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Ikurx
By Kitteh and NeoFox
Rating: PG - 13
Warnings: Language, violence, romance
Pairings: Riku x Sora, Axel x Roxas
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and characters belong to Square Enix and Disney
Summary: After the defeat of Organization XIII, Sora and Riku find happiness in the simplicity of a normal life. A year later King Mickey sends a summons that the fight with the Organization isn't truly done yet. Light. Dark. As long as either exists the battle is never over.
Beta: Kitteh and NeoFox

Chapter 61

The clock on a bedside table showed that it had become rather late in the afternoon. Time was something to be ignored along with earlier plans of ice cream and just hanging out altogether. The two bodies that lie underneath twisted blankets seemed to have forgotten everything beyond the bed they were lying in so comfortably.

A soft sound echoed through the room as Sora curled in closer to the body next to him. His only real article of clothing that had been spared was still the necklace that jingled quietly around his neck with each movement he made. He had been dozing in and out of sleep every few minutes and was more then content to cling tight to the only other warmth there was.

Feeling the small body move closer against him Riku realized just how cool the air was on his damp skin, even with Sora clinging and tangled near. He sightlessly reached behind himself, feeling around until he felt the edge of a blanket which he promptly yanked up over them both. He snuggled Sora up just that much more under the new comfortable warmth of the blanket. Riku was content to never get up out of bed ever again.

Sora seemed to cuddle even closer as soon as the added blanket was thrown across and Riku's arms wrapped around him. Still, he seemed to shift around and rubbed his face against Riku's shoulder since his hands weren't free. One groggy eye blinked open as soon as he was done to look up at Riku for a few seconds before he broke out into a small giggle fit which was the cause of something only he probably found to be amusing. "Riku... your hair..." he managed to speak between bits of laughter. He freed an arm to reach up and press down on a strand that was sticking up while he still laughed.

Riku frowned some at being laughed at. He refused to open his eyes and instead buried his face against the crook of Sora's neck to hide from the teasing. He gave a disgruntled whine. "Mmm, don't make fun of my hair."

Sora's laughter died away, but his smile never fell. "I'm not making fun of it. I like your hair, Riku, but it's so messy right now." Since the other boy had decided to bury himself away, Sora took his chance to run his fingers through the strands as gently as he could. It was a bit difficult since he had to move his neck a little, but he managed.

Riku was soothed by the fingers through his hair. "Your fault." He soon ran his hand lazily up and down Sora's spine, trailing down to his tailbone and up to the top of the small of his back. "It couldn't be helped. I'll live though." He placed a few small kisses on Sora's neck which was a little bruised from heated kisses and love bites that were done in the heat of the moment.

Sora gave a rather content sound at Riku's actions and let his fingers fall away to force Riku's head away. At the moment he felt a bit more playful then he usually would have been previously and placed a few quick kisses on the other boy's cheeks before he gave in and allowed Riku a small kiss.

Riku tried to remain disgruntled but he just couldn't. Sora's affection was just too sweet; Riku just didn't have the fight in him to be anything but happy. He didn't let Sora lean away without giving him a kiss back, leaning his head against Sora's with a smile after. His chest hurt but it was a good ache for once, he couldn't describe it with any word other than 'perfect' or 'complete'. It truly was something perfect to love and be loved in return. To share every intimate part, as cliché as it sounded, Riku felt so much closer to Sora now. There was nothing obstructing them from each other now. Nothing would ever tear them apart. Riku would never let it again.

Sora let out another small laugh as he looked into Riku's eyes. He nuzzled their noses together in a small playful way before he pushed Riku back a bit so he could have some room. "Hey, Riku, do you still keep some paper around here?" It was an odd request, but Sora couldn't keep still even after their previous activities. Before Riku could even answer, Sora was already crawling across the other boy to try and lean over to look inside the night stand, opening the drawer to search through it for some paper and something to write with. The action caused him to lay halfway across Riku, but he didn't seem to care much himself.

"Uh," Riku drew out the clueless sound as he suddenly had a naked Sora across him, which inconveniently made it hard to think beyond that simple fact. It caused his hand to wander more than it should. It took him a moment to actually think on Sora's very random request. "I think there might be some loose paper in a drawer on my desk." He pointed to the desk for Sora, as if it weren't plain to see in the room. "There."

Sora stopped his search in the night stand to look over at the desk with wide eyes. His brain seemed to catch up to him and let him know that in order to get over there he would have to leave the safety of the bed quite naked. It didn't detour him though, and soon Sora was grinning as he hopped up from the bed, taking the blankets with him and leaving Riku with not much else as he made his way over to the desk as if it was quite normal to be wearing the sheets.

"H-hey!" Riku whined. All his source of warmth had left him stranded naked on his bed. "That's not nice. Get back here." He tried to reach for Sora, but unfortunately his arm didn't stretch that long and he could only grasp air. Riku grumped and instead tried to find another blanket to keep warm. He found one thrown on the floor and tugged it over himself to huddle up in. "You're horrible, Sora."

"But you love me anyway," Sora spoke in a sing song voice as he searched through the desk. It was a bit difficult with one hand keeping the blankets held up, but he managed somewhat. They still slipped down every few seconds. He finally pulled out a piece of paper and a pen that looked as if it had been chewed up on the end. Feeling successful enough, Sora sat himself down at the desk chair to write instead of going back to the bed.

Riku peeked over at Sora from under the blanket. He blew some of his pale hair from his eyes as he watched, rather confused. "Can't you write a report on what we did later?" He chuckled. "I'm sure the teachers will love to hear the details, but I miss you more. And demand you come back." He reached out from under the blankets and made grabby hands at the air.

Sora rolled his eyes at Riku's words and whines. "I'm not writing a report, stupid." The playful name calling wasn't unusual and Sora even smiled afterwards. He continued to scribble a few things down before he dropped the pen to look over his words and seemed plenty satisfied with what he saw. His fingers then moved to the edges of the paper and began to fold it little by little into a familiar shape. When it was all done he picked the pen up again and drew tiny hearts on each corner.

Once Sora was finished he stood back up with the folded note in his free hand as he walked back over to the bed. He stopped beside it and held the paper up by a corner while he smiled a little nervously at Riku and wiggled the note around. "See, much better then a report."

Riku blinked at the little dancing paper star in Sora's hand. He pushed himself to sit up and gave Sora a rather touched smile. "My mysterious S writes me again. Never thought I'd see another little star from him." He took the note from Sora but grabbed Sora as well, pulling him over to gather him up on his lap. "He's very poetic, you know. And getting one from him today, well, I may just have to treasure it forever. And then some." He chuckled, placing a kiss on Sora's cheek. "Let's see what my beloved S has written me." Riku carefully unfolded the little paper star to read.

Once the paper was unfolded Sora's messy print could be made out with just a few lines of text, but the meaning behind the words were what made them jump out the most:

'I'll always be your light. Your bright and shining star. Above all you're the one that matters most. I know now I can't fall any harder.'

"I remember in the dream," Sora started to speak up in a whisper, "there were things you would say that made me feel like the most important person in all the worlds. I don't want you to think, or for me to think, that just because it was a dream that none of it mattered to me. So, I'm reminding myself and letting you know how much it all means." Sora twisted his fingers in the blanket as he became nervous. "Just, how much you mean to me."

Riku swallowed thickly. He raised a hand to rub at the corner of his eyes. He wrapped his strong arms around Sora to hug him close, keeping a tight hold of the note at the same time. "My little star, huh?" he managed to say in a quiet voice but it still cracked. He nuzzled his cheek against Sora's hair, burying a hand there as well. "My little shinning star."

Riku gave a shaky exhale. He kissed Sora hard on the forehead just to show him how much it truly meant. "Not many people get their own falling stars." Riku managed to chuckle weakly with a smile. "Damn, Sora." He ran a few fingers across Sora's cheek before tilting his head up to look at him. "I think I just fell in love with you all over again. Hard." To prove it Riku then captured Sora's mouth, not happy until he kissed Sora's breath away.

A low sound was muffled against lips as Sora tried his best to respond to the kiss. His arms had instantly wrapped around Riku's neck to cling tight to his friend, keeping close during such an intense display of affection. It wasn't something Sora had been expecting and the words nearly brought tears to his own eyes. Riku was good on leaving him absolutely breathless, because it wasn't long before Sora was forced to pull back to catch every bit of air he had lost only to look up at Riku and give a shaky laugh. "I'm glad you liked it so much."

Riku gave an equally breathless laugh. "Love it." He dotted Sora's nose with a quick kiss. "Love you." He looked over Sora's shoulder to the note he still held. "Think I may just carry this one with me all the time. In my wallet. A little piece of my little star with me always."

That easily brightened Sora up completely and the same energy he had seconds ago came back full force. "Really?" He didn't even wait for a response before he was giving Riku another quick kiss. When he pulled away he turned so he could take the slip of paper from Riku's hand. With practiced skill he folded the paper back up to its original shape with each heart on just the right corner. When he was done he handed the small star back over while he leaned back against Riku's chest. Much like Riku he felt as if he never wanted to leave the room. He was quite content for the moment staying comfortable against the other teen and knowing that he had done something to make Riku happy.

