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“Maximus, give him a wash!” Flynn told the horse he had been riding, in response to finding Donald and Goofy attempting to wake the sleeping Sora. The horse complied with a sloppy lick across Sora’s face. When nothing happened, Flynn said, surprised, “Huh. That usually works…”
“What do we do now?!” Donald garbled in panic. He, Goofy, and Sora had been traveling along the shore towards the forest near the city of Corona when the group had crossed paths with a member of Organization 13, Marluxia, who had used some sort of sleep spell on Sora as a parting gift. Flynn had arrived shortly afterwards.
“Gawsh, do you think it’s like the Mark of Mastery, when he was stuck in dreams?” Goofy wondered. “It was the Organization who put him to sleep then, too…”
“That must be it!” Donald proclaimed. “Riku woke him that time, so maybe he can do that again!”
“Well, he is Sora’s Dream Eater,” Goofy agreed.
“Dream Eater?” Flynn asked. “What’s that?”
“He’s able to enter Sora’s dreams,” Goofy explained. “Last time Sora fell asleep and wouldn’t wake up, Riku entered his dreams to solve the problem.”
Donald was already on his GummiPhone, informing Riku and King Mickey of the issue.
After a few minutes of waiting, Flynn began to speak. “You know, Rapunzel is still in trouble; I should--”
“What happened?!” Riku proclaimed, leaping out of a dark portal. “Sora?!”
Everyone jumped in surprise, not expecting the keyblade master’s abrupt entrance. “What’s the big idea?!” Donald complained. He looked at Riku suspiciously, bonking Riku on the head with his staff.
“Ow!” Riku complained, holding his head. “Was that really necessary?!”
“Had to make sure it was you,” the duck said smugly, then frowned. “Although the portal is still suspicious.”
“I thought you couldn’t use those portals anymore?” Goofy asked, slightly confused.
“You said it was an emergency,” Riku defended, then shifted slightly as he looked down. “I didn’t even know I could still use those either, it just kinda happened…” Then, Riku snapped to attention again. “Wait, where’s-- SORA!” he yelled, noticing his sleeping friend and running over to him, forgetting all other conversation. He knelt by Sora, looking over the boy, checking he was alive, feeling relieved that he was. “What happened?!” he demanded, turning to the others, panic still evident on his face, though he tried to hide it.
“Well, some Organization person appeared, and used some sort of sleep spell on him,” Goofy explained. “Now he won’t wake up, no matter what we try…”
“But you’re his Dream Eater!” Donald squawked excitedly. “So you should be able to wake him, right?”
“Y-yeah, probably,” Riku said, calming slightly. Right, he had been able to wake Sora before, when nothing else would. He could do it again, right? Right. Riku took a deep breath, and stood, holding his keyblade over Sora, pointing at his friend’s heart. He closed his eyes, concentrating on using the power of his keyblade to open a portal…
But nothing happened.
“What’s going on?” Riku said, confused. “It worked before.”
“Well, try again!” Donald demanded.
Riku did so, but again, nothing happened. “Why? Why won’t it work?” he shouted, beginning to panic again. He tried twice more, then came to a realization. It wasn’t him that was the issue, it was... “Something’s blocking it,” Riku said, voice quiet.
“Gawsh, maybe the Organization predicted you’d try this,” Goofy said worriedly.
“Then, how do we wake him?!” Riku said angrily, falling to his knees again. He pulled Sora into his arms, trying not to cry.
“Well, I know something that might work,” said the remaining person there. “Flynn, Flynn Rider,” he introduced himself to Riku, who had a look of confusion. He hadn’t noticed the man in all the commotion.
“Well, spit it out then,” Donald spat, tapping his foot in annoyance. He still didn’t trust the man-- then again, the duck didn’t trust anyone easily.
“Well, it’s in all the stories, isn’t it? True love’s kiss will break a sleeping curse, works every time.”
“Those are just stories!” Donald argued.
“But it did work for Aurora and Snow White,” Goofy pointed out.
“Exactly!” Flynn proclaimed. “So, might as well try, right?” He winked at Riku.
“Well, nothing else has worked yet,” Riku conceded with a sigh. It left a bittersweet taste in his mouth.
