Archive of Our Own ^beta

Drops of sea-salt ice cream fell to his fingers and coated them in sticky blue juice. Roxas let the residue sit on his skin. He took another large bite and chewed slowly, savoring the taste. Another drop fell to join the first and the cycle repeated. By the end, his hands would be covered in ice cream juice, but it was part of the experience. A pitfall of ice cream being his favorite food but he wouldn’t trade the rapid melting, the frequent spillage, or the accidental dropping for anything.

Sea-salt ice cream and sunsets went together like darkness and light. Roxas smiled and ate the last chunk of ice cream before it fell. As it melted in his mouth, he turned the stick over. Dang. The sixth time in a row he hadn’t won.

“I won!” Naminé announced two spots from his left. All eight pairs of eyes turned to her. She looked overjoyed as she showed Xion and Pence.

Roxas leaned forward. “Lucky,” he said, his voice raised slightly. “Isn’t that the second time you’ve won this week?”

Naminé smiled. “Yup!”

“Isn’t that the sixth time you’ve lost?” Hayner said to his right. Roxas whipped his head around to glare but Lea snickered and pointed his half-eaten bar in Hayner’s face.

“Like you can talk. You haven’t won in weeks, Hayner.”

“That’s because I had a streak!” Hayner argued, looking at Lea with a frown. “I won five times in a row three months ago! That was all my luck for the year.”

Olette, who sat on Roxas’ immediate left, caught Hayner’s eye. “I still don’t believe that.”

Hayner ran a hand down his face. Roxas took that as his cue to lean out of the way for the incoming argument. He stuck his ice cream stick in his mouth and gazed skyward. The sun’s rays warmed his forehead and cheeks.

“Olette, I showed them to you!”

“And who’s to say that Pence didn’t give you one of his so you could get a prize?”

Pence jumped to attention at hearing his name. “What did Pence do?”

Olette stuck her tongue out at Hayner before looking down the line at Pence. “Did you conspire with Hayner to cheat the system?”

Naminé modestly hid her giggles behind a hand. Xion flat out busted into laughter. It seemed the Great Ice Cream Stick Debate was coming to a head. Roxas, of course, knew everything about it. Before his terrible string of losses, he’d won time and time again, which was the catalyst for the dispute. Roxas kept his laughter to himself as he watched Hayner silently seethe.

Pence narrowed his eyes. He took a cautious bite of his ice cream while holding Olette’s stare. “Olette, are you a cop?” He asked slowly. “You legally have to tell me if I ask you.”

Hayner’s anger over being doubted boiled over and his face had turned bright red. “Is there a rule against sharing sticks?!”

Olette turned her cool green eyes on Hayner. “You basically just admitted to doing it.”

“Olette! I will come over there!”

Xion’s loud cackle led to a chorus of laughter and talking that Roxas soaked in and enjoyed. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He reached for it with his sticky fingers and saw that Sora had texted him. Roxas had already been in a good mood but seeing Sora’s name along with the emoji Roxas had chosen for him sent him to cloud nine.

: ROXAS :)

A simple message. Sora would just send his name in all caps to gauge if Roxas was too busy to talk. He was never too busy for Sora. He’d gotten a text from him in algebra once and gotten his phone taken away. His teacher locked it up in his desk drawer but luckily Roxas wielded two keys that could open any lock. He chewed on his wooden ice cream stick as his fingers tapped out a reply.

: hey

He didn’t want to seem too excited.

: ROXAS!!!!!!!! hi roxas :)))))

: hey sora

: roxas!!!!

: how many times r u gonna say my name?

: roxasroxasroxasroxasroxasroxasroxasroxasroxasroxasroxasroxasroxasroxasroxasroxas

: okay stop

: i need to talk to you!!!

: is there trouble?

: NO!!! DONT EVEN SUGGEST OR T HINK THAT THERE IS OR YOULL JINX US!!!!!

Roxas bit the inside of his cheek. Sora probably felt the trepidation more than anyone. It’d been peaceful for about five months which put them all on edge. They’d been fighting for so long that living normal lives felt off. He could see it in the way Xion looked around the forest when they walked home and the way Naminé fiddled with the hem of her dress.

Their repose was well earned and deserved, but it didn’t feel final. Something would come on the horizon, Roxas knew. It wouldn’t be the first time the rug had been pulled out from under him. He didn’t mention any of that to Sora. He deserved this time of peace more than anyone.

:okay sorry. talk about what?

: can i call you?

Roxas gripped his phone tight. He pressed the button on the side and put it to sleep. As his friends argued over popsicle stick trading and the prizes worth getting, Roxas checked his appearance on the screen of his phone. His hair seemed okay. A bit on the frazzled side thanks to the wind but not terrible. He didn’t look too sleep deprived. He fussed over the exact positioning of his bangs.

With a final nod of approval, he stood, his back pressed against the concrete of the tower. Hayner and Olette looked at him curiously. He held up his phone with a sheepish grin. “I gotta take care of something,” he told them.

“‘Kay,” Hayner told him with a wave of his hand. He and Olette immediately delved back into their heated discussion. Roxas stepped carefully behind his best friends. He gave Naminé and Xion a gentle pat on the head as he passed and lightly tugged on a strand of Pence’s hair. Before he rounded the corner, he caught Naminé’s eye. Her expression looked calculative.

Roxas stopped, raising a single brow in question.

Naminé’s thinned lips turned upward into a smile. She gave him a single wave and rejoined the ongoing conversation.

Roxas narrowed his eyes but didn’t dwell on it. Naminé would discuss it with him eventually if she wanted to. He walked down the quarter turn staircase and flipped through his phone. He stopped once he felt he was far enough away so that no one could overhear the conversation. With Sora, it was possible for a chat to jump from subject to subject, which could circle back to worlds and keyblades. He sat on an old concrete stair and pressed Sora’s name to call him.

Sora answered on the second ring. “Roxas!” He exclaimed, bright sunny smile in its rightful place. His hair was slightly damp and a quick look at the surrounding area told Roxas that Sora was on the play island.

“Sora,” Roxas replied with half as much energy. “What’s up?”

“Hold on.” Sora lowered the phone and looked around for a moment. Roxas could hear the sound of muffled voices. Riku and Kairi no doubt. Suddenly, Sora jumped from his spot on the beach and up onto the area with the paopu tree. When he returned in front of the phone again, he smiled sheepishly. “Sorry about that. Uhm, I wanted to ask a favor.”

“Shoot.”

“So,” Sora drawled, leaning back against the trunk of the tree. He wore a bright yellow tank top, his crown necklace resting on his chest like always. A physical embodiment of the sun if there ever was one. “I heard that you’ve got a three day weekend next week.” Was Sora planning on visiting him for the weekend? It’d been a little over a month since they’d seen each other. Roxas could teach Sora the new skateboard trick he’d made up or show him the new shops in the square or take him to the beach.

“You planning on coming to see me?” Roxas asked nonchalantly. He added a smirk to go with it in case his tone wasn’t convincing enough.

Sora smiled fondly and Roxas started to sweat. “Actually, I was thinking you could come here.”

Roxas shrugged. “Sure.” The last time he’d been to Destiny Islands had been when Sora had… Well. Roxas didn’t like to think about that. “But that’s not really a favor, Sora.”

“Yeah, I’m getting to that part,” Sora muttered nervously. “I was thinking that you could spend your three day weekend… y’know…” Sora delayed the catch of his favor, the part that would make Roxas groan internally but agree to it anyway because it was Sora asking. Roxas’ stomach turned.

“I was thinking...” Sora started over, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. “I thought it’d be a good chance for you to spend some time with… Riku.”

Roxas dropped his phone and it fell on the wooden stairs with a loud clatter. That… was one hell of a catch. Roxas would’ve been fine with anything else. Help with math homework? Sure. Spar with Kairi? No problem. Spend his precious three day weekend with someone he actively ignored? That was a little too much.

“Roxas? Did you drop your phone?! I’m sorry! I should’ve warned you!” Sora’s voice rang out from between his feet. Roxas blinked out of his stunned stupor. He hastily grabbed his phone and turned it over, meeting Sora’s worried eyes with a distressed expression of his own.

“That would’ve been nice…” Roxas muttered. He ran a hand down his face. “Sora—”

“I know, I know. You and Riku are on really bad terms. Like, seriously bad. But that’s why I think you should go through with this!” Sora urged. He sat forward as if putting his face as physically close to the screen as possible would sway Roxas’ decision.

“Sora, I’d rather do literally anything else,” Roxas spoke honestly. “I don’t think spending time together is enough. I mean…” He bit his lip, not wanting to hurt Sora’s feelings but knowing that the truth needed to be said. Roxas didn’t have the blinding optimism and unyielding hope that Sora had. Hearts were shaped by their experiences, afterall. “There’s only so much nice words can do. Sometimes it’s not enough.”

Sora sat back then. He frowned and Roxas' heart rose to his throat. He feared he’d said the wrong thing or maybe the right thing and Sora didn’t like it. He readied an apology regardless. Roxas cared deeply about his relationship with Sora. The time he spent in his heart had been so warm and nice.

Roxas bit his lip. “Look, I—”

“You’re right,” Sora interrupted. His eyes looked more intense and focused. The same expression he’d worn right before he’d left to save Kairi. The look of maturity, certainty and determination that’d kept them all in their place. “Sometimes it’s not enough. I know that. I know there are some relationships that are beyond repair, but I don’t think this is one of those times.”

Roxas studied him. He narrowed his eyes and read Sora’s expression as clearly as he could through a camera that was galaxies away. The position of his brows, his locked jaw, his downturned lips, the way his bangs moved along with the wind. Sora was certain. He knew this would work. He didn’t doubt it at all. He had trust in Roxas. Trusted him to survive the weekend with Riku and come out better for it.

“What if this doesn’t work?” Roxas asked him. His tone was stern but not unkind.

Sora shrugged his shoulders. “I’m sure it will, but if it doesn’t, you two can just ignore each other I guess.” The words physically pained him to say, Roxas could tell. He moved on.

“Did you already talk to Riku about this?” Roxas asked. He couldn’t imagine Riku would be willing.

Sora nodded. “I did. He agreed to it.”

Roxas’ thoughts slowed to a crawl as those words sunk in. Why had Riku agreed at all? He was a background character in Roxas’ story. When he’d arrived and talked about the beach and the gathering on Destiny Islands, it’d been Xion who’d agreed and ushered everyone onto the ship. The entire duration of the party, Riku was a faded out blob of a person that Roxas didn’t interact with. He hadn’t given any thought to changing that.

Sora smiled sadly at him. “I know I’m asking a lot, but I’ve seen your memories and I know what you felt.” He paused, thinking of what else he could say to successfully convince Roxas. “I really think you two need to talk about it. Riku’s changed, too!”

Roxas sat back against the steps and ran a hand through his hair. His conversations with Sora didn’t usually leave him so mentally and emotionally drained. “Sora,” he grumbled, his left hand obscuring his face as he fought with himself. “I can’t make any promises.”

Sora’s smile had been tinged in sadness before but now it was drenched in it. Roxas hated it. He wanted to protect Sora’s smile. He wanted it to be genuine to match with his carefree expression and wonderful laughter. The three were a set that didn’t need to be separated.

“I don’t want you to,” Sora told him. His eyes held heartache that reflected Roxas’ own. “I just want you to try.”

Next Thursday evening, a gummiship appeared overhead. It prepared to land in the clearing behind the old mansion. The trees bristled and shook with the heavy wind given by the ships engines. Roxas stood a safe distance away. The wind jostled his hair and grey jacket. He squinted his eyes as the ship eased onto the grass. The area was open but care needed to be taken to not damage any of the gummi blocks by hitting the tops of the trees. Obviously, Riku was driving.

The back door of the mansion opened and Lea, Xion and Naminé stepped out to stand beside him. Lea handed him his skateboard and Roxas thanked him. He shuffled it under his arm and returned his gaze to the ship. Riku landed successfully and before the engines completely shut off, the door opened and Sora jumped out. He hadn’t waited for the ramp to dock fully and Naminé laughed beside him. Sora, being agile, strong and energetic, had no trouble clearing the distance between them and the ship in a single leap. He landed in a heap of grass and flower petals. Roxas smiled endearingly. The hero always had to make a grand entrance.

“Hey guys!” Sora shouted. He waved his hand as he took two steps forward and gathered Roxas in a tight embrace. “Hey, Roxas!”

“Hey, Sora,” Roxas replied. He tried to keep his voice even. He returned Sora’s hug with only a single arm. His other held his skateboard, but he managed to pat Sora on the back.

They pulled away and Sora stared at him with kindness and love in his eyes. “It’s good to see you.”

Roxas’ breath caught in his throat. He knew Sora expected a reply, but Roxas couldn’t think of one fast enough. His brain had turned to mush. His sarcastic remarks and retorts vanished into thin air as soon as he’d gazed into those blue eyes.

Sora smiled at him but then moved on. He turned to Naminé first. “Naminé! You’re lookin’ great, as usual. I like your dress.”

Naminé held her arms out for a hug and Sora eagerly jumped into them. They held each other delicately, as if afraid the other would break. Sora cradled the back of Naminé’s head and Naminé bunched up Sora’s shirt in her hands. “Thanks, Sora. Xion helped pick it out for me.”

“Did she?” Sora turned to Xion with a raised brow. “You’ve got good taste!” He went to hug Xion next. She tickled him which sent Sora into a fit of laughter.

“I know I do,” Xion replied with a grin.

Lea cleared his throat. “She learned it from me.” Ever the attention hog, Lea couldn’t go long without being acknowledged. Sora whipped around and jumped into Lea’s arms next. Lea ruffled his hair. More spikes seemed to appear from nowhere. Roxas snorted but didn’t comment on the complexities of Sora’s hairdo.

“So, what’s up?” Sora asked, looking down the line. “How’s Hayner and everyone? What ya been up to?”

Xion took Naminé’s hand. “Naminé’s been studying magic!” She cheerfully exclaimed. Naminé immediately blushed beside her.

Sora’s eyes went wide and Roxas didn’t bother holding in his laughter. “What? Naminé, really? How far along are you?”

Naminé bashfully moved a strand of hair behind her ear. Roxas nudged her with his elbow. There was nothing to be shy about. She’d worked hard the past few months to accomplish something even Roxas still struggled with. “I’m two tiers away from grand magic,” she responded quietly.

“Seriously?!” Sora’s loud voice echoed in the clearing. He summoned his keyblade and jumped back, taking his stance. “I wanna see! Let’s go, Naminé. Give me your best shot!”

A pale hand landed on Sora’s head and stopped him in his tracks. Without looking back, Sora dismissed his keyblade and pouted. “We don’t have time for duels,” Riku said. He turned his gentle gaze to Naminé. “But that’s great news, Naminé.”

“Thank you,” Naminé said softly. Her cheeks flushed under all the attention and praise. Xion and Roxas shared a look and decided to move the conversation along.

“It’s nice to see you, Riku,” Xion said. “Er, I mean, Master Riku.”

Riku raised a hand. “Oh, you don’t have to—”

“Yeah, Master Riku,” Lea joined in with a snicker. “Your presence is most appreciated.”

Xion’s grin turned mischievous. “Thank you for visiting us lowly peasants.”

“Please, Master Riku. Come inside.” Lea bowed and made a grand gesture with his hands. “We may not have the greatest cuisine your excellency deserves, but we present it to you with all our thanks and gratitude.”

Xion was two seconds away from letting out one of her infamous cackles and Roxas awaited it eagerly. “Yes, Mas—”

“Okay!” Riku said with both hands raised. He smiled good naturedly even as Sora collapsed on the ground in another fit of giggles. “That’s great guys. Thanks. You never have to use my title again.”

Xion fell over and joined Sora in the grass and Lea placed a hand on Roxas’ shoulder for support. Roxas stood there and delighted in Riku’s embarrassment. He loved Xion, Lea and Naminé so fucking much. He didn’t look forward to spending the weekend away from them.

“We’re just kidding around, Riku,” Naminé broke in. Her soft voice cut through their laughter, a gentle but firm hand that brought them back to task. “You know we’re all glad to see you.”

Lea wiped a tear from his eye and gave Roxas a little shake before taking his hand away. “Yeah, good to see you. Keepin’ busy?”

Riku shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. “Something like that.”

Xion and Sora decided to stay on the ground and lay in the grass. Their heads were nearly touching. Sora kept picking flowers and placing them in Xion’s hair. “Enjoying the peace?” Xion asked.

“Yup!” Sora replied on Riku’s behalf. “But don’t—!”

“Don’t jinx it,” Xion nodded, holding a finger to her lips. “You’re telling me.”

Roxas felt unwanted eyes on his person. He tore his gaze away from Xion and Sora. Riku looked at him for the first time since he’d arrived. Roxas stared back at one of the people responsible for ruining his life. He had expected a clash just like that night in Memory’s Skyscraper. Two people with two different goals willing to do anything to see them through.

They still clashed but anticlimactically. Roxas frowned indignantly. Riku’s eyes softened and he looked almost guilty before he turned away. Not what Roxas had expected. Either way, he’d established dominance by not looking away first, so that was a plus.

“Sora,” Riku’s voice was quiet and strict. “We need to get going.”

Groaning, Sora sat up after placing a purple flower in Xion’s hair. Her black tresses weren’t visible under the mountain of flower petals Sora had created. Roxas smiled fondly and Naminé took out her phone to take a picture. Sora and Xion both posed and held up peace signs. Roxas wanted to ask if Sora would be willing to stay instead of doing the whole ‘get along with Riku’ thing.

Sora bounced over to him and motioned to the bag on his shoulder. “Is that all your stuff?”

Roxas snorted. “You wish.” He pointed to the back of the mansion where two more bags and a mini cooler waited.

Sora followed his finger and frowned. His blue eyes locked on Roxas’, gaze sharp and lips lined with disappointment. “You’re not holing up and avoiding this, Roxas.”

“I didn’t say I was, Sora,” Roxas countered, even though he totally had been planning on holing up and playing video games all weekend. “Those are my necessities.”

Sora raised a brow. “The cooler?”

“Necessities, Sora,” Roxas repeated, tapping Sora’s forehead with a finger. He lead the way over and Sora picked up the two bags singlehandedly. Riku had followed behind to be nice. Roxas took one look at him and tasked him with carrying the heavy mini cooler. Riku didn’t say anything as he picked it up and carried it to the ship and Roxas didn’t say anything when Riku set it down and groaned from the backbreaking work.

Roxas saw Lea tap Sora on the shoulder before he entered the ship. “Good luck with this,” Lea failed to whisper. “They may end up worse than before.”

Sora laughed nervously. “It’ll be fine. No worries!”

As Roxas hugged Xion, Naminé, and Lea goodbye, he found he couldn’t follow Sora’s advice. Bad blood soaked any semblance of a relationship he and Riku may have had into something completely unrecognizable. They’d never moved past being enemies. Riku had done everything to save the person that mattered most to him, no matter the cost. There was nothing to say. There was nothing to save. It probably wouldn’t be fine and Roxas decided then to keep the inevitable ‘I told you so’ to himself.

Destiny Islands. Roxas had seen it so many times. In memories that weren’t his, in a heart that wasn’t his, and through eyes that weren’t his. He stepped out of the ship and onto the sand. It was his second time coming here with his own body and heart. As he heard the call of the seagulls, his heart didn’t swell with feelings of home. Roxas smiled to himself.

They’d landed the gummiship on the play island. Toward the back in an area that didn’t see many footsteps. After Riku labored with his mini cooler and set it in the sand, he turned around and cast a spell to hide the gummiship from view. Illusionary magic. Master Riku indeed.

Sora walked up beside him holding his other two bags. He took a deep breath of salty ocean air and beamed at Roxas. “Here we are! You’ll finally see some of the other islands this time. Maybe the mainland, too!”

Roxas turned to him with a raised brow. “Other islands?”

Sora’s mouth opened wide and he pointed a finger in Roxas’ face. “Wait, you didn’t think—? Roxas, there’s way more than just two islands!”

“How was I supposed to know that?” Roxas exclaimed, eyes wide. “I’ve only ever seen—” Oh, wait, no. He knew there were more. Some of Sora’s older memories were just blurry static. There were locations and people he didn’t recognize. Sora had visited the other islands before, all of them beautiful and unique in their own way from what Roxas could garner. The mainland seemed to be a bit more metropolitan. Roxas wanted to see it for himself.

“It’s an archeology!” Sora said proudly.

“Archipelago,” Riku corrected from Sora’s other side.

“Right,” Sora nodded. He looked over and smiled gratefully at Riku. “Archipelago. Yup.”

“Huh,” Roxas mused, stifling his laughter from Sora’s slip up.

Sora clapped his hands together. “So! I bet you’re wondering where you’re staying.”

Roxas blinked. “I assumed I was staying with you?”

Sora’s grin turned sheepish and Roxas felt another catch coming on. He gripped the strap of his bag, wincing prematurely.

“You’re staying at my place,” Riku interjected, delivering the killing blow himself. Roxas spared him a quick glance before looking at Sora. His glare wasn’t as deadly as it would’ve been if it were someone else, but it wasn’t completely devoid of heat.

Sora straightened up under that look. “I’ve got family visiting this weekend,” he explained. Roxas narrowed his eyes and Sora’s expression grew desperate. “I’m serious! Besides, Riku’s got plenty of room. He already said it’d be fine. Right, Riku?”

“Right,” Riku replied. He’d returned to trying to move Roxas’ mini cooler. Instead of hefting it around, he cast a Zero Gravity spell that lifted it into the air. People would likely ask questions if they saw a cooler floating around, but Riku seemed to be past the point of giving a fuck.

It would be so easy to open a dark corridor and leave. Roxas could grab his bags, his mini cooler, and spend his weekend with people who hadn’t cheated in order to win a fight. His right hand twitched. He held his palm open, waiting for a simple surge of darkness to deliver him from his current predicament. Sora would be angry at him, sure, but after a while he’d be forgiven, right? Right. Open the corridor, he told himself. Leave and don’t look back.

Both of Sora’s hands grabbed his right. Roxas looked down at their hands briefly. His eyes irrevocably met Sora’s. There was enough kindness in his gaze alone to kill him. “Rox, you’ve gotta trust me,” Sora told him. He held Roxas’ hand tightly. “I’ve felt what you’ve felt, remember?”

“But Sora,” Roxas groaned, clenching his jaw. How could he explain that Sora’s opinion, despite that, would be jaded? Riku was his childhood best friend. They had years of friendship to go off of. They’d saved the world together, taken exams together, and formed iridescent keyblades together. Sora would always take Riku’s side. Even if Riku was so clearly in the wrong.

Riku, at this point, pretended like he couldn’t hear what they were saying. It showed on his face and in his posture. His head turned to the side and he’d crossed his arms. In his eyes, Roxas could see traces of that guilt he’d seen before. Roxas cooly ignored that. He didn’t need pity, he didn’t need sympathy and he certainly didn’t need Riku’s friendship.

“I talked with Riku too, y’know,” Sora added. He tilted his head when Roxas avoided his eyes. “I got both sides of the story.”

“Oh, did you,” Roxas said flatly. That only confirmed his suspicions.

“Yeah, I did,” Sora continued. “And that’s why I think this is gonna work out. You two have more in common than you think!”

Roxas held out his left hand and willed the darkness to come to his call. Being compared to Riku just snapped something inside him. He didn’t want his name said in the same breath as Riku’s. Whatever distance could be created between them, Roxas wanted it. A circle of darkness swirled on the sand to his right. Freedom was a second away, a millisecond, but Sora reached over and took his left hand as well. The darkness fizzled out. Roxas threw back his head and groaned overdramatically.

“Roxas, you already told me you’d do this,” Sora reminded him. His eyebrows were drawn together in a rare instance of impatience.

He had. He had told him that. But having to actually stay in Riku’s house and be around him 24/7 was another dagger in his side that he hadn’t anticipated. Sora had known how he’d react and had saved the last, terrible, devastating catch for last. Unless there was another.

Roxas bristled. “Is there anything else? Any other catches? Drawbacks? Conditions?” The sarcasm flowed freely from him. He was well and truly pissed.

Sora had developed an immunity to Roxas’ ire and he took full advantage of it. “Nope! That’s it.” He released Roxas’ hands and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “You’re gonna have fun. It’ll be great.”

They started walking. Riku double checked the gummiship before following along with the mini cooler. He took his place on Sora’s right side. Out of the corner of his eye, Roxas saw Sora take Riku’s hand in his own.

Great. Cool.

“You owe me so much ice cream,” Roxas grumbled out. He tried to ignore the feeling of Sora’s arm against the back of his neck.

“Rox, after this weekend? You’ll never have to buy your own ice cream again,” Sora promised and Roxas would hold him to it.

No one asked questions about the floating mini cooler. Roxas hid his disappointment well. He’d been looking forward to Riku fumbling through an explanation for the flying appliance. They turned the corner and entered into a spiffy rich neighborhood. Sora kept rambling about one thing or another, walking along the sidewalk he’d traveled down countless times before.

A gated community with plenty of palm trees. It was near the beach. A beautiful view of the ocean and the surrounding islands could be seen from the fancy two story house windows and balconies. Roxas huffed as if he didn’t live in a nice mansion as well, but he, Xion, Lea, and Naminé had worked to turn the mansion into an inhabitable home. Roxas still had nightmares about pulling up old carpet and moving furniture. He shivered.

Each house seemed more gaudy than the last. They turned another corner and stopped in front of a two story house that looked to be the biggest of them all. The white, pristine pathway leading up the front door winded and twisted. The landscaping on the front lawn looked pleasing with bright summer flowers and shrubbery that complimented the two palm trees on either side of the house. The exterior was painted a tannish yellow color with a black roof. There were plenty of windows to look out of and Roxas could spot a balcony or two around the sides and perhaps in the back. It went without saying that there was a pool in the backyard.

Sora took a step toward the gate and turned with his hands on his hips. “Whaddya think? Pretty swanky, right?”

Roxas offered Sora a half smile. “It sure is a house.”

Riku moved forward and nudged Sora out of the way. “The inside is even swankier,” he said and Sora started laughing.

“Riku, did you just say swankier?”

“My crib is the swankiest.”

Sora put his hands on his knees and wheezed like a seventy-two year old man. “Holy shit?”

Roxas didn’t laugh out of spite. He watched as Riku unlocked the gate and continued onward to unlock his front door. He struggled with the key and Roxas wondered why he didn’t just use his keyblade. Apparently, no one on Destiny Islands gave a shit about strange happenings. Now he knew why Sora and Kairi had been the only ones to react to that storm. No one else could be bothered.

Sora got over his laughing fit and bounded back over to Roxas. He had to physically drag him past the gate and onto the pathway. When they got to the door that Riku had left open, Sora handed him his bags.

“You can do this,” Sora told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We both know you’ve been through way worse than spending three days with Riku.”

Roxas kept silent. He wanted to delay the part where he was alone with Riku. Sora served as a much needed buffer that shrouded the air between them in a veil of friendliness. Without it, only the bitterness and anger remained. He shifted his feet and looked at the palm tree behind Sora.

Riku appeared in the doorway. He crossed his arms and leaned against the door. Sora looked at him and wordlessly, they had an entire conversation with each other. Roxas groaned inwardly.

“It’ll be fine,” Riku said. He must’ve been talking to Sora, because Roxas hadn’t spoken to him since the virtual Twilight Town and it was going to stay that way for as long as it possibly could.

“Yup!” Sora answered, because he was the only one who would.

Roxas continued to stay silent but he was seething that Sora and Riku decided themselves how the weekend would go. In Roxas’ opinion, it would only go well if specific things happened in a specific order and he didn’t trust Riku to do that. He felt a finger poke his cheek and he turned his annoyed, frustrated gaze to Sora, who only deserved one of those emotions.

“You can text me if you want,” Sora suggested. “I’ll answer as soon as I can.”

“Fine,” Roxas grunted.

“Cheer up,” Sora coaxed, as if it were that easy.

“No,” Roxas replied, because it wasn’t.

Sora’s smile fell and Roxas panicked. He smiled lazily and cursed himself. Sora had him wrapped around his finger.

Judging by the way Sora’s grin turned cheeky, he knew that, too. “Bye, Rox,” he said, giving him a warm hug. The sunlight shone brightly on Roxas then. Sora pulled away and ran over to hug Riku next. Goodbye’s taken care of, Sora walked backwards down the pathway. Roxas watched him move past the open gate and set off down the sidewalk. The sun began to disappear behind the horizon.

Sora waved at them right before he was out of sight. “See you guys in three days!” He called and then left. The night came and extinguished the sun’s rays, leaving Roxas to suffer the darkness alone.

Riku cleared his throat to get Roxas’ attention. With an utterly tired and done expression, Roxas faced him.

Riku took a step back and gestured inside. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

Roxas wanted to die.

Riku’s joke didn’t even make sense; his house was anything but humble, Roxas could tell just from the sparkling white tile in the foyer. There was no one else inside. Roxas would’ve sensed it. He wondered why Riku had such a large house when there weren’t any people around to occupy it. Several questions came to mind but they left just as quickly. He didn’t care enough to ask Riku about his home life and the answers were there in Sora’s memories anyway.

Riku suggested a tour that began in the foyer and continued into the kitchen. Throughout the entire showing of Riku’s home, he looked nervous and he stumbled over his words a few times. Riku didn’t know how to act around him which explained the all around weird behavior.

Roxas didn’t say anything as they viewed the parlor, dining room, or the billiard room. There was nothing to comment or pick up on. No personal effects, or little things that brought the house to life.

Back home, Naminé had started to hang up some of her watercolor paintings. There was a stain on the stairs where Xion had spilled her hot chocolate one night. Roxas had asked Pence to develop some photos for him so that he could frame them and scatter them around. The kitchen was scarred from the many times Lea and Xion had tried and failed to cook. Even Isa had left a mark. He’d brought them all personalized mugs with their names on them as a sign of good will. Roxas was still on the fence about him, but it was a kind gift.

From what Roxas had seen so far, Riku’s house didn’t have those little moments. It felt formal and impersonal. A fancy house just for show.

Riku lead him upstairs where the bedrooms and bathrooms were. There were several guest rooms to choose from. When Riku showed him the first one, Roxas stepped inside and set his bags down as if to say, ‘I want this one’.

The room was too spacious. The queen sized bed had at least five pillows too many with a thick comforter and extra sheets that Roxas planned on removing. There was a window that overlooked the backyard but no balcony. An off-white armoire sat on the other side of the room next to a bookcase and small dresser. There was also a walk-in closet, a small table and chair, and a large mirror that hung on the wall.

“This is one of the better ones,” Riku commented, taking a single step inside. He stopped when Roxas glared hotly at him. He wisely took a step backwards out of the room. “Uh, you can do whatever you want in here. I don’t really care.”

Roxas didn’t care either. He walked further into the room. A gold, vintage clock hung on the wall opposite the bed. It matched the maroon and white bedspread. The numbers were in roman numerals. He’d never liked how the hour stopped at twelve. Once he’d discovered the twenty-four hour clock, he never looked back.

“I’ll let you get settled,” Riku said, startling him. Roxas looked over his shoulder to regard him. “Your cooler’s in the kitchen. The bathroom is down the hall.” Riku stood awkwardly in the doorway as he thought of what else to say. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Roxas wouldn’t be doing that.

Riku left and Roxas went over to open the window. He leaned on the windowsill and breathed in the ocean air. He looked down and saw the large, kidney shaped pool. Just to the side of it was a hooded pavilion. Roxas knew where he’d be spending his time. As he decided whether or not to put his clothes in the dresser, his phone went off in his pocket.

: how’s it going?

Xion. Roxas’ mood lightened.

: death would be a mercy

: ur so over dramatic!!

Lea was around? Roxas checked the time and frowned. He should be at work.

: and your slacking! work? hello? we need ice cream munny

: *you’re

Naminé, too. Roxas wondered if they’d all planned on texting him at the same time to lift his spirits.

: isa’s working! and is that all i’m good for? just ice cream…

: yes.

: yes

: You help with homework sometimes, Lea. :)

: THANK YOU NAMINE i’m a responsible adult

: yeah, you’re responsible for that F i got on my chemistry hw two days ago.

: oof

: failure is an important lesson xion

: you’re right. it taught me to ask Isa for help from now on. :3

: BIG OOF

: i doNT DESERVE THIS ABUSE I DO 2 MUCH 4 YOU KIDS

: Lea’s right. He’s really helpful.

: namine ur my new favorite!

: Sometimes!

: 

Roxas snorted out a laugh. He moved away from the window and sat down on the overly made bed. He laid back and continued to talk with Naminé, Xion and Lea about mundane things. He told them that Destiny Islands was an archipelago and that, in addition to the whole ‘make up with Riku’ deal, he had to spend his three day weekend in the same house as him.

Naminé was the only one to offer him genuine sympathy. He would bring her back the best souvenir while Xion and Lea would have to make do with whatever little gifts he could find.

Their conversation petered off as the three of them pulled away to do other things. Xion and Naminé had a show to watch together and Lea enjoyed getting a full eleven hours of sleep before dragging himself to work the next day. Roxas bid them goodnight and wrestled with the frustration in his chest. He was restless and uncomfortable and a bit hungry. He recalled the pavilion by the pool and pushed himself to sit up.

Avoiding Riku was an easy task. He could sense the darkness in his heart just as he could with everyone else. Riku’s aura seemed to be down the hall from where Roxas’ room was, so he headed down the stairs. The house was large, overly so and Roxas mentally kicked himself for not paying enough attention to the layout of the house during the tour. He was no stranger to navigating large and confusing places. The Castle That Never Was gave him migraines when he’d first started out. Too many corridors and steps that led to spacious, empty rooms. Roxas groaned and turned left. If he kept walking around, he was sure to find something that triggered his memory.

