and then everything returns to normal. To the same absolute calm and quiet that Riku has been growing so tired of. If it wasn't for Sora, he figures he might have already turned to a codfish himself, and just straight up withered under the hot sun at noon. At least that might have been interesting.

"Riku? What're you talking about?"

Now Riku is keeping silent on purpose, because this same Sora is so easy to tease. So easy to get a reaction out of. Granted, there was a time when Riku started thinking this was childish, if not downright annoying; that it was about time his best friend stopped being so loud about everything, so excited about things that weren't even a big deal. By far, this whole growing up business has been hitting him a lot faster than it does Sora, both physically and mentally, and some butting of heads is inevitable. The lady at the item shop always says that we have our worst fights with our best friends. But, in the end, that sentiment didn't last long. So what if he and Sora turn out to be as different as the sun and the moon? The lady at the item shop also says that opposites attract.

"Riku? Riku, tell me!"

There it is.

This was actually a lot faster than Riku expected. Sora's already sat back up, now cross-legged on that same never-ending mantle of bright sand, little grains sticking to his cheek and to the spiky brown bangs. Wearing an expression that can only be described as a frustrated pout, hand stretched out to tug at the dark fabric of Riku's pants – so blatantly trying to get the older teen's attention. A reaction that Riku might also have classified as childish, a while ago… but one that, somehow, he's started to cherish so much. Maybe this is another growing-up thing? That your emotions and your views of the world can change so quickly? One day, he's so done with that flashy red jumpsuit and the bothersome calls to go play with wooden swords; the next day, it's as though nothing would have much of a point anymore if Sora ever stopped being Sora. A ball of never-ending positivity, enthusiasm, naivety, and… a very special kind of charm, a je-ne-sais-quoi that Riku fails to find in anyone else.

"I was just saying…" The silver-haired boy starts, not before some further seconds of silence trickle by, tongue running absently over his slightly chapped bottom lip, "One day, we should get off this island."

How quickly the pout turns into confused puppy stare, head tilt included. "Huh? What do you mean? We can't get off the islands… and where would we go, anyway? There's just the sea, out there."

"Is that so? But what if there's different worlds out there?"

"…Different worlds?"

"When we look at the stars at night… don't you ever think about that, Sora? Maybe each star is actually a different world – with different people, different lives."

And without sand, he almost adds, but refuses to give the sand so much importance right now. Sand that is still a bit all over Sora, like he's a cereals bun fresh out of the oven, so Riku reaches over out of habit to start dusting it off for him. It's kind of second nature, by now; Sora does silly things, out of inexperience or innocence or ill-tempered curiosity or just downright out of having a heart that sometimes is too kind for the boy's own good, and Riku is there to fix it. A role he finds himself not minding at all. And so his gloved hand brushes the sand out of his friend's hoodie, the hair, and then Riku's hand lingers at the side of Sora's face as the younger one talks again.

"Guess I… never really thought 'bout that. About leaving home."

Somehow, the word "home" rings hollow in Riku's ears. Like staring at a beautiful painting whilst being aware that it's no more than a replica of a famous work of art; still nice, but not the real thing. Sure, he loves his parents and he'd miss them, and eventually he'd start missing his other friends and all the folks in the islands… but would that truly be such a sacrifice? Growing up is also learning to fly with your own wings, even if there's the risk of taking a fall.

"We'd be okay. We'd have each other, after all."

Maybe Riku should also be surprised that saying something like this comes so easily… but he isn't, not really. He and Sora know each other better than anyone, he and Sora always have each other's back; through the good and through the bad, it's always been he and Sora. And maybe this is also why it feels so natural for Riku to do what he does next. It starts with his hand still cupping Sora's cheek, never having moved away even after the flecks of sand are brushed off. And it continues with him leaning down from his sitting position on the curved trunk of the old palm tree, leaning closer, till the only thing left in his field of vision is Sora's cute face. Sora's expression split between thoughtfulness for the topic they are talking about and now quickly growing confusion over Riku's motion. Closer and closer, till their noses bump at first and then their lips align and touch in a chaste kiss. Like it really is the most natural thing in this world. Like their lips were designed to fit together like this, so why were they even apart for so long to start with.

They stay like that for no longer than five seconds, and then Riku pulls back again. Nonchalantly. Own expression a mirror of tranquility like the surface of the sea nearby, despite the gentle but undeniable thumping of his heart in his chest. Kissing under a palm tree, in the middle of speaking about leaving home to go chase new worlds together, this was not in the list of things Riku had expected for today… or ever. Sora, on the other hand, looks as though he wouldn't have been more startled if his best friend had just punched him on the face instead. Still, he seems surprisingly at ease with the whole thing and tentatively places his hand on top of Riku's. Perhaps it's just like Sora to take a surprise kiss as lightheartedly as he takes everything else in this life, or perhaps he truly enjoyed what just happened. By far, Riku would prefer the second option, even if his prideful confidence allows none of it to show.

"…Why did you do that," the younger one eventually asks, tone hushed and borderline shy. Riku takes it as praise, because Sora is usually never shy nor quiet about anything. In fact, making this boy speechless like this should count for experience points in any resume for a high-paying job.

"Dunno. You looked cute enough for me to want to do it."

"…W-what's that about? Stop making fun of me!"

"Hey, learn to take the compliment!"

With a smug grin, Riku does look very pleased with himself. The minor nervousness that had a hold of him dissipated entirely and now he's left with a horde of butterflies fluttering in his belly and such lightness in his chest that he might as well start floating soon. It's elation, thrill, a bit like every time he beats Sora during a race or while practicing with the wooden swords, but this victory reaches far deeper into the crevices of his heart. Tastes far sweeter, tastes like the remnants of berry-flavored chewing gum that he just found on the younger one's lips. As sweet as the shade of cherry pink he can see spreading over Sora's cheeks, which only encourages him to go for seconds. None of this was planned, truth be told, and Riku is trying to not make a big deal out of the fact that his first kiss ever just happened so casually… and with someone so unlikely. Yet, at the end of the day, the only person it could truly have happened with.

It's always been he and Sora, after all.


Thank you so much for reading!
This is literally only the first chapter and the start of the project but I always welcome feedback and constructive criticism, so please always feel free to review, comment, ask questions, make suggestions, etc etc etc. :3

I'll see you for the next chapter!
Theia