“I’ll call Kairi!” Donald said.
“GummiPhones don’t work in the training forest,” Goofy pointed out. “We’ll have to call the king, first…”
“Right. Stupid pocket dimensions,” Donald grumbled, as he and Goofy moved a bit away from the others to make the call.
“You sure this Kairi chick is Sora’s true love?” Flynn asked Riku skeptically.
Riku nodded. “Yeah,” he said, trying to hide his sadness over it.
Flynn considered this for a moment. “Hmm. I didn’t think he liked chicks like that,” he muttered after a short while.
“What?” Riku asked, not sure he’d heard correctly.
“Well, at the town dance earlier, Sora was definitely much more enthusiastic when dancing with the guys over the gals, and I’m pretty sure he was checking me out before… oh, I don’t mind though, basically everyone does, I’m just that much of a stud,” Flynn grinned and waggled his eyebrows at Riku, who blushed.
“I-ignoring that last part, I’m pretty sure you must have imagined it,” Riku argued. “Sora definitely likes girls.”
“Hmm, if you say so…”
“I know so. He’s been my best friend since we were little, I’d have noticed something like that. He likes Kairi.”
“Well, sometimes we can be blinded when it comes to love,” Flynn said matter-of-factly.
Riku scoffed. “Yeah, well, I’m not.”
“But you do love him,” Flynn pointed out.
Riku blushed. “Wh-what? No, I--”
“Oh you definitely do,” Flynn interrupted. “Trust me, I know what love looks like, and from the way you look at him, you’ve hopelessly fallen for him.”
Riku sighed, resigned to the fact that somehow this stranger had been able to tell so easily. “Okay, maybe that’s true. But it’s not like it’ll come to anything; he definitely doesn’t feel the same.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yeah, he doesn’t li--”
“Doesn’t stop talking about you,” Flynn finished for Riku. “I mean, I have no idea who this Kairi person is, but you? I feel like I already know you; It’s Riku this, Riku that… It’s actually kinda cute-- although it can get a bit annoying,” Flynn said with amusement.
Riku blinked in surprise. Maybe… Riku shook his head, refusing to let any hope seep in.
“You should kiss him,” Flynn said suddenly.
“Wh-what?!” Riku proclaimed in shock, face beet red. “No, I--”
“Look, you obviously love him, and I’m pretty sure he loves you too, so--”
“No,” Riku shook his head firmly. “He loves Kairi.”
“Have you actually asked him that?”
Riku paused in surprise. He hadn’t, in fact, talked to Sora about love of any sort; they had just been too busy with saving the universe-- or in Riku’s case, nearly destroying the universe and then saving it-- the past few years, which covered most of puberty. “Technically, no, but it’s obvious they like each other.”
“Hmm. Maybe she does, but I doubt he does.”
“How would you even know?” Riku protested, though with less spark than before.
Flynn laughed. “I told you already, she’s a chick, and he definitely isn’t into chicks.”
Riku sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to win that argument. “Fine, say that’s true. Why would he even consider falling for me? I’m not worth that. I’ve done too many bad things, I--”
“Doesn’t matter,” Flynn said adamantly, not letting the subject drop despite Riku’s continuous attempts at protesting. “Love doesn’t work like that. Trust me, I’d know-- done some pretty bad stuff myself, yet can’t keep the ladies away. And some men.” Flynn winked. “So, kiss him.”
“I’m not--”
“What’s the harm, though? You clearly love him. If he feels the same-- which I’m certain he does-- great, he’ll wake up! If not, well, we’ll just have to figure out something else to wake him.”
“Well, yeah, Kairi--”
Flynn sighed. “Back on that again? Riku…”
***
Meanwhile, Donald and Goofy had reached King Mickey on the GummiPhone, yet were having issues with their conversation as well.
“I can’t just pull Kairi out of training,” the mouse said.
“But Sora needs to be woken up!” Donald argued. “Flynn said true love’s kiss breaks sleeping curses.”
“Yeah, like with Aurora and Snow White,” Goofy said.
“I dunno…”
“But we’ve tried everything else!” Donald squawked.
“Still, I don’t think this will--”
“And why not?!”