He ambled into a den area that held a fireplace and two large cushioned chairs. Over the mantle was a picture of some old guy that looked important. His hair was silver and he had a curvy moustache. Roxas glared at him before continuing on into a hallway that had a few rooms on either side of it.

Riku hadn’t shown him this part of the house. Roxas wondered if he was wandering into some forbidden area that he wasn’t allowed to see. He didn’t care if Riku got mad at him or not. He could sense Roxas’ aura too so if there was a problem, Riku could find him.

The first door on the right was closed and no light emitted from the small opening under the door. Roxas moved on. The second door to the left was open halfway. A small lamp provided light and illuminated enough for Roxas to see what was inside. A baby grand ivory piano stood in the middle of the room, but there were other shadows along the wall. Roxas tilted his head, curiosity peaked. He pushed the door open all the way and stepped inside.

A cello sat against the wall. Next to it, a white and gold harp stood beautifully. A daedel pattern curved delicately along the pillar and neck of it. Roxas admired it but kept his hands to himself. On the opposite side of the wall, an acoustic guitar was situated on a stand. Instead of the usual brown and tan colors Roxas had seen before, black covered the majority of it. The strings were silver and gold. He was beginning to notice a pattern.

“Can you play anything?”

Roxas whirled around and Oathkeeper took shape in his hand before he could stop himself. Riku stood in the doorway with his hands on his hips, raining on Roxas’ parade like always. He didn’t appear surprised to have a keyblade pointed at him. Wouldn’t be the first time Roxas had done it, definitely wouldn’t be the last.

“Maybe guitar?” Riku continued, as if he hadn’t just scared the absolute shit out of Roxas. “That suits you.”

Roxas dismissed Oathkeeper and glared at Riku with every ounce of fury he had in his body. “You don’t even know me,” he seethed, the words practically dripping with shadows and hate.

Riku’s nonchalant, overly friendly façade fell to the wayside. He lowered his hands and took on an expression that would have normal people feeling sorry for him. Needless to say, it didn’t work on Roxas. He was half a second away from calling Oathkeeper back. Speak in a language they both understood.

“I’d like to,” Riku spoke softly.

Roxas hadn’t thought it possible to get even angrier at a person he already despised. “Cut the bullshit,” he snapped. “Sora’s not here. You don’t have to pretend.”

Riku furrowed his brow and the look on his face took on a bit of an edge. “Who’s pretending?”

That was fucking rich. Roxas huffed out a dry laugh. “So, you really want to do this? Try and do right by me?”

“I think Sora is right,” Riku told him, crossing his arms. “This is a good opportunity to get to know each other.” The edge hadn’t left his expression. The guilt was absent from his eyes. There was anger and frustration there that nearly matched Roxas’ own. But what did Riku have to be angry about? He’d won in the end, hadn’t he? Gotten everything he’d wanted and more after his quick dip in the darkest reaches of his heart and a little kidnapping.

Roxas rolled his eyes. “Hm,” he grunted, willing the conversation to end there. He didn’t have anything else to say to Riku. He felt as done as he had when Saïx tried to stop him from leaving the Organization.

“Are you pretending, Roxas?” Riku asked. He was incapable of reading the room, apparently. “You don't want to give this a shot?”

“You haven't given me a reason to want that,” replied Roxas, unimpressed.

Riku frowned. “So you’d lie and play nice for Sora’s sake?”

Roxas stepped closer. He wanted his words to sink in and be heard loud and clear with no misunderstandings or confusion. This was something he didn’t want Riku to doubt because Roxas felt it deep in his soul. A staple of his being, a message handwritten on the inside of his heart that’d never go away. He looked at Riku and spoke with such conviction, he startled himself. “I’d do anything for Sora.”

Riku took those words and weighed them. Roxas could see the wheels turning in his head as they were mulled over. At the end of it all, Riku smiled kindly as if some kind of understanding passed between them. “Then we really aren’t so different after all,” he said.

Riku’s love and devotion for Sora was an admirable trait. He’d risked his life to save him and he’d brought Sora back. Roxas couldn’t deny that, couldn’t rip that out of Riku’s hands and trample on it. But Riku’s sacrifices for Sora didn’t change the pain he’d put Roxas through. Riku needed to make the first move. He had a lot to make up for and Roxas would hold tight to his rage until he got the apologies he deserved.

Roxas crossed his arms in annoyance. Riku couldn’t read body language so he had to verbally steer the conversation in another direction. “Is dinner a thing on Destiny Islands or do you guys just skip that?”

Riku took the subject change in stride. His expression softened even more so and Roxas wanted to gag. “We can get some pizza.”

Roxas raised a brow. “Delivered?”

“Of course,” Riku affirmed and led the way out of the room. Roxas begrudgingly followed, but took one last look at the music room filled with silver and gold.

The interior design of the house was pleasing despite the lack of personal treasures. Roxas really liked the look of the kitchen. There was a dark wood kitchen island with a beautiful white and grey marble countertop. Three silver high top stools surrounded it and Roxas pulled one out to sit in. The white in the marble countertop matched the color of the cabinets and drawers. A nicely furnished two tone kitchen that looked to have never seen a day of mishap or catastrophe. He shuddered to think about what Lea and Xion would do to such a beautiful room.

Riku was positioned at one of the counters with his phone, likely looking up the number for pizza. Roxas spotted his mini cooler plugged up next to the microwave. He got up and went over to it. Inside there were at least thirty bars of sea-salt ice cream just waiting to be devoured. Roxas took one out and contemplated getting another. He was starving. He’d probably eat two and the whole pizza by himself.

“You’re gonna spoil dinner,” Riku reprimanded. He was looking at Roxas with a warning in his eyes.

Roxas, not giving a shit about anything Riku had to say, took the wrapper off his ice cream and inserted it into his mouth.

Riku rolled his eyes and Roxas had to keep himself from going off. “Fine, suit yourself.”

“You haven’t even ordered the damn pizza yet,” Roxas sassed.

“You haven’t told me what you wanted on it,” Riku shot back, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed.

Roxas looked at Riku like he was insane. “Do I get to see a menu or something? Can I see my fucking choices?”

Riku glared at him before returning to his phone. Once he’d found what he was looking for, he gave it to Roxas.

Roxas leaned against the counter adjacent to Riku and scrolled through the menu. There were plenty of speciality pizzas as well as side dishes and desserts that sounded amazing. Garlic bread, cinnamon sticks, salads, and sandwiches. He took his time browsing, much to Riku’s annoyance. He kept his ice cream in his mouth as he decided if he wanted stuffed crust or not.

Riku got tired of waiting and opened the refrigerator to get out a large two-liter soda. The ‘fridge looked to be fully stocked with various foods and drinks. He’d gone shopping before Roxas had come over.

“I want a large pepperoni with hamburger, stuffed crust, extra cheese…” Roxas scrolled down to look at the side dishes. “And some cinnamon sticks.”

Riku paused from getting two cups down from the cupboard. He looked at Roxas in disbelief. “...Anything else?”

Roxas smiled. “Glad you asked. Some garlic bread and orange soda.”

Riku pointed to the two-liter. “But I have—”

“Yeah, I don’t like that brand,” Roxas lied with a shrug. “So orange soda, too.”

Riku’s stunned face was priceless. Roxas would cherish it always. He bit his tongue to keep from laughing and handed Riku his phone back. “Make sure they give you those little packets of cheese and stuff, too.” Roxas put his ice cream back in his mouth and took his earlier seat at the kitchen island, smug smirk and all.

The plan, which Roxas had just come up with, was to get as many things off the menu as he could get away with. It wouldn’t total up to five thousand munny exactly, but the weekend had just started and Roxas had plenty of ideas.

Riku dialed the pizza place on his phone, giving Roxas an exasperated look the entire time. When they picked up, Riku went through the usual routine of phone number, address, and ordering it for delivery. He ordered the side dishes first, rattling them off just as Roxas had listed them. The pizza he saved for last. He asked for stuffed crust, pepperoni, hamburger, and extra cheese, but then his face took a turn. His neutral expression turned sharp and lethal. Roxas froze.

“—and pineapples, please.” The shit-eating grin Riku gave Roxas would’ve been impressive if not for the important misstep of messing with Roxas’ food.

Roxas ate what was left of his ice cream, placed the stick on the kitchen island and hopped out of his chair. He summoned his keyblades in a flash of light and darkness. With a challenge in his eyes that would make a normal person reexamine every life choice they’d ever made, Roxas raised Oblivion and pointed it at Riku.

“Seriously?” Riku whispered as he placed a hand over the receiver of his phone. “That’s the second time tonight.”

“If you put pineapple on my pizza, I’ll send you to oblivion,” Roxas growled, voice low. He would throw down in Riku’s kitchen. He didn’t give a fuck.

Riku lowered the phone. “Put your keyblades away.”

“Take the pineapple off the pizza!”

“Are you really getting angry over fruit?”

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to mess with my food?” Roxas asked. He tilted the blade in his right hand. A final warning.

Riku held his gaze for a tense minute, trying to gauge if Roxas was sincerely going to fight him over pineapples on pizza. He was. He was devastatingly serious. He didn’t like the prospect of doing damage to the interior design of the kitchen, but sometimes sacrifices had to be made.

Gradually, Riku brought the phone back up to his mouth. He locked eyes with Roxas as he said: “No pineapples.”

Oblivion and Oathkeeper vanished but Roxas kept eye contact with Riku as he returned to his seat. When the correct order had been placed and Riku had hung up the phone, they had a glaring contest.

“So dramatic,” Riku commented, looking more irritated than anything. “It was a joke.”

“A shitty one,” Roxas said. He flipped over his ice cream stick and saw that he’d lost again. He tossed it into the nearby trash can with a sigh.

Riku ran a hand through his hair and poured himself a glass of soda. “It’ll be here in twenty-five minutes. You wanna watch some t.v.?”

“Nope,” Roxas replied. Frankly, he didn’t want to do anything with Riku. Roxas knew that he and Sora had probably planned out a list of activities that would strengthen their bond or some shit and Roxas wasn’t having it.

Riku tilted his head. “You sure?” He asked. He opened one of the drawers on the kitchen island and pressed a button. “We have a television in the kitchen. It’s really nice.”

Two panels in the wall to Roxas’ left moved aside to reveal an inset flat screen television. A man in a suit talked about the forecast for the week. Nothing but clear skies and sun for the mainland, but the islands could see some heavy winds starting tonight. Roxas held his chin in his palm and listened to the various stories and news of a world he’d mainly experienced through memories. Riku calmly sipped his soda next to him. They were oddly quiet as a story unfolded about a little league game that took place earlier in the day and a sale that was happening on the northeastern island.

The news turned to the mainland then, and Roxas could feel Riku lose interest. He refilled his drink just as the doorbell rang. Riku moved around the kitchen island and headed for the door. Roxas, meanwhile, had snapped out of his daze and realized that he’d actually just watched television with Riku when he hadn’t meant to. They hadn’t said anything and it’d helped to pass the time, but damn it. He was still pissed and he didn’t want Riku to think he wasn’t. Another thought occurred to him then. He’d ordered three boxes of stuff and Riku would have his hands full of food and soda. He’d probably need help.

Roxas stayed seated.

After a few minutes, Riku returned to the kitchen with one hand carrying three boxes and the other holding a bag of soda. Roxas smiled innocently as Riku stumbled his way toward the kitchen island. Surprisingly, he managed to unload everything single handedly.

“Good job,” Roxas said condescendingly. He reached forward and opened the small box on top to get a cinnamon stick.

“Thanks,” Riku replied, voice thick with annoyance. Roxas almost choked from his own laughter. He covered his mouth and kept his eyes on the television. Riku had opened the bottle of orange soda and poured Roxas a glass. With plates and sodas in hand, Riku moved behind Roxas and took a seat in the third high stool, wisely leaving one between them.

They ate in relative silence. The news ended and a sitcom came on. It wasn’t funny but they watched it regardless, stuffing their faces with soda and pizza and ignoring the ubiety of loathing and bitterness that occupied the middle seat.

Save for two lonely slices of pizza, the boxes were empty. Roxas was the first to stand and leave the kitchen. He left without so much as a ‘thank you’. His hands had garlic and cinnamon stick icing on them. He climbed the stairs and headed for the bathroom first.

It was no less extravagant than the rest of the house. Everything inside was a light purple color. The shower curtain had purple flowers on it with a near white blue background. The bath mat on the floor was a light lavender, featherlike and comfortable to the touch. The wallpaper, the toilet seat cover, the toothbrushes, the hand soap, everything was purple. Roxas washed his hands, dried them on a purple hand towel and left.

On his way back to his room, Roxas passed by a door that was slightly ajar. Inside, he could see a large window that offered a nice view of the night sky. He blinked, eyes narrowing as he took a step closer. It wasn’t a window, but a screen door that led to a balcony. Roxas pushed the door open the rest of the way and went inside.

The room had the same kind of bed as his but the colors were different. Bright yellows and greens decorated the area. The clock wasn’t in roman numerals and the closet wasn’t walk in. Roxas went over to the screen door and pushed it open. Fresh air breezed past and refreshed him. He stepped out onto the smooth concrete of the balcony and stared out over the island.

In front of him, he saw the pool and farther still, past the neighbors yard, was the beach. He squinted and saw the play island in the far distance. Roxas placed his hands on the smooth silver metal of the railing. He kept himself steady as he swung one leg over and then the next. The seat wasn’t anywhere near as comfortable as the clocktower back home, but it would do. With his hands on either side of him, the calm night loosened him into somnolence.

He felt Riku’s presence before he saw him this time. With an irate groan, Roxas ran his hands down his face. Sora had likely convinced Riku to do some kind of ‘friendship’ talk. Roxas loved Sora to pieces, but he would shut that down quickly. He wasn’t in the mood for it and likely wouldn’t be the entire weekend.

Riku gave him plenty of space when stepping out onto the balcony. He placed his elbows on the railing and held his chin in his palm. They stared out at the night sky together. “Roxas, I—”

“If you’re going to spew some bullshit, save it,” Roxas interrupted curtly.

Riku didn’t so much as flinch. “I was going to apologize.”

Roxas went silent. He withheld his anger for a time to allow Riku a moment of uninterrupted quiet. An apology should’ve been the first thing out of Riku’s mouth, but as long as it came, that’s what mattered. Roxas twined his hands together, nails digging into the back of his hands.

Riku stood up straight beside him and pocketed his hands. “What I did to you was… terrible, to put it mildly. I shouldn’t have treated you that way.”

At least they agreed on that front.

“I don’t know if she told you,” Riku continued, his right side propped up against the railing as he faced Roxas. “But I heard Xion’s voice that night.”

Roxas’ anger diffused in a rush of bewilderment. “What…?”

“She told me to stop you,” Riku explained, as if that made any kind of sense. Roxas had known that Xion and Riku had talked and become friends while Roxas had been left in the dark, but did their connection really run that deep? Did it have something to do with Oblivion? Was it even true at all?

“Don’t fucking lie to me,” Roxas spat, venom coating his words. He couldn’t stand deceit. He’d dealt with it far too often, from friends and enemies alike. It’d warped his sense of trust and his willingness to believe others. If Riku wanted this friendship thing to have any chance of working, he needed to be honest.

Riku clenched his fists and stood his ground. “I’m not lying, Roxas. Xion didn’t want you to get hurt, either.”

“Either?” Roxas asked, a laugh immediately following his question. “What, like you actually cared what happened to me?”

Riku narrowed his eyes. “Roxas, of course I—”

“No,” Roxas argued, his hands flying to either side of him to grip the railing. He closed his eyes tightly as hurt clawed at his chest, trying to free itself from the confines of his heart. “You didn’t care about me. You didn’t treat me with the same courtesy as you did Xion.”

“I couldn’t afford to!” Riku said desperately. He pushed off the railing and moved closer to Roxas. A bold and dangerous move. “You were about to take on the whole Organization by yourself. I had to do something to stop you!”

“I would’ve won,” Roxas told him, his voice as cold as a blizzard spell. He knew the Organization members better than both Sora and Riku. He’d seen their combat capabilities, their attributes, their weaknesses. He would ́ve stormed the castle with a handful of samurai nobodies and come out on top.

Riku didn’t believe him. He scoffed at Roxas’ valiant faith in himself. “If I managed to capture you, then—!”

“You only managed because you cheated!” Roxas shouted, furiously rounding on Riku. The sound of his voice echoed throughout the neighborhood. The edge of his vision became blurry. Tears were on the cusp of their fall. Roxas held them back, reeling the hurt inside where it belonged.

Riku rose to the challenge with an unusual heat in his eyes. “And you think they wouldn’t have pulled out every trick they had to stop you? They would've captured you, wiped your memory, and turned you into a puppet that—!¨

Roxas hefted himself up to stand on the railing and drew Oblivion in a flurry of pitch black stars. He aimed it downward, the point of the blade only inches away from touching Riku’s chest. “Do not finish that sentence.”

Sensibly and carefully, Riku closed his mouth and the two of them stood in tense silence on the balcony. For the first time in… Roxas didn’t know how long, Oblivion shook unsteadily in his right hand. Riku was giving him that same sympathetic look from earlier and Roxas forced his hand to stabilize. Roxas was not a pitiable case that needed consoling and hugs to make better. Oblivion trembled, bobbing back and forth miserably. Roxas gritted his teeth in frustration.

“Do you really believe freeing Kingdom Hearts would’ve brought Xion back?” Riku asked quietly, his tone calculative. He seemed unaffected by the immediate threat in front of him, but Roxas knew better.

“It doesn’t matter what I believe now,” Roxas lamented, his face contorted into an expression of pure anguish. “You took away my chance to find out.” A tear escaped, falling onto the rain guard of Oblivion. More followed on the heels of the first, gallantly careening down Roxas’ face and betraying him one after the other.

Riku reached forward cautiously to touch the edge of Oblivion. He attentively angled his hand so as to not cut himself on the sharp metal. Riku’s grip stopped the trembling that Roxas couldn’t control. The blade had close ties to Riku and his connection with Sora, just as Oathkeeper did with Kairi, but they’d come to mean completely different things while in Roxas’ hands. A promise of a day at the beach and the cold, grueling reality of loss.

Still, Riku held tight. He closed his eyes and Roxas noticed that the point of Oblivion was still aimed at Riku’s chest. Roxas thought to dismiss it; he didn’t want to seriously injure Riku, no matter how angry he was at him, but Riku’s hand wouldn’t allow it. His pale, slender fingers wouldn’t release the blade and so it stayed, deadly sharp and masked in darkness.

Roxas spoke through his clogged throat and numerous tears. “Riku, what are you…?”

Riku looked up at him and when their eyes met, he smiled in a way that Roxas hadn’t seen before. Not in memories or even through Sora’s eyes. Though earnest, the smile was dipped in sadness and remorse and outlined with forgotten loneliness. The emotions Roxas read on Riku’s face were ones he knew so intimately.

“Let’s have a rematch, Roxas,” Riku suggested, releasing Oblivion with inflamed fingers. He rubbed his hand on his jeans, attempting to hide the marks Roxas had already seen. “I promise I won’t cheat this time.”

Roxas gently lowered Oblivion, his eyebrows raised high. Truthfully, he had considered it. In order for them to move on, they had to go back to where they began. The two of them were scarred. The lengths they’d gone to and the limits they’d pushed to save the ones who mattered most would haunt them for the rest of their young lives.

Roxas sniffed and lifted his left hand to rub at the tear stains on his face. “Fine,” he whispered, and Oblivion deliquesced into shadows between them.

Riku led him to the beach.

The wind had picked up. The leaves of the palm trees swayed and moved almost violently. Roxas’ bangs constantly obstructed his view. Bits of sand swirled with the wind and irritated his face. Riku stood silent next to him. Roxas looked toward the island in the far distance. It was a decent size. Not as large as the main island but not too small either.

“It’s mostly used for agriculture,” Riku explained as he surveyed the southeast island. “There’s plenty of space and no one will notice.”

Roxas snorted. That went without saying. He crossed his arms and watched as Riku summoned his keyblade in the dark of night and pointed it out to the sea. The waves were being blown off course. Salt water brushed against his nose and fingertips. The tip of Riku’s keyblade glowed a bright blue before the temperature around them dropped suddenly. Air swirled around them as powerful magic was conjured. Roxas narrowed his eyes and put his hands in his pockets to keep them warm.

“Blizzaga,” Riku exhaled roughly, his breath ghosting into a thick fog. Ice shot out from his keyblade and into the ocean. It froze the water instantly, creating a smooth sheet of ice. It kept going, travelling farther than Roxas could make out. Riku took the first step onto the ice and Roxas followed behind.

It didn’t take them long to arrive on the beach. As soon as Roxas stepped off, the ice cracked and dissolved into the sea. The beach itself was wider on the southeast island. A dense forest hid them from the other inhabitants. Trees, flora and foliage touched the sand at the forest's edge. Between two palm trees, a well worn path led inland, possibly to the farms and homesteads that were responsible for the complicated task of cultivating crops. Roxas would've liked to see it under normal circumstances.

Riku had walked down a bit to put space between them. His keyblade was still in his right hand as he turned to face Roxas. Despite the distance and the low light, Roxas could still see the bright teal of his eyes.

He’d learned that fighting someone was a good way to figure out what they were feeling. In the heat of battle, emotions couldn’t help but burst forth. Roxas had seen Sora’s determination and worth, had felt Axel’s sorrow and torment, and carried Xion’s resignation and lingering promise. With Riku, it’d been desperation to save someone important to him.

It was why they’d arrived at a stand still. Their resolves and stubbornness had clashed and neither one was better than the other. Roxas wondered what he’d feel this time. What knowledge could he gain from fighting a newly appointed Keyblade Master who had fought death itself to save the person closest to him? Guilt? Anger? Regret? Or all three?

Riku would feel his own part of Roxas’ anguish. In the hurt that had colmanesced to fuel his actions. It surged inside him as he looked at Riku, the one who’d prevented him from accomplishing his goal. Things would’ve turned out differently if Riku had treated him differently. There wouldn’t have been so much heartache. Roxas wouldn’t have this pain in his chest that refused to go away. Even as they were all restored and reunited, it burned inside him.

Roxas beckoned his keyblades and twirled them in his hands, preparing his mind and body for the battle ahead. In response, Riku lifted his keyblade and took his stance. For only a second, the world stood still and quiet. The wind, the waves, and the various sounds of night faded away. Roxas could only hear his pounding heart beat and feel the anticipation as they stood on the edge of battle. Adrenaline pulsed all the way to his fingertips. He tightened the hold on his blades until his hands burned.

Roxas moved first. In a single flash, he crossed the distance between them and appeared in front of Riku with both his keyblades raised. He brought them down with a quickness that wasn't quick enough. Riku had disappeared and reappeared above him. Roxas turned and spun Oblivion and Oathkeeper. Twin spirals of light and darkness pursued Riku in the air. Riku held his keyblade aloft and from it came orbs of dark fire. The move looked similar to Sora’s Ragnarok in technique. Not only was Riku a cheater, he was a copycat, too? Roxas wasn’t surprised.

Two of the fireballs collided with the spirals, Riku successfully countering Roxas’ move. The rest honed in on Roxas. Before they could land, Roxas leapt into the air as a small sphere of light. The attack passed him and landed on the beach in an explosion of sand and fire. Roxas wanted to have the high ground, to stay in close range and attack Riku in rapid succession. He manifested behind Riku, Oblivion clashing with Braveheart in a powerful burst of strength and speed. Oathkeeper followed, beating on the flat of Riku’s keyblade repetitively. Roxas went in swinging as they fell toward the beach. He’d overpowered Riku before; he could easily do it again.

Riku clenched his jaw and locked eyes with Roxas. Before the words were uttered, Roxas could feel a tingle down his spine. Clouds gathered overhead and the sea reverberated with the sound of the coming storm.

“Strike,” Riku invoked, and the sky darkened around them as lightning pierced the sky. Roxas quickly pushed away from Riku and used his speed to dodge the incoming lightning bolts. He swerved and weaved, using his intuition to keep out of harm’s way. It worked for a time, but with how fast he was going, he ran into a strong bolt of lightning that sent him sprawling out of the sky. He landed not far from the hole that had formed from Riku’s Dark Firaga.

Lightning zipped around his body, making him move sluggishly. Riku landed and his keyblade was raised at the ready, waiting for Roxas to recover. How noble of him. Roxas held Oathkeeper and Oblivion out and closed his eyes. A brilliant light enveloped him as he began to slowly float above the ground. Light came so easily to him then, but darkness was right behind, a powerful, intense force that Roxas was prepared to use to the utmost of his ability.

He opened his eyes and focused on Riku. Before he could fall back down, Roxas used the light to send him speeding toward Riku, eyes sharp and fierce. He collided with a barrier of darkness, Braveheart supporting it with the help of Riku’s hand. Roxas frowned, frustrated, and disappeared to try again from another angle.

Three pillars of light appeared behind Riku, but he was too slow to react. They struck him squarely and Roxas took that opportunity to slash at him with both his blades. The hit sent Riku flying down the beach. He rolled and tumbled, nearly hitting the waves before he raised Braveheart. The wind whipped his hair around wildly, but he aimed the blade right at Roxas. More magic was coming. Roxas started running, holding Oathkeeper and Oblivion in a cross in front of him.

Riku had the nerve to smirk at him, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He had something up his sleeve, and Roxas was about to close the distance. But just as Roxas stopped short to amp up his speed and deliver a devastating blow, Braveheart gleamed and a ball of light formed at the tip. Roxas’ eyes widened as Riku grasped the blade with both hands.

“Stopga!” He shouted, and the light swirled quickly around his keyblade. Images of roman numerals circled Riku as he braced himself against the sheer force of such powerful magic.

“Shit—!” Roxas hissed, and then stopped completely, glaring daggers at Riku as he sat back on his haunches. While frozen in time, Roxas gave some serious thought to how the fight was progressing. Riku was relying heavily on magic due to Roxas’ inability to counter it with magic of his own. Smart. Clever. Annoying. He wished he had the innate magical ability to attend Merlin’s magic lessons along with Naminé. Too late to get torn up about it. Riku had stood and with a stormy look in his eye, he raised Braveheart above him and charged it with both light and dark energy.

Roxas knew what was coming. He tried to push through the strong magical chains holding him back. He grit his teeth and tried to flex his fingers, move his foot, anything. Dark energy cloaked Riku in layers of black, white and purple. With Braveheart held in front of him, he rushed forward, leaving a trail of darkness in his wake.

Braveheart slashed Roxas’ left side, then his right. Riku teleported back and forth, bum rushing Roxas repeatedly from all angles. It was Dark Aura, a relentless attack that relied on speed and powerful blows. Roxas could do nothing but take it, the light from his barrier depleting as he stood suspended in time.

With one last teleport, Riku flew above Roxas, and struck down on him with a vigorous burst of energy and force. It was then that the time magic dwindled away, freeing Roxas from its unfair grip. The pain came all at once, dragging Roxas down into the sand. Marks of deep black darkness marred his skin and festered. He coughed violently as rage swirled in his chest. It would take much more for Roxas to lose this fight. He whirled around and pointed Oathkeeper in Riku’s direction. A sphere of light was sent barreling toward him but Riku knocked it away with one strong swing of Braveheart.

A distraction. As the light cleared the trees and faded into the night sky, Roxas dashed in front of Riku and held his blades in his telltale cross position. He rushed through Riku with a quick sweep and immediately turned to do it again. Once, twice, but before a third time could be reached, Riku slammed Braveheart into the ground and ice formed a white circle around him. Stalagmites of bitter ice popped up from the ground and made a beeline for Roxas. He was forced to backflip away, dodging Riku’s attack and putting some distance between them. He spun his blades and craned his neck. The whole emphasis on magic was frustrating as hell, but he knew enough about it to know there was a limit to how long a wielder could throw out spells. Riku was reaching his and Roxas would use that time to bring him down.

The Keyblade Master rose to his feet, his shirt ripped around his abdomen and sleeves. He was bleeding but Roxas didn’t feel for him. It was nothing compared to the marks and scrapes he’d gotten from that stupid Dark Aura bullshit. He wouldn’t admit it aloud to Riku, but that combination of time magic and one of his most powerful attacks was... pretty smart.

Riku was breathing heavily. He ran a hand through his hair and Roxas leaned on Oathkeeper for support. He was going to kick Riku’s ass up, down and all around, but he needed a minute to catch his breath. To ignore the bruises on his skin that were crying out in pain. Roxas took a deep breath, stood up straight with his keyblades steady in his hands, and then he darted forward. Oathkeeper and Oblivion held out on either side of him, he reached Riku right as he raised Braveheart to block. Their blades clanged together with a piercing metallic sound.

Roxas forced Riku into the defensive since he’d struck with both of his blades. Riku was pushed down into the sand, his mouth set in a grimace as he dealt with the bulk of Roxas’ strength. No lightning was called from the sky to create distance, nor did any ice form around his feet. Riku had depleted his magic, and Roxas kicked it into high gear.

He kept Riku occupied with Oathkeeper as he spun around quickly with Oblivion in a position to strike. He aimed for Riku’s abdomen and landed the hit before Riku could react. Roxas capitalized on the opening, unleashing a barrage of persistent swings and combos. Riku could only maneuver Braveheart quick enough to block some of them, but Roxas was fast and in close range; there wasn’t much Riku could do to stop him.

“Aeroga,” Riku whispered, Braveheart pointed at Roxas’ feet.

Except use one last spell, apparently.

In a swirl of dust and sand, Roxas was sent skyward with a great gust of wind. He flipped and flailed and closed his eyes to keep the sand out of them. He twisted his body to face the sky and opened his eyes a fraction. Above him, among the spiraling green winds and whirling leaves, Riku flew against the curtain of night. Roxas’ eyes might have been playing tricks on him, but it appeared that Riku had two bat wings protruding from his back.

Roxas held his keyblades tightly, furrowing his brow as his clothes were jostled by strong winds. Riku’s eyes glowed eerily, and there, toward the eye of the violent cyclone, Riku pointed Braveheart with a sure hand. “Darkstrom!” Riku shouted, and he descended toward Roxas with clear intent.

The image felt so familiar. Riku, up high and running toward him. There were no skyscrapers or rain or heartless waiting below, but it was enough to give Roxas pause. He thought he was back there, for a moment. That fateful night when his fate had been sealed. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes, but he didn’t falter.

Roxas spun Oathkeeper and Oblivion once in his hands before he channeled the light and darkness both. He coated his blades with his own energy. They shined brightly in the storm; Oathkeeper, beautiful and incandescent and Oblivion, shadowed and powerful. Roxas met Riku’s eyes head on and said, voice lost in the cacophony of the storm: “Event Horizon.”

Their blades met in an enormous impact that nearly tore the cyclone apart. Riku dashed away first, teleporting behind him with his keyblade held high. Roxas countered him, swinging both Oathkeeper and Oblivion wildly. Wherever Riku teleported, Roxas followed, summoning pillars of light to further disrupt Riku’s path. They danced amid the swirling winds, coming together to collide again and again. Roxas got lucky with a preemptive strike, Oblivion knocking into Riku’s left side. He screamed out in pain, but Roxas kept going, Oathkeeper moving so rapidly, Riku had no time to dodge.

Riku quickly transitioned into another Dark Aura, his desperation showing. That familiar cloak of darkness appeared but Roxas knew what to do now that he was free to do it. Oathkeeper and Oblivion came together like they were meant to and Roxas held them high above his head. Right as Riku warped in front of him with Braveheart prepared to strike, Roxas smirked and let his connection to light flourish.

“Magic Hour,” he breathed, and beams of pure, scorching light rained down from the heavens. One such beam struck Riku and he recoiled in pain, fading away to reappear again. Roxas closed his eyes and flipped backward, holding his keyblades outward as he became a conduit for the light. It covered him, protecting him from each of Riku’s subsequent strikes.

Riku tried again as the beam concentrated on Roxas began to fade. He dashed above him and began to bring Braveheart low but Roxas raised both of his blades and blocked it. Riku tried to force him down, to break through Roxas’ defense. When it came to sheer strength, Roxas had Riku and most of the other keyblade wielders beat. He gripped Oathkeeper and Oblivion and pushed Riku back. He vaulted through the air from the sudden blow and Roxas took that chance to end the fight.

Roxas leapt forward and slashed at Riku without mercy. He used his speed to turn quickly and do it again, doing a Dark Aura of his own with just his speed and the power of his blades. He came from the left, right, and finally, from above to send Riku crashing down onto the beach with a heavy thud and eruption of sand.

Roxas followed right behind him, tears swept into the night by his momentum. In a blaze of light and wind, he landed on the shore a good distance away from Riku. Roxas walked over to him, Oathkeeper and Oblivion dragging in the sand behind him. As he neared his opponent, his pain only worsened.

Riku’s eyes were closed but he was breathing heavily through his mouth. Roxas glared down at him. He raised Oblivion and dismissed Oathkeeper in a frustrated flick of his hand. Roxas jammed Oblivion down into the sand just to the right of Riku’s head. He knelt down above Riku, his lips pulled tight as he tried to keep himself together. His hands were bloody and bruised as they clasped tightly around Oblivion’s grip, but they had fight left in them. Roxas’ body yelled at him to get up, to continue to fight despite the clear victor. He felt his heart scream out for more, vindication, retribution, something, anything that would fill the hole left behind.

Ever so slowly, Riku opened his eyes and the sadness Roxas saw in their depths drove him to stillness. “You won,” Riku whispered, smiling tiredly. “Congratulations.”

“Shut up,” Roxas told him. Riku hadn’t said that rudely, but Roxas didn’t know how to handle that. He didn’t know how to deal with the look in Riku’s eyes, gentle and caring. Where had that kindness been when Roxas had really needed it?

Riku huffed a little, the blood on his face drying as the wind continued to howl around them. “That sounds familiar.”