"Really really," Riku finally answered Sora as he rested his head atop Sora's. He kept the other's head tucked under his chin as he spun the newly folded paper star around between his fingers. After a moment he held the star in one hand so he could rub Sora's arm as he kissed the top of his head. "We should probably have a shower," he murmured the suggestion against Sora's hair. "Not right now, but sometime today." Sora could feel the smile against his head. "We can eat whatever was packed, after."

At the mention of food Sora seemed to realize that despite having breakfast he was still quite hungry. Of course he didn't really know how much time had passed since they had left his own home and he felt as if he hadn't eaten at all. "Sounds good to me, but we should save room for desert. You're still taking me out afterwards." Even though Sora's grin couldn't be seen it could be heard through his words, "Don't think I've forgotten, Riku."

Riku gave a soft laugh. "I don't think anything could make you forget ice cream." He messed with a few locks of Sora's hair, running his fingers through the warm brunette strands. "We can still go off to the island. It'll be nice with all the stars out. Cool enough we can just lie on the sand and watch them." He gave a soft thoughtful sound. "Feels like I haven't done that in ages. Just, spending time with you, doing absolutely nothing."

"Well, Kairi is usually with us, you know?" Sora instantly flushed and realized how those words could be taken. He didn't want it to seem like he held anything against his other dear friend. "I mean not to say I don't want her around. That's just horrible. Still, it's nice when we get time, just the two of us." His fingers twisted around themselves. "That didn't come out selfish did it, Riku?"

Sora could feel Riku shake his head against his hair. "No. You're the furthest thing from selfish, Sora." Riku slipped his arms tight around Sora, letting out a content sound when the other was firmly snuggled in his arms. "You always want every single soul to be happy, even at the expense of your own. Wanting to actually be happy yourself sometimes, trust me, it's not selfish." Riku lazily trailed his hand up and down Sora's back. "Me, I'm selfish. I'll admit that I've done terrible things just to feel happy. But, I've found I feel far more happy when you're smiling, Sora." Riku gave a short 'heh'. "And I'd do anything to make you happy, Sora. Maybe still, some terrible things. So, maybe I am still selfish."

"You're not selfish either, Riku," Sora found himself whispering as if the moment would be shattered if he spoke any louder. "Just saying all of that proves that you really aren't. You say you've done terrible things, but isn't that all in the past? And if you stay stuck in the past then what will happen to the future? You have to move forward. You can't keep thinking about all the bad things." A small smile came to his lips. "As long as we have each other then we'll always be happy."

A short quiet laugh left Riku at Sora's constant optimism. "You always know exactly what to say." His hand fell from Sora's hair down to the crown necklace. It softly jingled as Riku toyed with it idly. "Always makes everything alright," Riku whispered. "No matter how cheesy it should sound, it never does, not from you." He glanced to the little paper star in his other hand and held it tight against his palm.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Sora's own hand reached up to wrap around Riku's fingers that had settled on his necklace. He kept quiet for a few seconds just enjoying his friend's company and warmth until his stomach gave a tiny growl to remind him of his hunger. He laughed at his own misfortune while he dropped his hand and turned to face Riku completely. "Come on, let's have that shower and eat lunch. My stomach is demanding it." He grinned. "We can raid your fridge a little too while we're at it since mom couldn't give us pudding to go along with our sandwiches."

Riku sighed as if it were truly a bother. "Fine. Fine." He pushed Sora to get up off the bed. "But you get to run around naked." He stood up, putting the paper star on the night table and wrapped the bed sheet around his waist. "I want you mine and naked for as long as possible." Riku captured Sora up in his arms before he could try to grab for a blanket. He ran his hands down Sora's back and further down as he kissed Sora's shoulder. "I like being with you. Like this."

Despite everything that had happened so far Sora still blushed at such words as well as Riku's actions. Even though he felt much too shy to admit to liking such a thing as well he still curled close to Riku's body as they stood up on the floor, and found himself smiling. "Well, it's not like I'm getting dressed anytime soon." His smile grew and despite his shy nature he felt rather playful as well. "And if you're good you'll get to take your shower with me. To save water, of course." He tapped a finger against Riku's chest.

"Of course," Riku quietly agreed. He nuzzled Sora's neck. "Though admittedly, I'm good when I'm good, but when I'm bad- I'm better." He grinned as he gave a playful bite against the other's neck.

Sora let out a noise at the bite and squirmed a little. "Riku, stop it," he whined. He was able to free himself after moving around a little and walked backwards away from the taller teen. With a grin on his face he lifted a hand to wiggle a finger for Riku to come hither before he twirled around on a foot to make his way towards the bedroom door, heading for the bathroom.

Riku chuckled to himself and he gave a rather pleased grin before he followed the naked Sora. What a perfect world he lived in.

It was long before either of them were in the shower under the fall of hot water, which soothed whatever tension was left in either of them. Riku held Sora loosely while either of their hair was wetted and slicked down by the water from the shower. He smoothed his fingers over wet skin, gliding over shoulder blades, sides, up and down Sora's arms. It all still felt so unreal to Riku, all that had happened right down to where they were right now. Riku needed to make sure all of it did happen, that Sora was really standing there with him warm and naked just like himself.

Sora never usually enjoyed staying in the shower too long, but for some reason he didn't mind it much this time around. He found it enjoyable to be held so close while under the warm water. His fingers twisted and turned under the sprayer to watch how the drops plipped on his fingers, even though his usual bouncy spikes nearly obscured his vision for the moment as the water held them down. For once Sora was quiet, a rarity, but he didn't feel the need to speak much.

Riku nearly forgot why they were there until his eyes landed on the shampoo bottles there. Wordlessly he picked up one of the bottles and opened it up to pour some on Sora's hair. He gave a soft laugh at the obscene sound it made as it squirted out. Setting it down he smoothed back Sora's bangs to clear his friend's vision of them, setting a kiss on Sora's forehead before he began to gently massage a lather through the sopping once spiky hair.

Sora gave a soft sound in the back of his throat. The fingers that moved along his scalp felt incredibly good and he couldn't help dipping his head a little so that Riku could reach farther back. He stopped playing with the water so he could wrap his own arms around his friend, holding on as he murmured quietly, "Mmm... feels nice, Riku."

Riku gave a soft chuckle. "M'glad," he very quietly answered. He reached back to run his fingers through the soapy lather to get at the hair behind Sora's head since he'd leaned his head forward. He gently massaged Sora's scalp, spreading the relaxing touch down his neck for a moment. Riku smiled softly to see Sora so subdued. He brushed away some suds that dripped down Sora's forehead so they wouldn't fall painfully in his eyes. Riku felt his own eyes sting, but it wasn't the soap. He was glad for the fall of water against him, the water that dripped from his sopping bangs; it hid the warmth that fell from his eyes.

Sora's hands wandered up along Riku's back. The water made them slippery, so he couldn't cling quite as hard as usual, but he didn't seem to be trying. He was only interested in giving small touches to skin as more soft sounds came from him. He wasn't used to anyone else washing his own hair, so the change was certainly nice. At times he moved his head one way to make Riku rub at one spot a little more, wanting to feel pampered for as long as he could.

Riku smoothed the excess lather from Sora's hair, reaching a hand out so the shower could wash it away. "Close your eyes," he quietly instructed as he stepped Sora underneath the fall of water from the shower. Carefully Riku went about rinsing the shampoo from Sora's hair, running his fingers through it being as gentle and affectionate as he had been with washing his friend's hair.

Sora had done as told as the shampoo was washed away. He was still just as subdued with the actions as he had been while Riku washed his hair. As soon as all the foam seemed to be cleared from his hair Sora seemed to notice since there were no more suds crawling across his body. He opened his eyes as he lifted his head away from the sprayer only to turn his full attention on Riku. He gave his friend a rather lazy smile before he leaned up to share a quick kiss, speaking after, "Your turn."

Riku thumbed away the wet hair that stuck to Sora's cheek. He couldn't help but find that the smile accompanied by the sopping spikes that now clung to Sora's head quite endearing. "Mine? How will you reach?" Riku couldn't help the gentle teasing. "A stepping stool can't be too safe, and a phone book would get soggy fast."

"Well, then you'll just have to make some sacrifices, won't you?" Sora's smile only grew and before Riku could respond he forced the other teen's head down with hands on each of his cheeks. His smile turned innocent after the action and he gave Riku another quick kiss before he let go to grab the shampoo bottle back up. He poured some out onto Riku's hair and set the bottle aside again, and instantly his hands were quick to run through each strand to lather it all up. Just as careful for Riku as the other teen had been for him.

A soft sound left Riku, his hair one of the things he was most sensitive about. But Sora's gentle loving touch for each silver strand put Riku at ease and let him enjoy the attention. He let his arms slip down to rest around Sora's waist, fingers knitting at the other's tailbone.