“Well… hmm. It’s just… I’m not sure those two… I mean, Kairi definitely loves him, but...” Mickey trailed off, not quite sure how to properly phrase things without it feeling like he was revealing secrets he shouldn’t, even though he wasn’t quite sure what things actually were secret; he hadn’t been told anything directly, but still...
“Sora’s just a bit oblivious,” Goofy said. “That doesn’t mean he doesn’t love her. I mean, it’s kinda obvious…”
Mickey shook his head. “I don’t think it’s quite the same type of love though. Not for Sora.”
Donald and Goofy just looked at the King in confusion as they tried to figure out what the King was trying to get at. Kairi and Sora were destined for each other, right? Sora had even taken a keyblade to the heart for her. That surely was love. Goofy pointed this out.
Mickey laughed a bit at that. “Pretty sure Sora would sacrifice himself for any of his friends, not just Kairi.”
Donald and Goofy couldn’t argue with that. Still, who else could Sora’s True Love be but Kairi? It was a classic tale: the hero and the princess fall in love and get their happy ending, and Sora definitely deserved a happy ending after all he’d been through. Kairi fit that role perfectly.
***
As that conversation continued, Flynn had finally managed to convince a still-skeptical Riku that kissing Sora was, in fact, the best option they had right now, with the final argument being a challenge to Riku to prove that Sora didn’t have feelings for him. Flynn knew otherwise, but if that got Riku to kiss the boy, so be it.
Riku sighed, looking at Sora nervously. He truly did love Sora, and wished that a kiss from him could wake the boy, but he knew it wouldn’t. This would only concretely prove that there was no hope that Sora loved him back. Was it better to have confirmation that there was no hope at all, or to keep trying to hide and pretend there maybe could be something, even if only a slim chance? Well, at least this way Sora wouldn’t learn Riku’s feelings, wouldn’t be rejecting him consciously, so their friendship could stay intact afterwards.
Riku lifted Sora towards him as he leaned down to chastly brush his lips against the sleeping boy’s.
Immediately Riku turned to Flynn with a put-out expression. “See? I told you it wouldn’t work.”
Flynn only smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?” he nodded towards the boy in Riku’s arms.
Riku looked down in confusion, his expression turning gentle as he looked at Sora. “Yeah, he--” Riku cut himself off with a shocked expression, his brain not comprehending what followed.
Sora’s eyelashes fluttered as his eyes slowly opened. “Ri...ku…?” he muttered sleepily, looking directly at Riku. He blinked a few more times as he processed where he was, then made a strange squeaking sound as he threw his arms over Riku’s shoulders and buried his head in his shoulder. “You’re here! You’re actually here!” he said, voice muffled.
Riku’s brain finally caught up with what was happening. “Y-yeah,” he said, blushing as he laced his arms around Sora’s waist to return the hug.
Flynn smirked suggestively at the two. “See, what did I tell you? True love’s kiss, works every time.”
“Mhmm,” Sora mumbled, then realized what Flynn had said. “True love?” he asked, pulling back slightly to look at Riku, not letting go. His expression was curious, yet soft as well, a blush beginning to creep across his face.
Riku’s face was already beet red. “Er. Yeah, um, about that… you, well, you were under a sleeping curse, and they thought the dream eater powers would help, but they didn’t, so Flynn suggested I try, er, well…” he was too embarrassed to continue.
“A kiss?” Sora finished, smiling conspiratorially.
“Y-yeah…”
Sora looked down at Riku’s lips, then back into Riku’s eyes. “Can we kiss again, then?” he asked, face reddening to match Riku’s. “I mean, since I was asleep for the first one…”
“Y-yeah,” Riku stammered again, glancing at Sora’s lips, which were now barely an inch away, still trying to fully wrap his head around the fact that, apparently, Sora actually loved him back, enough for True Love’s Kiss to have worked.
Sora and Riku simultaneously leaned forwards, brushing their lips together. Riku tried to pull back afterwards, not wanting to press his luck, but Sora followed, adamantly pressing his lips harder onto Riku’s. Riku sighed into it, returning the forceful kiss, letting out a small squeak as Sora took the lead, taking advantage of Riku’s slightly opened mouth to slide his tongue over Riku’s lips. Riku returned the favor, finally accepting that yes, this was happening, Sora was actually wrapped around him with their mouths locked together, just as much in love with Riku as Riku was with him.