Roxas shook his head and tore his eyes away from Riku. He closed them as his nails dug into the grip of Oblivion. Why hadn’t fighting given him some sense of relief? What else could he do? Roxas clenched his jaw and pushed Oblivion deeper into the sand. He blinked furiously to hold back his tears and Riku’s face was pelted with the ones that slipped through.

Riku took a deep, shuddering breath. “Roxas, what you went through… No one deserves that and I certainly didn’t help. I was being manipulated, and I know that’s no excuse, I just…” Riku paused, raising his right hand to touch his forehead. “DiZ kept telling me it was the only way. He used me and my feelings for Sora to further his own agenda and he needlessly made you suffer when all you wanted was the truth.”

Roxas raised his head slightly. Through his tears, he could see that Riku was trying to hold his own back.

“If I hadn’t—” Riku took another breath, his voice breaking. “If I hadn’t listened to DiZ, things would’ve turned out better. But I was stupid and kept trusting people I shouldn’t have.” Riku let his hand fall by his side as he slowly began to cry. “I… I wanted Sora back. I missed him!”

Roxas glared, anger swirling in his chest. “And I wanted Xion!” He cried, his throat burdened with emotion and turmoil. “I wanted her back! Why couldn’t you have just…” Roxas let out an anguished, frustrated sound, unabashedly crying as his eyes were overrun with tears.

Riku stared at him, and through the tears and frustration, that sense of understanding passed between them again, but this time, it was reciprocated. Roxas hadn’t known Sora, hadn’t been able to meet him no matter how badly he wanted to, but now that he had, he understood Riku’s desperation and resolve. That drive to save the person you loved most, it fueled both of them. There was nothing they wouldn’t do for the people they cherished and the terrifying truth was that Roxas would do it again. He would fight and bleed and die to keep the people he loved safe and Riku was no different.

“You have every right to be mad at me,” Riku told him, his voice brittle. “You got caught up in everything when all you wanted was to be with your friends. I didn’t treat you justly; no one did.”

“No,” Roxas agreed despondently. “They didn’t.”

Riku cleared his throat, determined to speak transparently. “I am really, truly sorry, Roxas. For everything I did to you. I hope… that you can forgive me.” He smiled tentatively, vulnerable and exposed just like Roxas. “If you can’t, that’s okay. I respect whatever decision you make.”

Roxas shook his head again, denying that, rejecting it, and struggling because his heart was doing something it had never done before. After an apology, Sora would smile brightly and say ‘I forgive you’. Roxas couldn’t open his mouth to do the same because it didn’t feel right. He was still young and new to the world in a way that not many could understand. He’d lived in Sora’s heart and knew what certain emotions meant because of memories or Sora’s thoughts themselves, but when they were his own, Roxas fell short. He didn’t understand his own complex emotions and that only made him angrier.

That night in Memory’s Skyscraper had been everything. Roxas had goals, dreams, a friend to save and a person to meet. He’d been lied to, had ran away from the only home he’d known, and forcefully killed one of his best friends. Xion’s promise had kept him going, gave him something to fight for that would make everything okay. Sora had done all of that and more but a part of Roxas hadn’t moved past that night. He somberly stood in the rain, dressed in the black coat that was so vitally tied to his identity.

Riku stared empathetically up at Roxas. They didn’t break eye contact, not as Roxas’ tears inconceivably continued and Riku’s own slid deliberately slow down his cheeks.

Calmly, Riku began to raise his right hand. Roxas’ breath caught in his throat as he watched the slow motion through heartrendingly cold eyes. He sat afflicted with paralysis as two lithe fingers graced his cheek and lingered there, tender and kind. Roxas didn’t so much as breathe as he stared down at Riku in shock.

Fragility cursed Riku’s smile. The trembling of his lips did little to support it. If he faltered, his smile would break and the illusion would fall. His heart would be laid bare, but it didn’t matter. Each tear offered a peek inside his heart. Emotion was held in every drop and they tumbled down like indolent falling stars.

Riku opened his mouth to speak, and in a soft, hushed tone of voice, he whispered, “Heal.”

Powerful magic instantly permeated the air. Within seconds, a large lotus flower sprouted overhead. Roxas’ gaze stayed trained on Riku and the deep teal of his eyes that seemed to go on forever.

The lotus bloomed and a mix of petals and leaves cascaded down upon them. Vines encircled their bodies, holding them in a curative grasp. The bruises on Roxas’ hands were healed instantly and the blood faded away. His body come back from the brink of exhaustion, rejuvenated and refreshed under the magic of a Keyblade Master.

Riku’s hand was still on his cheek and Roxas held still. The bright petals dissolved into forgotten dust as they both held their breath. Riku lowered his hand slowly and it fell to the sand by his side. They continued to look at each other. No tears fell from Roxas’ eyes. They had dried the moment Riku had initiated such a warm connection.

Silently, Roxas stood and Oblivion vanished into shadows. He was a bit unsteady on his feet, his legs having gone to sleep with how long he’d stayed in that position. He made sure to keep his expression neutral. He didn’t want Riku to have any idea of what he was feeling or thinking after that.

Roxas held out his hand for Riku to take.

Riku, looking a bit startled, cautiously accepted it.

Roxas hefted him up and if he held on a little bit longer than necessary, neither of them mentioned it.

They parted ways in the foyer. Riku climbed the stairs and disappeared down the hall. Roxas periodically clenched and unclenched his hands as he walked into the kitchen. He leaned on the marble top of the island and thought on what he wanted to do. It seemed a perfect time for ice cream. The salty sweetness would match the kind bitterness that’d made a home in his chest, but his feet wouldn't move. Instead he stared down at the two rings on his left hand.

Something caught his eye to his right and he turned his head to look out the screen door that led to the backyard. The blue water of the pool glistened in the night. The stars reflected in the water due to the islands relatively low air pollution. Roxas slowly stood and pushed the screen door open. The sound of crickets disturbed the quiet of the night. If he concentrated, he could hear the waves in the distance. Roxas stared down into the pool and noticed that with just a hint more green, it would match Riku’s eyes.

Roxas distracted himself from that thought by pulling out his phone and setting it down by the poolside. His rings joined it, as did his emblem necklace, and his sneakers and socks. He set them all aside and stared at the water again. He stood and walked around to where the steps led into the pool. Clad in his shirt and jeans, Roxas waded into the water. It was cold but he grit his teeth and trudged on.

Once the water reached his chest he turned around and floated on his back. He balanced perfectly on the water, just as he himself was a perfect balance of light and darkness. He stared upward at the waning crescent moon and thought about bloodied fingertips touching his cheek. Roxas lifted a wet hand up to the same spot and touched it gently.

The moment wouldn’t leave him. The entire fight wouldn’t leave his mind. Riku had changed, just as Sora had said. Roxas had seen it firsthand in his fighting style, in how he combined magic with darkness, in his stratagem that came from the experience of fighting Roxas before, in the tears that Riku had shed and the earnest apology for his past actions. He couldn’t stop thinking about it and the harsh wind that seemed to be all but gone.

I am really, truly sorry, Roxas.

A hand closed around Roxas’ heart, squeezing it tightly. Roxas’ breaths came quickly. His chest rose and fell at a worrisome rate. He sunk further into the water. He kept his eyes open as the water consumed him and held him in a familiar embrace. The next second, he began to float again. He resurfaced with a gentle inhale of fresh air. He blinked the water out of his eyes and willed the grip on his heart to ease.

It did, slowly, as Roxas thought on it more. As he absorbed it, weighed it and dissected it to pieces, the grip lifted. Through the whole process, he fluctuated between the frigid numbness of darkness and the torrid truth of light. It wasn’t easy to forgive, but he was trying. He’d promised Sora he’d try.

It was so easy to heal injuries in their world. A simple spell could negate wounds, bruises, and scratches. The same couldn’t be done for the heart… or so he’d been told. Had anyone ever tried? Had they called upon the magic of healing with the intent of alleviating the hurt in their heart or mind?

Listlessly, Roxas raised his hand toward the moon and the stars that circled it. His fingers were outstretched, pruned and shaking. He tried to grab hold of something. Roxas pushed past the light and darkness and searched for a special power that everyone seemed to have but him.

“Heal,” Roxas whispered, a quiet plea between the lambent moon and himself. He wished for his magic to unfold and the pain in his heart to finally cease. Roxas stretched his hand further. It felt just out of reach, but still he pressed on. The water nipped at his neck and jaw, clawed at his legs and torso, but still Roxas grasped futilely.

The temperature of the water sapped his strength. At heart, he knew that wishing could only do so much, but just as he thought of giving up, a flower petal of pure white appeared in the air. It fell past his fingertips, past his arm, and landed peacefully right above his heart. Speechlessly, he lowered his hand back down into the water and closed his eyes.

His contact with the moon broken, Roxas steeled himself and took several breaths. He looked inward and measured his heart and the extent of the pitiful spell that likely hadn’t healed a thing.

But he’d tried, and that was a start.

An hour later saw Roxas curled up in bed with the comforter pulled tight around him. Even after a scalding hot shower and putting on the warmest pajamas he’d brought with him, the teeth chattering wouldn’t stop. Roxas hadn’t even bothered moving the excess pillows. He needed all the warmth he could get.

In hindsight, spending an hour in a pool at night with his clothes on hadn’t been the most prudent idea, but it’d helped to clear his mind. Roxas pulled the covers over his head and surrounded himself in darkness. The bed vibrated and Roxas nearly shrieked before remembering that he’d put his phone underneath one of the pillows.

That led to him searching all over the bed for his phone, losing the warmth he’d accumulated from body heat and prayer. His phone was under the last pillow he lifted and Roxas grabbed it angrily, tapping on his screen to see who’d bothered him. The number was one he didn’t recognize, but the text message gave the identity away.

: Goodnight Roxas.

Roxas stared at his phone until the screen went dim. His gaze persisted until it went to sleep. He urged his fingers to move, to type out the obvious response to acknowledge Riku, but nothing happened. Roxas’ phone remained dark as his vision flitted between sharp focus and blurry disjunction. He couldn’t decide what to do, so he did nothing.

He stuffed his phone back under the same pillow he’d found it under and curled up tightly in the bed. Maybe… he wasn’t ready for that yet.

That night, Roxas traded dreams for memories. In those memories, seven-year old Sora, rambunctious and hardheaded, followed an eight-year old Riku up the familiar pathway Roxas had walked himself earlier in the day. Once inside, Roxas saw two people he hadn’t before. Riku’s mother and father, Sora’s memories echoed in his head. The silver haired woman scooped Riku up and held him tight. His father — with eyes sparkling like emeralds and mussed black hair — reached forward and patted Sora on the head.

The room with the instruments appeared several times. Two chairs were brought in from the den. One was placed close to the piano and the other slightly further away. Riku’s father sat closest and played the black guitar with the silver strings. His mother carefully steadied the cello in one hand and held the bow delicately in the other. Riku sat on the piano bench, his fingers splayed over the keys.

The three played together, an ensemble of bright hearts and beautiful music. Sora sat on the bench in the far corner and watched with his hands in his lap. Occasionally, Riku or his dad made a mistake, but they’d all laugh and begin again. Sora tapped the tips of his sandals to the beat of the music and when they were finished, Riku’s smile lit up the world.

With memories came emotions, and Roxas felt many as Sora stared at Riku. Delight bloomed in Sora’s heart when Riku looked at him. When Sora climbed up on the piano bench next to Riku to watch him play, nothing could erase the sheer joy on Sora’s face. In those moments in the music room, Riku’s eyes would find Sora’s, as if drawn by a magnet, and he’d smile softly. Sora would grin happily in return and Roxas rediscovered how close the two were. Paopu fruits and oaths weren’t needed between them. Fate had decided long ago that the two were to be inseparable. Gazes were enough. Smiles were enough.

Two hands intertwined tightly together was enough.

Three hours later, Roxas opened his eyes and let the tears freely fall down his cheeks. He knew that the emotions associated with memories were powerful enough to move those that experienced them. He felt Sora’s agony, his wonder, and his strong sense of self as deeply as if those feelings came from his own heart. But tonight was different. Roxas’ tears didn’t come from Sora. They were his own.

Being well acquainted with pain, Roxas did what he knew to do and carried it willingly. He gathered the hurt in his heart and embraced it like a good friend. He didn’t weep into his pillow or clean his face of tears, he only pulled back the covers to get a glimpse of the glistening stars suspended in the shadowy night sky.

As time passed and the tear tracks dried on his face, Roxas closed his eyes and fell back asleep. This time, he forewent dreams and memories both. He saw nothing but darkness and took comfort in that.

On weekends, Roxas enjoyed sleeping until noon or later. He’d get up, eat something, take care of a job or two, and head to the clocktower. The night never came in Twilight Town, but Roxas would stay up and enjoy the sunset during the hours when he normally couldn’t. The sun would perpetually warm his face as early morning came and Roxas would stare back, gazing fondly at the view he would never tire of.

Friday morning, Roxas didn’t get the simple luxury of sleeping in. A finger poked his cheek continuously, stirring him awake. At first, he assumed it was Naminé. When she woke him for school, she resorted to gentle touches and soft spoken words to get him to wake. Xion went about things differently. She’d slam open his door and jump on his bed with a loud holler. Lea wouldn’t wake him at all. He slept in even later than Roxas did.

Slowly and miserably, Roxas opened his eyes and felt a jolt of surprise at being in an unfamiliar room. The previous night came to him in short spurts and he turned his cold eyes on Riku, who was either too bold or too stupid to realize waking Roxas on a weekend was a very dangerous thing to do.

"Get up," Riku told him, sounding exhausted. "It's ten past eleven."

Swiftly, Roxas grabbed Riku's finger and held it tightly. "You must have a deathwish," Roxas growled lowly, darkness falling off him in waves. It curled upward to Riku's finger and swirled around it. “Otherwise, you’d know better than to wake me.”

Riku pointedly ignored him. "I made breakfast," he said, unbothered by the shadows crawling up his arm. "There's pancakes."

Roxas stared down at Riku's hand with a keen interest. "I'm going to break your finger as recompense."

Riku frowned. "Please don't. I need it to eat my pancakes."

"Y'know, Riku," Roxas said, his smile deceptively sweet. "You could eat breakfast alone. That's a perfectly normal thing that people do." He tightened his grip on Riku's finger, threat lingering in the air.

Riku shrugged. The darkness had moved to his chest. "Sure, but I made breakfast for two."

Roxas glared hotly. "Why."

"Because you're my guest," Riku replied, raising a brow like the answer was obvious. He seemed surprised that Roxas didn’t understand that. “I’ve been up since eight making breakfast and I’m tired and starving so if you’re not down in thirty minutes, there may not be any breakfast left for you to eat.”

Riku glanced down at his finger which was still in Roxas’ steely grip. With a growl that sounded more menacing than Roxas anticipated thanks to the grogginess in his voice, he released Riku’s unbroken finger and retracted the darkness that had curled around Riku’s arms and waist. Roxas welcomed it back with open arms, the anger and annoyance he felt from having his sleep disturbed settling in his chest.

Riku flexed his hand, giving it a quick shake before looking at Roxas again. “You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to. I’m just letting you know.”

Oh, so now he was being polite. Roxas gave him the most annoyed expression he could muster after being rudely awoken before noon like he was some kind of morning person. “Get. Out.”

Riku looked disappointed, but he turned and left the room anyway. Roxas flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. He hadn't asked or expected breakfast. Honestly, Roxas could survive for hours on ice cream alone, no matter how unhealthy it was. But he was never one to turn down free food and there were pancakes, so...

Before he could enjoy another awkward meal spent ignoring Riku's existence, he needed a shower. The bed vibrated again and Roxas did shriek this time. He angrily surfed through the access pillows and heavy comforter to find his phone.

A photo from Olette, showing a picture of her, Hayner and Pence at work. They were smiling happily and Olette formed a heart with her hands.

We miss you! The accompanying text read. Roxas hastily replied saying he felt the same and for them to eat an extra bar of sea-salt ice cream for him.

That reminded him. He needed to talk to Xion about what Riku had said. Roxas didn't like bringing up the past with her or any of his friends, but he needed to know the truth.

But first, a hot shower. He needed to be fully awake for that conversation.

It took time and expertise for Roxas to look as excellent as he did day to day, which is why he spent a total of thirteen minutes and eleven seconds styling his hair each morning. He took his own liberties with it after meeting Ventus. Roxas had more in the way of bangs and less spikes at the top. He wanted Sora to remain the king of unusually spiky hair.

During his afterno—late morning (thanks Riku) routine, he texted Xion to see if she was available for a quick talk. Xion replied immediately, saying she always had time for him. Roxas nearly fell to pieces in the fucking bathroom but composed himself as he called his best friend. She picked up on the first ring.

“Hey, Roxas!” She greeted cheerfully. Xion always had such exuberant energy in the mornings while Roxas felt like death and relied on facial expressions and noncommittal grunts to communicate. “What’s up?”

“Hey,” he responded, glancing down at his phone where it rested on the sink top. His hands were currently occupied getting a particularly stubborn strand of hair to fall a certain way, so that took up about half of his brain power. “Uh, so—oh, hey, you look nice.” Xion had parted her hair differently and used a heart shaped silver barrette to hold some of it back. The barrette matched the oval shaped stud earrings she wore. “You got plans?”

Xion smirked confidently, adjusting a strand of her hair as if the phone were a mirror. Roxas couldn’t say anything since he did the exact same thing. “Yuuup! I’ve got a date with Naminé today.”

Roxas gave Xion all of his attention at the news. “Second date, huh? Where are you two going?”

“Last Light Lake!” She replied, bouncing on her heels. “Naminé said she wanted to go and I’ve heard nothing but great things about it. I’m so excited!”

Roxas beamed. “That sounds fun. I haven’t been there yet. Take pictures?”

Xion winked. “Always. So, what did you want to talk about?”

Roxas faltered, his hands suspended in the air as his gaze flickered between the mirror and his phone. Well, fuck. He couldn’t ask Xion about the fight with Riku now that he knew she was going on a date. He didn’t want to upset her or distract her from something Xion looked forward to so much. Roxas swallowed, plastering on what he hoped looked like a genuine smile. “Uh, nothing really. I just wanted to know what was up. Get a break from the hell I’m in right now.”

Xion snorted. “Roxas, come on. It can’t be that bad.”

“Riku woke me up today. On a weekend. Before noon.”

“Yikes,” Xion winced, looking honestly sympathetic. “Is he still alive?”

Roxas smoothed the back of his hair with the underside of his comb. “For now. He made breakfast and that has saved him for the time being.”

“He made you breakfast? Roxas, that’s so sweet!”

Roxas’ comb dropped into the sink and he looked at Xion with a strained smile. “Xion, I love you, but shut up.”

Xion, another soul who was immune to Roxas’ rage, did not shut up. “I can’t believe Riku can cook! Roxas, that alone is worth being friends with him. And he can drive a gummiship! I’m seeing nothing but pluses here.”

“I’m hanging up,” he said, grabbing his phone as Xion’s hysterical laughter echoed throughout the bathroom.

“No, wait, wait!” Xion gasped out, taking a few calming breaths as Roxas’ thumb lingered over the end call button. “Are you sure that’s all you wanted to talk about? When you picked up, you looked a little sad.”

Damn his expression for giving him away once again! “Uh…” Roxas said eloquently, his brain short circuiting as Xion so expertly called him out on his lie. It wasn’t easy to fool her or Lea and Naminé seemed to be able to read his mind whenever he was upset about something. He couldn’t hide anything from them and he didn’t want to, but he’d hoped to put off the question until after her date. “I just… have a question to ask.”

“Sure!” Xion grinned, happy and eager to help as always. “Ask away.”

Roxas held back the urge to run his hands through his hair. If he did that now, he’d ruin it and he didn’t have another thirteen minutes and eleven seconds to fix it. “It’s about that night in Memory’s Skyscraper,” he asked, taking note of the way Xion’s eyebrows rose. “Did you… talk to Riku?”

Xion got quiet. The high-spirited mood she had fell to the wayside and took Roxas’ heart with it. This was exactly what he’d been dreading. “Oh,” she said softly, looking down and away from Roxas. “I did. I told him… to stop you.”

The both of them were quiet then. Xion couldn’t bring herself to look at him and Roxas’ vision wouldn’t focus no matter how badly he tried. Riku hadn’t lied. He’d told Roxas the truth.

“Because you didn’t want me to get hurt?” Roxas whispered, his voice sounding faroff.

Xion stared at him, her eyes glistening with tears. “If you had gone back to the castle and the Organization got their hands on you, they would’ve done all kinds of things to make sure you didn’t leave again.”

As much as he prided himself on his strength and ability, both Xion and Riku had a point. The Organization had been ruthless and greedy, doing whatever they needed to gather hearts. Showing up on their doorstep alone would’ve been reckless. They would’ve thrown heartless, nobodies, and Organization members alike at him until he couldn’t stand. He had to accept that truth, no matter how harsh it was.

Roxas nodded solemnly, a small smile on his face. “I know. I understand.”

“I’m sorry,” Xion apologized, wiping her eyes with a single finger. “I—I should’ve told you sooner, but—!”

“Xion,” Roxas interjected, his voice calm. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain anything else.” He didn’t want her to cry anymore. He couldn’t stand it. She, along with everyone else, deserved to move past this. And now that he’d confirmed Riku had told the truth, he could continue to do that as well.

Xion sniffed, a hesitant smile on her face. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” he assured her, trying his best to put more energy into his smile. “I’m sorry, too, Xion. For bringing this up again.”

“Don’t be!” Xion exclaimed, eyebrows furrowed. “We need to talk about this stuff. That’s how things get resolved, right?”

That was how it worked in most cases. Xion, Lea and himself had spent so much time discussing what happened with each of them. Lea talked about his past with Isa and their reason for joining the Organization. Xion told them what she’d been doing during the days when she’d been missing and Roxas absorbed all the information, forlornly telling Lea about what happened to Xion at the end of it all. They did the same when Naminé joined them, listening to the tales of Castle Oblivion with interest and shock. It’d been difficult and heartbreaking but they’d come out stronger for it. As they started their normal lives, understanding and honesty supported their friendship.

But Roxas wasn’t so naïve as to believe the same could be done with other relationships. He couldn’t even manage a conversation with Riku without getting pissed or summoning his keyblades, but last night had changed something. Whether miniscule or significant, a shift had occurred.

“Right,” he agreed, flashing her a smile. He lifted his hand and absentmindedly scratched at his cheek. He’d mull over her words later.

Riku had said he’d cooked breakfast, but Roxas didn’t smell anything when he stepped down the stairs. He got angry initially. If that ass had actually eaten all the food when Roxas had gotten ready before twenty minutes had passed, he’d be pissed as hell.

He turned the corner and saw several plates of food sitting out on the island. Bacon, toast, pancakes, scrambled and sunny-side up eggs, and sausage with orange juice and water to wash it down with. It looked more like a buffet than a normal breakfast for two, but Roxas kept that to himself as he sat down in one of the stools. An empty plate and utensils had already been placed there and Roxas fiddled with his fork idly.

Riku stood by the kitchen sink, washing a frying pan and placing it on the drying rack. He dried his hands with a towel and looked over his shoulder at Roxas. “Finally,” he complained. Riku looked like he’d drowned and had arisen from the sea as an angry sailor. His skin was paler than usual, which was saying something, and he had purple bags under his eyes. His hair hadn’t been properly combed and it stuck up in unruly places. His lips were chapped and his eyes bloodshot. Not a good look.

Roxas observed all of this and knew that Riku was clearly suffering from lack of sleep, food, and all around self care. He flipped Riku off with a smile.

“Right back at you,” Riku muttered in reply. He tossed the towel on the counter somewhere.

“Someone’s grumpy,” Roxas mused, putting his elbows on the marble island and holding his chin in his hands.

“I already told you I’ve been up since eight.” Riku held out a hand over the food on the island. He flexed his fingers and narrowed his eyes as a wild fluctuation of magic passed through the kitchen. Steam rose off the plates and the smell of food hit Roxas all at once. Riku had used magic to keep the food hot and fresh.

Well, damn. That was actually kind of sweet, Roxas had to admit.

As Riku filled his glass with orange juice, Roxas stared down at his empty plate. He felt conflicted, his politeness feuding with his stubbornness. In the end, good manners won. Both Xion and Naminé would be upset with him if he didn’t speak up. “Thanks,” he mumbled, the word falling from his lips begrudgingly. He pretended not to notice the way Riku’s paused in pouring his drink or the feeling of an intent gaze.

“... You’re welcome,” Riku said, sounding unsure of himself. He grabbed Roxas’ glass and filled it with orange juice before walking around and taking his seat at the far right high stool. Without another word, the two of them unceremoniously began to pile their plates high with food. Then the battle over condiments started with Roxas hogging the syrup and Riku keeping the strawberry jelly hostage. The butter was in constant motion, moving from Roxas’ side to Riku’s every minute or so.

“Which one is your favorite?” Roxas asked, motioning to the plates that were rapidly becoming clean. He didn’t much like that he had to wait to put the strawberry jelly on his toast. There was a rare second after the butter melted that the jelly had to be put on for optimum taste and Riku had taken that second away from him. Revenge was in order.

“Uhm,” Riku drawled after swallowing a bite of his pancake. “Bacon.” He mistook Roxas’ question as friendly banter. He would soon see.

“Ah,” Roxas nodded, feigning interest. He reached over and took the remaining four strips of bacon off the plate… and brought them to his mouth to take a bite of. He watched the shock appear on Riku’s face, delighted in it, and laughed as bits of bacon escaped his mouth. God, it was so fun to mess with Riku.

“Did you have to do that?” Riku asked, looking put out. “You had to eat all of them?”

Roxas took his time swallowing the four pieces of bacon, leaving Riku alone to wallow in silence. “Yes. That’s what you get, jelly thief. You disgust me.”

“You used half of the maple syrup on your pancakes!” Riku exclaimed, his hand gesturing at the half empty bottle of syrup. “You kept me waiting for three minutes!”

Roxas snickered, scooping some scrambled eggs into his mouth. That had been entirely worth it. “I prefer my pancakes doused in syrup.” He didn’t. “I have a sugar addiction.” Again, he didn’t. He’d just wanted to make Riku wait.

Riku sat back in his chair. “I should’ve guessed with all the ice cream you eat.”

“Observation is an important skill to have, Riku.”

Riku finished the last pieces of pancake he had, moving them around his plate to soak up the syrup. “I was thinking we could head to the mainland today,” he suggested, glancing at Roxas. “If you want to.”

Roxas wanted to, despite the company he’d be keeping. He wanted to see as many things as he could with his own eyes. He wanted to create his own experiences instead of relying on memories that weren’t his. He ate the last of his scrambled eggs and wondered if this was a plot that Riku and Sora had thought of. Roxas took a restrained breath. “And do what?”

“There’s a huge mall we could go to,” Riku said with a shrug. “The stores always have some sale going on. There’s a bunch of food stalls on the pier.” He scratched at his chin. “Pretty sure there’s a new skatepark that—”

“We’re going,” Roxas decided. A skatepark was just the cherry on top he needed to justify spending the day with Riku. Maybe he could find some souvenirs at the mall, too.

Riku stood from his seat and engaged in the typical pandiculation that came with early mornings. “Alright. I’ll get ready.”

“You need to,” Roxas commented, giving Riku an unimpressed look. “You look like hell.”

Riku looked at him and his eyes crinkled as he started to laugh. On the outside, Roxas remained as impassive as ever, but internally he fixated on the sound. Riku’s laughter was smooth like honey and his voice sat comfortably in the mid-range of not too high and not too deep so it was pleasing to—what the actual fuck was wrong with him. Roxas legitimately almost barfed his delicious breakfast all over the kitchen island. He placed a hand over his mouth and reluctantly swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat.

Riku left the kitchen and Roxas held his face in his hands as he pondered what the shit that was. His phone went off with a bright chime. Roxas reached into his pocket and pulled it out, expecting pictures from either Xion or Olette, but instead it was a text from Sora.

: ROXAS!!!!

: sora

: sooo how’s it going?

Where to begin? Should he mention the fact that he’d threatened Riku a total of three times yesterday? The near fight on the balcony? Or the actual, straight up brawl they had? Roxas pursed his lips, coming up with a response that perfectly articulated what he wanted to say.

: i almost impaled him with my keyblade

: WHAT!!!?!!!?! ROXAS YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO TRY!!!! NOT TRY AND KILL HIM!!!!

:  

: THOSE ARE THE WRONG EMOJIS TO SEND ME ROXAS!!!!!!

Riku took such a long time getting ready that Roxas started to clean. He piled up the dishes in the sink and washed them, rubber gloves and all. He scrubbed down the kitchen island, counters, stove top and then swept. He left the kitchen as spotless as it could be. He’d just put the broom back in the storage closet when he heard footsteps on the stairs. Roxas leaned against the island, ready to give Riku a piece of his mind and then some.

Wearing a short sleeved cream yellow v-neck shirt, loose fitting jeans, and white high top sneakers, Riku exuded confidence as he walked down the stairs. On top of his head were a pair of black sunglasses. He must’ve performed some kind of miracle to reverse the terrible appearance he’d had an hour ago. Roxas wasn’t entirely convinced it wasn’t dark magic.

“Sorry for making you wait,” Riku said, sauntering into the kitchen with a smirk. “See what I did there? Apologized for keeping someone waiting?”

“I will go to the mainland by myself,” Roxas told him, glare back in full force. Riku had also spent that hour dialing up his asshole meter, apparently.

Riku didn’t look pleased with Roxas’ threat. “It’s pretty difficult to navigate.”

“I’m sure I can figure it out.” Roxas pushed away from the island and headed to the foyer. He grabbed his skateboard bag that he’d placed by the door and fastened it around his chest. He could hear Riku’s sneakers scuffing against the marble floor behind him.

“I was joking,” Riku emphasized, already having exhausted the energy he’d accrued. He turned the lock on the front door and opened it for Roxas, letting him exit first.

“Think we’ve established that your sense of humor needs work,” Roxas pointed out. He raised a hand to block the sun’s rays from shining directly into his eyes. There was a good amount of cloud cover so the sun didn’t beat down on them like the relentless bastard it could sometimes be. A breeze passed by occasionally, brisk, but not nearly as bad as last night.

The sky was beautifully blue and Roxas stared at it as Riku locked the front door. It occured to Roxas then that he’d lived in worlds that were both perpetually night and twilight, but never one that showed the afternoon sun so brightly. He watched a huge cloud mask the sun from view. It took traveling to different worlds to see different perspectives. He needed to appreciate the circadian cycle that was considered to be normal for many worlds. Without both night and day, twilight wouldn’t exist.

“Ready?” Riku asked, pocketing his house keys. He set off down the pathway with a pep in his step. Roxas put his hands in the pockets of his dark blue jeans and followed, glaring at Riku’s back the whole time. Why did the v-neck have to be deep? What the fuck.

The walk to the pier was a long one. They took the beach route and the waves reached out toward them as they stepped along the sand. Riku put on his sunglasses when the sun peaked out from behind the clouds. They walked side by side with ample room between them. Roxas deliberately kept his gaze forward or to his left. He would check how close they were to the pier or look out over the waves, but never to Riku.

On the beach were all manner of seashells of different colors and shapes. Naminé and Xion would be able to name them but Roxas relied on his judgement of how cool they looked. Before the weekend’s end, he’d need to collect some for them. They liked to make necklaces, bracelets and charms out of the shells they found, influenced by Kairi and Aqua’s own creations.

Once they were close enough, they altered their course to the main street and reached the pier that way. There were bright lights and small tents down the length of it and at the very end, a large ferry ship sat in the water. Along the dock there were fishing pole rentals, bait tents, and souvenir shops. Riku walked past them briskly. Roxas adjusted his speed to take them in while keeping Riku in his peripheral. A few people looked at them. They stared at Roxas as a stranger, but with Riku, their eyes grew different. Some of them waved and Riku would raise a quick hand in greeting. It didn’t get more personal than that.

They reached the ferry and waited in line behind a few people. Everyone in front of them had to pay to get tickets, but when it was their turn, all Riku did was nod to the attendant and they were allowed to pass through. Roxas followed along but didn’t mask the confusion on his face.

They walked onto the ship and found an empty spot near the railing. A few kids ran around on the deck while their parents went inside to escape the heat. Roxas stared down at the water. The air smelled a little funky but he kept that to himself. Instead he nudged Riku with his elbow and pointed at the ticket gate. “Uh?”

“Oh,” Riku said, turning around to lean backwards on the railing. “I don’t have to pay to ride the ferry or anything.”

Roxas waited a beat for him to continue. When Riku didn’t, Roxas rolled his eyes and asked in the most tired tone of voice, “Why?”

“My family owns this ship,” Riku answered, his eyes clouding over lackadaisically. “They own the shipyards on the mainland where they’re made and they help regulate and manage all the ports throughout the islands.”

That explained the fancy neighborhood, the swanky house, and the portrait of the old man that Roxas had found. Riku was the heir to a ship making legacy, but he didn’t seem all that happy about it. Easy to see why. Roxas had just dreamt of a time when Riku’s house had been filled with music and laughter. Presently, it sat empty, and nothing but silence echoed off the walls.

“Oh,” Roxas said lamely, and left it at that.

More people piled onto the ferry in the eight minutes before it took off. The captain spoke up on the loudspeaker to list all the safety rules and regulations. Riku took out his phone to text. Roxas watched the water bend and move against the wood of the pier. It looked almost green in some areas. The captain’s speech ended with some weird cheerful music and a message to enjoy the ride. With a stutter and lurch, the ferry began to move to take them to the mainland.