Sora gave a soft sound at Riku's touch, but didn't shy away. He continued to pet his hands through both hair and shampoo. At times he would twist his fingers gently around a few pieces. It was something he always enjoyed doing to Riku's hair and even then under the warm water he couldn't stop himself. He took extra care to make sure each piece was lathered up before he moved to the front to take care of Riku's overly long bangs.

Riku couldn't help the small smirk. "... I have a lot of hair," he spoke up softly. "It is a bit of a pain to wash, sorry. Mmm, but you're the only one I trust enough to touch my hair." Those words tasted rather familiar. But Riku ignored it. "Lord only knows how many times either of my parents have chased me with scissors or nagged at me to get my hair cut." He quietly laughed. "Only gave me more reason to let it grow even more." Riku relaxed all the more, he loved Sora's dotting touch through his hair, he always had. As girlish as he considered it, growing up he loved when Sora played with his hair. He'd always pretend to grump about it, but the farce would always pass when Sora would whine and Riku was contented to let Sora do as he liked.

"I'm glad you did. Besides, it's not that much of a pain." Sora shrugged a shoulder while he made sure to keep the suds away from Riku's eyes. "I don't really mind it at all." He finally pulled his hands back once he was sure he got every piece and switched places with Riku near the sprayer. "Now, you close your eyes. Of course, you'll have to rinse your own hair, sorry. You can't keep bending forward for that, so I won't be much help." He gave a sheepish smile as he shook off his soapy hands.

"The price of being taller, I guess. Heh, next time I'll have to sit or kneel for you." Riku leaned his head back to rinse out his hair. He brushed his hair back over his shoulders and ran his fingers through his hair to wash it out. Since his hair was long it took longer than Sora's but he managed to get it all out. He pulled his hair over one shoulder, running his hands through it to make sure there were no wet tangles in it. "Hm, Sora," Riku smirked some, "it's rude to stare, you know." He reached forward and clacked Sora's jaw closed. "You'd think we'd never done it with the way you're looking at me." Riku couldn't help the wicked albeit lazy grin that followed.

Thanks to the hot air the shower provided it was hard to confirm whether the blush on Sora's face had just appeared or been there the entire time. Although the way his eyes widened for a split second and he seemed to stutter made the former seem more then obvious. "You're so full of yourself, Riku," Sora was quick to reply once he got a hold of himself and made sure to turn away from the other to busy himself with the soap instead.

"Probably." Riku shrugged even though Sora couldn't see it. But he wasn't about to let Sora slink off so easily. He stepped behind Sora, his hands slipping to other's front to barely graze his nails over Sora's wet lower stomach. "But don't be mad." Riku placed little kisses along the back of Sora's shoulder, trying to make up for the previous teasing as he trailed them up to the nape of his neck.

Sora was instantly like putty in Riku's fingers and in the back of his mind he knew it. There was just no fighting those touches and the way his stomach clenched on its own because of them. "I'm not mad," he spoke with a pout. He had already grabbed the bar of soap and washcloth that he had been aiming to get once he had turned around. And just to prove his words he wiggled free of Riku's grasp to turn around, lathering up the cloth, but not for himself. He slid it against Riku's chest and moved it up towards the boy's shoulder, intending on helping the other get clean.

A low sound left Riku. "Always so considerate." He leaned forward to busy himself with continuing those kisses he'd pressed on the side of Sora's neck while Sora washed him. Riku pressed Sora back against the shower wall, pressing close as he ran his tongue across the sensitive skin of Sora's neck before softly sucking just below his jaw.

Sora's hand faltered a little as he gave a quiet sound of his own. He tried to concentrate on what he was doing, but Riku was making it very difficult at the moment. He pressed back further against the wall, allowing Riku to keep him pinned and when he spoke it was in a throaty little whine, "Riku, you're not making this very easy." Of course Sora seemed to aid in his own difficult situation as his hand that held the washcloth slid further down Riku's stomach.

"Oh I don't know, Sora," Riku murmured against damp skin in a soft husky tone, "I think I'm making it very easy." His hand ceased running along Sora's side to follow down his arm to the hand that held the wash cloth. He pushed the wash cloth from Sora's hand to knit his fingers with his and help his hand travel lower.

Getting clean would have to wait for later.

After the shower, getting food was next on the agenda. Riku's fridge and cupboards were soon raided and all forms of snackage were then horded into Riku's room. Two bottles of cola were added to the collection, since Riku's parents were thoughtful enough to buy things like that for him and his friends while they were gone.

Riku had paused in eating to stare at Sora before he gave a slight smirk. "If you eat that sandwich any faster with any less bites, Sora, you're going to choke."

Sora paused midway through a bite to snap his attention over to Riku. His cheeks were stuffed full of said sandwich, all bites that he had yet to swallow. Always quick on the defensive, Sora was just about to snap out a reply to Riku's warning, but of course a piece of bread decided to try and lodge itself into his throat and caused him to cough violently instead of form words. Sora launched himself forward to grab Riku's drink from his hand and started to down the cola in seconds.

Riku flinched and tried to keep his laughter for Sora's poor misfortune; which he was doing quite a bad job of. He rubbed Sora's back and tried to keep in an 'I told you so'. "My poor, Sora. Beaten by a sandwich made by his mom." He did a bad job of keeping in his new laughter.

Sora took a deep breath once he had taken the drink away from his lips. Thankfully he had swallowed every bite he had stuffed in his mouth and shot a look at Riku for the awful teasing. "Yeah, well, it's not that funny." He handed Riku his drink back even though it was nearly empty after Sora had gotten a hold of it. He rested back against the head board and decided against trying to eat the rest of the sandwich. He felt as if it was out to get him suddenly. Instead he picked up a bag of chips and opened them up to nibble on.

Riku lifted his bottle up and swished what was left of his drink; such a loss. Shrugging he lowered the bottle and grinned over at Sora. "So, you're not too tired now to still go out are you?" He tried to keep his act casual so he leaned back beside Sora and drank what was left of his cola.

As casual as the question was Sora still blushed, but tried to shrug it off as he bit down on a chip that crunched loudly in the quiet room. He shook his head until the chip was gone. "No, I'm fine. I still want to go hang out at the islands at least." Despite his still drying hair, Sora leaned over a little so he could rest his head on Riku's shoulder. "I was really looking forward to it. I mean, I'm not saying today wasn't really great and all so far," Sora blushed harder while he tried to continue, "but, yeah... you know what I mean."

Riku gave a good humoured chuckle. "I do. I really wanted to go there today. And we will, after we eat." He took another sip of his cola. "Because I'm quite sure you're very eager to brag to everyone that you became a man today." Riku patted Sora's thigh. "Twice."

"Riku!" Sora swatted his friend's hand away while he lifted his head back up to stare at the other with wide eyes. His cheeks had gotten darker at such words, but still a slow smirk spread across his own face and he was soon settling back against the head board. "I guess that makes two of us." He picked through his bag of chips as he spoke the teasing words.

"That's very true," Riku agreed far too casually. He leaned over and stole some chips from Sora's bag. "I guess that means I should tell everyone, even my parents, the good news: that I'm a man now. That I became a man with my best friend in both my room and in the shower." He chomped on the chip, eating it before he grinned at Sora who was looking quite red now. "What do you think?"

"I-I don't... well... umm... " Sora was at a complete loss for words other then the stuttering mess he had been able to get out. He didn't even seem to notice Riku's sneaky move to steal a chip. His eyes only stayed glued on the bedroom door as if Riku's parents would burst in at any moment. "I-I guess... if that's what you want, but... uhh, Riku?" Sora started out slowly, "I don't think they'll appreciate the part about the shower as much as you or I." His own words only had him flushing darker and he quickly looked back down to try and keep himself occupied with his snack.

Riku laughed; Sora really was adorable when he was a stuttering blushing mess. "I'm kidding." He slipped his arm over Sora's shoulders, ruffling his hair first. "Like I'd tell my folks anything. Not like they'd notice much. They could have walked in the bathroom while we were in there, do what they came for, and then leave without even noticing what we were doing. Heh. The less they know the better." He waved it off and stole more chips from Sora. "We could tell your mom though." He popped the chip in his mouth with a devious snicker. "I'm sure she'd like to know that her little boy has finally become a man."

"Well, I don't want to traumatize her or anything." Sora fiddled with the edges of the bag as he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts for a second. "I'm happy, you know?" He finally spoke up after a while, but kept his gaze down. "That dream, it made me feel like I had lost everything and I'd never get it back. This whole day has made me realize that everything really is okay, and you were right, Riku. Things can only get better." He finally turned his head to meet his friend's eyes, smiling when he saw the color he loved so much. "And I don't have to worry about ever losing you again."

Riku's new smile was a little sad at first but soon it was just as happy as Sora's. "I'm happy too then. That whatever it was you dreamed really was just some silly old dream. If it wasn't, then today wouldn't have happened." He leaned forward to give Sora a quick kiss. "You have nothing to worry about anymore. We're both here, and you're very much stuck with me, Sora. We'll live out our lives together right here in Destiny Islands. We'll graduate school and go to the same college and share the same dorm. Hm, no, people are annoying. We'll live off campus in a small but comfortable apartment. You'll chase off the college girls who hit on me while I secretly hide the bodies of the ones who hit on you. Then we'll get jobs like normal adults, growing old together, no kids, maybe some pets. It'll be sickeningly romantic, a big old happy ending and everything." Riku beeped Sora's nose. "Just the way you like your stories."