***
Just before the boys’ kiss had become heated, Flynn slid over to Donald and Goofy, still on the GummiPhone with no clue what was happening behind them.
“If you won’t bring her here, we’re taking Sora to her!” Donald yelled angrily into the phone.
Mickey sighed in resignation. “I still don’t think it will work, but I guess there’s no harm in trying…”
Goofy nodded. “It’ll work, you’ll see.”
“Actually, it won’t work,” Flynn said, sliding into the conversation, letting Mickey see him. “Flynn, Flynn Rider,” he introduced himself at Mickey’s confused look.
“And why not?!” Donald squawked at the man, still angry.
“Because,” Flynn grinned smugly. “Sora’s already awake.”
Donald and Goofy turned towards Sora, staring in disbelief at the two boys locked around each other, Sora clearly very awake and very unaware of everyone but Riku.
“What’d I tell you? True Love’s Kiss, works every time.”
Mickey only chuckled. “About time,” he said cheerfully.
Donald and Goofy turned towards the phone again. “You knew?!” they proclaimed simultaneously.
“Well, not exactly, but it was fairly obvious,” Mickey said jovially. “I’m surprised you two didn’t realize, with how much you’re around Sora.”
Goofy rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. “Now that I think about it, maybe it was a bit obvious…”
“Only took True Love’s Kiss to get the boys to realize,” Flynn commented with a chuckle. “I don’t think there’s ever been two people more hopelessly in love with each other while simultaneously having no idea the other felt the same…”
Mickey laughed. “That’s for sure! At least we won’t have to deal with it anymore,” he said.
“No, you’re going to have a different problem,” Flynn said, laughing as well.
“What do you mean?” Donald snapped.
“Well, they ARE teenage boys, after all…”
Goofy looked slightly confused at that comment, but Donald shouted in realization and immediately rushed to the two boys, still wrapped around each other, unaware of anyone else around and looking like they soon might try to go beyond merely kissing by the current placement of Sora’s hands.
Donald bonked both of them over the head with his staff.
“Oww! What was that for?!” Sora complained, covering his head with his hands and glaring at Donald.
Riku pulled away from Sora with a deep blush, highly embarrassed as he realized that he’d allowed things to go that far in public. Well, semi-public; it was just their friends around, but still.
Sora then realized too what he’d just done in front of his friends, and his face turned beet red to match Riku’s. “Um. Well, I guess this is one way to come out, huh?” he said sheepishly.
Riku just nodded in agreement, still too embarrassed to speak.
Mickey laughed over the GummiPhone. “Pretty sure Donald and Goofy were the only two who DIDN’T already know.”
“Wh-what?” Riku stammered, at the same time Sora said “Seriously?!”
Mickey tried calming his laughter, to little avail. “Trust me, no one else is going to be surprised at this.”
“Hold up a second!” Flynn suddenly proclaimed, remembering something important. “This is cute and all, but Rapunzel is in danger!” He turned and ran into the forest.
“Oh, right!” Sora said loudly, remembering. “We have to save her!” He grabbed Riku’s hand and dragged him after Flynn, Riku too surprised to protest.
The horse, whom they’d all forgotten about, ran after the three, pulling them onto his back as he passed them, briefly struggling with the weight before regaining his balance and disappearing, leaving Donald and Goofy behind.
“Er. I guess we gotta go?” Donald said into the phone, and Mickey just chucked, amused at Sora’s predictable antics.
“Wait a moment. Isn’t Riku supposed to be on a mission with YOU?” Goofy asked the King.
“Hmm,” Mickey looked thoughtful, then shrugged. “Well, right now we were just doing some research, so he’s not needed that much. I suppose I could give those two some time together,” he said with a smile. “Now, you two better get going too!”
“Yes, sir!” Donald and Goofy stood at attention as Mickey hung up the phone, then scampered after the rest of their group, wondering how different things would be with Riku now part of their adventure.