Roxas hadn’t thought the ride over would be particularly interesting, but he was happy to be proven wrong. The ferry wasn’t fast by any means, but it was… cool to be on a boat of some kind. He smiled at the sound of the water slapping against the hull of the ship and the wind sweeping through his hair. Roxas couldn’t get enough of the way the ship cut through the water like silk, sailing effortlessly to its destination. He wanted to reach down and let his fingers glide along the seafoam and his dangerous position of leaning over the railing reflected that.

Riku looked away from his phone to glance at him. “You’ve… never been on a boat before, have you?”

“Not directly,” Roxas answered. He remembered when Sora had first steered the Leviathan. Both their hearts sang with excitement at the amount of freedom and adventure they had.

Riku laughed under his breath and Roxas was too happy to get mad about it. “I wish I’d known,” he said, turning around to look at the passing scenery along with Roxas. “We could’ve taken a nicer ride to the mainland. You could’ve driven it yourself.”

Roxas whipped his head around to look at Riku. He’d never steered a ship himself before. He wanted to do that. He wanted to do that very much. “Next time,” he said without thinking. He furrowed his brows, daring Riku to protest.

Riku covered his mouth with a hand and looked at Roxas with mirth in his eyes. “Next time,” he promised.

The pier on the mainland was much more flashy. A small ferris wheel sat on one end with a host of booths and food carts lining both sides of the long stretch of wood. There were prizes to be won, unhealthy foot to ingest and small rides to try. A mini carnival, essentially. Not as extravagant as the Summer’s End fair in Twilight Town, but it wasn’t anything to scoff at.

They walked off the ferry ramp and were pushed along with the crowd into all the commotion. There were so many people. The amount of ‘excuse me’s’ and ‘pardon me’s’ Roxas had to say to pass by was excessive. That didn’t keep him from stopping by every booth to browse and get a look at the games. Ring toss, balloon popping, bean bag toss, and something with water guns. Roxas stopped by that one and watched some kids play, both of them shoving each other to get the other to miss. The objective was to hit as many targets as possible. The highest score won and the prize was a large stuffed frog wearing a red bow tie.

Xion would love that frog.

“You wanna play?” Riku asked, nudging his head toward the booth. He had a kind, non-judgemental smile on his face.

Roxas kicked his foot. “Yes, and I’m going to win that frog.”

Riku didn’t even budge from Roxas’ sudden attack. In fact, he didn’t react at all. The nerve. “You can try. I’m a master at this game.”

“You come and play carnival games in your spare time?”

“Sora makes me play with him every time we come here,” Riku explained, smiling sentimentally. “I let him win sometimes but only sometimes.”

Roxas smirked, competitive spirit coming to life. He’d beaten Riku in an all out fight and he could beat Riku at a dumb carnival game even if he’d never played before. He’d never shot a water gun before, either. Whatever, he had natural talent. He wasn’t worried.

The two kids in front of them got some consolation prizes for hitting everything but one of the targets. Roxas and Riku took their places, the latter laying ten munny on the counter to start the game. The rules were read to them unnecessarily and then the attendant stepped aside to give them the all clear. Roxas readied his hands on the water gun and Riku did the same. As soon as the light on the far wall turned green and the corny music reached a crescendo, they began.

Riku took the lead initially while Roxas got the hang of things. The gun had a small kick back and took a moment to aim just right. Riku’s familiarity with the machine escalated his score, but Roxas was a quick learner and was right behind him. He evened the score by hitting the golden targets before Riku could get to them, leaving nothing but the standard red ones behind.

Gold targets were thirty-five while red ones were ten. Riku figured out what he was doing and gave him a dirty look. Roxas stuck his tongue out at him.

As the timer counted down, they were neck and neck. Both of them had already gotten high scores, but it was about more than the prize. Roxas wanted to win. He sniped a gold target a millisecond before Riku got to it but then Riku did the same to him. Down to the very last second, they were still shooting targets, watching their scores rise on the small screens hanging on the top of the booth. Riku bumped into his shoulder and Roxas pushed back, which started a pushing and pulling match which made them look no different than the two kids that played before them.

An overly loud sound came from the booth as timer ended. Riku had one hand on the water gun and the other pushing Roxas’ shoulder. Roxas’ hand was shoved in Riku’s face in an attempt to block his vision so he’d lose. They both looked at each other and then to their scores.

Unsurprisingly, Roxas won.

“YES!” He shouted, jumping out of his seat and pumping a fist into the air. “I told you I’d win. Master my ass.”

Riku wiped his wet hands on his jeans, looking winded. “Yeah, yeah. Rub it in.”

“Oh, I will,” Roxas told him, wearing a catlike grin. “I’ve got all weekend.” He ignored the impressed clapping of the attendant and pointed to the frog. Roxas squeezed it once it was in his arms, the fluffy green cotton soft against his cheek.

“You have a name for it?” Riku asked, standing up and pointing to the frog.

Roxas hadn’t thought to name it since it wasn’t his, but the big beady eyes and charismatic bowtie of the frog gave it personality and from personality came a name. “Mr. Finley,” he said, biting his cheek to keep from laughing. Xion would love that, too.

Riku hummed and lead the way down the pier since Roxas couldn’t see with Mr. Finley blocking the way. “Did you just come up with that?”

Roxas intentionally kept stepping on the backs of Riku’s shoes as they walked. “Yes.”

Riku laughed but Roxas knew it was because of Mr. Finley’s name and not something Roxas had done. Riku knew better. “That’s a unique name.”

“Mr. Finley’s a unique frog,” Roxas countered. He grabbed his phone out of his back pocket and managed to take a quick selfie. The picture wasn’t too blurred even though he’d been walking, so he happily sent it to Xion.

: got you a new friend. meet mr. finley!

Roxas only had to wait seconds for a reply.

: ROXAS I LOVE YOU! I CAN’T WAIT TO HOLD SWEET FINLEY IN MY ARMS!!

The emoji’s and capitalized questions started and Roxas answered each one as they came. He texted with one hand and relied on Riku’s aura to lead him safely through the crowd.

Roxas only bumped into one person using that method and he was fairly certain Riku had caused the collision on purpose.

The mall was two stories tall and fairly wide. The parking lot didn’t look to be large enough which explained all the people needing to walk to get there. The sidewalks were overcrowded as mobs of people crossed the crosswalk when the light turned.

Mr. Finley acted as a barrier during the times Riku and Roxas were unwillingly pushed together. He took the brunt of Riku’s weight and skin contact like a champ. They jumped apart as soon as they had room, but Roxas made sure to keep Mr. Finley held on his right side.

They’d been walking for twenty minutes and the rush of cool air that billowed past them as the mall entrance doors slid open was relieving. The air brought the smell of hot pretzels and chocolate with it. Just past the small waiting area was a directory that listed all the stores. Roxas perused at his leisure, thinking about what he wanted to get everyone. He had an idea for Naminé and he’d technically already gotten Xion a gift. That left Hayner, Pence, Olette, Lea, and possibly Isa. Maybe.

Riku stood by his side, his sunglasses hanging on the neckline of his shirt. “You got an idea of what you need?”

“Yeah…” Roxas said, eyes scanning the directory and taking note of the names of the stores he wanted to visit. The bookstore was closest, so Roxas lifted a finger and pointed to it. “Here first.”

The bookstore was above them on the second floor. They took the escalator up. Roxas stood a bit unsteadily considering it was his first time on one. He shakily got off at the top and Riku had the common sense to keep his laughter and snarky comments to himself.

Inside, the store was larger than Roxas thought it’d be, but that meant there was a higher chance of it having what he needed. New releases, best selling novels and biographies were displayed near the front on white twirling racks. The store opened up from there with several aisles lined with books.

The first souvenir to get was Naminé’s and he needed it to be something really special. He bypassed the books for the moment and headed straight for the specialty notebooks and sketchbooks. Some of them were on the more gaudy side while others were a bit too professional looking to be a souvenir. He wanted something that said ‘Destiny Islands’ and captured that feeling of the warm sand and the sight of the glistening water of the ocean.

Roxas searched from shelf to shelf for the perfect sketchbook and nearly ran out of patience before he spotted something on the very bottom shelf. A sketchbook with a cover of tropical flowers against the background of a calm beach caught his attention. It looked to be more on the minimalistic side with pastel colors and very little lettering. He didn’t know much about paper quality and what would be best for an artist that worked with watercolors, crayons, and colored pencils, but Roxas opened the notebook and tested the paper between his fingertips anyway.

The paper felt different in places and after getting a closer look at it, there were raised patterns of flowers in the corners of each page. Each one was different, some being more arabesque than others. Roxas beamed, flipping through the pages and imagining Naminé’s drawings adorning each one. While the sketchbook itself was a nice present, Roxas felt like he needed something else with it. Something to tie the whole gift together.

“For Naminé?” Riku asked and Roxas nearly smacked him in the face with the sketchbook. He’d entirely forgotten Riku was there and what a wonderful five minutes it’d been.

“Yeah,” Roxas answered, taking a step to the left to put some space between them.

Riku narrowed his eyes as he stared at the sketchbook. He straightened and looked around for a moment before turning to Roxas. “Hold on,” he said, and walked off.

Roxas didn’t give much thought to Riku’s absence. He instead thought about what kind of books to get Olette and Pence. Olette took interest in the traditions and cultures of different worlds while Pence leaned more toward the supernatural and myths. Roxas was hoping to find some books to satisfy them. He didn’t think it counted as disturbing the world order when it was a world they’d already visited and knew about. As long as they kept it a secret, he wouldn’t have to worry about King Mickey showing up on his doorstep to rag on him about irresponsibility and the duties of a keyblade wielder.

Riku returned a minute later with something in his hand. He held it out to Roxas and looked rather proud of himself. “What about these to go with it? I saw them when we came in.”

Roxas took the tin case and read the bold lettering on the front. It was a case of sixty-four neat and professional looking colored pencils. Roxas lifted the casing and saw that each pencil had an elegant floral pattern along the body of it that matched the color of that specific pencil. Roxas touched them delicately. “They’re perfect,” he whispered, wearing a soft smile. He accidentally looked up at Riku in gratitude, and his smile quickly fell when he remembered who he was standing next to. Finding another gift to accompany the sketchbook was the least Riku could do.

Roxas didn’t bother with thanks. He’d already said it once today.

It didn’t take long to find books for Pence and Olette. Roxas read the summaries on the back, read the first page and ended up with four that he thought would be suitable.

Riku gave him a look while they waited in line at the cash register. “Those books are for...?”

“Olette and Pence,” Roxas answered, though he wasn’t sure why Riku needed to know which souvenir was for who.

Riku hummed thoughtfully, considering that. “And what about Hayner?”

Roxas shifted on his feet. Hayner was a bit more complicated and picky. A t-shirt or keychain wouldn’t please him. He’d want something unique. “I have a few ideas, but I’m open to suggestions,” he told Riku. Though his very presence annoyed Roxas, he’d made the right call when it came to Naminé. Maybe he could do the same with Hayner.

“I’ll think about it,” Riku said. When it came to their turn at the register, Roxas laid everything out on the counter. Bookstores always had some cute trinkets and odd items at the cash register to entice people to buy them, and it was working on Roxas. There was a box of macaroon shaped jewelry holders that Olette would kill him for not getting for her, and some pineapple magnets that reminded him of the inside joke he shared with Pence.

Before he could get out his wallet, Riku reached forward and paid for it. If he was trying to get on Roxas’ good side by buying everything… that was fine. Riku owed him munny, anyway. They left the bookstore and Roxas carried his bag with one hand and the other still held Mr. Finley.

“Where to next?” Riku asked, moving his bangs out of his eyes.

“Uh.” Roxas looked around the mall. The stores near them were ones he wasn’t interested in. He needed a gimmicky shop with specialty items or something, but before that. “A shop with tacky looking shirts.”

Riku nodded in understanding, his smirk playful. “I know just the place.”

They went back down the escalator (Roxas caught Riku snickering at him for stumbling again, so he got smacked in the back of the head, courtesy of one Mr. Finley) and kept walking further into the mall. They passed plenty of clothing stores, but those were focused more on summer fashions and the latest trends. They weaved through crowds and groups of people to get to the other side of the mall. Nestled between two much larger shops was a small store called Printasia and really, that’s all Roxas needed to see to know the place was perfect.

There were shelves, counters, and racks lined with all kinds of t-shirts. Some of them good, most of them bad. The cashier nodded at them as they entered and returned to reading his magazine. They were the only ones in the store, and for good reason. Just from looking around, Roxas couldn’t find a single shirt worth buying unironically.

“Up for a challenge?” Riku asked, his hand on his hip.

Intrigued, Roxas raised a brow. “You that eager to get your ass kicked again?”

“Pretty bold of you to assume you’ll win when you don’t know what the challenge is.”

Roxas shifted Mr. Finley under his arm so that he could place his hands together and level Riku with a look. “I thought it’d already been made clear, along with your shitty sense of humor, that I will always beat you, Riku. You can’t win.”

Riku laughed curtly and rolled his eyes. “We’ll see about that. The first one to find the worst shirt wins.”

Holy shit. Roxas gawked at Riku because he couldn’t believe the words that had just left his mouth. A challenge to find the worst shirt required a good sense of humor, which Riku currently lacked. Was he intending to hand the win over to Roxas? Another attempt at easily becoming Roxas’ friend by creating spur of the moment competitions? “Is this self-sabotage?” Roxas asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I literally just said your sense of humor is shit.”

Riku gave him a tired look. “In your opinion.”

“It’s not an opinion. It’s a fact,” Roxas told him, brutally apathetic. He glanced at the shirts to his left and considered the challenge. He needed to find a stupid looking shirt to make Lea wear. He could kill two birds with one stone. “Fine, you’re on. Don’t bitch at me when you inevitably lose.”

“And you better not throw a petty tantrum when I win,” Riku said, looking away coolly to avoid Roxas’ glare that was rapidly rising in temperature.

Wow, okay. If Riku was going to be a bitch about it, Roxas would raise the stakes. He smirked, smothering the fire in his eyes and following it up with calm confidence. “Loser has to wear the shirt all day tomorrow.”

Riku thought on it, crossing his arms and looking around the store, blatantly getting a head start for their challenge. When teal met blue, sparks of rivalry flared and Roxas knew Riku’s answer without having to hear it. Which is why he took off into the store, already looking through racks of shirts and scouting out any that stood a chance. Revenge for Riku taking his time to check out shirts earlier.

The cashier didn’t even look up from his magazine as the two of them tore apart the store searching for terrible shirts. Whenever they found one that could be a contender, they’d meet back at the display table near the front of the store. Riku arrived first with a bright pink shirt that read In my defense, I was left unsupervised. The font was bold and white. Not too bad, but Roxas knew his was better. The shirt color wasn’t as obnoxiously loud as Riku’s, but the terrible pun on the front made up for that. It read, I’m into fitness. Fit’ness taco into my mouth with a picture of a taco separating the two sentences.

They unanimously agreed that Roxas won the first round and Riku dove back into the throng of terribly designed shirts to find a worthy contender. Roxas didn’t have to wait long. Riku returned with a black shirt that said, Bad puns are how eye roll.

Roxas raised him with a dark blue shirt with glitter lettering that read, I’m about to snap with a picture of a camera underneath the text.

“This one reminded me of you,” Riku said, holding up a shirt that said, It’s a beautiful day to leave me alone.

Roxas looked it over. “I’d get that one if it wasn’t bright orange with purple words.”

“I think you’d look good in it,” Riku teased.

“Ugh, fuck off.”

“Orange is your color!”

Roxas rolled his eyes and conceded to Riku on that round. On his journey looking through the sale rack in the very back of the store, he found one that he thought Lea would enjoy. A simple turquoise colored shirt with a fire emoji on it that read, I’m lit in all caps. Perfect. And just a few shirts over was what had to be the worst shirt in the entire store.

With a dramatic unveiling of the shirt that was soon to be Riku’s, Roxas laid it out on the display table. A plain white shirt with grey letters, but what really brought it all together was the picture combined with the text. It started with a simple question: Guess what? And following that, a picture of an arrow pointing to a chicken’s rear.

Riku gave it a long, hard look. His eyebrows knitted together in distress. “What the hell.”

“I win,” Roxas said smugly. He folded the shirt up nicely for Riku, handing it over to him with a cocky grin. “This is just my opinion, but you’re going to look great in this, Riku.”

“No.” Riku pushed Roxas’ hand away and the shirt along with it. “I can find something worse.”

“If you wanna waste time combing this store, be my guest,” Roxas shrugged. He knew he had the win in the bag already. Riku was just being a stubborn ass. “The sooner you accept defeat, the sooner we can leave.”

Riku wouldn’t accept defeat. He set off with a newfound determination. He searched every clothes rack, every neatly folded stack of shirts, even the ones displayed on the backwalls and some that had fallen onto the floor. Roxas watched all of this with glee. He wished he had popcorn to go with Riku’s embarrassing desperation to win the very challenge he had proposed.

Seven minutes later, Riku came back to the front of the store, winded and out of breath from his frantic searching, but nevertheless holding a bunched up shirt in his right hand. He slammed it down on the display table and put his hands on his hips as he caught his breath. Roxas did the hard work for him, unfolding the shirt to reveal… Ah, fuck.

The shirt was truly awful, like worthy of winning the competition awful. Bright, neon green with words in a garish pink, the shirt read, I pooped today! with a picture of a stickman dabbing joyfully. Roxas’ entire body somehow managed to grimace. He stared at the shirt with disdain, the unpleasant reality of defeat settling in his stomach.

“I take back what I said earlier,” Riku said once he caught his breath. The cheshire cat grin he wore made his face especially punchable in Roxas’ eyes. “Green is more your color, Roxas.”

They took the two shirts up to the cash register and Riku once again spent his own munny to buy Roxas’ souvenir for Lea. He handed the worst shirt in the store to Roxas once the exchange was complete and Roxas glared down at the stupid stickman celebrating such a mundane, disgusting activity.

Roxas wondered if he could get away with staying in bed all day tomorrow.

“You’re not getting out of this by staying inside all day tomorrow.”

Roxas tore his cinnamon roll apart with concise pulls of his fork, leaving his plate a mess of sweet dough and sugar. “I didn’t say anything about that.”

“You didn’t have to,” Riku said. The grin hadn’t left his face since he’d bought the stupid poop shirt. “I can tell you were thinking it.”

Roxas brutally stabbed his cinnamon roll with his fork, glaring at Riku with murderous intent. His stupid cocky attitude was horrible to deal with and that was going to be Roxas’ whole day tomorrow. “I wasn’t,” Roxas lied.

“You know what’s funny,” Riku cut into his cinnamon roll with elegance and precision, “is that you brought this on yourself. You’re the one that wanted to up the stakes.”

Summoning keyblades in public was heavily discouraged but Roxas was two seconds from saying fuck all that and doing it anyway. “If you don’t shut the hell up and eat your food…”

Riku happily brought a piece of warm bread and sugar to his mouth and chewed it, shit-eating grin so massive it nearly took up his entire face. Roxas pushed his plate away and drank his lemonade as he brooded silently.

They’d finished up their shopping and headed to the food court to grab a quick bite to eat. The food court wasn’t exceptionally large, so finding a table to sit at had been hell. They had a few options when it came to food, but considering their large breakfast, they’d both opted for something quick and sweet to keep their energy up. People constantly brushed past their table to get around and Roxas steadily grew annoyed.

He’d checked off all the people he needed to buy souvenirs for. He’d gotten a color changing water bottle, a hot chocolate mix kit, and a balloon dog night light for Hayner, Xion and Lea respectively. As for Isa, well… Roxas knew he had a bit of a sweet tooth, so gourmet chocolates seemed to be a safe bet. Riku had paid for everything, including the snacks they were currently eating. He beat Roxas to the cash register every time, munny in hand, and said nothing each time they left.

Roxas wanted to say something, but he also wanted to see how far Riku would go. A pleasant conundrum if there ever was one.

Riku picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth, looking over at Roxas curiously. “Did you get everything? Or do you want to look around some more?”

“I’m good,” Roxas said, finishing off his lemonade with an obnoxiously loud slurp.

Riku stood suddenly, his half-eaten cinnamon roll laid bare on his plate. “I’ll be back,” he said, and waded through the crowd toward the bathroom that sat between two food stalls in the middle of the court. Roxas watched him go until he disappeared and then turned his sly eyes to Riku’s neglected snack.

He wasted no time in pulling over Riku’s plate and wolfing down the half cinnamon roll that had been delicately cut into pieces, which, who ate a cinnamon roll like that? Roxas tore his apart like a monster and in his opinion that was the only way to eat it. He wiped off his hands with a napkin to remove the evidence and pushed the plate back over to Riku’s side as if nothing at all had happened.

Riku returned about three minutes later and looked down at his empty plate. “Yeah,” he muttered indifferently. “I saw that coming.”

They threw away their trash, Roxas grabbed his two large bags of gifts, and they were off toward the exit. Right before the sliding doors of the exit sat a few small dispensers that offered small toys and trinkets in exchange for munny. Riku stopped there and considered which one he wanted before popping in a medium orb of munny and turning the dial. Out came a small capsule that held a prize and Riku pocketed it. Then he moved on to another one.

“Wow,” said Roxas, shifting the bags in his hands.

Riku grabbed the second capsule and looked it over. “What?”

“Is Sora just constantly on your mind?” Roxas asked, tilting his head to the side.

Riku looked offended. He lifted the capsule he’d just purchased to make a point. “This is for Kairi, actually.”

“Cool,” Roxas nodded assuredly. He pointed to Riku’s pocket where the other capsule was. “And that’s for Sora.”

Riku deflated and that tired look returned to his face. He placed Kairi’s little gift in his other pocket. “You say that like there’s a problem with getting gifts for friends.”

“No problem,” Roxas said, motioning to the two large bags in his hands. “You’re just obvious. Painfully obvious.”

“What?” Riku asked, clearly confused.

“Come on,” Roxas said with a shake of his head. He walked through the sliding doors and out of the mall. Riku’s affection for Sora was so blatant. Roxas didn’t need to go looking in memories to see it. It showed in his actions, just like it showed in Roxas’ own.

The light didn’t quite make it to his eyes as they walked along the pathway back to the main street. Riku kept staring at him questioningly, but Roxas looked forward, resolute and resigned.

They broke off from the main road and wandered down much less populated winding sidewalks. Riku pulled up a map of the mainland on his phone and Roxas found that it was just… the largest island in the archipelago. There was nothing connected to it, no strait or isthmus that extended backward into a deeper, wider world. Roxas didn’t know why he was surprised by the information when Sora had made it clear before. He supposed he was just disappointed.

Twilight Town had several districts that used the town line: Sunset Terrace, Eventide Square, and Nightfall Avenue. Beyond that, Afterglow Coast, Half-Light Walkway, and Vespertine Boardwalk made up the coast and near the mountains was Last Light Lake and several crossings that led to Alpenglow City. The tram lines connected the entire extended world and Destiny Islands seemed so small in comparison.

No wonder Riku wanted to leave.

“It should be around here,” Riku said, taking one last look at his phone before putting it away. They kept on down the sidewalk, eyes and ears open for the sound of wheels on concrete and metal railings. They made a left turn and what looked to be a park was further ahead. A line of palm trees seemed to lead them in the right direction. Roxas took the lead, following his intuition. He saw the perfectly managed and cut green grass that belonged to a park and from that came the playground equipment and benches. Soon enough, the sound reached their ears and Roxas couldn’t even attempt to hide the giddiness in his step and the way his fingers twitched.

The skatepark came into view as well as a handful of people skating along the mini ramps and bowls of it. Roxas started sprinting and Riku had to break into a run to keep up with him. An opening in the black fence made for an entrance and Roxas stood in front of it, looking over the skatepark with excitement.

It was a mix of transition and street style. The concrete was dyed in places, dark red, tan and blue. There looked to be about three mini ramps, a few railings, and two large bowls that Roxas couldn’t wait to drop in to. First, he looked for a bench or some resting area that any good skatepark would have and found one just to the left of a set of stairs with a railing. Roxas headed over and Riku followed, moving out of the way of a couple of skaters that wanted to jump over the stairs.

“Watch my stuff?” Roxas asked, setting down his bags and unfastening his skateboard off his back.

Riku came around and sat on the bench. He made sure Roxas’ gift bags stood up straight and resituated Mr. Finley in his bag so that he didn’t lean forward and fall. “Sure—”

“Cool.” Roxas dropped his board and was off in one powerful push. He headed for a bowl first, dropping in effortlessly since there was no one waiting where he was. He practiced a few fly out’s as a warm up, then switched into nose stall reverts to get a feel for the mini ramp. From there, Roxas made the skatepark his own. Kickflips, Frontside Ollie’s, and a Rock Fakie or two. A group of kids around his age or older took to the bowls then and Roxas, knowing the rules and common courtesy of skateparks, moved onto the railings to do some Frontside 50-50’s and Boardslides. Neither trick was too complicated, but it never hurt to practice balancing on a rail.

That’s what he loved about skateboarding. Not just the technique, discipline and perseverance it took to get good at it, but the fundamental step of having good balance. Roxas got the hang of it naturally and imparted that knowledge unknowingly onto Sora. When Sora returned, the two of them had taken to Twilight Town with skateboards in hand. Roxas taught Sora a few tricks and Sora created new ones just for the hell of it.

Things got even more chaotic when Hayner, Pence and Olette joined in. Hayner would always suggest playing rounds of Skate which led to some of the most fun Roxas had ever had. Sora could be clumsy sometimes and Hayner’s competitive spirit rivaled Roxas’ own. Pence would film the tricks they actually managed to land and Olette would predict when they were going to wipe out because it was all geometry and physics.

She was right every time.

“Hey!”

Roxas had been in the middle of a pretty long and impressive nose manual when a blonde haired kid with blue eyes called out to him. He kicked the tail of his skateboard and caught it in his hand as two more kids followed. It took a minute for Roxas to realize he recognized them. He hadn’t met them before, but Sora had.

“You’re pretty good!” Tidus said. He had a tie-dye band-aid on his cheek, a loose fitting blue tank top and baggy capris. His shoes were the best part of his ensemble. Clean black sneakers with star symbols. “We haven’t seen you around before.”

Roxas shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Yeah, I… live further inland.” Hopefully they’d accept that bullshit excuse because he couldn’t think of another one.

“Really?” Selphie asked, her hair bobbing as she tilted her head. Her green eyes and brown hair reminded him of Olette. She even wore similar colors; a yellow and orange colored dress with circular patterns on it. She had brown flats on which meant she wasn’t the one skateboarding.

“Yeah,” Roxas replied kindly. “I, uh, don’t come around… here much. I mostly practice at home.”

“I wish you would come around more because your moves are pretty slick!” Tidus complimented. He held out a hand and grinned charmingly. “I’m Tidus, by the way.”

Roxas took his hand and shook it. “Roxas.”

“This is Selphie,” Tidus said motioning to her with his hand once Roxas released it. “And this here’s Wakka.”

Wakka stood behind Tidus with his arms crossed. He had dark blue baggy pants on (what was with Destiny Islands and their baggy pants?) and a tan tank top on. He wore sandals, which meant he and Selphie both were there to watch Tidus. He looked Roxas over and grinned. “You mind showing us some moves, Roxas?”

“Nah, I don’t mind,” Roxas waved a hand. “What do you guys want to see?”

It turned out they wanted to see everything. Tidus had just started skateboarding to have something to do when the waves weren’t up to par. He couldn’t do much more than Kick Turns. Roxas showed him some moves of his own, going from rails, to mini ramps, and stairs. Tidus, Selphie and Wakka cheered him on after every move and marveled at the fact that he didn’t wipe out once. Tidus apparently had band-aid’s in his pocket for that very purpose.

It was reminiscent of those evenings in the skatepark. Being surrounded by people he cared about more than anything and feeling normal for once. Having friends and knowing for himself what friendship was. Complaining about school projects and having to get up early. All of them surrounding Pence as they watched the footage back, laughing and fooling around like kids their age were supposed to.

Roxas felt that same feeling sneaking up on him as Wakka and Selphie ragged on Tidus for only knowing a trick or two. The three of them were close, Roxas could tell.

“We’re about to head to the mall for a late lunch,” Selphie said once Roxas exited the mini ramp via a fly out. “You wanna come?”

Roxas shook his head. “Sorry, I came here with someone.”

Tidus whined loudly. “What? Seriously? I wanted to hang out more!”

“I’ll be around,” Roxas said, which wasn’t a total lie. If he wasn’t so afraid of breaking the world order, he’d give them his number, but he didn’t need them calling him to hang out when he lived on an entirely different world.

Wakka brushed by Tidus and held his hand out for a fist bump which Roxas eagerly returned. “Nice meetin’ ya, Roxas. Take care, ya?”

“Yeah,” Roxas smiled, waving his hand as the three of them exited the skatepark. The late evening brought more teens and young adults to the park and activity picked up. Roxas walked back over to Riku, who was texting on his phone. Roxas dropped his skateboard with a loud clatter and collapsed onto the bench next to him.

It was a nice, shady spot. The leaves of the palm trees behind the fence hid the sun from view. Roxas sat back on his hands and people watched, ascertaining the skill levels of the various skaters in the park.

“Aren’t you friendly,” Riku commented, looking up from his phone and placing it in his pocket.

Roxas lazily looked over at him. “Believe it or not, I’m nice to people who don’t kidnap me.”

Riku rolled his eyes. “Hah.”

“Why didn’t you say anything to them?” Roxas asked, stretching out his legs and crossing his feet at the ankles.

Riku was quiet for a time. He stared out toward the park and then turned his gaze skyward. His smile turned sheepish. “We’ve grown apart,” Riku replied honestly, resituating his bangs when a breeze disturbed them. “We don’t have too much to talk about now.”

“They still talk to Sora and Kairi?” Roxas asked.

“Yeah,” Riku shrugged. “Kairi didn’t spend as long away from the islands and Sora can’t help but be friends with everyone.”

Roxas turned his gaze back toward the park. It wasn’t his place to but into Riku’s friendships and speak on whether they were worth maintaining or not. Not only was it too personal a subject, it was tricky business spending time with people who didn’t know about the outside worlds. Being out there, hopping from world to world, wielding darkness and light, staring at the very heart of the universe… It was life changing and coming back to a simple world with a simple life felt strange.

For Roxas, a simple life was what he’d always wanted. It was the opposite for Riku, whose wanderlust set off a chain of events that altered the lives of many people, predestined or not.

Roxas stood suddenly and grabbed his skateboard by the tail. He kicked Riku’s shoe to get his attention although he already had it. “Well, c’mon. You can’t learn by just sitting there.”

Riku didn’t move. He squinted his eyes despite the shade blocking the sunlight. “Learn what?”

“To skate,” Roxas clarified, even if it didn’t need clarifying. They were at a skatepark.

Riku blinked. “You’re going to teach me?”

Roxas set down his board and held it steady with his left foot. “I can’t believe you don’t already know how. Sora can skateboard, too. Why hasn’t he taught you?”

“We’ve both been a little busy with school and everything,” Riku explained, standing. “We don’t spend every moment together, Roxas.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” Roxas moved the board in front of Riku and stepped back against the bench. “Get on.”

“Isn’t there more to it than that?” Riku asked, looking at the board with uncertainty. He didn’t look scared, per se. Just out of his element.

“Haven’t you climbed up buildings and glided on railings made of ice?” Roxas argued. “It’s a board with wheels. Just get on it.”

“But there’s a technique to it, isn’t there?” Riku asked. “Like pushing off and stuff. Don’t I need to know all that first?”

Roxas made a big show of running his hands down his face. Riku wasn’t wrong, but Roxas knew what he was doing. “If you don’t get on the damn board, I will fucking—!”

Riku snorted but got on like Roxas had asked him to. He stepped over the board so that he was facing Roxas and the bench. His right foot sat near the front of the board but his left stayed on the pavement. Riku even made a show of pushing off a bit.

“I should’ve known you’d be goofy,” Roxas said with a seemingly disappointed shake of his head. The stances were determined by way of the dominant foot, and considering Riku fought with his keyblade in his right, Roxas should’ve predicted it.

Riku stepped off the board and moved it back to its previous position. “What does Goofy have to do with this?”

Roxas flat out bursted into laughter at Riku’s question. He was near tears as he turned away, trying to walk off how silly the whole thing was. He wasn’t even laughing at Riku. Well, maybe he was. But Riku couldn’t be blamed too much. He knew nothing about skateboarding and it showed.

“It’s—” Roxas snickered, wiping his eyes with a finger as he circled back toward Riku, who looked more confused than anything. “It’s a stance for how you ride your board. You’re goofy footed.”

“And what are you?” Riku asked, arms crossed with an irked expression.

Roxas gestured to himself. “I’m regular.”

“Of course you are.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Roxas brushed him off. “It’s just how you ride. That’s all.”

“What difference does it make?” Riku set his right foot on the board again and then placed his left foot next to it. He instinctually moved onto the next step without Roxas having to say anything.

“Not much,” Roxas said, bending down to touch Riku’s ankles to spread his feet apart. He nearly stumbled off the board but Roxas held him steady. “A few tricks have different names. Hayner is goofy footed, too.”

“Huh.”

“Bend your knees,” Roxas told him, letting go and standing back up. Riku did so and maintained perfect balance. The board moved slightly and Riku with it, shifting his weight to adjust to the movement of the wheels. Roxas’ annoyance reached his face. He’d forgotten how naturally gifted Riku was in physical activities.

“What?” Riku asked, smirking cockily. “Upset we don’t need to hold hands?”

Roxas stepped on the tail of the skateboard and knocked Riku off, sending him stumbling and laughing away from the bench. Roxas looked up at the same time the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. The sunlight caught Riku’s hair in a particular way and brought out the color of his eyes. Roxas’ anger flew away with the breeze.

“Sorry,” Riku said, walking back over to the skateboard and setting his right foot on it. “I couldn’t help it.”