Sora let out a small giggle at the playful action and scrunched up his face. Despite how silly some of the words had been, Sora found that he rather liked a few of the ideas. It made it seem as if they would have their whole lives planned out together and Sora knew right then and there that he wanted nothing more then just that.

Without saying a word after his laughter subsided, Sora moved around a little and dropped the bag he held aside. He crawled across Riku to straddle his friend's lap with a leg on either side of the other teen. Before Riku could utter a sound, Sora moved forward to press their lips together, laughing a little against the kiss when he noticed that Riku tasted like the chips he had been sneaking bites of.

Riku couldn't help the small bit of laughter as well since the kiss tasted like chips. His hands fell to Sora's hips and he was a little disappointed they got clothed; but he figured they'd never leave the house if they were left naked. He slipped his arms around Sora's waist and tugged him closer while he kissed him.

Sora's own hands found their way into Riku's hair to curl into each strand despite his gloves. He allowed himself to be pulled nearer while he deepened the kiss on his own. His actions not nearly as shy as they used to be which wasn't too surprising. He seemed to forget all about lunch and other such things once again as Riku became more important at that very moment.

Riku relaxed back against his head board, the fingers toying with his hair soothing him. He was more than happy to let the affectionate kiss become playful since Sora took lead to deepen it. Riku snuck his hands under Sora's shirt to run his hands over warm skin; it was still so hard for him to believe.

Sora squirmed a little as Riku ran his fingers along skin that was quite ticklish. He was forced to break away from the kiss since he couldn't hold his laughter in any longer and rested against his friend's chest. "Riku, stop it," the words were almost squeaked out. He squirmed a bit more, hoping it would force the other's hands to fall away.

"Hmm?" Riku glanced down at Sora squirming to avoid his touch. His hands stopped and came to rest on Sora's back. "Why?" Mischievousness passed on Riku's lips. "Does it- tickle!" He instantly attacked Sora's sides with tickles never letting up. It was just too tempting an opportunity to pass up.

Sora had no time to answer since Riku didn't give him any. Loud laughter escaped him as he tried to free himself from Riku's attack, but it was no real use. The most he could do was kick at the sheets on either side of his feet. "S-Stop! R-Riku, stop it! It's n-not fu-funny!" Since his hands had still been tangled in his friend's hair he accidentally pulled rather hard without meaning to while a sudden squeal left him when Riku brushed hands over a sensitive part on one of his sides.

Riku gave a short pained grunt at the hair pull. He stopped the tickling, giving Sora a rest so he could untangle his friend's hands from his hair. When he had his hair swept back over his shoulders he settled his hands down on either of Sora's legs. "Hey, Sora," Riku spoke the words low and with a grin perking his lips just barely, "I know your ultimate weak spot." Riku's grin grew wider.

While Sora tried to catch his breath he seemed to flinch at those words. They shouldn't have been too surprising since Riku was his best friend and they knew just about everything that made the other who they were. Still, Sora always tried to keep his most ticklish spots a secret. "You do not," he responded in a childish voice and it almost seemed as if he tried to scoot away.

Riku kept a tight hold on Sora's knees to keep him exactly where he was. "I dooo," Riku replied back almost as childishly as Sora did. He leaned forward rather close to Sora's face; his eyes fell heavily lidded as his grin became far lazier. "Want me to prove it?"

The rational side of Sora's mind thought it would have been a good idea to say no and just let the whole thing go. Of course it was few and far between that Sora listened to that side of his mind and ignored it once again at that very moment. "Yes, because I don't believe you," and with those words Sora did what he did best in such situations. He stuck out his tongue.

Riku promptly then licked the tip of Sora's tongue. "Fine with me." While Sora was busied with being flustered he slipped either of his hands under Sora's legs to lift them up and dump Sora on his back. This left Sora's bare feet completely at Riku's mercy and without mercy Riku attacked Sora's feet with tickles.

As soon as Riku's fingers made contact with his feet Sora was a mess. He started to squirm against the bed and tried to fight off the attack, but it didn't help that he was laughing way too much to help himself. There were tears at the corners of his eyes that tried to leak down his face as he tried to get a word out, "S-S-Stop!" It was all he managed. The rest of his words were lost to giggles.

"Bet you believe me now!" Riku laughed as he tried to keep Sora's feet in his grasp since he was squirming around so much. "I'll stop as soon as you say- 'Riku is the best and king of Destiny Islands'!" He slowed in his tickling so poor Sora could catch his breath, but mostly so Sora could speak the surrendering words. "Go on- say it." Riku grinned as he ran a finger down the ticklish arches of Sora's feet.

Sora's feet twitched at the still lingering touches. A few small laughs still left him, but he refused to speak such words. His head shook from side to side and he had to force himself to bite his lip to keep from laughing any harder. The act had him keeping silent while he stared at Riku with wide, teary eyes.

Riku let go of Sora's feet in favour of sitting up from the head board to kneel between Sora's legs, grinning over him. "You better." One hand yanked up Sora's shirt while another gave a few quick tickles to Sora's sides. "Or you'll get it!" He laughed.

"Ah! N-No! Riku, no!" Sora managed to get out the words between fits of laughter. He was squirming again, but it was a bit more difficult with Riku kneeling over him. "Fine, fine. You win, Riku." His own shaky hands reached down to try and grab Riku's arms, but his grip was weak because of his friend's tickling assault. "You're the best and you're king." Sora rolled his eyes at that last part, but still he couldn't stop giggling.

Riku slowly ceased his tickling. He couldn't help the laughter that continuously escaped him too. "You bet I am! And you better not forget it, Sora." He raised his hands and wiggled them in the air in a playful threat. "Or I'll getchya!"

Sora took in the air he needed from all the laughing he had done as he watched Riku through heavily-lidded eyes. As quick as could be Sora grabbed Riku's hands to pull his friend down into another kiss, silencing his teasing words and taking his own breath he had just gotten back, away in an instant. Of course Sora didn't seem to mind at all.

Riku pressed back into the kiss, grinning as he made sure Sora never got that breath back he'd just gotten and lost again. He sought one of Sora's hands to hold and press against the mattress. When Riku broke the kiss he smiled down at Sora, a light hearted smile that he only gave to his dear friend. He shut his eyes and rested his head atop Sora's, quiet for a moment as he just enjoyed the simplicity of Sora's company.

Sora moved his hands a little so he could twine his fingers with Riku's own. After that he was quite content to stay just as he was. Nothing could really rival the day he had so far. He could think of only two incidents and they either involved finding Riku or being able to kiss the other boy for the very first time. No other moments stuck out quite as vividly. He couldn't help not wanting this day to ever end. "Hey, Riku," he started out slowly and almost timidly, "I feel like this is the dream, but only because I don't feel like I've done anything to deserve to be this happy."

"Don't be stupid, Sora," Riku's insult was completely affectionate as he spoke softly, "you've done more than anyone in the entire universe. You saved all our lives, our fates, our worlds. Our home." He opened his eyes and noticed just how much of a mess Sora had been made from the tickling. He wiped away the happy tears that had fallen from the tickling and smiled just a little. "You, above anyone else, deserve to be this happy. And I'm so glad it's me that's making you smile."

"You always know how to make me smile, Riku," Sora responded quietly. Just to prove his point the smile was brought back to his face and his worries seemed to vanish. "Besides, I didn't do it all on my own. You helped me. You were right by my side, fighting with me. I refuse to take every little bit of credit." He lifted a hand to brush Riku's hair aside, keeping his hand in place so it wouldn't fall back again. "You helped save us and you helped save me." His hand trailed down to stop and rest at Riku's side where the nasty hit had been taken that had long ago been meant for Sora. "And you deserve to be happy too."

Riku's hand came to rest over Sora's. "Well, I'll let you in on a little secret, Sora." He touched the softest of kisses against Sora's lips, just a brief brush of lips before he spoke even softer than the touch, "You always know how to make me smile too."

Sora flushed a little at such sincerity, but his smile only grew. "I'm glad. I always want to be your reason for smiling, Riku." He moved his free hand up to wrap around Riku's neck, pulling the other boy down for a quick hug that ended in more of a cuddle then anything else. Of course Sora didn't care. He just enjoyed being as close as he could get to Riku and he enjoyed it even more when he was snuggled near his friend.

Riku was more than content to be as snuggled close as possible to Sora below. He nuzzled closer to Sora's hot cheek, comfortable, comfortable enough to keep silent again. Things felt so right, more right than they had ever in Riku's life. It was a feeling that Riku never wanted to lose, along with Sora.

This happy little life on the tropical islands, spending every possible hour of his life with Sora making each other happy, was something that Riku was willing to fight with every fiber of his being to keep; even if it meant giving into the Darkness again.

Not that Sora ever needed to know any of that.

Description
Ikurx
By Kitteh and NeoFox
Rating: PG - 13
Warnings: Language, violence, romance
Pairings: Riku x Sora, Axel x Roxas
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and characters belong to Square Enix and Disney
Summary: After the defeat of Organization XIII, Sora and Riku find happiness in the simplicity of a normal life. A year later King Mickey sends a summons that the fight with the Organization isn't truly done yet. Light. Dark. As long as either exists the battle is never over.
Beta: Kitteh and NeoFox

Chapter 61

The clock on a bedside table showed that it had become rather late in the afternoon. Time was something to be ignored along with earlier plans of ice cream and just hanging out altogether. The two bodies that lie underneath twisted blankets seemed to have forgotten everything beyond the bed they were lying in so comfortably.

A soft sound echoed through the room as Sora curled in closer to the body next to him. His only real article of clothing that had been spared was still the necklace that jingled quietly around his neck with each movement he made. He had been dozing in and out of sleep every few minutes and was more then content to cling tight to the only other warmth there was.

Feeling the small body move closer against him Riku realized just how cool the air was on his damp skin, even with Sora clinging and tangled near. He sightlessly reached behind himself, feeling around until he felt the edge of a blanket which he promptly yanked up over them both. He snuggled Sora up just that much more under the new comfortable warmth of the blanket. Riku was content to never get up out of bed ever again.

Sora seemed to cuddle even closer as soon as the added blanket was thrown across and Riku's arms wrapped around him. Still, he seemed to shift around and rubbed his face against Riku's shoulder since his hands weren't free. One groggy eye blinked open as soon as he was done to look up at Riku for a few seconds before he broke out into a small giggle fit which was the cause of something only he probably found to be amusing. "Riku... your hair..." he managed to speak between bits of laughter. He freed an arm to reach up and press down on a strand that was sticking up while he still laughed.

Riku frowned some at being laughed at. He refused to open his eyes and instead buried his face against the crook of Sora's neck to hide from the teasing. He gave a disgruntled whine. "Mmm, don't make fun of my hair."

Sora's laughter died away, but his smile never fell. "I'm not making fun of it. I like your hair, Riku, but it's so messy right now." Since the other boy had decided to bury himself away, Sora took his chance to run his fingers through the strands as gently as he could. It was a bit difficult since he had to move his neck a little, but he managed.

Riku was soothed by the fingers through his hair. "Your fault." He soon ran his hand lazily up and down Sora's spine, trailing down to his tailbone and up to the top of the small of his back. "It couldn't be helped. I'll live though." He placed a few small kisses on Sora's neck which was a little bruised from heated kisses and love bites that were done in the heat of the moment.

Sora gave a rather content sound at Riku's actions and let his fingers fall away to force Riku's head away. At the moment he felt a bit more playful then he usually would have been previously and placed a few quick kisses on the other boy's cheeks before he gave in and allowed Riku a small kiss.

Riku tried to remain disgruntled but he just couldn't. Sora's affection was just too sweet; Riku just didn't have the fight in him to be anything but happy. He didn't let Sora lean away without giving him a kiss back, leaning his head against Sora's with a smile after. His chest hurt but it was a good ache for once, he couldn't describe it with any word other than 'perfect' or 'complete'. It truly was something perfect to love and be loved in return. To share every intimate part, as cliché as it sounded, Riku felt so much closer to Sora now. There was nothing obstructing them from each other now. Nothing would ever tear them apart. Riku would never let it again.

Sora let out another small laugh as he looked into Riku's eyes. He nuzzled their noses together in a small playful way before he pushed Riku back a bit so he could have some room. "Hey, Riku, do you still keep some paper around here?" It was an odd request, but Sora couldn't keep still even after their previous activities. Before Riku could even answer, Sora was already crawling across the other boy to try and lean over to look inside the night stand, opening the drawer to search through it for some paper and something to write with. The action caused him to lay halfway across Riku, but he didn't seem to care much himself.

"Uh," Riku drew out the clueless sound as he suddenly had a naked Sora across him, which inconveniently made it hard to think beyond that simple fact. It caused his hand to wander more than it should. It took him a moment to actually think on Sora's very random request. "I think there might be some loose paper in a drawer on my desk." He pointed to the desk for Sora, as if it weren't plain to see in the room. "There."

Sora stopped his search in the night stand to look over at the desk with wide eyes. His brain seemed to catch up to him and let him know that in order to get over there he would have to leave the safety of the bed quite naked. It didn't detour him though, and soon Sora was grinning as he hopped up from the bed, taking the blankets with him and leaving Riku with not much else as he made his way over to the desk as if it was quite normal to be wearing the sheets.

"H-hey!" Riku whined. All his source of warmth had left him stranded naked on his bed. "That's not nice. Get back here." He tried to reach for Sora, but unfortunately his arm didn't stretch that long and he could only grasp air. Riku grumped and instead tried to find another blanket to keep warm. He found one thrown on the floor and tugged it over himself to huddle up in. "You're horrible, Sora."

"But you love me anyway," Sora spoke in a sing song voice as he searched through the desk. It was a bit difficult with one hand keeping the blankets held up, but he managed somewhat. They still slipped down every few seconds. He finally pulled out a piece of paper and a pen that looked as if it had been chewed up on the end. Feeling successful enough, Sora sat himself down at the desk chair to write instead of going back to the bed.

Riku peeked over at Sora from under the blanket. He blew some of his pale hair from his eyes as he watched, rather confused. "Can't you write a report on what we did later?" He chuckled. "I'm sure the teachers will love to hear the details, but I miss you more. And demand you come back." He reached out from under the blankets and made grabby hands at the air.

Sora rolled his eyes at Riku's words and whines. "I'm not writing a report, stupid." The playful name calling wasn't unusual and Sora even smiled afterwards. He continued to scribble a few things down before he dropped the pen to look over his words and seemed plenty satisfied with what he saw. His fingers then moved to the edges of the paper and began to fold it little by little into a familiar shape. When it was all done he picked the pen up again and drew tiny hearts on each corner.

Once Sora was finished he stood back up with the folded note in his free hand as he walked back over to the bed. He stopped beside it and held the paper up by a corner while he smiled a little nervously at Riku and wiggled the note around. "See, much better then a report."

Riku blinked at the little dancing paper star in Sora's hand. He pushed himself to sit up and gave Sora a rather touched smile. "My mysterious S writes me again. Never thought I'd see another little star from him." He took the note from Sora but grabbed Sora as well, pulling him over to gather him up on his lap. "He's very poetic, you know. And getting one from him today, well, I may just have to treasure it forever. And then some." He chuckled, placing a kiss on Sora's cheek. "Let's see what my beloved S has written me." Riku carefully unfolded the little paper star to read.

Once the paper was unfolded Sora's messy print could be made out with just a few lines of text, but the meaning behind the words were what made them jump out the most:

'I'll always be your light. Your bright and shining star. Above all you're the one that matters most. I know now I can't fall any harder.'

"I remember in the dream," Sora started to speak up in a whisper, "there were things you would say that made me feel like the most important person in all the worlds. I don't want you to think, or for me to think, that just because it was a dream that none of it mattered to me. So, I'm reminding myself and letting you know how much it all means." Sora twisted his fingers in the blanket as he became nervous. "Just, how much you mean to me."

Riku swallowed thickly. He raised a hand to rub at the corner of his eyes. He wrapped his strong arms around Sora to hug him close, keeping a tight hold of the note at the same time. "My little star, huh?" he managed to say in a quiet voice but it still cracked. He nuzzled his cheek against Sora's hair, burying a hand there as well. "My little shinning star."

Riku gave a shaky exhale. He kissed Sora hard on the forehead just to show him how much it truly meant. "Not many people get their own falling stars." Riku managed to chuckle weakly with a smile. "Damn, Sora." He ran a few fingers across Sora's cheek before tilting his head up to look at him. "I think I just fell in love with you all over again. Hard." To prove it Riku then captured Sora's mouth, not happy until he kissed Sora's breath away.

A low sound was muffled against lips as Sora tried his best to respond to the kiss. His arms had instantly wrapped around Riku's neck to cling tight to his friend, keeping close during such an intense display of affection. It wasn't something Sora had been expecting and the words nearly brought tears to his own eyes. Riku was good on leaving him absolutely breathless, because it wasn't long before Sora was forced to pull back to catch every bit of air he had lost only to look up at Riku and give a shaky laugh. "I'm glad you liked it so much."

Riku gave an equally breathless laugh. "Love it." He dotted Sora's nose with a quick kiss. "Love you." He looked over Sora's shoulder to the note he still held. "Think I may just carry this one with me all the time. In my wallet. A little piece of my little star with me always."

That easily brightened Sora up completely and the same energy he had seconds ago came back full force. "Really?" He didn't even wait for a response before he was giving Riku another quick kiss. When he pulled away he turned so he could take the slip of paper from Riku's hand. With practiced skill he folded the paper back up to its original shape with each heart on just the right corner. When he was done he handed the small star back over while he leaned back against Riku's chest. Much like Riku he felt as if he never wanted to leave the room. He was quite content for the moment staying comfortable against the other teen and knowing that he had done something to make Riku happy.