“Next step is pushing,” Roxas instructed, ignoring the fact that the last ten seconds had happened. He didn’t have time to think on all that.

Riku got back on the board and started pushing with his left foot. “Can I put my left foot on?”

“If you won’t fall over,” Roxas responded, crossing his arms and watching Riku continue down the small area they had to themselves. Needless to say, Riku didn’t fall over. He’d push off, get both feet on the board, ride a small distance, and then change direction by leaning. He’d already learned the next step.

Riku skated around Roxas in a broad circle, pushing with his left foot whenever he began to slow down. “This is relaxing.”

“I feel like,” Roxas placed his hands together and touched the tips of his fingers to his lips, “you’re gloating.”

Riku barked out a laugh. “That’s not what I—”

“And if you’re gloating, Riku, we will play a round of Skate and I will embarrass you in front of all these people,” Roxas continued. He locked eyes with Riku every time he circled round.

“I’m not gloating,” Riku assured him. He stopped the board to stand in front of Roxas. “What’s Skate?”

“It’s like Horse but with skateboard tricks.”

“Oh.” Riku shook his head and pushed off again. “Then I decline that challenge. You’d win.”

Roxas nodded, glad that his superior skill had been acknowledged. “True.”

“What’s next?”

Roxas looked down at Riku’s positioning on the board. “A Kickturn.”

“Okay.” Riku stopped once he was in front of Roxas again. He got off the board and motioned to Roxas. “Care to demonstrate?”

“Oh, you want me to show you?” Roxas asked incredulously. He lifted the board with the tip of his shoe and moved it closer to himself. “I thought you’d be able to just do it after I told you the trick name.”

“See, it sounds like…” Riku mimicked Roxas’ tone of voice and his hand position with a smile. “You’re annoyed that I’m getting the hang of this so quickly.”

Roxas set his left foot on his skateboard and watched Riku’s pathetic imitation with a straight face. “Listen, I’ve never fought someone in a skatepark, but that might change today.”

That only made Riku start laughing again, a bright burst of pure amusement that should’ve pissed Roxas off but it didn’t for some annoying reason.

“Calm down,” Riku stressed, voice trembling with laughter. “Just show me the trick.”

Kickturns varied in difficulty depending on the degree. Roxas knew to start simple and decided on a ninety degree Kickturn first. He placed his right foot on the tail of the board and adjusted his left foot accordingly. He bent his knees and at the right time, applied pressure to the tail of the board. Simultaneously, he twisted his body and the board followed, moving in the direction Roxas wanted it to go. He stepped off and moved the board back over to Riku with his foot.

“That looks easy,” Riku observed, getting on again.

“It is.” Roxas made a gesture with his hand for Riku to move his left foot closer to the tail of the board. “A three sixty is when things get complicated.”

Riku got used to the repositioning of his feet fairly quickly, just as he had everything else. He kept his left foot on the tail of the skateboard and began to put pressure on it. He turned a bit too quickly and didn’t shift his weight fast enough to match the momentum. He stumbled backward and Roxas realized quickly that he hadn’t taught Riku how to fall properly in order to curtail damage. He reached out and grabbed Riku’s left wrist to catch him.

“Ah!” Riku jerked back as if Roxas had burned him. The skateboard went rolling down a little way before stopping. Roxas paid it no mind, instead looking between Riku and his own hand. He knew he was strong, but he hadn’t grabbed Riku that harshly.

Roxas looked at him, perplexed. “What—”

“It’s nothing,” Riku replied hastily. He put his left hand in his pocket and tried to conceal the pain in his expression. He turned to grab the skateboard before someone ran off with it (Roxas wished someone would try) and brought it back over toward the bench. “So, uh, that didn’t go so well. Let me—”

Roxas stepped in front of Riku with a critical look in his eye. “Explain,” he demanded.

Riku looked about ready to fight him on it, but he caved and kicked the skateboard up by the tail like he’d seen Roxas do. “During our fight—” Roxas’ eyes widened and Riku lifted his right hand and waved it. “—the one in Memory’s Skyscraper, not—not yesterday. You hit me with Oblivion, remember?”

“I hit you with Oblivion many times,” Roxas claimed. Not a brag, just a statement of fact.

Riku gave him an unimpressed look nonetheless. He brought his left hand out of his pocket and motioned to his wrist. He wore a white wristguard that Roxas just noticed. Riku carefully removed it, showing the bruise underneath. It nearly covered Riku’s entire wrist, his skin moderately purple and red. “I tried to block but it wasn’t enough. The blow did some damage to my wrist and it hasn’t felt right since.”

Roxas kept his eyes on the paleness of Riku’s skin that highlighted the odd color of the bruise. Deep in his stomach, something twisted and pulsed like Monstro’s insides. He’d experienced the feeling before. It was one of the few emotions he could identify.

Roxas already knew healing magic didn’t work considering Riku had healed them both last night. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth but he forced it apart to ask in a small voice, “Mega-potion?”

Riku shook his head. “Doesn’t work,” he said, pulling his hand away and placing the wristguard back on. “It’s not broken, it’s just not set right.”

The highest tier of known healing magic and the strongest remedial potion couldn’t fix a simple wrist injury? Roxas found that hard to believe, but then he thought back on that moment during the fight. In his grief and frustration, he had used Oblivion to strike a severe blow against Riku. When wielding the weapon, darkness imbued each attack. That could be the reason for the lack of complete healing, but wouldn’t Riku be able to sense it? Strange... and stranger still that Roxas couldn’t sense anything, either.

The feeling entangled his insides. It wouldn’t stop, no matter how much Roxas argued with himself that, technically, this wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t like he’d told Riku to engage in a fight without using a keyblade. But keyblade or no, the injury should’ve been healed and it hadn’t been. Guilt weighed heavily on him.

It must’ve showed because Riku nudged him, handing him back his board with a sheepish smile. “Let’s get going,” he said, tilting his head back down the road. “I could go for some food since someone decided to eat the rest of my cinnamon roll.”

Roxas didn’t rise to the bait. He wordlessly took his board, fastened it onto his back, and reached down to grab the two large bags that held his gifts. The two left the skatepark silently, as if the past three hours or so hadn’t happened at all.

The smell of carnival food mixed terribly with the salt of the sea and the fresh air. Roxas breathed through his mouth and kept his eyes on the sun that rapidly approached the horizon. In his left hand, he loosely held onto the handles of his two gift bags. In his right, a half-eaten corn dog with ketchup and mustard down the length of it.

He stood on the sand. The waves were a few good feet away from him. He wasn’t interested in getting wet. On his right side sat Riku, corn dog already eaten as he relaxed in the sand. The prospect of his sneakers getting wet didn’t bother him, nor did sand winding up in places it shouldn’t. An islander through and through.

They’d gotten some food from the pier. Again, Riku had paid for it. The ferry went to and fro on a schedule, and they had arrived about thirty minutes too early. So, they had time to kill and corn dogs to eat. Roxas wanted to watch the sunset and they ended up on the beach, commandeering a relatively private spot.

The two were silent, as they had been since the skatepark. Riku didn’t know what to say to ease the tension and Roxas was lost in his own thoughts. The breeze kept them company as the sound of children playing in the surf echoed through the air. The sun gradually dipped out of sight, the clouds changed color to reflect the sky, and a question came to Roxas’ mind.

“Riku,” he asked, his eyes fixated on the encroaching nightfall. “How do you see yourself?”

He could see Riku turn his head to look at him out of the corner of his eye, but Roxas didn’t acknowledge him with a look of his own. He wanted to see the continuation of the cycle, to watch the night consume the day and make it its own. It happened both slowly and quickly, an infection of calm and rest.

Beside him, Riku shifted. He bent his left leg and rested his elbow upon his knee. “I see someone who has made plenty of mistakes, but is doing his best to right them.”

“Hm,” Roxas hummed, expecting that kind of answer. He wasn’t pleased, but he supposed it was presumptuous to expect Riku to open up to him like they were actual friends. Some secrets stayed in the dark and were brought to light only around certain people.

“I see a Keyblade Master,” Riku continued, listing his titles off on his fingers as if trying to impress Roxas. “A Guardian of Light, a teenager, and someone who knows, without a doubt, the path that his heart walks. Someone who made difficult choices and hurt many people in the process. Someone who wields both darkness and light and made the choice to walk the path to dawn.”

Again, all things Roxas already knew. He shifted his feet, getting sand off of his crisp white sneakers.

“Someone stubborn, foolish and reckless at times,” Riku laughed lightly, shaking his head. “Who would do anything to protect the people he cares about. Who values strength to protect what matters.” He paused for a time, the ocean waves shimmering as the stars were finally allowed to shine to their fullest without the sun stealing their spotlight. “Someone who has changed and continues to change and grow. Who has learned more about himself and others while going through hell and back.”

Roxas finally turned to look at him and was shocked to see Riku returning his gaze. He looked earnest and open. Roxas said nothing as he again stood confronted with Riku’s vulnerability. He kept still and waited, wanting to see what Riku did first.

“I see someone who’s following his heart,” Riku stated. The end was punctuated with a breeze with more chill to it considering the lowered temperature. Roxas had gotten more than he thought he would, but it didn’t have the effect Roxas wanted. Had his opinion on Riku changed? How did he see Riku compared to before?

Well, for one… Riku had been honest. Roxas held that virtue highly above the rest. He shifted about a centimeter closer to Riku and sat beside him in the sand. Periodically, he took bites of his corn dog and gazed at the moon shining overhead. He recalled his plea and the small bit of magic he’d been able to conjure the night before. Whatever it cured—if it managed to even do that—the revelation at the skatepark negated the effect.

Roxas ate the last bit of his corn dog and kept the stick in his mouth. “You know what I see?”

Riku’s head lolled toward him. “What?”

“A pickpocket,” Roxas answered. He couldn’t make it through the word without laughing, his shoulders shaking as Riku groaned beside him.

“Roxas, I had to take that munny,” Riku said somberly, lowering his leg and resting back on his hands.

“You did not,” Roxas snapped, rounding on Riku. “That was our trip to the beach, you ass!”

“There was no beach to go to!” Riku explained, giving Roxas a desperate look. “DiZ didn’t program one.”

Roxas contemplated that and all the pieces fell in place. Of course there was no beach. Of course there wasn’t. It took too much time to make an entire fully functioning beach out of data. But then another question came to mind. “Why did he put the idea in our heads, then?”

“I don’t know,” Riku sighed. “Maybe it carried over. Some of your memories influenced the simulation without anyone knowing.”

That made too much sense, so it was probably true. The last thing he remembered before Riku’s guardian squeezed the ever-loving fuck out of him was his promise with Axel and Xion to go to the beach. Roxas pulled up his legs and rested his arms on his knees, curling into himself as he recalled the revelation that the memories he’d made in Twilight Town had been a lie. That he’d been fundamentally changed and altered to accept his new life without question. He’d lived in ignorant bliss that week, the hurt in his heart hidden under veils of amnesia and magic.

Despite the half-assed apology DiZ had given him in The World That Never Was and the hand he played in giving Roxas and Naminé their own bodies, Roxas still hated him. He’d manipulated him, toyed with his emotions and treated Naminé and himself as objects rather than people. Roxas hadn’t been to Radiant Garden since then and it’d probably stay that way.

“I hate him,” Roxas whispered into the crook of his arm, blue eyes bright with anger. “Fuck DiZ.”

Riku let out a deep breath. “It’s Ansem now.”

“Fuck Ansem,” Roxas corrected, anger coming to a boil.

“I’m not terribly fond of him either,” Riku muttered, fingers deep in the sand. “But I’m working toward forgiving him… eventually.”

“Good for you,” Roxas grumbled. Riku just had to set an example. “Hope that works out.”

Riku went quiet for a time while Roxas seethed in the sand, imagining what would’ve happened had DiZ not been a total coward and relied on a hologram to communicate. “He did…apologize to you, y’know. Did you hear it?”

Roxas turned to Riku, his anger misdirected onto him. “It’s going to take a lot more than a shitty apology to make up for what he did.”

Riku backed off. “Fair enough.”

“Bringing me and Naminé back was the least he could do,” Roxas’ nails dug into his arms. “That asshole.”

“Do you need to spend a three day weekend with him next?” Riku asked fearlessly.

“You fucking—!” Roxas kicked Riku’s shin twice and then grabbed a handful of sand to throw at him. Riku proved impervious to Roxas’ many attacks, falling on his side with a resonantly warm laugh. He moved away from Roxas to escape his rapid kicks and barrages of sand.

“You walked right into that one,” Riku said, holding up his hands as a plea for mercy.

Roxas pointed a finger in Riku’s direction. “Sleep with one eye open tonight.”

“Alright.”

“I’m serious, Riku.”

“Okay.”

That made the third or fourth time today Roxas quickly switched from being kind of okay with Riku’s company to wanting to punch him. And Riku didn’t even care. He took Roxas’ anger, bore the brunt of it, and came out no worse for wear. Roxas took the corn dog stick out of his mouth and wondered, as the waves nearly touched his shoes, if he was getting soft.

It was almost time for the ferry to make its last trip back and forth from the mainland to the main island. The passage of time allowed night to settle fully upon them. Absent of purples, blues, and deep reds, the sky captured the essence of darkness in its purest form. Roxas took a deep breath and savored it, the beauty of night without large castles hanging overhead or never-ending rain.

That reminded him of why he brought up munny in the first place. “You paid for everything today.”

Riku, who’d been wiping sand off his shirt and pants for the past few minutes, turned to look at him. “Yeah.”

Roxas gave him a curious stare. “Why.”

“It’s common courtesy,” Riku said, squinting his eyes. “You’re my guest, remember?”

Roxas tapped his corn dog stick against his knee. “I thought you were paying me back.”

Riku gaped at him, eyes widening as he tried to grasp for words. “No, I was just—”

“Because,” Roxas interrupted, “you owe me five thousand munny.”

Riku winced, strategically avoiding Roxas’ gaze. “I don’t have that much…”

“Aren’t you a big bad Keyblade Master now?”

“That doesn’t matter. I haven’t had any assignments or been called to go—And I paid for everything today!”

“I didn’t ask you to do that,” Roxas told him impassively. A rude but honest truth.

“No, but—”

“It’s hard for me to consider a friendship when you haven’t even paid me back the munny you owe me,” Roxas lamented, laughing inwardly at his adept acting skills. “I mean, how can I be friends with someone who won’t even do that much?”

Riku’s expression changed from nervousness to irritation in two seconds flat. “Laying it on thick, aren’t you?”

“Yup.”

“Well—Oh, look at that.” Riku stood up as soon as a loud whistle blew from the pier. He wiped off his pants and jabbed his thumb toward the ferry. “We gotta catch our ride.”

Roxas narrowed his eyes. “Coward.”

“How am I a coward? We literally have to get going.”

“If you think I’m going to drop the munny thing, you’re dead wrong,” Roxas promised, standing as well. He got a good grip on his gift bags and walked alongside Riku as they headed back to the pier.

“Considering how you are with grudges?” Riku snorted out a laugh, looking at Roxas with a perceptive smile. “I know you aren’t.”

The ferry felt more mystical at night than during the day. For one, there were significantly less people on board. Most of them lounged on the deck, looking up at the stars or down at the ocean below. Riku and Roxas had a large space to themselves. The ride over was quiet and peaceful, the sound of the waves coming through clearly without children squealing or parents shouting. Roxas looked again to the water, the light from the moon and the stars above a bleary picture on the canvas of the ocean.

The mainland drifted further and further away, the lights of the mini ferris wheel outshining all the rest. Roxas tapped his fingers against the railing, the brisk wind of night giving him subtle goosebumps. A thought came to mind then, stemming from their earlier conversation on the first ride over.

Roxas rested his elbows on the railing and looked at Riku with an inquisitive stare. “If your family owns all these boats, why didn’t you just take one of theirs instead of building that raft?”

Riku was quiet for a long time. He stared out over the ocean, eyes overcast and face grim. “I wasn’t on good terms with my parents and I’m still not. I can talk to my dad sometimes when he’s in a good mood, but otherwise… It’s radio silence.”

The ferry bobbed along the waves. Roxas felt something, a misstep or wrong doing. A strike that hit too harshly. The boundaries between them weren’t clearly defined. Roxas’ question was innocent enough, but he should’ve anticipated the answer. He shoved the sympathy deep down and committed to spinning the conversation in another, less depressing direction.

“So you made me a false promise,” Roxas complained.

Riku blinked out of his rueful stupor. “What?”

“How am I going to sail a boat if you don’t get along with your parents?”

Another long silence though this one wasn’t as heavy. Riku looked a second away from laughing. “... I could just rent one, Roxas. I have munny now.”

Roxas scoffed. “Apparently not that much if you can’t afford to pay me back.”

Riku shook his head, looking at Roxas with exasperated amusement. “So, this is how it’s going to be, huh?”

“Honestly Riku, you should’ve had it ready for me the second you came to pick me up.”

“Are you dragging me right now?”

“That’s what I’ve been doing all weekend.”

Accepting defeat, Riku’s gaze turned skyward. “True enough.”

The millions of stars peppered throughout the dark shone mesmerizingly true. They stood in silence and observed them. Roxas felt, as he stared at the multitude of worlds out in the beyond, that his place as a protector of them was so small. There were so many lives out there, so many stories, hearts, and dreams that knew nothing outside of their own small world. A tragic necessity that crossed Roxas’ mind frequently.

“Stars look nice, huh?” Riku asked. He appeared wistful as he studied the distant worlds.

Roxas snapped out of his solemn thoughts and refocused. He gazed at a particular grouping of stars and noted that some stars glowed with a slightly different hue than others. “Yeah.”

Riku nudged Roxas with his elbow and then pointed upward. “See that formation there? It’s Ursa Major.”

Roxas squinted his eyes and tried to make out a bear but couldn’t see it. He wondered how anyone could with the utter amount of stars. “Really?”

“I don’t know,” Riku laughed, lowering his hand. “Probably not.”

Roxas sighed heavily. “You could’ve just lied. It’s not like I know anything about star formations.”

“Yeah, but…” Riku shrugged, wearing a decent but diffident smile. “I don’t want to lie to you, even over something so small.”

Not knowing what the fuck to say to that, Roxas clamped his mouth shut and pretended to take interest in the ‘possibly there but probably not’ constellations. He felt some airy emotion in the pit of his stomach. His feelings had been all over the place the entire day. He was clearly unstable and needed a sea-salt ice cream stat.

Riku leaned forward to point again, though this time in a different direction. “Okay, I know for a fact that huge star there? It’s Sirius. Brightest star in the sky.”

Roxas kept his eyes on Sirius as the ferry continued in the opposite direction. It burned spectacularly, a beautiful beacon in the night. It resided in darkness, yet still managed to shine so brightly. As they grew closer to the main island, Sirius remained a constant, its glow illuminating the darkness in Roxas’ heart.

The lull of sleep had trouble finding Roxas that night. To pass the time, he ate ice cream and stared out the window at the breathtaking scenery. As the whole of Destiny Islands went to sleep, Roxas counted the stars with nothing but sea-salt ice cream and the sound of the ocean to keep him company.

The hour was late but it didn’t matter to Roxas. He enjoyed the span of time when all was quiet and still. It felt different on every world. In Twilight Town, it felt as if time had stopped and he was the only one aware of it. On Destiny Islands, it wasn’t as much a suspension of time as it was a listlessness that settled over the world in a tender way.

The ocean lured him in with its beauty and serenity. He nearly forgot that as it stretched toward the horizon, it led to a place that you couldn’t return from. Supposedly. The Realm of Darkness lost its eeriness with the amount of times people had been saved or miraculously healed thanks to Sora.

Roxas felt an itch just as he was about to finish his bar of ice cream. A sudden absence of something he’d grown accustomed to. He racked his brain for what it could be until it hit him. He couldn’t sense Riku. He wasn’t in the house.

It wasn’t his business what Riku did at—Roxas checked his phone—two thirty-six in the morning. Roxas did strange things at two in the morning at home. He jumped up on the roof of the mansion and contemplated the existence of magic and where it originated from, tried to figure out why switching the hands he wielded his keyblades in upset him so greatly, and tried to mix hi-potions with mega-potions to create ultimate potions. He had no right to judge.

But… he did have a right to play pranks now that he had the house to himself. Roxas finished his ice cream and frowned when he saw that he lost again. Whatever. Successfully pranking Riku would be the victory he needed. Afterward, he’d try and get some rest.

In his dream, Roxas saw spirits, heartless and nobodies. The shadows clung to his heart and dragged him deep into darkness. The spirits trotted around him, joyous and oblivious to the death awaiting in the abyss. The nobodies, squirming and directionless, simply watched him fall. Roxas took their betrayal the hardest. Really, after everything they’d been through in that stupid castle, they’d just let him fall to darkness?

Could he fall to darkness when that’s where he truly belonged?

You have a heart now, he thought to himself. This is bad. But the darkness didn’t scare him. Losing those he cared about, not being able to see them and be with them, that’s what kept him up at night. Roxas ran his fingers through the darkness, trying to summon a corridor to escape. It ended up not mattering. Another meter or so and the darkness gave way to bright and alleviating light. Roxas closed his eyes and let it consume him.

Upon opening them he saw billowy clouds and arches of rainbows. Plentiful and beautiful, they made for a wonderful playground of magical terrain. As he stepped on a cloud and didn’t fall through, he felt the sensation of déjà vu. He’d been here not that long ago. Without thinking, the keyblade came to his right hand. Not Oblivion, but Way to Dawn.

Okay, Roxas thought, twirling the blade to get a feel for it. Something’s clearly wrong with me. The blade wasn’t as heavy as Oblivion. It’s magical capabilities could use enhancing, but then again, Roxas couldn’t use magic, so perhaps his dream was telling him something. He reached out his left hand for Oathkeeper and it didn’t come. Roxas felt a piece of his soul shatter then and there.

As he wandered around the heavenscape, he felt ill equipped to handle whatever came his way. One keyblade. One. This had to be one of the worst dreams Roxas had ever had. He once again had to adopt Sora’s stance and fighting style if trouble showed up. And, being a dream of Roxas’ own creation, trouble did show up in the form of the creatures that’d watched him fall before. Samurai nobodies joined their ranks, hands poised on their blades and movements meticulously slow. Roxas felt a pang of guilt for what he had to do.

They ran toward him as a mob and Roxas took out a good chunk of them with pillars of light. He used his connection with light to make up the difference of his decreased strength. With each strike of Way to Dawn, a musical sound rang out. A clash of symbols, a toot of a flute, a chord from a piano. The percussion, woodwinds, strings and brass sang together as Roxas cut through the crowd like a knife through butter. His trepidation at only being able to fight at half his strength slowly dwindled and Roxas smiled as the music came together to form a graceful melody.

He created a path through them, his enemies dissolving into listless shadows, bleary rainbows and hot sparks of light. He climbed up a staircase made of clouds and looked out over the entire area. So familiar, but not specifically to him. It could only belong to one other person.

A swirl of clouds began to coalesce in front of him. Roxas took a step back, keyblade ready in his right hand. He narrowed his eyes as the clouds took on a humanoid shape, and with a breeze that carried the spirit of life, Sora appeared. He looked the same as when Roxas had seen him last, cheery smile and all. Way to Dawn disappeared and Roxas stepped forward, touching a finger to Sora’s cheek.

Silently, Sora held out his hand for Roxas to take. Without hesitation, Roxas took it, and off they went on a road of rainbows. The music continued without Roxas having to fight to hear it. A lovely piano accompanied their walk which quickly turned into a dance. Sora took both of Roxas’ hands and led him in a waltz.

Roxas’ footwork was clumsy and wrong. He gave Sora a sheepish look, but Sora only smiled, fond and beautiful as they danced among the clouds. They waltzed sloppily, exchanging quick glances and smiles. Roxas’ heart beat rapidly in his chest as he agonized over the sweat on his hands and moving his feet to the beat.

Sora seemed unbothered. He just laughed with a bounce in his step and stars in his eyes. Roxas joined him in that bliss, in the enjoyment of being with someone so important to him. There were few times that his dreams were so joyous, however. Each one had a terrible end, it just took him a few moments to figure out where the volta came into play.

It was in the way Sora smiled. The way his eyes light up like sunlight. The fact that Way to Dawn replaced both Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Their waltz came to an abrupt stop as Roxas faltered. His heart started to ache. Sora tilted his head questioningly and the name on his lips solidified Roxas’ hurt and left him miserable.

Riku?

He dropped Sora’s hands as if they were scalding hot. He blinked quickly, pushing everything back, shoving it down, trying to ignore it, but the tears always found a way past Roxas’ defenses. He berated himself for not figuring it out sooner. Having known tragedy so intricately, Roxas’ mind and heart cruelly collaborated to put him through hell time and time again. His mind warped his fantasies and daydreams and his heart added that gut-wrenching punch to lacerate his feelings.

Through force of will alone, Roxas ended the dream. He would rather dream in darkness than subject himself to unnecessary hurt. The scenery faded away, Sora returned to the clouds, but strangely, the music persisted. The piano continued its cheerful refrain and it only grew louder as Roxas felt himself drift slowly to consciousness. When he opened his eyes, he went through the routine of recalling where he was and what happened the night before. And then the dream fell on him like a splash of cold water.

“Enough,” Roxas whispered, willing his heart to forgo it’s futile fancies. He needed to accept the inevitable even if that went against his entire outlook. This one time, there was no use in fighting back. Give up. Get over it. Move on.

The piano’s song continued. Roxas turned his head to look at his closed door and then to the clock across the room. It was past noon, at least. He stretched, sat up, grabbed the largest pillow on the bed, and then opened the door to follow the music to its source. The music echoed throughout the halls of the house. A waltz, just like in Roxas’ dream.

Weary eyed and dispirited due to his late night prank, Roxas walked down the stairs, unintentionally keeping time to the music. He bumped into walls, tripped over an upturned corner of a rug, and almost set his pillow down on the floor to return to sleep, but he persisted. It wouldn’t do him any good to return to his dream, anyway. Better to get up and start the day.

Down the familiar hallway, he turned into the open door on the left. The lights were fully on this time, revealing the pristine white wallpaper and the large bookcase behind the piano. Riku sat poised in position, back straight, shoulders relaxed and his fingers curved over the keys. He leaned side to side at certain intervals, fingers reaching for faraway notes. The music shelf was absent of sheet music, which meant Riku relied on memory to play the piece correctly. It made no difference to Roxas, who’d never heard the song and didn’t know how it should sound.

The piece required some fancy fingerwork, high pitched notes playing in quick succession followed by loud thunks of the lower notes. It came to a resounding end and Riku delicately lifted his fingers off the keys. Roxas stepped further into the room, pillow held behind his back. As he drew closer, he saw the bags under Riku’s eyes and the tattered state of his clothing. He wore his battle attire, which explained where he’d been last night. His hair was disheveled, his boots were caked in mud, which had gotten onto the pedals of the piano. Riku didn’t seem to care. He continued to stare down at the keys, eyes narrowed and expression thoughtful.

“That was good,” Roxas commended, looking to Riku without a shred of sympathy on his face. Riku gave him a tired smile, which quickly disappeared once Roxas whacked him upside the head with his large pillow.

Riku nearly fell against the keys, but kept himself upright by leaning his elbow on the sidearm of the piano. He huffed out a laugh. He sounded more winded than a simple smack of a pillow should make him. “Of course. Compliment me in one breath, hit me in the next.”

“I had to,” Roxas explained. “Your playing woke me up.”

Riku rubbed at his head. His eyes were just barely open. “I thought being woken by piano would be better than me going into your room.”

Roxas dropped the pillow onto the ground to cross his arms. “Do not wake me. Let me arise naturally.”

Riku narrowed his eyes. “Then we’d hardly see each other.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“You don’t mean that,” Riku told him, standing up and stretching his arms over his head.

“I do,” Roxas argued.

“You don’t.”

“I do.”

“Then I guess I’ll take back the present I got you,” Riku shrugged, leaning against the piano.

Roxas narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What present?”

Riku nodded toward the door. “The one in the kitchen.”

“Huh.” Roxas looked down at the floor. There was only one thing he wanted from Riku so Roxas already knew what it was. But the word choice of ‘present’ suggested something tangible aside from currency. If Riku had gotten him some kind of gag gift, being hit with a pillow would be the least of his concerns.

“Anyway, I’m going to sleep for five hours,” Riku said. He sidestepped Roxas and headed for the door. Before he left, he turned back toward him with a smirk. “You better be wearing a certain… crappy shirt the next time I see you.”

Roxas chased Riku out of the room and threw the pillow at his back.

In the kitchen, a recognizable pouch sat atop the island. Roxas stood motionless when he saw it. Sora had kept it for him. The sight of the orange munny pouch with the two drawstrings made his knees shake and his heartbeat quicken. There it was. The hard earned munny they’d gathered to go to the beach.

Roxas took slow steps toward it. With a gentle hand, he touched it, thinking back on the six days that would never truly leave him. He pulled on the opening of the pouch and stared wide-eyed at the amount of munny inside. Every keyblade wielder could count munny easily, from inside pouches, purses, pockets and bundles. It came with the territory of bargaining with moogles and always needing exact change. Inside the pouch was much more than five thousand munny. Ten thousand? No, fif—twenty?!

Twenty thousand munny. Riku had repaid him with interest. The large orbs jingled around in the pouch, staring up at him, waiting to be spent on whatever Roxas wanted. An irksome feeling left him then, a spiral of darkness dispersing into nothing.

Roxas hefted the pouch up and noticed a note that been sitting underneath it. He picked it up to read.

Sorry about taking your cash. Don’t spend this all at once. It took me literally eight hours to get.

p.s. if you EVER need any synthesis materials, let me know. I have a surplus now.

p.s.s. look inside the pouch for something else.

Hard to look in the pouch when there was so much munny inside. Roxas pulled out a few large orbs of munny and felt around. There was something perfectly spherical and he pulled it out, causing a few munny orbs to fall onto the floor. Between his fingers, he held the selfsame blue crystal that he’d won in the Struggle Tournament. Roxas stared down at it in wonder. He wanted to see if it sparkled the same, if it caught the sun’s rays in that particularly wonderful way that made it a true treasure.

Roxas opened the screen door and stepped out into the backward in his pajamas. The sun was high and the weather sweltering hot. He held the crystal aloft toward the sun. It wouldn’t be exactly the same, not in a different galaxy on a different world with a different sun, but Roxas maneuvered so that the sun gleamed against the crystal anyway. And in that moment, as the sun’s rays caressed his face, he could almost imagine it. The sound of the tram chugging along in the Tram Common, the echoing gong of the clock tower, that savory first lick of a fresh bar of sea-salt ice cream.

The crystal caught the sunlight just right. He could picture it so perfectly in his mind; three more crystals being held up alongside his to take in the sun’s rays. Roxas clutched the crystal tightly, holding it to his chest. He’d never let it out of his sight again.

: hey i love you guys

: Aw, Roxas! We love you, too!

:love you 5ever, bro.

: i dunno im undecided

: Hayner! Don’t be rude.

: it’s fine, big O. hayner can’t sort out his feelings

: Right. How could I forget he has trouble dealing with his emotions?

: drag him

: so im currently looking for a new friend group im gonna put up signs in the plaza

: you utter fool. no one else will have you

: ouch!

: Yikes! Stop, Roxas. He’s already dead!

: no, keep going. this is funny.

: IM NO LONGER BUYING ICE CREAM FOR YOU ASSHOLES

: implying that you ever bought ice cream for us

: I HAVE???? PLENTY OF TIMES????

: last time you bought us ice cream was like three months ago dude. lea’s been doing it lately.

: shoutout to lea for supplying us with that sea-salt goodness

: Respect.

: best adult in town.

: I wouldn’t go that far, Pence.

: olette’s right. lea’s a mess and we need to remind him of that at every opportunity

: noted.

: Hayner’s been quiet for too long. Should we tell him we were just kidding around?

: i’m not apologizing till he tells me he loves me

: IM NOT TELLING YOU I LOVE YOU UNTIL YOU APOLOGIZE!!!

: stalemate it is then

: This is going to go on forever with how stubborn the two of you are.

: let’s place bets.

: no need. i know how to get hayner to cave

: you can try bitch

: hayner… i’m not gonna give you my five winner sticks

: YOU FUCKING PROMISED YOU WOULD!!!!

: Ha! Further proof you’re cheating, Hayner.

: the only one not cheating is you, olette.

: That’s pretty sad.

: FINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! roxas…………………

: make it good

: ………….. ur my best friend for life

: wow. the ultimate sign of friendship.

: Is it though? He didn’t even say he loves Roxas.

: that’s as close as hayner can get without spontaneously combusting with embarrassment.

: hayner… i’m touched by your admission and i sincerely apologize to you

: apology accepted, lieutenant

: good job, guys. we all grew as people here today.

: We’ll have to get celebratory friendship growth ice cream when Roxas gets back!

: fuck yeah!!

: my treat

: HELL TO THE FUCK YEAH!!!!

Roxas set his phone down on the plush black cushion next to him. The afternoon was scorching hot as all afternoons on Destiny Islands were prone to be, and Roxas hid under the shade of the pavilion to keep cool. There was a white wicker porch swing among the outdoor furniture, and Roxas lounged upon it. He reclined, rocking the swing with a subtle push of his foot and ate his ice cream.

Freshly showered and wearing his trashy shirt, Roxas was free to enjoy his breakfast in peace. The coolness in his mouth helped regulate his body temperature. Once he’d finished his current bar, he’d need to go inside to get another one or else he’d evaporate. The heat sucked the life out of him. How could Sora, Riku, and Kairi stand it?