"Really really," Riku finally answered Sora as he rested his head atop Sora's. He kept the other's head tucked under his chin as he spun the newly folded paper star around between his fingers. After a moment he held the star in one hand so he could rub Sora's arm as he kissed the top of his head. "We should probably have a shower," he murmured the suggestion against Sora's hair. "Not right now, but sometime today." Sora could feel the smile against his head. "We can eat whatever was packed, after."

At the mention of food Sora seemed to realize that despite having breakfast he was still quite hungry. Of course he didn't really know how much time had passed since they had left his own home and he felt as if he hadn't eaten at all. "Sounds good to me, but we should save room for desert. You're still taking me out afterwards." Even though Sora's grin couldn't be seen it could be heard through his words, "Don't think I've forgotten, Riku."

Riku gave a soft laugh. "I don't think anything could make you forget ice cream." He messed with a few locks of Sora's hair, running his fingers through the warm brunette strands. "We can still go off to the island. It'll be nice with all the stars out. Cool enough we can just lie on the sand and watch them." He gave a soft thoughtful sound. "Feels like I haven't done that in ages. Just, spending time with you, doing absolutely nothing."

"Well, Kairi is usually with us, you know?" Sora instantly flushed and realized how those words could be taken. He didn't want it to seem like he held anything against his other dear friend. "I mean not to say I don't want her around. That's just horrible. Still, it's nice when we get time, just the two of us." His fingers twisted around themselves. "That didn't come out selfish did it, Riku?"

Sora could feel Riku shake his head against his hair. "No. You're the furthest thing from selfish, Sora." Riku slipped his arms tight around Sora, letting out a content sound when the other was firmly snuggled in his arms. "You always want every single soul to be happy, even at the expense of your own. Wanting to actually be happy yourself sometimes, trust me, it's not selfish." Riku lazily trailed his hand up and down Sora's back. "Me, I'm selfish. I'll admit that I've done terrible things just to feel happy. But, I've found I feel far more happy when you're smiling, Sora." Riku gave a short 'heh'. "And I'd do anything to make you happy, Sora. Maybe still, some terrible things. So, maybe I am still selfish."

"You're not selfish either, Riku," Sora found himself whispering as if the moment would be shattered if he spoke any louder. "Just saying all of that proves that you really aren't. You say you've done terrible things, but isn't that all in the past? And if you stay stuck in the past then what will happen to the future? You have to move forward. You can't keep thinking about all the bad things." A small smile came to his lips. "As long as we have each other then we'll always be happy."

A short quiet laugh left Riku at Sora's constant optimism. "You always know exactly what to say." His hand fell from Sora's hair down to the crown necklace. It softly jingled as Riku toyed with it idly. "Always makes everything alright," Riku whispered. "No matter how cheesy it should sound, it never does, not from you." He glanced to the little paper star in his other hand and held it tight against his palm.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Sora's own hand reached up to wrap around Riku's fingers that had settled on his necklace. He kept quiet for a few seconds just enjoying his friend's company and warmth until his stomach gave a tiny growl to remind him of his hunger. He laughed at his own misfortune while he dropped his hand and turned to face Riku completely. "Come on, let's have that shower and eat lunch. My stomach is demanding it." He grinned. "We can raid your fridge a little too while we're at it since mom couldn't give us pudding to go along with our sandwiches."

Riku sighed as if it were truly a bother. "Fine. Fine." He pushed Sora to get up off the bed. "But you get to run around naked." He stood up, putting the paper star on the night table and wrapped the bed sheet around his waist. "I want you mine and naked for as long as possible." Riku captured Sora up in his arms before he could try to grab for a blanket. He ran his hands down Sora's back and further down as he kissed Sora's shoulder. "I like being with you. Like this."

Despite everything that had happened so far Sora still blushed at such words as well as Riku's actions. Even though he felt much too shy to admit to liking such a thing as well he still curled close to Riku's body as they stood up on the floor, and found himself smiling. "Well, it's not like I'm getting dressed anytime soon." His smile grew and despite his shy nature he felt rather playful as well. "And if you're good you'll get to take your shower with me. To save water, of course." He tapped a finger against Riku's chest.

"Of course," Riku quietly agreed. He nuzzled Sora's neck. "Though admittedly, I'm good when I'm good, but when I'm bad- I'm better." He grinned as he gave a playful bite against the other's neck.

Sora let out a noise at the bite and squirmed a little. "Riku, stop it," he whined. He was able to free himself after moving around a little and walked backwards away from the taller teen. With a grin on his face he lifted a hand to wiggle a finger for Riku to come hither before he twirled around on a foot to make his way towards the bedroom door, heading for the bathroom.

Riku chuckled to himself and he gave a rather pleased grin before he followed the naked Sora. What a perfect world he lived in.

It was long before either of them were in the shower under the fall of hot water, which soothed whatever tension was left in either of them. Riku held Sora loosely while either of their hair was wetted and slicked down by the water from the shower. He smoothed his fingers over wet skin, gliding over shoulder blades, sides, up and down Sora's arms. It all still felt so unreal to Riku, all that had happened right down to where they were right now. Riku needed to make sure all of it did happen, that Sora was really standing there with him warm and naked just like himself.

Sora never usually enjoyed staying in the shower too long, but for some reason he didn't mind it much this time around. He found it enjoyable to be held so close while under the warm water. His fingers twisted and turned under the sprayer to watch how the drops plipped on his fingers, even though his usual bouncy spikes nearly obscured his vision for the moment as the water held them down. For once Sora was quiet, a rarity, but he didn't feel the need to speak much.

Riku nearly forgot why they were there until his eyes landed on the shampoo bottles there. Wordlessly he picked up one of the bottles and opened it up to pour some on Sora's hair. He gave a soft laugh at the obscene sound it made as it squirted out. Setting it down he smoothed back Sora's bangs to clear his friend's vision of them, setting a kiss on Sora's forehead before he began to gently massage a lather through the sopping once spiky hair.

Sora gave a soft sound in the back of his throat. The fingers that moved along his scalp felt incredibly good and he couldn't help dipping his head a little so that Riku could reach farther back. He stopped playing with the water so he could wrap his own arms around his friend, holding on as he murmured quietly, "Mmm... feels nice, Riku."

Riku gave a soft chuckle. "M'glad," he very quietly answered. He reached back to run his fingers through the soapy lather to get at the hair behind Sora's head since he'd leaned his head forward. He gently massaged Sora's scalp, spreading the relaxing touch down his neck for a moment. Riku smiled softly to see Sora so subdued. He brushed away some suds that dripped down Sora's forehead so they wouldn't fall painfully in his eyes. Riku felt his own eyes sting, but it wasn't the soap. He was glad for the fall of water against him, the water that dripped from his sopping bangs; it hid the warmth that fell from his eyes.

Sora's hands wandered up along Riku's back. The water made them slippery, so he couldn't cling quite as hard as usual, but he didn't seem to be trying. He was only interested in giving small touches to skin as more soft sounds came from him. He wasn't used to anyone else washing his own hair, so the change was certainly nice. At times he moved his head one way to make Riku rub at one spot a little more, wanting to feel pampered for as long as he could.

Riku smoothed the excess lather from Sora's hair, reaching a hand out so the shower could wash it away. "Close your eyes," he quietly instructed as he stepped Sora underneath the fall of water from the shower. Carefully Riku went about rinsing the shampoo from Sora's hair, running his fingers through it being as gentle and affectionate as he had been with washing his friend's hair.

Sora had done as told as the shampoo was washed away. He was still just as subdued with the actions as he had been while Riku washed his hair. As soon as all the foam seemed to be cleared from his hair Sora seemed to notice since there were no more suds crawling across his body. He opened his eyes as he lifted his head away from the sprayer only to turn his full attention on Riku. He gave his friend a rather lazy smile before he leaned up to share a quick kiss, speaking after, "Your turn."

Riku thumbed away the wet hair that stuck to Sora's cheek. He couldn't help but find that the smile accompanied by the sopping spikes that now clung to Sora's head quite endearing. "Mine? How will you reach?" Riku couldn't help the gentle teasing. "A stepping stool can't be too safe, and a phone book would get soggy fast."

"Well, then you'll just have to make some sacrifices, won't you?" Sora's smile only grew and before Riku could respond he forced the other teen's head down with hands on each of his cheeks. His smile turned innocent after the action and he gave Riku another quick kiss before he let go to grab the shampoo bottle back up. He poured some out onto Riku's hair and set the bottle aside again, and instantly his hands were quick to run through each strand to lather it all up. Just as careful for Riku as the other teen had been for him.

A soft sound left Riku, his hair one of the things he was most sensitive about. But Sora's gentle loving touch for each silver strand put Riku at ease and let him enjoy the attention. He let his arms slip down to rest around Sora's waist, fingers knitting at the other's tailbone.

Sora gave a soft sound at Riku's touch, but didn't shy away. He continued to pet his hands through both hair and shampoo. At times he would twist his fingers gently around a few pieces. It was something he always enjoyed doing to Riku's hair and even then under the warm water he couldn't stop himself. He took extra care to make sure each piece was lathered up before he moved to the front to take care of Riku's overly long bangs.

Riku couldn't help the small smirk. "... I have a lot of hair," he spoke up softly. "It is a bit of a pain to wash, sorry. Mmm, but you're the only one I trust enough to touch my hair." Those words tasted rather familiar. But Riku ignored it. "Lord only knows how many times either of my parents have chased me with scissors or nagged at me to get my hair cut." He quietly laughed. "Only gave me more reason to let it grow even more." Riku relaxed all the more, he loved Sora's dotting touch through his hair, he always had. As girlish as he considered it, growing up he loved when Sora played with his hair. He'd always pretend to grump about it, but the farce would always pass when Sora would whine and Riku was contented to let Sora do as he liked.

"I'm glad you did. Besides, it's not that much of a pain." Sora shrugged a shoulder while he made sure to keep the suds away from Riku's eyes. "I don't really mind it at all." He finally pulled his hands back once he was sure he got every piece and switched places with Riku near the sprayer. "Now, you close your eyes. Of course, you'll have to rinse your own hair, sorry. You can't keep bending forward for that, so I won't be much help." He gave a sheepish smile as he shook off his soapy hands.

"The price of being taller, I guess. Heh, next time I'll have to sit or kneel for you." Riku leaned his head back to rinse out his hair. He brushed his hair back over his shoulders and ran his fingers through his hair to wash it out. Since his hair was long it took longer than Sora's but he managed to get it all out. He pulled his hair over one shoulder, running his hands through it to make sure there were no wet tangles in it. "Hm, Sora," Riku smirked some, "it's rude to stare, you know." He reached forward and clacked Sora's jaw closed. "You'd think we'd never done it with the way you're looking at me." Riku couldn't help the wicked albeit lazy grin that followed.

Thanks to the hot air the shower provided it was hard to confirm whether the blush on Sora's face had just appeared or been there the entire time. Although the way his eyes widened for a split second and he seemed to stutter made the former seem more then obvious. "You're so full of yourself, Riku," Sora was quick to reply once he got a hold of himself and made sure to turn away from the other to busy himself with the soap instead.

"Probably." Riku shrugged even though Sora couldn't see it. But he wasn't about to let Sora slink off so easily. He stepped behind Sora, his hands slipping to other's front to barely graze his nails over Sora's wet lower stomach. "But don't be mad." Riku placed little kisses along the back of Sora's shoulder, trying to make up for the previous teasing as he trailed them up to the nape of his neck.

Sora was instantly like putty in Riku's fingers and in the back of his mind he knew it. There was just no fighting those touches and the way his stomach clenched on its own because of them. "I'm not mad," he spoke with a pout. He had already grabbed the bar of soap and washcloth that he had been aiming to get once he had turned around. And just to prove his words he wiggled free of Riku's grasp to turn around, lathering up the cloth, but not for himself. He slid it against Riku's chest and moved it up towards the boy's shoulder, intending on helping the other get clean.

A low sound left Riku. "Always so considerate." He leaned forward to busy himself with continuing those kisses he'd pressed on the side of Sora's neck while Sora washed him. Riku pressed Sora back against the shower wall, pressing close as he ran his tongue across the sensitive skin of Sora's neck before softly sucking just below his jaw.

Sora's hand faltered a little as he gave a quiet sound of his own. He tried to concentrate on what he was doing, but Riku was making it very difficult at the moment. He pressed back further against the wall, allowing Riku to keep him pinned and when he spoke it was in a throaty little whine, "Riku, you're not making this very easy." Of course Sora seemed to aid in his own difficult situation as his hand that held the washcloth slid further down Riku's stomach.

"Oh I don't know, Sora," Riku murmured against damp skin in a soft husky tone, "I think I'm making it very easy." His hand ceased running along Sora's side to follow down his arm to the hand that held the wash cloth. He pushed the wash cloth from Sora's hand to knit his fingers with his and help his hand travel lower.

Getting clean would have to wait for later.

After the shower, getting food was next on the agenda. Riku's fridge and cupboards were soon raided and all forms of snackage were then horded into Riku's room. Two bottles of cola were added to the collection, since Riku's parents were thoughtful enough to buy things like that for him and his friends while they were gone.

Riku had paused in eating to stare at Sora before he gave a slight smirk. "If you eat that sandwich any faster with any less bites, Sora, you're going to choke."

Sora paused midway through a bite to snap his attention over to Riku. His cheeks were stuffed full of said sandwich, all bites that he had yet to swallow. Always quick on the defensive, Sora was just about to snap out a reply to Riku's warning, but of course a piece of bread decided to try and lodge itself into his throat and caused him to cough violently instead of form words. Sora launched himself forward to grab Riku's drink from his hand and started to down the cola in seconds.

Riku flinched and tried to keep his laughter for Sora's poor misfortune; which he was doing quite a bad job of. He rubbed Sora's back and tried to keep in an 'I told you so'. "My poor, Sora. Beaten by a sandwich made by his mom." He did a bad job of keeping in his new laughter.

Sora took a deep breath once he had taken the drink away from his lips. Thankfully he had swallowed every bite he had stuffed in his mouth and shot a look at Riku for the awful teasing. "Yeah, well, it's not that funny." He handed Riku his drink back even though it was nearly empty after Sora had gotten a hold of it. He rested back against the head board and decided against trying to eat the rest of the sandwich. He felt as if it was out to get him suddenly. Instead he picked up a bag of chips and opened them up to nibble on.

Riku lifted his bottle up and swished what was left of his drink; such a loss. Shrugging he lowered the bottle and grinned over at Sora. "So, you're not too tired now to still go out are you?" He tried to keep his act casual so he leaned back beside Sora and drank what was left of his cola.

As casual as the question was Sora still blushed, but tried to shrug it off as he bit down on a chip that crunched loudly in the quiet room. He shook his head until the chip was gone. "No, I'm fine. I still want to go hang out at the islands at least." Despite his still drying hair, Sora leaned over a little so he could rest his head on Riku's shoulder. "I was really looking forward to it. I mean, I'm not saying today wasn't really great and all so far," Sora blushed harder while he tried to continue, "but, yeah... you know what I mean."

Riku gave a good humoured chuckle. "I do. I really wanted to go there today. And we will, after we eat." He took another sip of his cola. "Because I'm quite sure you're very eager to brag to everyone that you became a man today." Riku patted Sora's thigh. "Twice."

"Riku!" Sora swatted his friend's hand away while he lifted his head back up to stare at the other with wide eyes. His cheeks had gotten darker at such words, but still a slow smirk spread across his own face and he was soon settling back against the head board. "I guess that makes two of us." He picked through his bag of chips as he spoke the teasing words.

"That's very true," Riku agreed far too casually. He leaned over and stole some chips from Sora's bag. "I guess that means I should tell everyone, even my parents, the good news: that I'm a man now. That I became a man with my best friend in both my room and in the shower." He chomped on the chip, eating it before he grinned at Sora who was looking quite red now. "What do you think?"

"I-I don't... well... umm... " Sora was at a complete loss for words other then the stuttering mess he had been able to get out. He didn't even seem to notice Riku's sneaky move to steal a chip. His eyes only stayed glued on the bedroom door as if Riku's parents would burst in at any moment. "I-I guess... if that's what you want, but... uhh, Riku?" Sora started out slowly, "I don't think they'll appreciate the part about the shower as much as you or I." His own words only had him flushing darker and he quickly looked back down to try and keep himself occupied with his snack.

Riku laughed; Sora really was adorable when he was a stuttering blushing mess. "I'm kidding." He slipped his arm over Sora's shoulders, ruffling his hair first. "Like I'd tell my folks anything. Not like they'd notice much. They could have walked in the bathroom while we were in there, do what they came for, and then leave without even noticing what we were doing. Heh. The less they know the better." He waved it off and stole more chips from Sora. "We could tell your mom though." He popped the chip in his mouth with a devious snicker. "I'm sure she'd like to know that her little boy has finally become a man."

"Well, I don't want to traumatize her or anything." Sora fiddled with the edges of the bag as he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts for a second. "I'm happy, you know?" He finally spoke up after a while, but kept his gaze down. "That dream, it made me feel like I had lost everything and I'd never get it back. This whole day has made me realize that everything really is okay, and you were right, Riku. Things can only get better." He finally turned his head to meet his friend's eyes, smiling when he saw the color he loved so much. "And I don't have to worry about ever losing you again."

Riku's new smile was a little sad at first but soon it was just as happy as Sora's. "I'm happy too then. That whatever it was you dreamed really was just some silly old dream. If it wasn't, then today wouldn't have happened." He leaned forward to give Sora a quick kiss. "You have nothing to worry about anymore. We're both here, and you're very much stuck with me, Sora. We'll live out our lives together right here in Destiny Islands. We'll graduate school and go to the same college and share the same dorm. Hm, no, people are annoying. We'll live off campus in a small but comfortable apartment. You'll chase off the college girls who hit on me while I secretly hide the bodies of the ones who hit on you. Then we'll get jobs like normal adults, growing old together, no kids, maybe some pets. It'll be sickeningly romantic, a big old happy ending and everything." Riku beeped Sora's nose. "Just the way you like your stories."