The screen door opened and out came Mr. Piano Man himself. Dressed in a white t-shirt with a lemon pattern, yellow pajama pants, and white flip-flops, Riku staggered out into the backyard. Looking like death, he nearly fell into the pool on his way to the pavilion. He dropped onto the porch swing and disturbed Roxas’ peace, his rhythm, his relaxation, and his happiness.

Robbed of all these things, Roxas gave him the dirtiest side-eye known to man. Riku’s sluggish state clouded his discernment and he only smiled in reply.

“Hey.”

“I thought you were sleeping?” Roxas grumbled in contempt.

“I couldn’t,” Riku answered, leaning back against the pillows on the porch swing. A single cushion separated them.

Roxas rolled his eyes. “Wow, if only you knew powerful magic. You could put yourself to sleep.”

“Magic can be unpredictable,” Riku said, all wise and goody-goody like. “I could cast sleep and spend the whole day in bed, and I don’t want that.”

“What?” Roxas chewed on a bit of ice cream. “Why?”

Riku gave him that look again, like Roxas was missing something that should be obvious. Roxas hated that look. It implied secrets and hidden truths, but Riku’s expression didn’t appear guilty or trepidatious. He just tilted his head and slouched further in the swing, his long legs spread out in front of him.

“I want to spend the day with you,” Riku told him simply.

A barely audible gasp that Roxas would deny until the end of time escaped his mouth. He could feel his eyes widen, his eyebrows raise, but Riku didn’t react. He just kept looking at Roxas like the entire thing was indisputable. Like Roxas was the strange one for not wanting to spend every moment of the weekend together.

“Right,” Roxas said slowly. “Only got one day left to fulfill your obligation to Sora.” He meant it as a joke, but there was some truth in it. He couldn’t help but wonder if the sincerity had an end. Was there a drawback or hitch that would occur? Riku had said he wouldn’t pretend, and Roxas… hadn’t pretended either. But doubt would always be there, whether he wanted it to be or not.

“That’s not what I meant.” Riku sat up a bit, showing his seriousness. But it was hard to take him seriously in his lemon shirt and flip-flops.

“Uh huh.”

Riku sighed heavily, deflating as his hands resting aimlessly in his lap. “I don’t know what I need to do to make you believe me, Roxas. It’s not because of Sora.”

“Then what is it?” Roxas asked softly, staring straight ahead.

Roxas’ question hung in the air as it went quiet. Riku spent the minute of silence staring down at his hands while Roxas counted the leaves on the palm trees in the area. Just to have something to do, he began to gently rock the porch swing again. It helped to ease the tension.

“I…” Riku began and then hesitated. “I respect you and your abilities. There’s a lot I can learn from you. We’ve had similar experiences regarding… everything, and we have a lot in common, even if you don’t want to admit it.”

The words had more meaning now that an apology had been given. Roxas let the remains of his popsicle melt in his mouth. He didn’t want to give too much thought on what they had in common. The answer would revolt him. Though he did wonder what Riku wanted to learn from him. How to fight properly? Because that would take years for Riku to master.

Riku stopped the swaying of the porch swing and Roxas whipped around to glare at him. The expression on Riku’s face was so heavy that Roxas couldn’t look away. There was an ache in Riku’s eyes. Roxas could see it, could sense it in the residing darkness of Riku’s heart.

“I want to be friends, Roxas,” Riku insisted, speaking candidly. “Do you?”

It was Roxas’ turn to get the silence going and he did a spectacular job of it. He held Riku’s gaze for a solid few seconds and then turned away quickly. He nearly choked on the sea-salt juice in his mouth. The whole stopping the porch swing thing had been a trick to get Roxas to look at him, that clever asshole.

What would a friendship with Riku look like? Impromptu competitions, sassy remarks, and shooting the shit together? Coupled with occasional introspective questions and wacky skateboard shenanigans? Roxas bit his cheek, trying to understand the sensations in his heart. Riku listened to every grievance Roxas had with him and tried to make it better. He’d been vulnerable and honest. Roxas… appreciated that. The effort and the empathy that took. Not everyone could open themselves up like that and admit that they’d done wrong.

“I don’t…” Roxas cleared his throat, taking the bare popsicle stick out of his mouth. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

Riku’s smile nearly touched his ears. “Is that a yes?”

“It’s a shut up.”

“So it is.”

“Riku, have you ever gone swimming with your clothes on before?” Roxas asked casually, aiming his popsicle stick in Riku’s direction. “Because you’re about to find out what it’s like.”

“You’re threatening me, so that means I’m right,” Riku said. He sat back, comfortable and relaxed. The porch swing started to rock again and it was Riku’s doing this time.

Roxas leaned over the single cushion separating them and pointed his stick right between Riku’s eyes. “I’m about to throw you into this pool, drag you out, and then throw you in again.”

No good. Riku snorted loudly and started to chuckle, his eyes pinched closed in hilarity. This was how it started, Roxas realized. The immunity that certain people had. They were growing in number and he didn’t know how to feel about it. Two days ago, he would’ve dunked Riku into the pool and felt nothing about it. He moved back over to his side of the porch swing and sulked.

Roxas felt a tug on the hem of his shirt. He looked down to see Riku pulling on it, smile still in place.

“It looks good on you,” Riku said, and he expertly dodged Roxas’ quick swipe with one of the pillows. He fell out into laughter again, leaning on the arm of the porch swing.

“You’re trying my patience,” Roxas sneered. He held the pillow tightly in his hands and spoke around the popsicle stick in his mouth.

Riku ignored him. “Your shirt doesn’t match your pants.” He pointed at Roxas’ grey plaid pajama pants with distaste. “There’s no green in the plaid to compliment it.”

“This is my chillwear. I’m chilling.” Roxas wacked Riku’s hand away with the pillow and used it as a mediator to keep the two of them separate. “And you’re one to talk with your fucking flip-flops on.”

“Everyone on Destiny Islands owns at least six pairs of flip-flops,” Riku informed him matter-of-factly. His head even canted to the side in disbelief that Roxas was unaware of that very important detail.

“Glad I don’t live here,” Roxas muttered.

“Like Twilight Town and their obsession with plaid is any better.”

“Riku.” Roxas tried to kick at Riku’s shin from where he sat, but Riku kept shifting his legs out of the way. “Keep Twilight Town’s name out of your mouth!”

Riku lifted his legs and adjusted his position to tuck them under himself, causing the porch swing to move back and forth annoyingly. “You seriously can’t take a joke, Roxas. We need to work on that.”

“The only thing we need to work on is lunch.”

“Funny,” Riku started, moving his body to face Roxas. Something was coming and Roxas had a good idea of what it was. “I tried to eat something before coming out here, and I discovered that the leftover pizza had been covered with pineapple slices.”

Roxas covered his mouth with his hand. He avoided Riku’s gaze by looking toward the house. “Oh? How unfortunate.”

Riku, to his credit, put up with a full minute of Roxas’ snickering like a grade schooler before speaking again. “...Yeah. I guess a pineapple goblin snuck in—”

“A pineapple goblin?” Roxas blurted out. “Seriously, Riku?” He wasn’t sure if that’s what Riku actually thought or if that was another shitty joke.

“I’m thriving on five hours of sleep.” Riku seemed about ready to become one with the porch swing.

Roxas narrowed his eyes. “Surviving, you mean.”

“No, thriving.”

“... Sure, if that’s what you want to call it.”

“Anyway, there’s a nice diner we could go to,” Riku suggested. “They serve breakfast all day. And lunch. And dinner, too.”

“Fine.”

“Cool.”

Neither of them got up. Roxas was too comfortable and Riku’s lack of sleep had probably impared his motor functions. And so they swayed back and forth together, enjoying the shade of the pavilion and the pleasant view of the beach in the far distance.

To his right, Roxas heard a faint noise. A deep sound that left him perplexed until he noticed Riku had nodded off right there. With his hands folded in his lap and his head cocked to the left in a way that would be painful later, he was snoring lightly. His hair would move with the swaying of the porch swing and the humid breeze that tormented them every so often. Riku was much more tolerable while asleep.

It had to be because of Sora, the growing fondness and fluttering feelings made no sense otherwise. They didn’t belong to Roxas. They couldn’t. His connection with Sora was so unique that it stood to reason that feelings could carry over. The hate had dwindled and Roxas, not being entirely certain what came after that, accidentally interpreted Sora’s feelings as his own.

Roxas took on the mantle of rocking them. He stared at Riku for a moment longer before picking up his phone. He scrolled through his contacts and tapped on Sora’s name, typing out a quick message to get his attention.

: sora

It took a minute to get a response, which Roxas had expected.

: ROXAS!!!! are you ok is riku ok is everything ok?????

: everythings fine

: !!! roxas :D

: i just have a quick question

: sure!

Roxas checked to make sure Riku was still asleep before typing his message out carefully.

: do you think riku is attractive?

Silence. Five minutes of horrible, miserable, regret filled silence. Roxas passed the time by considering what worlds he could run away to. He’d always liked Neverland, and Halloween Town was aesthetically right up his alley. The Caribbean was a nice choice, too. Live the rest of his life out as a pirate captain, then no one could make fun of him for asking one of his best friends if their best friend was attractive.

Roxas’ phone vibrated in his hand and fear nearly compelled him to toss it into the pool. But kind and sweet Sora wouldn’t make such a big fuss out of it, right? He’d be understanding and nice, certainly wouldn’t want to stop being friends. Nope. Roxas took a deep breath and opened the message.

: …………… I think……… it’s common knowledge that riku’s attractive??????

… Okay. Fair point.

The diner sat just outside the town square, between neighborhoods with nicely spaced dirt pathways and street lamps that lit the way. Behind the diner, Roxas could see a clock tower in the center of the square, though it was much smaller than Twilight Town’s. Even farther behind that was the mountain range and volcano that loomed ominously over the entire island.

“Don’t worry,” Riku assured him, laughter in his words. “It’s dormant.”

Roxas couldn’t take his eyes off of it as they entered the diner. It was so large and intimidating. He recalled Sora and Riku daring each other to get closer to it as children, each one taking a step further and getting all cocky and confident like kids do. Before they got too close, an adult came by and chased them off, sending them squealing and laughing back the way they came. He wondered if that’s where his apprehension stemmed from.

A bell over the door of the diner denoted their entrance with a sweet chime. Everyone’s heads turned to look at them. Riku smiled at everyone and led the way inside to a booth with dark blue cushions and wooden tables. Literally everyone gave Roxas strange looks because of his shirt. Out of all the competitions to lose, Roxas chose the wrong one.

Roxas sat in the seat closest to the door and Riku took the other seat. The interior of the diner felt… comfortable, he supposed. The walls had pictures of the island either taken with a camera or painted. Cute knick knacks dotted the shelves, old books, the tip of a fisherman’s spear, a paopu fruit mosaic painting, and crafted decorative rainbow fish. Cozy and somewhat cramped, but most diners were. Roxas fiddled with his silverware as they waited to be served.

Their waiter came by with menus and straws and a cheerfully forced smile that all customer service workers had to suffer through. His eyes lingered on Riku a bit longer than necessary, and at first Roxas thought it was because the two knew each other. But Riku looked at him with an air of unfamiliarity and the waiter snapped out of it.

“Ah, what can I get you two to drink?” He asked kindly.

“Orange juice, please,” Riku answered.

“Coffee, black,” Roxas replied. The waiter looked at him, and then to his shirt. The repulsed expression was almost funny.

“A-are you sure?” The waiter got points for not saying anything, though the doubt of Roxas’ drink choice was unappreciated. He regularly made coffee. Well, he or Lea did. He needed it in order to function normally at school.

“Positive,” Roxas nodded. “Thanks.”

The waiter hesitated, but left to get their drinks. Roxas picked up his menu and leafed through it. His appetite had likely been disturbed by his sea-salt breakfast. He didn’t have a particular taste for anything. He just wanted sustenance.

Riku moved his menu toward the edge of the table. “You drink coffee?” He asked, disbelieving. Then shook his head. “Wait, you take your coffee black?”

“Yeah, it’s good for you.” Roxas had no idea if that was true or not, but he did overhear some adults at the bistro talking up coffee as the one true beverage to drink. Plus, it did help wake him up and get his brain working in a capacity he could deal with. “You don’t?”

“I’ve tried it, but it didn’t grow on me,” Riku told him. He leaned over the table to look at Roxas’ menu despite the fact that he had one of his own. “Do you know what you’re getting?”

“No.” The dinner options were versatile but nothing sounded appealing to him. He switched back to breakfast. “I don’t really feel like anything in particular.”

Riku looked down at the page Roxas was reading. He pointed at a picture. “They have good french toast.”

“What are you getting?” Roxas asked him, looking at the picture of french toast and having a discussion with his stomach to see if that idea was viable or not.

“Pancakes,” Riku responded, pointing at the picture of a three-stack of pancakes with syrup, butter and strawberries placed delicately on the top.

Roxas looked up at him. “We had pancakes yesterday.”

“I like pancakes,” Riku defended.

“Are you pancake obsessed?”

“No?” Riku narrowed his eyes and subtly shook his head. “They just know how to make a mean pancake.”

Roxas gave Riku a look. He returned to staring down the picture of french toast and only looked up when a mug of steaming hot coffee was placed in front of him. “Thank yo—” And a saucer with creamer tubs and sugar packets was placed next to the mug. The face Roxas made at knowing he hadn’t been taken seriously matched the waiters look of repulsion at his shirt.

After placing Riku’s drink on the table, the waiter took out his pad of paper and pen. “Have you two decided yet?”

“I’ll have pancakes with two sides of bacon, please,” Riku ordered, handing the menu over with a charming smile.

“French toast,” Roxas said, staring at the cream and sugar with disdain.

“Would you like sides with that?” The waiter asked.

“No,” Roxas answered. All manner of courtesy had vanished from his mind when he’d been brought unnecessary cream and sugar. Petty and rude? Yes, but those were two traits that were heavily associated with him.

“O-okay.” He turned his bright smile to Riku, the only one who’d reciprocate it. “I’ll put that right in.”

Off he went and Roxas moved the saucer over to Riku’s side of the table. “What the fuck,” he muttered.

“I would’ve done the same thing,” Riku admitted. “I can’t believe you drink it black. What about your sugar addiction?”

Oops, he completely forgot about that. Roxas picked up his warm cup of coffee and brought it to his lips, blowing away the steam with measured breaths. Biding his time, essentially. “It’s still there, it just doesn’t apply to coffee.”

Doubt washed over Riku’s face and Roxas muffled his laughter with a delicate sip of brew. “Coffee’s the exception?”

“Mhmm.”

“I see.”

Roxas took great pains to make sure coffee didn’t come out of his nose. His salvation came in the way of someone entering the diner at that exact moment. The little bell rang above the door to signal their arrival and again, the entire diner turned to see who it was. Except for Roxas, who couldn’t give less of a fuck. Riku, however, took an interest in the newcomer. He glanced at Roxas before lifting a hand and waving the person over.

Great, Riku knew them. Roxas would have to regurgitate the story he’d told Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie at the skate park. He wearily stared down at the brown liquid in his mug.

“Hey, Riku!” They called, and the voice was instantly recognizable. It would be difficult for him not to remember it when he’d first heard it while falling off a clock tower.

“Hey, Kairi,” Riku greeted, scooting over in his seat to make room for her. Kairi came into view wearing a breezy white shirt and jean shorts. She was decked out in accessories, which Roxas respected. Plenty of bracelets, wristbands, a choker alongside her necklace, and crescent moon shaped earrings. Her hair had grown out in recent months and she tied it back in a loose bun.

Kairi was showing them up. Roxas was held back by his shirt. Even his black skinny jeans and checkerboard vans couldn’t save him. Riku had accepted the fact that he was a mess today and just threw on a white tanktop, khaki capri’s and his dumb yellow flip-flops. It wasn’t really a surprise, though. Kairi had always been the most fashion forward of the trio. Sora’s ridiculous jumpsuit and Riku’s clown pants were memories Roxas would gladly forget if he could.

“Hi, Roxas!” She gave him a little wave. “It’s good to see you.” A moment passed where she noticed his shirt, read it, and grimaced in disgust. “Uh, nice shirt…”

Riku shot him a knowing look.

If Roxas could do magic, his glare alone would’ve set Riku on fire. Unfortunately, nothing came of it, and he turned his attention to Kairi. “Thanks,” he replied, smiling tentatively at her. Kairi’s presence took a moment for him to get used to. Everyone had darkness and light in their heart, but sensing a heart that only held light was… unnerving. Roxas had to metaphorically put on sunglasses just to look at her. He tried to hide the discomfort from his face. “What’s up?”

“I should be asking you two that question!” She reached over and poked Riku’s cheek, laughing when he started to move away and playfully swatted at her hand. “I heard you guys are spending the weekend together. How’s that going?”

“It’s going,” Roxas replied simply. He took another sip of his coffee.

Kairi waited a moment for him to elaborate. When nothing came of her patience, she deflated, looking down at her hands. “Oh, I see.”

“I apologize on his behalf,” Riku told her, waving Roxas off. “He can be a grouch.”

“Watch it, Riku. I’ve got hot liquid in my hands and I’m not afraid to use it,” Roxas threatened, the sharpness in his eyes a direct result of his heightened cognizance.

Kairi glanced between them. She placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. Her grin suddenly developed a sort of cheekiness to it and Roxas gripped his mug tighter. “Y’know, when I walked in here, it kind of looked like the two of you were on a date.”

Riku reacted first, turning completely in his seat to face Kairi with a desperate and panic-stricken face. “Kairi.”

Roxas reacted differently. He said nothing, because there were no words in any language that could adequately convey the chaotic rage Roxas felt at the mere assumption. He let his eyes do the telling of the pure emotional fury that boiled in his heart at the ridiculous insinuation of him and Riku da—He couldn’t even finish the thought in his own damn mind! The impudent way in which Kairi had spoken, her disregard for Roxas’— Oh, was that darkness coalescing on the table?

Kairi jumped, pressing her back against the cushion of the booth. She gaped at the darkness that swirled like a serpent around unused saucers and silverware. “W-wow, Roxas. I've never felt darkness in my heart before, but… I think I have an idea of what it’d feel like now.”

“Good,” Roxas growled, his eyes containing a ferocious storm. “That was my intent.”

Riku reached forward with a steady hand. He whisked away the darkness and absorbed it as his own. “Roxas, no darkness on the table, please.”

Kairi kept staring at where the darkness had been just seconds before. “It was a joke…”

Riku placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Roxas can’t take jokes.”

Roxas’ bitter eyes jumped to Riku next, narrowing with the promise of a threat. “I can take jokes just fine. You both just suck at telling them.”

Kairi furrowed her brows and glared at him. It threw Roxas off because there was furious light behind it. He wondered if she could sense it. “I think I’m pretty funny.”

“Comedy is subjective.” Roxas took another sip of coffee.

Kairi crossed her arms and looked Roxas up and down as if assessing him for the first time. “You think you’re a comedic genius? Tell a joke.”

“Fine.” Roxas set his coffee down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Riku’s attire.”

Kairi blinked. She reserved her judgement until she looked over Riku’s poor state of dress. With a snort and a modest covering of her mouth, she conceded. “Okay. You win that one.”

Riku’s eyes weren’t even open. Sometime during Roxas’ conversation with Kairi, he’d placed his elbow on the table and leaned his cheek upon it, effectively tuning out their discussion. Roxas picked up one of the individual creamers and flicked it at Riku’s arm.

Lazily, Riku opened his eyes, looking at Roxas first, then to Kairi. “Uh, yeah. You’re totally right, Kairi.”

Roxas wheezed into a throaty laugh, laying his head on the table as he found humor in Riku’s sleep deprivation.

Kairi didn’t share in his amusement. “Riku, honey…”

“I’m running on about five hours here, Kai,” Riku told her, looking ready to drop dead at any moment. “This is the best I can do right now.”

“You just agreed with Roxas and I insulting your outfit...”

Riku shrugged that off, taking a drink of his orange juice. “I’ll let that slide. I’m surprised I made it out of the house fully clothed.”

Roxas was dying from lack of oxygen.

“Why didn’t you get any sleep last night?” She asked, taking the small saucer of creamers and beginning to stack them on top of one another to make a creamer mountain.

It took Riku a moment to, firstly, register that a question had been asked, secondly, understand that it’d been directed at him, and thirdly, think of an answer. “Munny,” he replied simply.

Kairi stared at him.

Roxas was losing his fucking mind.

“You…” Kairi, bless her heart, was doing her best to make sense of the situation. Roxas was no help and Riku was barely hanging on to the land of the living. “You needed munny? For what?”

Riku closed his eyes again and Kairi had to shake him awake to get him to talk. “For the pouch,” he failed to explain.

Kairi looked to Roxas, her oasis in the desert, her last beacon of hope, …and received no help, because he was too busy wiping the tears from his eyes.

The waiter chose that very interesting moment to bring their food. He set Roxas’ plate of french toast in front of him and then placed Riku’s large plate of pancakes and smaller plate filled with bacon on the table.

“Would you like to order something, Miss?” He asked Kairi, taking out his pad and pencil again.

Kairi looked to the large plate of pancakes and to Riku, who could barely hold up his head. “No,” she answered with a tired smile. “I’ll share with him. I have a feeling he won’t be able to eat all of his.”

Roxas snorted into his coffee.

After brunch, Riku looked more like himself and less like a zombie from beyond the grave. He paid for their meal despite Kairi’s insistence that she foot the bill. Roxas left them to their trivial argument and exited the diner to appreciate more of the main island. There was a rustic charm to it, a quietness that the mainland didn’t have. There was time to breathe and be in the moment.

It helped that in nearly every direction, Roxas could see the ocean. He imagined it would feel confining to some, but to Roxas, it reminded him of fulfilled promises. He turned to look again at the mountain range and the towns and neighborhoods near it. He could see the large rooftops of houses, the spires of old buildings that held some historical significance, and the lights from some of the taller structures that shined brighter still as the sky darkened.

Roxas turned from the diner, the mountain range, and the imposing presence of the volcano to the split rail fence that did a terrible job of blocking or separating anything. He walked through one of the openings and eased himself onto the sand. It wasn’t the exact same place, but the shore on the main island brought forth memories of meteor showers and a connection forged with a fragmented heart. Across the water stood the play island. Roxas gazed at it inquisitively.

“Roxas!”

He looked back toward the diner, realizing that he’d traveled off a ways. Kairi was waving at him with a smile.

“I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!” She called, her eyes just shy of being as overwhelmingly bright as Sora’s.

“Yeah,” Roxas called back. He waved awkwardly, not knowing what else to do with his hands. “Thanks!”

She waved fanatically at him for a second more before giving Riku a goodbye hug. Roxas turned back to the ocean to give them some privacy.

Riku’s flip-flops made the most annoying sound as he walked along the sand. “What do you want to do today?” He asked, as he came to stand beside Roxas.

Roxas was prepared for that question. He lifted a hand and pointed at the play island. “I want to go there. I want to see every inch of it with my own eyes.”

Riku considered it. “Alright,” he said after a beat.

“We can race there,” Roxas suggested, shrugging casually. “If you can make another one of those blizzard rail things.”

“Fine,” Riku agreed immediately, but then backtracked. “Wait, no. I’ve got flip-flops on.”

“Coward.”

“You want me to fall off the rail and into the ocean?” Riku asked, and then rolled his eyes. “Nevermind. Don’t answer that.”

“Yes, I want you to fall into the ocean,” Roxas answered anyway. “That would be great.”

“I’d probably drown,” Riku pointed out, staring out at the sea with cruel acceptance. He was so miserable. Roxas couldn’t help but laugh.

“Nah. That dip in the water would do you some good. Wake you up.”

Riku was silent for such a long time that Roxas looked over at him to make sure he was still awake. He was, just contemplative. “We need to go further down the shore so no one will see.”

“And race?” Roxas asked. He was eager to beat Riku in another competition after his last humiliating defeat.

Riku nodded, his fatigue doing little to smother his vying spirit. “And race.”

Roxas won the race, to the surprise of no one. Riku kept bitching and moaning about his lack of sleep, but Roxas wasn’t having it. He strutted along the dock and down the stairs like a champion.

“Good job, Roxas,” Riku deadpanned. “Beating me when I’m down.”

Roxas turned and walked backwards along the sand. “You gonna cry?”

“Probably, if I don’t lay down in the near future.”

“God,” Roxas rolled his eyes. A glowing object caught his eye near the water and he was suddenly reminded of one last souvenir he needed to bring home with him. “Take a nap, then. There’s something I need to get.” He strode closer to the shoreline.

“What’s that?” Riku asked, following behind Roxas.

“Seashells.” Roxas allowed seafoam to kiss the tips of his shoes as he searched for appealing shells. Thalassa shells were the only ones he knew by name. Any others, he’d decide by shape and color if they were good enough to bring back with him.

“No, you need me for that,” Riku said, passing Roxas and stepping into the water without a care, flip-flops and all. “I’m the master of seashell collecting.”

“The last time you said you were the master of something, I beat your ass at that carnival game,” Roxas reminded him, picking up a shell and putting it in his pocket.

Riku gathered shells quickly, holding them in his hand as he crouched. He was wet up to his knees due to the incoming waves. “That was a fluke.”

“That was a loss,” Roxas insisted. He bent down to pick up another shell. It was pale green and circular. “Accept it.”

“I accept that it was a fluke.”

“Do we need to go back to the mainland and have a rematch?” Roxas asked, unbelieving. He had a big ass frog to prove that he won, but Riku still wanted to be a little bitch about it.

Riku stood up straight and waded over to Roxas, his hands full of seashells. Roxas opened his hands to accept Riku’s contribution. Their fingers touched briefly as the shells were deposited into Roxas’ hold. A beautiful and colorful assortment of about eight shells.

“Maybe next time,” Riku told him, an addendum to their earlier promise. His smile appeared soft and tranquil with an underlying hopefulness.

A sudden detachment occurred. Roxas didn’t feel like he was on the beach anymore. He’d been transported to a scene in a movie, or a chapter in a novel, or into a picture with a pastel filter. His heart flitted in his chest as it experienced a new feeling. Roxas let it sweep over him like a wave upon the shore, but he didn’t reflect upon it. He simply let it come and watched it go. He'd think on it later.

“Is that enough?” Riku asked, giving Roxas a look. How long had Roxas been standing there staring into space?

“No,” Roxas replied automatically. He looked down at the shells in his hands and mentally added their number to the ones already in his pocket. “A few more would be good.”

Riku nodded and returned to the water, moving further down the shore. Roxas followed him with delayed footsteps.

“These are for Xion and Naminé, right?” As Riku moved deeper into the water, he removed his flip-flops and threw them onto the dry sand.

Roxas moved up and down the shoreline, avoiding the incoming waves so that his shoes didn’t get too wet. “Yeah.”

Riku turned back to Roxas and handed him two more shells, one a red-orange color and the other bright yellow. “What are they gonna do with them?”

“They make all kinds of things with shells. Xion made a picture frame for one of Naminé’s drawings,” Roxas explained. He accepted Riku’s shells and put them in his pocket. Again, there weren’t enough, so Riku returned to the sea to scavenge for more.

“That’s pretty crafty of her.”

“Xion wants to learn to do as many things as possible,” rambled Roxas. He scrubbed at a shell he found in the sand and frowned when he realized it was just a sand dollar. He tossed it back into the sea. “Naminé’s not as enthusiastic about it, but they both want to experience new things.”

Riku wrung the water out of his capri’s. “And they should.”

“Hm.” The brightness of the sun was getting in the way of Roxas spotting any seashells and the waves snatched away the ones he could see, taking them to their resting place at the bottom of the seabed.

Riku stood up from picking up another shell. He examined it in the early evening light before turning to look at Roxas. “That goes for you, too,” Riku said, and tossed the shell over to Roxas.

He caught it with one hand and looked down at it. A violet Thalassa shell. Roxas was captivated by it. To him, the shell had a different meaning to it. The cruel reality of loss and the importance of cherishing others and holding on to their memory. Roxas ran his fingers over it, brushing off stray grains of sand before he put it in his pocket with the rest.

“Roxas!” Riku called suddenly. “Come look at this!”

Immediately, Roxas scrunched up his nose at the thought of getting wet. “Why can’t you just bring it here?”

“It’s stuck!” Riku explained, and did seem to be struggling to lift something out of the water. Roxas teetered on the edge of not caring but also wanting to see if it was something truly worth a damn. Or if it was a trap. Probably a trap, but Roxas could push Riku into the water and get him completely wet in revenge. It all worked out in the end.

“Fine,” Roxas groaned, toeing off his vans and stuffing his socks inside them. He tiptoed into the shallow water and kept his steps even to adjust to the temperature. He reached Riku when the water touched his ankles and he stood behind him, waiting impatiently for the discovery that was most likely a trap, but Roxas was giving Riku the benefit of the doubt for once. “What.”

When Riku turned around, Roxas knew it was too late. His hands were already cupped together in the telltale splashing position, his knees were bent, and his insidious smile gave him away. He raised his hands and splashed Roxas with a good amount of water, getting his ugly green shirt and jeans wet. Salt water dripped down his chin and Roxas raised a hand to clear it off his face.

“I can’t—” Riku erupted into laughter. It started soft and subtle and crescendoed upward into something authentic that Roxas was, reluctantly, used to. “I can’t believe you actually came over!”

Roxas couldn’t believe it either. His punishment for giving Riku a smidgen of trust during a period of relative calm between them was the uncomfortability of his wet jeans and the annoying dampness of his shirt. With the heat of the day, it wasn’t a big deal, but they had a routine with competitions now. One initiated a challenge, and the other followed through. “Riku,” Roxas pinched the fabric of his shirt and pulled it away from his skin, “this is your first and last warning.”

Riku pondered the threat, as he did all of the threats that came from Roxas’ mouth. He was still bent down toward the water and as he looked down at the crystal clear liquid, he decided that Roxas’ words were worth ignoring. He cupped his hands once more and splashed Roxas again, this time with more feeling. Water covered Roxas from the collar of his shirt to the bottom of his skinny jeans.

There was no going back. Riku had made his very poor choice, and Roxas would remind him of how important it was to heed his warnings. Roxas made his move as he marched into the ocean. He didn’t care much for his clothes; they were already wet. He stopped when the water reached his knees and the waves pushed at his stomach. They futilely tried to move him but Roxas held his position, and then turned back to Riku with a smile.

The levity had fled Riku’s face. He looked torn between making a run for it or summoning his keyblade to defend himself. “Roxas…” he warned, as if that was supposed to dissuade him.

Oblivion, his faithful companion, came to his hand and Roxas held the blade above the water. With both hands, he gripped it, disregarding how strange it felt. He looked at Riku and after the coming and going of another wave, Roxas took a single step forward and swung Oblivion in a wide arc across the water’s surface, producing a ‘wave’ of his own that headed straight toward Riku. It completely inundated him in a deluge of water, and Roxas, being as petty as he was, repeated the motion two more times to make his intentions clear.

Oblivion dispersed and Roxas headed back to the shore. Riku looked like a wet dog, his hair falling in front of his eyes and his clothes horribly wet. Roxas smugly smirked, taking the victory and adding it to his list. That is… until Riku shook his bangs out of his face and summoned Braveheart.

Roxas stopped just short of the shore.

With a smile that put Roxas’ entire being on edge, Riku held the blade aloft and aimed it above Roxas’ head. He placed his other hand on his hip, as if this was an inconvenience for him. Cheery disposition in place, Riku reached inside himself to invoke magic and the keyblade amplified his gift. “Watera!” He called happily, and didn’t wait for the torrent of water to cascade upon Roxas to start laughing. Roxas joined Riku in the soaking wet club, his hair losing the beauty that he’d spent thirteen minutes and eleven seconds perfecting.

They stood there looking at each other, two tragic souls thoroughly drenched beyond compare. Riku was smiling. Roxas was not.

“Your death will be by my hands,” Roxas muttered darkly, spitting out water that’d managed to enter his mouth.

The threat fell off of Riku like the water that was currently dripping down his face. “I can’t take you seriously when you look like that,” Riku told him, Braveheart fading into particles of light. “You were right, by the way. That did wake me up.”

Roxas couldn’t even move. He couldn’t see properly because of his hair being in his eyes, but the shock of being completely covered in water kept his body still. So he stood there, wet and hopeless, out of his element despite late night dips into pools.

Riku made his way back to the dry sand, unbothered by being completely wet, as if it were a normal Saturday for him. “Do you need more seashells?”

Roxas had a strong urge to kick Riku, but again, his body didn’t want to move. Too wet. Too cold. Too heavy with the weight of the water to do anything but stand there and let the sun do its thing. “No…” he lowly replied.

Riku looked back at him with a sympathetic smile. “Start walking. You’ll be dry in no time.” He picked up his flip flops and Roxas’ vans and held them in his hands. “You wanted to look around, didn’t you?”

Roxas grumbled under his breath and took slow, robotic steps out of the water. With each one, moving became a bit easier. The humid breeze and positioning of the sun did begin to dry him off. He kicked sand at Riku when he was close enough.

They entered the cove first. The rickety old platforms that could have easily been a bridge with just a bit more effort made Roxas uncomfortable with how faulty he knew they were. As he looked out over it, he recalled races that he hadn’t run and bets that meant so much at the time but now were nothing more than child’s play. But then, he reminded himself grimly, they still were children, no matter how much they’d been through. There were times Roxas felt thirty instead of the fifteen he actually was. Or… the two he technically was.

“Please don’t suggest a race,” Riku pleaded, facing Roxas with a frown. “I can’t do it. I don’t have the energy.”

Roxas huffed. “Lucky for you, I’ve had my fill of races.” He didn’t want to admit he’d probably lose with how wet his pants still were. He used light to propel himself forward to jump onto the first platform, then the second, and finally the third. He took note of the unique flora of the island, the vibrant blue leaves of some of the trees, the pink and lavender flowers that grew out of the stone, adapting to the landscape instead of accepting defeat. Roxas climbed the tower and stood at the very top, looking over at the purple leaved palm trees and the star shaped tree against the far wall.