Sora let out a small giggle at the playful action and scrunched up his face. Despite how silly some of the words had been, Sora found that he rather liked a few of the ideas. It made it seem as if they would have their whole lives planned out together and Sora knew right then and there that he wanted nothing more then just that.

Without saying a word after his laughter subsided, Sora moved around a little and dropped the bag he held aside. He crawled across Riku to straddle his friend's lap with a leg on either side of the other teen. Before Riku could utter a sound, Sora moved forward to press their lips together, laughing a little against the kiss when he noticed that Riku tasted like the chips he had been sneaking bites of.

Riku couldn't help the small bit of laughter as well since the kiss tasted like chips. His hands fell to Sora's hips and he was a little disappointed they got clothed; but he figured they'd never leave the house if they were left naked. He slipped his arms around Sora's waist and tugged him closer while he kissed him.

Sora's own hands found their way into Riku's hair to curl into each strand despite his gloves. He allowed himself to be pulled nearer while he deepened the kiss on his own. His actions not nearly as shy as they used to be which wasn't too surprising. He seemed to forget all about lunch and other such things once again as Riku became more important at that very moment.

Riku relaxed back against his head board, the fingers toying with his hair soothing him. He was more than happy to let the affectionate kiss become playful since Sora took lead to deepen it. Riku snuck his hands under Sora's shirt to run his hands over warm skin; it was still so hard for him to believe.

Sora squirmed a little as Riku ran his fingers along skin that was quite ticklish. He was forced to break away from the kiss since he couldn't hold his laughter in any longer and rested against his friend's chest. "Riku, stop it," the words were almost squeaked out. He squirmed a bit more, hoping it would force the other's hands to fall away.

"Hmm?" Riku glanced down at Sora squirming to avoid his touch. His hands stopped and came to rest on Sora's back. "Why?" Mischievousness passed on Riku's lips. "Does it- tickle!" He instantly attacked Sora's sides with tickles never letting up. It was just too tempting an opportunity to pass up.

Sora had no time to answer since Riku didn't give him any. Loud laughter escaped him as he tried to free himself from Riku's attack, but it was no real use. The most he could do was kick at the sheets on either side of his feet. "S-Stop! R-Riku, stop it! It's n-not fu-funny!" Since his hands had still been tangled in his friend's hair he accidentally pulled rather hard without meaning to while a sudden squeal left him when Riku brushed hands over a sensitive part on one of his sides.

Riku gave a short pained grunt at the hair pull. He stopped the tickling, giving Sora a rest so he could untangle his friend's hands from his hair. When he had his hair swept back over his shoulders he settled his hands down on either of Sora's legs. "Hey, Sora," Riku spoke the words low and with a grin perking his lips just barely, "I know your ultimate weak spot." Riku's grin grew wider.

While Sora tried to catch his breath he seemed to flinch at those words. They shouldn't have been too surprising since Riku was his best friend and they knew just about everything that made the other who they were. Still, Sora always tried to keep his most ticklish spots a secret. "You do not," he responded in a childish voice and it almost seemed as if he tried to scoot away.

Riku kept a tight hold on Sora's knees to keep him exactly where he was. "I dooo," Riku replied back almost as childishly as Sora did. He leaned forward rather close to Sora's face; his eyes fell heavily lidded as his grin became far lazier. "Want me to prove it?"

The rational side of Sora's mind thought it would have been a good idea to say no and just let the whole thing go. Of course it was few and far between that Sora listened to that side of his mind and ignored it once again at that very moment. "Yes, because I don't believe you," and with those words Sora did what he did best in such situations. He stuck out his tongue.

Riku promptly then licked the tip of Sora's tongue. "Fine with me." While Sora was busied with being flustered he slipped either of his hands under Sora's legs to lift them up and dump Sora on his back. This left Sora's bare feet completely at Riku's mercy and without mercy Riku attacked Sora's feet with tickles.

As soon as Riku's fingers made contact with his feet Sora was a mess. He started to squirm against the bed and tried to fight off the attack, but it didn't help that he was laughing way too much to help himself. There were tears at the corners of his eyes that tried to leak down his face as he tried to get a word out, "S-S-Stop!" It was all he managed. The rest of his words were lost to giggles.

"Bet you believe me now!" Riku laughed as he tried to keep Sora's feet in his grasp since he was squirming around so much. "I'll stop as soon as you say- 'Riku is the best and king of Destiny Islands'!" He slowed in his tickling so poor Sora could catch his breath, but mostly so Sora could speak the surrendering words. "Go on- say it." Riku grinned as he ran a finger down the ticklish arches of Sora's feet.

Sora's feet twitched at the still lingering touches. A few small laughs still left him, but he refused to speak such words. His head shook from side to side and he had to force himself to bite his lip to keep from laughing any harder. The act had him keeping silent while he stared at Riku with wide, teary eyes.

Riku let go of Sora's feet in favour of sitting up from the head board to kneel between Sora's legs, grinning over him. "You better." One hand yanked up Sora's shirt while another gave a few quick tickles to Sora's sides. "Or you'll get it!" He laughed.

"Ah! N-No! Riku, no!" Sora managed to get out the words between fits of laughter. He was squirming again, but it was a bit more difficult with Riku kneeling over him. "Fine, fine. You win, Riku." His own shaky hands reached down to try and grab Riku's arms, but his grip was weak because of his friend's tickling assault. "You're the best and you're king." Sora rolled his eyes at that last part, but still he couldn't stop giggling.

Riku slowly ceased his tickling. He couldn't help the laughter that continuously escaped him too. "You bet I am! And you better not forget it, Sora." He raised his hands and wiggled them in the air in a playful threat. "Or I'll getchya!"

Sora took in the air he needed from all the laughing he had done as he watched Riku through heavily-lidded eyes. As quick as could be Sora grabbed Riku's hands to pull his friend down into another kiss, silencing his teasing words and taking his own breath he had just gotten back, away in an instant. Of course Sora didn't seem to mind at all.

Riku pressed back into the kiss, grinning as he made sure Sora never got that breath back he'd just gotten and lost again. He sought one of Sora's hands to hold and press against the mattress. When Riku broke the kiss he smiled down at Sora, a light hearted smile that he only gave to his dear friend. He shut his eyes and rested his head atop Sora's, quiet for a moment as he just enjoyed the simplicity of Sora's company.

Sora moved his hands a little so he could twine his fingers with Riku's own. After that he was quite content to stay just as he was. Nothing could really rival the day he had so far. He could think of only two incidents and they either involved finding Riku or being able to kiss the other boy for the very first time. No other moments stuck out quite as vividly. He couldn't help not wanting this day to ever end. "Hey, Riku," he started out slowly and almost timidly, "I feel like this is the dream, but only because I don't feel like I've done anything to deserve to be this happy."

"Don't be stupid, Sora," Riku's insult was completely affectionate as he spoke softly, "you've done more than anyone in the entire universe. You saved all our lives, our fates, our worlds. Our home." He opened his eyes and noticed just how much of a mess Sora had been made from the tickling. He wiped away the happy tears that had fallen from the tickling and smiled just a little. "You, above anyone else, deserve to be this happy. And I'm so glad it's me that's making you smile."

"You always know how to make me smile, Riku," Sora responded quietly. Just to prove his point the smile was brought back to his face and his worries seemed to vanish. "Besides, I didn't do it all on my own. You helped me. You were right by my side, fighting with me. I refuse to take every little bit of credit." He lifted a hand to brush Riku's hair aside, keeping his hand in place so it wouldn't fall back again. "You helped save us and you helped save me." His hand trailed down to stop and rest at Riku's side where the nasty hit had been taken that had long ago been meant for Sora. "And you deserve to be happy too."

Riku's hand came to rest over Sora's. "Well, I'll let you in on a little secret, Sora." He touched the softest of kisses against Sora's lips, just a brief brush of lips before he spoke even softer than the touch, "You always know how to make me smile too."

Sora flushed a little at such sincerity, but his smile only grew. "I'm glad. I always want to be your reason for smiling, Riku." He moved his free hand up to wrap around Riku's neck, pulling the other boy down for a quick hug that ended in more of a cuddle then anything else. Of course Sora didn't care. He just enjoyed being as close as he could get to Riku and he enjoyed it even more when he was snuggled near his friend.

Riku was more than content to be as snuggled close as possible to Sora below. He nuzzled closer to Sora's hot cheek, comfortable, comfortable enough to keep silent again. Things felt so right, more right than they had ever in Riku's life. It was a feeling that Riku never wanted to lose, along with Sora.

This happy little life on the tropical islands, spending every possible hour of his life with Sora making each other happy, was something that Riku was willing to fight with every fiber of his being to keep; even if it meant giving into the Darkness again.

Not that Sora ever needed to know any of that.