Instead of thinking about races, paopu fruits and ship names, he appreciated the cove for what it was. A hastily made labor of love from the adults of the main island to entertain rambunctious children. The view from the top of the tower was nothing to scoff at. The beauty of Destiny Islands would never cease to amaze him. It wasn’t home, but damn if it wasn’t a beautiful world.

Roxas leapt down and landed perfectly, even without shoes to cushion the fall. They continued their exploration, looking behind large rocks to find forgotten treasure chests, picking up unique seashells they hadn’t seen on the other shore, and touching the star shaped tree just because. Riku was quiet the whole time, only answering questions when Roxas asked them. They left the cove and the memories that came with it.

Symbolically, the paopu tree was what everyone thought of first when thinking of Destiny Islands. Everything important happened there. Well, there and one other place. They entered the shack and walked across the wooden bridge. Riku took the lead then, leaning against the tree in his proper place. Roxas felt wrong just being near the paopu tree. He had to check several times to make sure that it was his heart in his chest, that his hair wasn’t brown, that the emblem on his chest was an X and not a crown. He avoided the tree entirely and stood near the edge of the platform.

“Don’t fall,” Riku warned teasingly.

Roxas flipped him off without turning around.

The paopu tree was much like the clock tower in Twilight Town. So many memories were tied to it, both good and bad. A simple dream to see the outside world had led to so much. What if things had happened differently? People thought on their regrets, their guilt, their choices and lost themselves in the endless cycle of ‘what if’. Roxas knew from experience, both his own and Sora’s. What if the three of them had taken that raft? What would’ve happened if Sora had taken Riku’s hand? What would’ve happened if he’d found Xion sooner? If he’d gotten the truth? The answers would never come and searching for them only led to either brief fantasies or unneeded heartbreak.

He wondered if Riku reflected on that, but knew immediately that he did. Roxas stepped away from the tree where big decisions were made and walked back across the bridge. He lead the way this time. Riku had gone quiet again, and Roxas knew why.

Next, the large treehouse near the dock. Neither of them needed the ladders and ropes to reach the higher areas. Roxas simply jumped and landed on old wooden planks. He stepped carefully, avoiding sticks, leaves and questionable objects that were littered around. When they reached a relatively safe spot, Roxas held his hand out for his shoes.

“How long has it been since someone was up here?” He asked, leaning against the wooden railing and putting on his socks. It took Riku significantly less time to put his flip-flops back on and he looked around the seemingly abandoned treehouse with a quizzical eye.

“It hasn’t been that long,” he replied. He kicked a few sticks off the side of the railing and they clattered to the ground below. “There are a few kids who like to play up here, but most of the time they just splash around in the water and pretend to be mermaids.”

Roxas nodded. “Understandable.”

The treehouse was in dire need of some upkeep. The wooden planks were loose and chipped in some places. Roxas sidestepped those and continued down the wooden pathway to the open area where Tidus used to hang out. It looked empty and sad now compared to his memories, but things changed with time. The kids that used to frequent the play island grew older, allowing younger children to move in and make it their own.

“Brings back memories,” Riku reminisced, walking around the space with a content smile. “Sora fell asleep here once and got a really bad sunburn.”

Roxas remembered that day, but kept it to himself. The point of coming to the play island was to see things through his own eyes, and through his own eyes, he saw the sorry state of the platform they were walking on. It was still a nice space with a good view, but that’s about where it ended. It felt a bit… immature, now, the treehouse. A part of growing up, he supposed.

They jumped down from the high point of the treehouse and walked back toward the small waterfall next to the shack. Roxas wiped off his hands in the mostly clean water. The waterfall was a hidden gem of the island. The beautiful outpouring of the water and the gushing sound it made could be soothing at times.

Riku kept his eyes on the water. His posture was tense; hands in the pockets of his capri’s, his lips pulled pensively tight. “Think we’ve seen about everything.”

Roxas gave his hands a shake and stood up. “Not everything.” He didn’t need to clarify. The Secret Place beckoned them like it did to everyone who drew too close. “You can stay out here if you want,” Roxas offered tactfully.

Without a word, Riku started walking toward the small opening at the base of the tree. He crouched down and moved through the shrubbery. He cleared a path for Roxas to follow, and they both stepped along the narrow pathway. At the end of it was the place that started it all.

The Secret Place hadn’t changed in the two years that followed that stormy night. No new drawings had been carved, no signs of visitors, and the strange door that had perplexed Sora and many other children for years sat undisturbed at the back of the cave. Undisturbed and… unsealed.

Roxas rolled his eyes. He couldn’t believe that with three keyblade wielders frequenting the island, none of them had thought to reseal the door. What if the children got tired of playing mermaids and decided a trip to the Realm of Darkness would be a much more fun afternoon activity? “You should probably seal that,” Roxas advised, pointing a finger at the door.

Riku wavered near the entrance to the cave. “Oh,” he said, straightening up. He summoned Braveheart and did just that, the familiar beam of light from the keyblade illuminating the drawings on the cave walls. Roxas looked them over, recalling each stroke of a rock Sora, Riku, and Kairi had carved in their childhood. Stories were told through the artwork; dreams of new worlds and adventures, creatures beyond imagination, and dazzling magic. Roxas followed their tale and moved about the cave, wishing he’d experienced more of that childlike wonder in his life. It’d been shortened by having to go on missions and questioning his existence, unfortunately.

It took a minute, but Roxas remembered that he wasn’t in the Secret Place by himself. He looked about and found Riku staring at one particular section of the cave. He seemed thoughtful, solemn, just generally down in the dumps. Roxas silently walked over to see which picture he was looking at and sighed when his suspicions were confirmed.

Sora and Kairi sharing a paopu fruit with one another.

A touchy subject if there ever was one, heightened by the fact that they both knew that Sora and Kairi had already done what the picture depicted. During Riku’s moment of introspection, his two best friends had linked their destinies together.

Roxas rocked back and forth on his heels, mulling over what to say. He didn’t understand the significance of the paopu fruit even with Sora’s memories. He wondered if there was some connotation he was missing, because by legend description alone, there were about... seven people he needed to share a paopu fruit with. But this wasn’t about him, it was about Riku, his blatantly obvious feelings, and the prospect of being left behind.

Something clicked then in Roxas’ mind, a small tidbit that he’d purposefully forgotten and repressed for his own sanity. It didn’t make sense why Riku was so bothered by it when he and Sora held hands before. Weren’t they…?

“Hold on,” Roxas asked, confused out of his mind. “Aren’t you and Sora together?”

Riku’s laugh was strained and coated with a hint of sorrow. “No, we’re not.”

Roxas had to remind himself that he needed to breathe to live. “But… I saw you two holding hands.”

The long look Riku gave him said it all. “Sora holds hands with everyone.”

Well… he had a point there. Roxas proceeded to stare blankly at the cave wall as his brain exploded. That was why Riku was staring at the drawing. Sora and Kairi had shared the fruit and Riku had interpreted that as them confessing their feelings for one another. When it came to this subject, this particular dynamic between the trio that’d plagued their friendship for a while now, Riku would sit on his hands and watch it all play out. He’d smile and take his place, just like on the paopu tree and not utter a word about his true feelings to anyone.

Roxas understood that, because he was the same way. When it came to Sora, whatever brought him the most happiness was best. Roxas would be supportive and kind and ignore his own feelings to ensure Sora’s happiness. What did it matter if his dreams were filled with bittersweet fantasies if Sora was as happy as he could be? But Riku lacked the knowledge that Roxas had. He had no idea that his feelings were likely reciprocated.

“Riku, you need to talk to Sora,” Roxas urged seriously.

“About what?” Riku asked, and the helplessness in his voice nearly sent Roxas over the edge.

“About this!” Roxas bent down and slapped his hand above the cave drawing. “Talk to him about this and how you feel about him.”

There was a disconnect between them, Roxas could see it in Riku’s eyes. They weren’t quite on the same page. Riku stood rigid, his hands balled into fists by his side. “It’s better to keep some things to yourself.”

Roxas saw that coming and readied his ammo to shoot that train of thought down. He’d be damned if he watched another friendship fall apart due to miscommunication. “Xion and Lea thought it’d be best to keep some things to themselves, and it only hurt our friendship in the end.”

Riku opened his mouth to retort but then, wisely, he closed it. He mused over Roxas’ words as he entered a staring contest with the drawing of Sora. Wind whistled through the Secret Place, a scary sound to children but an annoyance to everyone else.

“It’s…” Riku began, biting his lip as he tried to formulate a sentence. “It’s hard for me to talk about my feelings.”

“Trust me, Riku. I know,” Roxas snorted. He couldn’t believe how his day had turned out. He’d gone from relaxing by the pool to comforting Riku in a dank cave. “I don’t think anyone’s perfect at it.”

That got a laugh out of Riku, which meant Roxas was at least halfway decent at the whole consoling thing. Riku shifted on his feet, his posture becoming more lax as he pocketed his hands. “I don’t want to create a rift between the three of us.”

Roxas hummed thoughtfully. It wasn’t his place to talk about Sora’s feelings, but he didn’t feel terrible about giving Riku an ounce of hope. “Just talk to him. Kairi, too,” Roxas told him. “Who knows? Sora might surprise you.”

Riku’s gaze lingered on the drawing. He shifted on his feet as he wrestled with himself. He’d clearly already resigned himself to play a certain part, and now he had to rethink everything. His smile still had some pessimism to it, but he looked at Roxas, and the gratefulness came out. It came to Roxas then that Riku hadn’t told anyone else what was on his mind concerning Sora and Kairi. Who could he talk to? Both of his best friends were involved.

“It…” Riku cleared the clog out of his throat. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

They bid farewell to the Secret Place. As they exited, they covered the entrance with shrubbery and flora to hide it. They washed their hands of dirt and grime in the waterfall, but something tugged at Roxas’ heart. He wanted to prevent another catastrophe. He didn’t want anyone else stumbling into the cave and accepting a destiny they weren’t ready for and being thrust into an understanding that would change their worldview forever.

“Maybe a barrier?” He offered, looking up at Riku.

Riku blew out a puff of air, mulling that idea over. “Can you make it?” He asked sheepishly. He held out his right hand and a fizzle of darkness emitted from his palm. “I can only make barriers of darkness.”

Roxas wiped his hands off on his now dry jeans. “Slacking on honing your light techniques?”

“No, I’m just better at—Can you make a barrier of darkness?”

Roxas left that question unanswered. He raised his left hand and passed it over the entrance. Light concealed the opening and prevented entry to anyone who lacked the knowledge on how to properly dispel it. Behind him, Riku summoned Braveheart and cast the same illusionary spell he used on the gummiship to hide the barrier from view.

“Look at that teamwork,” Riku marveled, placing his hands on his hips after dismissing his keyblade. “We’re practically friends already.”

Roxas felt another fit of rage stir in the pit of his stomach. He shot Riku another side-eye, accompanied with a frown that made his displeasure at being referred to as a ‘friend’ very clear. But just in case Riku didn’t get the message — which he probably didn’t with his inability to read body language — Roxas regarded the waterfall with a devious eye. He looked at Riku, then to the waterfall, again to Riku, and with a very casual shove, pushed him into the cold water.

The loud, reverberating splash was music to Roxas’ ears. It resulted in a funny sight; Riku glaring at him while a torrent of water pummeled the top of his head. He got to his feet with no help from Roxas. He plodded through the water and climbed out of the pool, hefting himself over the ledge with some difficulty.

“You just…” Riku took a deep breath, “always have to have the final say, don’t you?”

“Yup,” Roxas agreed. Truer words had never been spoken. “That’s what you get for using a water spell on me.”

Riku sighed dramatically. “It was all in good fun.”

Roxas tilted his head to the side and squinted. “Was it, though?”

“It was for me.” Riku got to his feet and shook himself off like a dog. “Nothing wrong with a little splash fight.”

“There is when you’re wearing skinny jeans,” Roxas deadpanned. He could move just fine now, but it’d be a pain in the ass getting them off. Maybe he should just accept that he was doomed to wear them for the rest of his life. Fate was cruel that way.

Riku glanced down at Roxas’ jeans and then laughed as he made the mistake of reading his shirt again. “That’s your fault. Who wears skinny jeans when they’re visiting an island?”

“I wear skinny jeans no matter the weather,” Roxas informed him. He followed Riku as they left the waterfall behind.

“And you got onto me about what I’m wearing? Skinny jeans aren’t even that fashionable.”

“Are you really going to go there?” Roxas admonished, raising his voice. “Because I can drag your sense of fashion all day, Riku. Do you not remember that terrible outfit you wore when you were fifteen?”

Riku abruptly stopped, nearly causing Roxas to crash into his wet back. Riku looked over his shoulder with a sharp glint in his eye. “We don’t talk about that year.”

“Fine, we’ll talk about the next one,” Roxas went on, unaffected. “Who could ever forget about your belly button window that you thought was acceptable for some reason?”

That had the opposite effect. Riku stuttered, trying to form words that would eventually construct a sentence, but failing at the first step. Color flooded his cheeks, bright red against his pale complexion.

Roxas grinned like he’d just won the lottery.

Riku shifted gears. “I need to dry off,” he said, and diverted to the beach. He sat a fair distance away from the shore and stretched out his limbs to warm them.

Repressing his laughter, Roxas sat down and joined Riku in the sand. He kept some space between them and lost himself in the texture and temperature of the sand shifting between his fingers.

After a brief silence, Riku spoke up. “I liked my belly button window,” he bemoaned from Roxas’ right. He actually looked upset, which was downright hilarious. Who would’ve known that Riku could get so bothered over clothing?

“It wasn’t your worst fashion choice,” Roxas said, a half-assed attempt at curbing the damage of his earlier words.

“I’m not going to ask what was.”

“Smart.”

“Once I’m dry,” Riku gave his hair a toss to shake out the remnants of water, “do you wanna get snow cones?”

Roxas had never had a snow cone before. In Twilight Town, it was ice cream or bust. “Uh,” he drawled, contemplating if he was in the mood for some shaved ice with a fruity flavoring overtop it. The warm and sunny weather of Destiny Islands nearly always called for cold sweets and fruity treats. “Sure.”

They took the long way home down winding roads, through the town square and past lively neighborhoods. Roxas munched on his blueberry flavored shaved ice the whole time, taking in each change of scenery with an easy peace resting in his heart. It helped that he and Riku weren’t engaging in much conversation. Both of them were too busy inhaling their ice before it completely melted.

The sun had moved through the sky like a lazy falling star and it gripped the edge of the horizon, waving goodbye before it left and took the day with it. Roxas shifted his snow cone cup to his right hand, his left getting bitterly cold from the condensation and temperature of the ice. The night heralded in the cricket’s song and the fireflies showed themselves with a brief but beautiful glow. People hung around outside on their porches, talking with neighbors or friends before turning in.

Riku matched Roxas’ leisurely pace even though he’d walked the same path hundreds of times before and had heard the cricket’s song so often, he could conduct it himself. He’d gotten a strawberry flavored snow cone and kept stirring the ice around to spread the flavoring.

Roxas hadn’t minded Destiny Islands before, but the weekend certainly warmed him up to the charm and appeal the world had. He’d seen some of what it had to offer with his own eyes, and he’d be back to see the rest, hopefully driving a boat and beating Riku at carnival games again.

He paused, even going so far as to stop walking as he absorbed that thought. He stared warily at the blue ice in his cup.

“Do you want to share?”

Roxas glanced up and saw Riku holding his cup out, indicating with a tilt of his hand to Roxas’ own snow cone. “Share?” Roxas asked, confused.

Riku nodded. “Yeah. I give you some of mine and you give me some of yours.”

Roxas looked into Riku’s snow cone cup. It had a fair amount of red ice inside. More than Roxas had, anyway. What would blueberry and strawberry taste like mixed together? He made a face when he imagined it.

Riku laughed and tried to ease his uncertainty. “It tastes good, trust me.”

That gave Roxas pause again as he thought too deeply on casually said words. He said nothing and held his cup out for Riku to begin the mixing process. He did so by pouring some strawberry ice into Roxas’ cup, and then using the handle of his spoon to scoop out a few bits of blueberry into his own cup.

“There,” Riku said, mixing the amalgamation together. He put a hefty portion on his spoon and brought it to his mouth to eat. He hummed around his spoon and began to walk again, leading the way. “Tastes like summer.”

Roxas highly doubted it would taste like bittersweet sea-salt ice cream paired with frustration, confusion, memories with friends made of data, and reluctant acceptance, but he followed Riku’s example of mixing the ice together and taking a bite. It tasted like…something Roxas hadn’t experienced before. He refused to reference Sora’s memories and relied on his own knowledge to assign meaning to the taste. He savored it, choosing not to swallow until the ice had completely melted in his mouth.

Riku looked over at him with a two toned tongue. “Good, right?”

“Mm,” Roxas murmured, keeping his spoon in his mouth until he thought of what to say. He took a moment and then gave Riku a hard look. “You ruined it.”

Suddenly, Riku stopped walking. He’d already finished his snow cone and held the empty cup in his hand as he stared at Roxas with wide eyes. “You don’t like it?”

“Tastes like shit,” Roxas expressed, sticking his tongue out in disgust. He quickly reeled it back in when he saw how distraught Riku looked. It was so difficult to not end the joke early, but Roxas hardened his poker face and toughed it out.

Riku was currently giving Roxas a measured yet appalled look. Roxas thought for a second he was going to ask specifically what was so disgusting about the mixed snow cone, but instead he looked behind him. They’d purchased the snow cones just outside the town square, and Riku was looking in that direction. He turned on his heel and started to head back the way they came.

Roxas bit his tongue to keep from laughing. He watched Riku walk away for a few seconds before calling after him. “Where are you going?”

“To get you another snow cone!” Riku loudly replied, heading up the slight incline.

Roxas went through several stages of laughter; the snickering that was saved for quiet moments in class, the easygoing chuckles meant for nice moments with friends, the straight up cackling that Xion had cultivated, and the wheezing that Sora had so wonderfully shown Roxas firsthand. He couldn’t believe that Riku was actually going to buy another snow cone.

“It—” Roxas snorted loudly, nearly dropping his snow cone. “It was a joke, Riku!”

Riku stopped and whipped around to look at Roxas. His shocked and absolutely peeved expression sent Roxas through the entire four stages of laughter again. He had to lean against the picket fence of someone’s front yard to avoid collapsing onto the street. The sound of Riku’s flip-flops hurriedly flipping and flopping down the path drove Roxas to tears.

Riku, having the patience of a saint, waited until Roxas got ahold of his merriment before he spoke. “A shitty one,” he told Roxas, sporting the most lack luster glare Roxas had ever seen.

Recognition flashed on Roxas’ face. He moved away from the fence and lightly kicked Riku’s shin. “In your opinion.”

Riku rolled his eyes and started off down the path again, but the smile he wore said everything. They had inside jokes, one of the most basic and fundamental aspects of friendship. Roxas worked on finishing his snow cone. As they walked, the gap between them didn’t seem as large as before.

After a forty-five minute shower to wash the salt water out of his hair and the sand off his entire body, Roxas continued his newly formed tradition of stargazing on the balcony before bed. He’d already finished his sea-salt ice cream and his favorite treat seemed to have a grudge against him. He hadn’t won all weekend. He was beginning to regret promising the five winner sticks he had to Hayner. With how much ice cream he consumed, Roxas thought he’d have more by now, but alas. Another day, another loss.

He tapped the popsicle stick against his knee as he sat on the railing of the balcony. He searched the sky for Sirius, the only star he could name. He had to lean forward to see it, his hands tightly gripping the railing as he looked past palm trees and the side of the house to make out the bright shining star in the distance.

“Okay, you’re just asking to fall over now.”

Roxas turned around to look at Riku. Wearing a simple light blue shirt with grey sweatpants, Riku leaned against the door frame with a single brow raised.

“Why aren’t you asleep?” Roxas asked, sounding as exhausted as he imagined Riku felt.

Riku pushed off from the door frame. He walked over to the railing and placed his hands on it. “I wanted to say goodnight first,” he explained.

What, did Riku expect him to be touched by that unnecessary admission? Roxas’ expression took on a whole new degree of indifference. “Well, mission accomplished,” he said, looking back to the stars. “You can take your ass to bed now.”

Riku did not take his ass to bed. In fact, Riku thought it would be a good idea to sit on the railing just like Roxas. He lifted one leg over, and in a grievous process that had Roxas grimacing and groaning loudly, managed to get the other leg over as well. Riku beamed at him when all was said and done and Roxas would’ve kicked him if he wasn’t so sure that Riku would go tumbling to his death.

This seemed to be a recurring thing; the two of them watching the night together. Roxas wondered if Riku felt the same sense of peace and significance that he did whenever he basked in the presence of darkness in its primary form.

Riku sighed in contentment, his feet crossed at the ankles. “Dawn of the final day…”

Roxas took in that completely wrong sentence, closed his eyes for a few seconds, and then turned to his left. “It’s night, Riku,” Roxas told him, straight-faced and tired. He’d thought Riku would collapse as soon as he got home, but he was stupidly resilient. “So sleep sounds like a good idea. Why don’t you do that?”

“No, listen,” Riku insisted, waving off Roxas’ concern and shifting on the railing to face him better. “I was thinking—”

“I don’t want to hear the thoughts of a sleep-deprived Keyblade Master,” Roxas interjected with a look of disapproval to match.

“I’m serious,” Riku persisted. Even with the bags under his eyes and the disjointed blinking, Riku still managed to look angry. Roxas rolled his eyes but conceded to listen to Riku’s nonsensical rambling. “I was thinking…if I hadn’t interfered, you would’ve gone to see Sora, wouldn’t you?”

A weird train of thought, but it stood to reason that Riku’s head was all over the place at the moment. “I would’ve,” Roxas immediately answered. After hearing Sora’s name repetitively through whispers, secrets, and straight to his face without answers, Roxas wanted to meet the hero of the keyblade himself. He knew, even back then, that Sora stood at the heart of it all. “It was on my to-do list. Y’know, after destroying Kingdom hearts.”

“We could’ve partnered up,” Riku regretfully pointed out. “Prevented everything before it happened.”

That sad realization was left to rest in their laps, adding a heavy weight that no doubt affected Riku more than it did Roxas. They returned their gaze to the stars and Roxas entertained the thought of taking down the Organization by Riku’s side. It probably wouldn’t have gone that smoothly in regards to teamwork and communication, but as far as stopping Organization members, they could’ve made great progress.

But it didn’t matter. They couldn’t change the past, but they could recognize where they’d fucked up and learn from it. Roxas had already learned that lesson, but he didn’t mind the refresher.

“Oh, Riku,” Roxas exhaled, leaning back on his hands without fear. “If only you’d had the foresight.”

Riku’s lips twitched up in a smile. “I didn’t have any sight at that time.”

Silence. A long, horrible silence that Riku didn’t shy away from. He was on the cusp of laughing his ass off, but Roxas wouldn’t join in. He couldn’t. That joke was terrible and Riku should feel terrible for telling it.

Roxas moved his right leg over the railing, making to leave. “I’m going to bed.”

“Wait, wait!” Riku said, laughter spilling over his words. He moved to follow Roxas’ lead, but he winced as he put too much pressure on his left hand. Roxas witnessed the whole thing, and that feeling that he’d been successfully suppressing roused from its slumber. As Riku carefully maneuvered himself off the railing, Roxas thought about a single white flower petal that floated gracefully through the air.

Riku staggered over to him, hands on his hips as he took a deep breath and fought to keep his eyes open. “I wanted—”

“Show me your wrist again,” Roxas interrupted. He didn’t want to hear anything else from Riku’s mouth. One realization that they both didn’t need was enough for one night.

Startled, Riku narrowed his eyes and kept still. He thinned his lips and searched Roxas’ eyes. “I’m not… I’m not mad at you over it,” he assured. “Injuries happen, and I wasn’t using my keyblade so I—”

“Riku,” Roxas pressed, holding his right hand out. He didn’t need assurances and excuses. He had a hunch that he could do something, and he wanted to try. “Let me see it.”

Roxas wasn’t going to back down, and Riku knew that even in his current state. He cautiously eyed Roxas’ hand. A second passed, then another, and Riku finally, very slowly, moved his left hand into Roxas’ right, facing his palm up so that the underside of his wrist was visible.

The discolored skin spurred a surge of guilt and remorse in Roxas’ heart, but he was going to fix that. Not only for himself, but because Riku couldn’t get off railings or fall off skateboards without causing himself pain. Whether Riku admitted it or not, it impacted his fighting style and efficiency. It seemed right to…fix it, if Roxas could.

“What are you going to do?” Riku asked, looking nervous. His eyes weren’t on his wrist, but on Roxas and the way he studied the bruise on Riku’s skin.

Delicately, Roxas placed two fingers on top of the injury. He kept his eyes on it, focusing and reaching down inside himself to find that same power he’d called upon the night before last. “Heal it,” he replied simply, and he closed his eyes to do so. Confidence was important when it came to magic. He recollected the many times Sora had summoned bursts of fire to scorch enemies, bolts of lightning to paralyze them, and chilling frost to freeze them in their tracks. In order to perform the spell to the best of one’s ability, certainty was needed. Courage. Belief.

When it came to magic, Roxas’ belief in himself took a dive, but he had cast something that night. If he did it once, he could do it again.

He took a deep breath and ignored Riku’s eyes on him. Roxas grabbed hold of the strength that he used in battle and in everyday life. The light that surrounded him like a second skin. The darkness that resided in the depths of his heart. “Heal,” he whispered, a quiet plea to himself.

A waft of air brushed past them and Roxas didn’t need to open his eyes to see what it carried. Riku lightly gasped, and Roxas could feel the presence of magic and light in the wind. It joined them and Roxas opened his eyes as two flower petals — the exact shape and color as the one before — fell onto Riku’s bruised wrist. They faded into the skin and like a tear swept away by a gale, the injury disappeared without a trace. Roxas removed his fingers and let go of Riku’s wrist, keeping his elation well hidden under his vague stare. He’d used magic. Successfully! He couldn’t wait to tell Xion and Naminé, they’d flip their shit right along with him.

Riku appeared to be doing that at the moment. He lifted his hand and stared slack-jawed at the now pale skin. “How…?” He laughed in disbelief, looking at Roxas in gratitude and moving his wrist to check for any pains. “I thought you didn’t know any magic?”

“I don’t,” Roxas told him, unable to help a smirk.

“That looked like magic to me.” Riku formed a fist and flexed his fingers. He smiled appreciatively. “Thank you, Roxas. Really.”

Roxas wasn’t good with thanks from people he wasn’t close with, so he shrugged and looked elsewhere. “No problem.”

Riku looked torn between staying still or doing something Soraesque, like a hug. Roxas took a step or two back. They weren’t that close yet. “But it felt different than a standard cure. There wasn’t any earth elemental magic involved.”

That made sense. Roxas had no idea how to use earth magic. “What did it feel like?”

“Like…” Riku took some time to think on it, making gestures with his hands as he thought on the right word. “A gentle breath of light,” he explained, wrapping the fingers of his right hand around his left wrist.

“Hm.”

“But healing magic is connected with light, too,” Riku informed him. His smile was off the charts. It was beginning to get unnerving. “And since you masterfully control the light, you were able to tap into that.”

“Mhmm,” Roxas murmured, low-key wanting Riku to continue. Compliments — genuine ones, anyway — were always accepted and appreciated.

And continue Riku did. “I can’t believe you taught yourself how to cast it, though,” he praised, unbothered by Roxas’ exterior disinterest. “That’s amazing.”

However, there was such a thing as too much praise and Roxas was quickly nearing that limit. If it were Xion or Sora, he’d be able to withstand it, but he sure as shit wasn’t used to Riku’s level of acclamation.

“You really are something else,” Riku commended, a fond stare accompanying his words.

Roxas decided then and there that it was time to leave. “Anyway, I’m going to bed,” he said, not bothering to wait for Riku’s reply. He spun on the ball of his foot and walked through the guest room to enter the hallway.

Riku was right on his heels. “Wait, I—!”

“Goodnight, Riku,” Roxas concluded, ending that chapter and closing the book. He kept walking and didn’t look behind him in fear of seeing that megawatt smile.

The sound of Riku’s footsteps stopped. “Oh,” he muttered, and Roxas would never admit that he hesitated in taking another step and considered turning around. “Goodnight, Roxas.”

Roxas sprinted to his room and closed the door with a quickness. He leaned against the back of it, heart beating wildly in his chest. He exhaled slowly and slid down to rest on the floor as he caught his breath. Anger boiled in his chest and heat gathered on his face. He was getting tired of the never-ending emotional rollercoaster. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

In a vain attempt to calm himself, Roxas opened his palm. With just a simple wish, a white petal fell into his hand. That was one of the few good things that happened over the weekend. He’d somehow created a variant of magic that was unique to him.

And he had Riku to thank for that.

Roxas dreamt of falling stars and black water. Spots of odd colors that popped up against the bleak background of darkness and deteriorated into nothing. A sad light show that he assumed had some kind of deeper meaning. It was better than memories that put him in his place and dances not meant for him, so Roxas welcomed it. He sat back and watched the colors in the sky of his mind and treasured the absence of complex feelings.

He awoke and the sunlight directed his attention to the window. The sky was a rich, deep blue with whispers of clouds in its arms. He dug around for his phone to check the time. It was half past noon.

Tossing back the covers, Roxas wondered why he wasn’t being woken up by piano songs or annoying pokes. He opened his door and sensed Riku’s presence further down the hall, stationary and dormant. Still asleep, then. That meant breakfast—or lunch—was up to him. He could always have more ice cream, but his stomach disagreed with the thought after the snow cone from last night, so cooking it was.

Roxas went back inside his room to get clean clothes for his shower. He ended up never opening the drawers or using the closet. It seemed smarter to live out of his bags. Less chance of him forgetting something and having to ask Sora or Riku to bring it back. A sound came from the bed then, followed by a quick vibration. A text notification.

For the fourth time, Roxas had to move pillows and the comforter away to find his fucking phone. It was consistently in the last spot he checked, but his irritation faded when he saw who the message was from.

: dawn of the final day!!!!!!!!!!

Roxas just stared at the text. He couldn’t get over the fact that both Sora and Riku had misused the phrase. At least Riku had the excuse of inadequate sleep.

: its the afternoon sora

: ……... AFTERNOON OF THE FINAL DAY!!!!!!

: nice save

:  i’ll meet you guys on the play island at six!!!!

Roxas’ heart thrummed pleasantly as he fondly gazed at his phone. But the love vanished from his eyes when he thought of the conversation held in a clammy cave. No matter how loudly Roxas’ heart cried, he would silence it. He’d made his decision and taken actions to follow through with it. The only thing left to do was let certain feelings die.

He dropped his phone on the bed and returned to his earlier task. He’d shower and then decide what he wanted to cook for lunch.

It turned out he had plenty of options when it came to cooking. He’d forgotten that the refrigerator was positively packed with food, most of it Roxas’ favorite. He stared at plastic containers of blueberries, the two containers of uncooked ground beef, and squares of sliced cheese. So many choices, but Roxas found he had a penchant for… waffles, of all things.

Against the backsplash of the kitchen sat a waffle iron, two waffles at a time, square shaped. He plugged it in beside his mini cooler and got started making the batter. He’d familiarized himself with the kitchen since he’d cleaned it so thoroughly. He knew where to find the cooking vessels, silverware, and pantry. He gathered everything he immediately needed on the countertop and placed the plates and maple syrup on the kitchen island.

Naminé had taught him how to make simple things. She had learned from Isa and, to an extent, Lea. Olette had given them a few recipe books from her aunt and when they were finished with homework, they’d try and make something new. Xion would exuberantly try and help however she could, Naminé would try futilely to calm her down, and Roxas would reread the recipe over and over to make sure they were doing it right. Lea would ‘supervise’ by having Isa on call in case something went wrong.

It was strange to cook by himself, but the growling of his stomach pushed him forward. With four strips of bacon going in the frying pan, he felt it safe to start on the first batch of waffles. Roxas heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs and checked the kitchen clock that hung above the window. One forty-three. Riku had probably been awoken by the smell of bacon. Being in the throes of multitasking, Roxas didn’t glance up when Riku entered the kitchen, but he did when he heard a loud thud on the floor.

Riku had placed a small treasure chest by the stools and was pushing it further out of the way. He looked up, caught Roxas’ eye and gave him an easy smile. “Hey.”

Roxas didn’t answer immediately. Riku was wearing a light washed jean jacket with a white t-shirt underneath. His jeans were grey and relaxed and his white sneakers were low top today. Now that he’d gotten his twelve hours of sleep, he could properly dress himself. Certainly put Roxas to shame with his black t-shirt, dark wash slim straight jeans, pink sneakers with a single white stripe on each side, and pink plaid jacket tied around his waist. He had to properly wear his jacket to bring the whole outfit together. Then he’d look his best.

Roxas spun the spatula he was holding in his hands. “Hey, bitch.”

Riku leaned against the refrigerator as he pondered whether that was an insult or a term of endearment. Roxas’ eyes were lacking their usual fire, so Riku relaxed. “Is this a solo breakfast or…?”

The timer on the waffle iron went off and Roxas prepared a plate to place them. Two golden brown, delicate, and fluffy waffles were ready for consumption. They were so beautiful, he could cry. He nearly forgot that Riku had asked a question. Roxas looked at Riku despondently. “You know it’s not.”

“Thanks, Roxas,” Riku said, his smile taking on that fondness Roxas didn’t like. He turned back to the waffle batter just so he wouldn’t have to see it. Riku stepped further into the kitchen. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Check the bacon,” Roxas instructed. “And pass me some blueberries.”

“Roger that.”

They worked in tandem, flipping bacon, pouring waffle batter and grabbing plates with little to no communication. Riku sliced strawberries on a cutting board and Roxas mixed blueberries into the batter while also popping them into his mouth. It turned out Riku didn’t mind blueberry waffles, so the first batch of waffles were the only plain ones. They ended up cooking the rest of the bacon on Riku’s request.

With plates piled high with waffles and bacon, the two sat side by side in the high stools. Roxas grabbed the syrup first and only used a small amount before passing the bottle to Riku, who narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

“So…” Riku held the bottle of maple syrup tightly in his hands. “The whole sweet tooth thing was a lie?”

Roxas nearly choked on the waffle in his mouth. He managed to laugh around it, breathing out heavily through his nose as Riku unimpressedly watched him. “It wasn’t a lie,” Roxas told him dubiously. “It was a long joke.”

“Wow.”

“What’s in this chest?” Roxas asked, expertly changing the subject. He even kicked the thing for good measure and a jingling sound rang out.

Riku poured a generous amount of syrup on his waffles and placed the bottle in the space between them. “Synthesis materials for you to take home.”

“You said I could just ask you for some,” Roxas said between chews of bacon.

“I did,” Riku grunted, cutting into three waffles at once with his knife. “But I seriously have too much. I figured with Naminé studying magic, you could use them to upgrade or make stuff.”

“Hm.” A good idea. Naminé would need a new staff and accessories as she learned the higher tiers of magic. Roxas wasn’t sure if Xion had upgraded her keychain to its fullest potential. Shit, Roxas hadn’t even done that. He’d been too busy enjoying his life as a normal teenager, but he didn’t need to get complacent.

Riku took his grunt as a refusal of his gift. He swallowed and pointed his fork in Roxas’ direction. “I can take it back—”

“No, it’s fine,” Roxas said quickly, dragging a piece of waffle through the little syrup pond he’d made. “... Thanks.”

Riku smiled at him. “You’re welcome.”

Roxas finished off his six waffles and was satisfied with that, but there was a lone piece of bacon on his plate. Remembering how he’d stolen four pieces before, Roxas silently pushed his plate to his left as a gift.

Riku didn’t say anything, but he took the strip of bacon and ate it happily.

It took Roxas about an hour to get all of his things together. He had two more bags and a treasure chest to carry now, but Riku seemed happy to carry anything he could.

“I can get three bags and your mini-cooler,” he informed Roxas as they walked down the stairs. They set everything by the front door as they headed back into the kitchen. Roxas had washed the dishes from brunch and Riku had cleaned the stove top and kitchen island. It looked as clean as when Roxas had first arrived on Thursday.

“Oh,” Roxas muttered, a thought coming to mind. He walked over to the mini-cooler and unplugged it. Spinning it around to the back revealed a few buttons that did different things. The most important one was bright blue and pressing it released a handle that made for easier handling.

Riku came up behind him and noticed the handle. Suddenly, his aura became menacing and ominous. “Why didn’t you tell me there was a handle?” Riku asked angrily, his voice low and stringent.

“Because I loathed you at the time,” Roxas explained simply, not threatened in the slightest. He picked up the mini-cooler and headed for the door.

The grasping hands of Riku’s darkness retroceded as he absorbed those words. He stood there for a moment before belatedly following Roxas to the front door. “Implying that...you don’t loathe me now?”

Roxas tilted his head to the side and thought on that. While his hate for Riku wasn’t as consuming and furious as it had once been, there was still something there that rested in his heart. He wasn’t sure if that was something that he needed to fix or if it was the trepidation and unease that came with forming a new…friendship.

“I loathe you less,” Roxas decided to say, and picked up two bags and the chest to begin the trek to the play island.

Riku leaned over and took the rest of Roxas’ luggage. He opened the front door and closed it again when they’d both passed through. After a quick turn of his house key, he joined Roxas on the porch as the heat of the day hit them in full force. “I’m happy to hear that,” he said, a trace of delight in his voice.

Roxas led the way down the winding pathway. Once they cleared the fence and stepped out onto the sidewalk, Riku purposely bumped into Roxas’ side.

Roxas responded by pushing Riku into a palm tree.

Evening had arrived on Destiny Islands and Roxas greeted it just as warmly as he had for the past three days. They’d taken the usual method of travel to reach the play island; a quick blizzard rail that extended to the dock. Roxas’ luggage and mini-cooler had been placed along the length of it. The distant sound of seagulls contrasted horrendously with the sound of the waves, but during Roxas’ stay, he’d gotten used to it.

They sat on the edge of the dock, their feet nearly gracing the shimmering water as they awaited Sora’s arrival. The dock was the place for final thoughts and goodbyes or entrances and personal questions.

Roxas decided to do a bit of both.

“Riku,” he said, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the ocean’s serenade. “What is it that you’re so afraid of?”

Riku made a strange sound, a mix between a snort and a wheeze that left Roxas mildly concerned. Not for his well-being, but for his state of mind. “Seriously?” Riku asked, sitting back on his hands. “You’re going to ask me that again?”

Roxas looked over at him and the sincerity in his eyes caused the humor to leave Riku’s own. “I want to know if you’ve changed your answer.”

They held each other’s gaze for a few seconds before Riku sat up, getting serious himself. “I’ll only answer if you do.”

“Fine,” Roxas agreed. That was fair.

“My answer is the same as it was half a year ago,” Riku declared. He placed his hands in his lap and admired the honey colored sky and the clouds that chased the sun. “I’m afraid of losing something that’s important.”

“Someone that’s important,” Roxas corrected, his heart breaking with the words. He pressed his nails into his palm, but his eyes remained stalwart.

Riku shook his head. “No, it’s more than that,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of finality. “Sora is very important to me, but so are the connections I have with everyone else. The people who hold me in their heart…and the ones that I hold in mine. They’re what matter. I care about them more than anything else.”

Roxas’ heart nearly stopped in his chest. The brewing storm that had begun to rage and consume him faltered. A simple answer had satisfied him when Riku had dived into Sora’s heart, but the truth of it, the thought process behind it… That’s what he’d been seeking. Everything came together then in a magnificent culmination of understanding.

Roxas chuckled, easing the grip on his hands and releasing the tension in his shoulders. “I see.”

Riku’s white sneaker tapped his pink one lightly. “Your turn,” Riku reminded quietly. “What are you most afraid of?”

“Mm,” Roxas pretended to think on it. He crossed his feet at the ankles and sat back on his hands, giving Riku an amicable smile for the first time since he’d arrived. “My answer is the same as yours.”

Stunned by the authenticity of Roxas’ smile or his answer, Riku stared openly at him. The twilight grazed their bodies and introduced a warm glow to their eyes. Riku’s lightened to an emerald green, illuminating the dependability and strength that resided in their depths. “Is it really?” Riku asked, a smile spreading across his face.

“My connections with the people I love are what I value most,” Roxas explained, allowing himself to be somewhat vulnerable. Riku had shared his thoughts and feelings a few times, and Roxas didn’t feel pressured to reciprocate that, but since he’d agreed to answer the question… “Losing them or those connections…that’s what I fear.”

Riku fiddled with the hem of his jacket and smiled softly at him. Time seemed to slow down as the light swirled in Riku’s eyes. Roxas kept eye contact as a showing of openness, not because he was captivated. “I told you we had a lot in common.”

And just like that, the friendly air they had going on dispersed. Roxas was not amused. The kind smile that he’d displayed? Gone. “It’s taking every ounce of willpower I have not to push you off this dock.”

“Please withhold that urge,” Riku said nervously, scooting away from Roxas. “I just washed this jacket.”

Roxas was about to open his mouth and say that wasn’t any of his concern when a burst of blizzard magic created a sweeping cold wind that buffeted against them. A glistening swirl of ice lead a trail from the main island to the dock. Sora waved hysterically at them with both hands as he effortlessly glided along it.

It was almost humorous how they both jumped to attention. They scrambled to stand, Roxas elbowing Riku in the stomach and Riku stepping on Roxas’ foot. They took a few steps back so that Sora could land safely, and he did, flawlessly. He was wearing white capris, a sky blue tank top with blue flip-flops to match. It looked like Riku was right about the whole flip-flop thing on Destiny Islands.

“Hey!” Sora greeted, his smile eclipsing the sun. “I missed you guys!”

“We missed you, too,” Riku answered for both of them, which was fine in this one instance. Roxas was so blinded by the beauty of Sora that his brain had forgotten what words were.

Sora smiled at Riku and then turned those amazing blue eyes of his to Roxas. “It’s been a tough weekend, huh?”

Riku took the lead again, which was fine in this second instance because Roxas’ brain had figured out what words were, but was stumped on how to get them to actually exit his mouth. “How did yours go?”

Sora sighed heavily, looking at Riku and allowing Roxas to finally quit his job as a statue. “I mostly had to babysit my cousin and change diapers a lot.”

“Damn,” Roxas breathed. He wasn’t sure if it was in response to Sora’s answer or to his own predicament.

Riku laughed, placing his hands on his hips. “Sucks to be you.”

Sora looked between them, his smile growing from something casual to a beam of pure light. “Did you two just…? Did you just agree on something?”

Roxas rolled his shoulders, trying to appear aloof and collected when he was anything but. “Mm.”

Sora pointed a finger at him and then pointed to Riku. His finger moved back and forth like a pendulum. “Does this mean—? Are you two finally friends?!”

Riku looked over at Roxas and left it to him to answer the question. Roxas looked over at Riku and tried to decide how he truly felt. It took him too long to think of an answer, so he ended up saying nothing.

Sora didn’t care. He ran across the dock and crushed Roxas into a tight hug. “Roxas!” He cried, literally squeezing the breath out of him. He pulled back and smoothly lifted his hands to cup Roxas’ cheeks. “I knew you could do it!” Timidly, Roxas placed his hands on Sora’s back to return the embrace. He had to manually remind himself to breathe as he gazed into those eyes. They were as vast and beautiful as the sky itself. Engulfed by Sora’s presence and energy, Roxas nearly fainted.

But he’d made his choice, and his heart calmed with the somberness of it.

“Well, you always have been capable of doing the impossible,” Roxas told him with an easy smile.

“Nah,” Sora shook his head, spiky brown hair swaying to and fro with the movement. “It wasn’t me. This was all you, Roxas.”

He didn’t know what to say to that. He’d agreed to stay for the weekend because Sora had asked him to, and there wasn’t anything he wouldn't do for Sora. But as Roxas thought about it, as he dissected it to pieces, there had been times when…he’d genuinely had fun. Through the dread and frustration, there were memories that he could think back on fondly.

“Let’s have some ice cream,” Roxas suggested, canting his head behind him to his mini-cooler. “I’ve got three bars left.”

Sora jumped away, looking absolutely astonished. “You want to have ice cream? With both of us?”

Even Riku seemed taken aback. He stared wide-eyed at Roxas and then looked to Sora, who gaped at Riku like they’d just won a million munny prize. They were both dorks, really.

Still, Sora understood the importance of Roxas sharing ice cream with someone and had likely imparted that knowledge to Riku. It wasn’t something that Roxas did lightly, but he wasn’t as cold and heartless as he often appeared to be. Riku, while still an absolute pain in the ass, had made his intentions of friendship clear. Good intentions. The genuine remorse and guilt that he’d seen in Riku’s heart proved that.

So… “Yeah,” Roxas replied, smiling sincerely. “With both of you.”

They decided to stay on the dock to eat their ice cream. With all three of them sitting on the edge, space was scarce, and Sora ended up squished between them. A simultaneous dream and nightmare. As Riku recounted the details of their weekend, Sora animatedly reacted and asked questions. His laughter was Roxas’ favorite song.

Sora’s social skills put both his and Riku’s to shame. He actively engaged both of them, nudging or poking to get their attention and aiming his smile their way when they answered. Though he’d been doing most of the talking, Sora was the first to finish his ice cream.

“Aw!” He pouted, holding up his ice cream stick for them both to see. “I lost.”

Riku ate the last chunk of his ice cream, flipped it over, and then tapped his stick against the tip of Sora’s nose. “So did I.”

They both turned to Roxas to see how he fared, but he was laggardly savoring every sweet morsel of his ice cream. He looked at them and smiled as he brought his ice cream to his mouth…and took another small bite. Really, there was nothing quite like the taste of sea-salt ice cream on a warm summer day.

“Roxas…” Sora said, growing impatient.

Not a drip of it would be wasted on Roxas’ watch. Why, he would be content to sit for another ten minutes and truly take his time with his favorite treat. Another small bite with an overexaggerated moan to go with it. “This is good shit.”

“I’m about to steal it from you,” Riku told him, his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Roxas leaned forward to look at him...and took an even smaller bite. “I wish you would.”

“I bet you lost,” Riku said, reaching over Sora to make a swipe at Roxas’ ice cream.

Roxas aptly dodged. “I bet I didn’t.”

“I bet you did.”

“I’m so happy you guys are friends now,” Sora chimed in, looking pleased as punch as he swung his feet back and forth.

Roxas caught a drop of melting ice cream with the tip of his tongue. “We’re frenemies if anything.” The right word finally came to mind after the hiccup his brain had earlier.

“Sure,” Riku agreed from Sora’s right side. “Let’s go with that.”

Sora wasn’t discouraged by the label. In fact, he only smiled brighter. “Whatever you want to call it, you haven’t tried to kill each other the entire twenty minutes we’ve been sitting here!”

Pondering those words, Roxas looked at Sora’s gorgeous face and then to Riku, where the golden dust of the evening was beginning to leave his eyes. “I don’t know, I’m thinking about it.”

Riku snorted so hard he ended up coughing.

“See?” Sora exclaimed, gesturing to both of them. “I’m so glad I just—!” He wrapped his left arm around Roxas’ shoulders, and his right around Riku’s. He brought them both close, initiating a group hug that was made uncomfortable by their lack of space and the very real threat of them falling off the dock and into the ocean below. “I love you guys so much!”

Roxas’ heart practiced gymnastics in his chest, flipping and leaping and going for the gold.

“We love you, too,” Riku replied for the both of them, which was fine in this third instance. Riku needed the practice, anyway.

Sora released them from his hold and stretched his arms above his head. The last vestiges of sunlight were making themselves scarce. Night would fall soon. Sora’s gaze turned thoughtful as he took in the sight he’d seen time and time again. “This is fun…” he remarked with a soothing smile.

As they stared out at the ever changing sky, Roxas had to agree with him. It was fun. More fun than Sora having to force conversations and take it upon himself to ease the tension between them. More fun than Riku giving him guilty looks and acting uneasy around him. And much more fun than Roxas being angry and bitter anytime Riku so much as entered his line of sight.

The three of them could sit on the dock, eat ice cream, and relax in the duskiness of the sky without pressure or stress. They could enjoy each other’s presence and company and have silly conversations or appreciate the silence. Things weren’t entirely perfect between him and Riku, but they were better.

And that was a start.

Roxas ate the last bit of ice cream with a smile on his face. He paused for dramatic effect and flipped the stick over to reveal his fate. “Oh,” he whispered. “Look at that.”

“You won!” Sora shouted, wrapping his arm around Roxas’ neck.

Riku reached over and playfully shoved at Roxas’ side. “Lucky you.”

Roxas should’ve known he’d win on the last day of his weekend getaway. There had to be some kind of symbolism in that. He turned the popsicle stick over in his hands before placing it in his front pocket.

“We should get going,” said Riku, shuffling against Sora and the dock pylon to stand.

Sora didn’t pitch a fit like Roxas had expected him to. He jumped up after Riku and followed him to the luggage lined up along the dock. He picked up a single bag before he noticed the handle on the mini-cooler. He glanced behind himself to Roxas. “Why didn’t you mention this thing had a handle?”

“Because he loathed me at the time,” Riku answered in Roxas’ place.

Sora covered his mouth with his free hand. When Roxas joined them by the bags, Sora reached over to place that same hand on his shoulder. The look in his eyes was intense. “You know what that is?” Sora asked rhetorically, his voice breaking with emotional inflection. “Growth.”

Riku busted out into laughter as he descended the stairs. He’d grabbed two bags and the mini-cooler. Sora grabbed the last of Roxas’ bags and the treasure chest, leaving nothing behind for Roxas to take as they made their way down the beach.

It didn’t take them long to reach the other side of the island. When they reached a certain spot, Sora started to sprint to where he knew the ship was hidden. Riku dispelled the illusion as soon as he was close enough and Sora unlocked the gummiship with his keyblade.

The second Sora stepped onto the ship, it roared to life. He ran inside, dropping Roxas’ things in the cargo hold and heading for the cockpit. “I’m driving!”

“No,” Riku called immediately, hefting Roxas’ bag on his shoulder. “Sora, you might crash into the trees.”

“It’ll be fine, Riku!”

“I have a feeling it won’t be…”

Roxas couldn’t help a smile as he listened to Sora and Riku’s banter. He and Riku walked side by side into the gummiship. The weight of the luggage affected Riku’s gait, causing him to bump into Roxas at regular intervals. Their hands brushed together right before they went inside.

Roxas had no idea why he took notice of that.

“I’ve been driving longer than you have!” Sora argued, pressing buttons as the gummiship began to hover in the air. Riku gently placed Roxas’ things on the ground and then hurried over to Sora.

“I know you have, but it’s a difficult spot to land in—”

“I’ve landed this ship in way more difficult spots!”

“I’m starting to suspect that you think landing and crashing are the same thing...”

“Riku!” Sora gasped, turning around in his seat to gape at his best friend. “How dare.”

Roxas left them to their argument. He secured his things in the cargo hold. When Sora flew, he didn’t shy away from any dangerous or nauseating maneuvers. Once he was sure his things wouldn’t go flying around the ship when they inevitably spun and whirled around, he pulled out his phone.

: on my way home

: Wear a hoodie! It’s raining here.

Raining? In Twilight Town? Roxas grasped his phone tightly, his eyebrows furrowing. A flicker of apprehension crossed his face.

Strange…very strange.

Rain pelted against the gummiship as soon as they entered the troposphere of Twilight Town. The noise echoed inside the ship, repetitive yet appeasing. It reminded Roxas of days staring out his window at a heart-shaped moon. He didn’t want to associate this particular weather condition with Twilight Town, but now he had no choice. It was a mystery, truly, one that would have Pence talking and theorizing nonstop.

Sora had gotten them there safely, and he bragged about it to Riku, who only rolled his eyes and reminded him that the difficulty came in the landing. Which Sora had yet to do.

He landed perfectly.

“How dare you doubt my skills!” Sora told Riku, poking him in the chest and stomach.

Riku swatted his hands away and made for the cargo hold. “Yeah, okay. You seem to be forgetting that you almost crashed into Master Yen Sid’s tower three weeks ago.”

Sora wasn’t affected by that. “Almost being the key word there, Riku. I’m still the best.”

“You’re so humble, Sora,” Roxas chimed in, and then laughed as Sora targeted him for pokes and tickles next. They gathered up Roxas’ things and lowered the ramp with a press of a button. A small breeze carried the smell of rainfall inside. The dark grey rain clouds hid the sun from view. A light fog traveled slowly through the trees, shrouding the forest in mystery.

Riku shifted to Roxas’ right. “Has it rained in Twilight Town before?”

“No,” Roxas answered slowly, suspicions rising as he saw the oddity with his own eyes. “Never.”

All three of them stiffened at once. An electric spike shot through the air, palpable as they regarded the rain with analytical eyes. There was a danger on the brink of closing in, pieces being set into motion that they couldn’t yet see. Intuition, instinct, and experience, three invaluable sources of knowledge that every keyblade wielder made use of. All the signs pointed to another battle they’d have to fight.

Roxas knew it would come. He glanced over to Sora, who had a strange look in his eyes. The strain of duty and reliability added a weight that threatened to tear him apart. But Roxas wouldn’t allow that. There’d be no more sacrifices, stolen hearts, or deadly betrayals. No more heartbreak. He would gradually lessen the burden on Sora’s shoulders until it was removed completely.

Beside him, to his right, he knew Riku felt the same.

“Let’s get going,” Riku said, snapping them out of the battle mode they’d automatically entered. His smile was caring as he looked to Sora and Roxas. “We’ve got school tomorrow.”

Usually, such a reminder would leave teenagers groaning and considering ways to fake sickness, but Sora brightened with the news. “Yeah!” He said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “You’re right.”

Before they ventured out into the storm, Roxas untied his pink plaid jacket and put it on. He was the only one wearing a hood. Riku used the mini-cooler as a makeshift umbrella as he walked down the ramp and Sora was impervious to water. He welcomed the rain with a bright, booming smile.

They stepped out onto the wet grass and squinted their eyes to see through the fog and the blanket of rain. Well, he and Riku did. Sora’s eyes were on the ground as he looked for puddles to splash in. He intentionally got Roxas wet, which made him join in the puddle finding as they annoyed Riku by dousing him in rain water.

Safe under the canopy of the mansion was Xion, Lea and Naminé. As soon as they were visible, Sora took off like a rocket, unbothered by the luggage he carried. Riku and Roxas followed behind at their own pace.

“Hey, guys!” Sora exclaimed. He set down the chest and made to give Xion and Naminé a hug but stopped short when he realized he was soaking wet from the rain. He smiled sheepishly. “I’ll have to hug you both extra tight next time.”

“Screw that,” Xion said, and jumped into Sora’s arms. Naminé followed suit and they encased Sora in a warm hug that had him giggling excitedly. He wrapped his arms around their shoulders tenderly, holding them close. Sora wore his heart on his sleeve and as Roxas caught up with him, he could see the unease in his lips and the position of his eyebrows. When Sora released them, it was gone, tucked deep into a corner of his heart.

“You’re a real miracle worker, kid,” Lea commented, ruffling Sora’s wet hair. He took the bags from Sora’s hands and carried them on his shoulder. “Was sure you’d call the whole thing off after a day.”

“Same,” Xion said, her eyes passing over all three of them. “I’m super surprised.”

“I’m not,” Naminé smiled. She looked at Roxas and gave him a wink. “I knew it’d go well.”

The look she gave him was familiar, almost as if—Oh, shit, wait. “You’re the one who told Sora about the three day weekend,” Roxas revealed, his eyes wide.

“Yup!” Sora piped up, his hands on his hips. “Naminé really helped me out!”

“I should’ve known,” Riku sighed, setting the mini-cooler down.

When Roxas didn’t respond for a while, Naminé’s expression turned hesitant. She walked up to him, touching his arm with a gentle hand as the conversation continued on without them. “Are you angry…?”

“Never,” Roxas replied immediately. He took Naminé’s hand and held it in his own. “I could never be mad at you, Naminé. I’m just…surprised, I guess. I finally know what that look was about.”

Naminé smiled sadly. “I’m sorry I kept it from you.”

“Don’t apologize,” he told her. Easily, they fell into each other’s arms. Roxas held Naminé kindly, softly, protectively. She always had a reason for doing things. He knew about the friendship she had with Riku from her tales of Castle Oblivion and the whole incident with the fake Twilight Town. She, just as much as Sora, wanted the two to become friends.

Naminé held him tightly, just as protective of him as he was of her. They released each other and a tear fell from Naminé’s left eye. Roxas caught it before it reached her cheek.

“Hey! Where’s my emotional hug?” Xion pouted. She stomped up to Roxas and placed her hands on her hips. Roxas wasted no time in picking her up and spinning around. She wrapped her hands around his neck and held on tight. “Naminé, too!” Xion cried through her laughter. “Pick up Naminé, too!”

Roxas couldn’t turn down that request. He bent his knees and grinned as Naminé ran into his open left arm. It was easy to pick them both up at the same time. He often did it when Xion was feeling particularly giddy and full of energy. He spun them both around effortlessly. Intentionally, he veered out into the rain and Xion screamed with laughter when she and Naminé got wet.

Sora turned to Riku with large puppy dog eyes. “Riku…”

With a roll of his eyes and a small smile, Riku opened his arms and Sora jumped into them, letting out a loud whoop as his best friend picked him up. He looked over at Lea, who was regarding them all with amusement and exhaustion. “Now pick up Lea!”

“No,” Lea and Riku replied in unison.

Roxas eased Xion and Naminé onto the ground, laughing under his breath as Sora squirmed in Riku’s arms and Lea kept turning down the proposition of being picked up and spun around by someone half his age. Through their laughter and the sound of the pounding rain, the clock tower rang. It sounded so far away with the added noise of the rain.

Riku placed Sora back on the ground as they’d all been made aware of the time of day. “We should go,” he told them sadly. Just as soon as the arrival hugs had ended, the farewell ones began. Naminé took Riku’s first hug, and then moved on to Sora. Xion followed after, and Lea gave them both pats on the head and reminded them to eat their vegetables, which was rich because Lea ate vegetables maybe once every two months.

Xion and Lea carried his things inside, and with a quick glance at Roxas, Naminé followed them inside. If only Riku could read the room like Naminé could.

The three of them stood alone under the shelter of the canopy. Roxas looked at Sora first, and then to Riku. His chest felt tight and he forced himself to look down at the wet grass and small flowers near his shoes.

“We’ll see each other soon,” Sora said, reading Roxas’ mind as he so often did. “We can have a sleepover or something now that you and Riku are friends.”

“Frenemies,” Riku corrected with a smirk.

“Right,” Sora nodded, nudging Riku in the shoulder.

The clouds above began to soothe the downpour of rain, mollifying the overpowering sound to that of a peaceful and steady softness. Roxas pocketed his hands and raised his head to meet their eyes. “I’ll walk you back.”

“You sure?” Riku asked. “You don’t have to.”

“I’m not afraid of a little rain,” Roxas told him and Riku smiled in a knowing way.

It was more of a light misting now. They took their time as they walked to the clearing, Roxas between Sora and Riku. They didn’t say anything, either because they weren’t sure what to say or because saying something would open the floodgates. It went without saying that the feeling from earlier, the peril that they anticipated had bothered them and they were all thinking about it, but now wasn’t the time or place to discuss it.

More than that, Roxas was…surprised. He remembered how he felt when the weekend had started and now, he felt completely different. At first, it’d been a scary feeling, but he was slowly getting used to it. He wouldn’t have to tell Sora ‘I told you so’ after all.

They reached the gummiship and hung around the ramp. Sora and Riku were both waiting for him to say something, and he was waiting on Sora to start the conversation since that was how things usually went.

“So,” Sora spoke, just as Roxas knew he would. “I’m glad you guys agreed to do this. I—thanks, I mean. For agreeing.” He scratched nervously at his neck and looked between Riku and Roxas, a modest flush on his cheeks. “I know I asked a lot of you.”

“You sure as fuck did,” Roxas couldn’t help but say, but there was humor in it. Riku chuckled lowly to his right.

“I’m sorry,” Sora apologized, his eyebrows drawn together as he looked at Roxas. 

“No, don’t—” Roxas bit the inside of his cheek. He hadn't meant to make Sora feel guilty. “It’s fine, Sora. Everything worked out alright.”

“It almost didn’t, though,” Sora pointed out. He looked truly remorseful as he reached forward to take their hands. Roxas’ right and Riku’s left. “Thank you both…for trying.”

Riku went silent all of a sudden. He left the response to Roxas, which wasn’t fair because Riku had been handling it all day. “You’re welcome,” Roxas said too quietly. His voice broke on the ‘welcome’ part of his reply and his stomach fluttered with embarrassment. 

Sora squeezed their hands. Roxas squeezed back, his smile watery. He’d blame it on the rain if either of them asked. 

“Time for my goodbye hug!” Sora announced, releasing their hands. He looked at Roxas with a kind smile before bringing him in for a crushingly strong hug. “I’m so proud of you,” Sora whispered, gently placing his hand on the back of Roxas’ head. 

Roxas’ hands shook as he settled them on the small of Sora’s back. He could feel Sora’s heartbeat, strong, powerful and full of warmth. Roxas closed his eyes and held back tears that seemed to come from nowhere. He brought Sora closer as his heart told him, soflty, that this needed to be the last time he imagined things that would never come to be.

For the first time, Roxas pulled away first. The look in his eyes was restrained. He could only look at Sora for a moment before needing to stare elsewhere. 

Sora noticed because he always did. His eyebrows drew together and he touched Roxas’ hand. He didn’t know that he was just making it worse. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Yeah,” Roxas muttered, nodding slowly. “Okay.”

The soft and slow agreement didn’t seem to sit right with Sora, but he didn’t press it. He let go of Roxas’ hand and with a small wave, he headed up the ramp and into the ship. 

It was just him and Riku left.

“So…” Riku started, looking around the forest before his teal eyes met Roxas’. “Now that we’re frenemies—”

Roxas choked on his own spit. It sounded so stupid when Riku said it. He needed to stop.

“—I was thinking we could…hang out sometime?” He finished, completely ignoring Roxas’ little choking fit. 

Roxas raised a brow, considering that. “Hang out where?”

“Here, if you want,” Riku shrugged. “I know there’s more to Twilight Town than just the two districts and the beach. I wouldn’t mind seeing them.”

Actually… Roxas wouldn’t mind that. He could show him around Eventide Square. It would be total hell having to put up with Riku’s sense of humor and if there were any water fountains around, then one of them was inevitably going to get shoved into it, but that was the nature of their frenemyship. 

“Or we could do something else. Go world hopping or whatever,” Riku suggested. He seemed pretty nervous about asking to hang out. Roxas wasn’t sure why that was. They’d had ice cream together. Didn’t that say enough?

Roxas sighed overdramatically but smiled all the same. “Yeah, fine. I guess.”

Riku shyly grinned as he put his hands in the pockets of his jean jacket. The rain fell lightly, a sweet shower of well wishes and good luck. So different from the last time he and Riku had stood in the rain together. They didn’t grit their teeth in desperation or glare at each other in animosity. They’d changed, and change was a part of life. One could go from a world of eternal night to one of perpetual twilight. Another could go from being consumed by darkness to learning how to control it.

Hate could gradually become forgiveness. If one was willing, anyway.

“Well, you’ve got my number,” Riku reminded him, gently tapping the side of Roxas’ shoe with his own.

“Unfortunately,” Roxas quipped, his smirk nearly taking up his entire face. 

Riku ignored that, too. Roxas suddenly wished they were back on the beach so that he could throw sand at him. “Let me know when you’re free. We can plan something.”

Roxas had a pretty tight schedule on the weekends. Sleep, video games and occasional odd jobs were always on the agenda, but perhaps he could squeeze in some time to show Riku the nearby districts, at least. “Fine,” he said again, his face feeling hot in spite of the cool rain that continued to fall upon him.

Neither of them moved. They stared at each other and Roxas wasn’t entirely sure what was happening. There was sadness in his heart that was unrelated to Sora. 

“I guess I…” Riku began, breaking the silence with soft spoken words. “I’m going to miss having you around.”

It took a moment for Roxas to fully understand that sentiment. Riku didn’t have the two circles of friends that Roxas did. He didn’t talk to Tidus, Selphie or Wakka anymore. His parents didn’t talk to him. It was just Sora and Kairi and what happened when they were busy or out on missions? Roxas averted his gaze, aiming his glare at the mud instead of at Riku. The situation reminded him of the days he’d sat alone on the clocktower, his ice cream melting before he could finish it. 

“Already that attached to me?” Roxas teased, wanting their farewell to not be so heavy. 

Riku huffed out a breath. “Well, who else am I going to pester awake before noon?”

Ah. Roxas had known Riku had gotten some enjoyment out of that. “Don’t get too torn up about it,” he told him, lifting his head to stare evenly at Riku. “I’ll be in touch.”

Riku looked delighted to hear the words, though he tried to hide it behind the small size of his smile. “It’s been fun, Roxas,” Riku told him. He shifted awkwardly and Roxas realized that Riku wasn’t sure how to say goodbye. A hug was too personal and didn’t suit the two of them, high fives were stupid, and he’d already kicked Roxas’ sneaker once.  

Roxas held out his hand for Riku to shake. “At times,” he said honestly.

Riku looked down at Roxas’ left hand, the white and black rings wet with water. He held out his own left hand and they shook, Riku smiling like the true dork he was. “Right,” he agreed. “At times.”

They let go.

“Remember what I said in the cave,” Roxas reminded quietly, his voice deeper and heavier than it usually was. 

Riku blinked, his eyes widening a fraction. “Oh,” he muttered, eyes cast downward at the rapidly forming rain puddles. “I’ll remember.” He took a deep breath and raised his head, teal meeting blue. “Thanks for your advice.”

“No problem.” Roxas forced the words out of his mouth. 

Riku looked at him for a moment longer before taking a step back. “See you, Roxas,” he said, and turned toward the gummiship. He climbed the ramp and with a short wave, entered the ship.

It took a moment for the ship to come to life. Roxas didn’t know why. He adjusted his hood and cleared the area, not wanting to get hit by rushing winds or burning stardust. Once he was a good distance away, he pulled out his phone and navigated to his messages. He pulled up the unknown number that’d texted him Thursday night and tapped to edit it. 

 riku 

It felt weird to see the name in his phone at all, but it was a part of change. He placed his phone back in his pocket and watched the gummiship take off. Roxas could tell that Riku was driving just by the way it slowly ascended. The ship successfully cleared the treetops and with a sudden burst of exhilaration, the gummiship took off in a swirl of blinding blue light.

He stood in the rain and the hood he wore concealed his face as he smiled. He could move now. That night would never be forgotten but it wasn’t as painful. His heart was changing, just as it would continue to do as he grew and learned more about himself. He’d discarded some feelings and gained new ones and it was up to him to glean them and, eventually, accept them. 

The hurt in his heart…bit by bit, he would return it to light. He would always be a denizen of darkness; there was no changing that, but the light could heal in ways the darkness couldn’t. Roxas turned and took the first step toward that mind-set. He went inside to get out of the rain. With light, he would move forward and with darkness, he would remember how far he’d come.