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Riku was walking along the corridor of the Radiant Garden castle to the laboratories. Sora had texted earlier to inform him that he was about to have another examination to determine if he would be okay enough to be discharged. Even if Sora didn’t ask specifically for him to be there, Riku had dropped whatever he was doing and headed straight to the castle instead.
As soon as Riku walked into the laboratory, he spotted Sora lying in a kind of glass tube, and several wires were connecting him to medical equipment. He acknowledged Ienzo and Even with little sign of the head and approached Sora. Sora’s eyes were closed and even after all this time recovering, Riku still noticed how frail and exhausted he looked. He eased his frown and replaced it with a smile.
“Everything okay in there?”
The response was immediate. Sora's eyes flew open as he turned his head toward Riku, a big smile illuminating his features.
“Riku! What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting you until late afternoon.”
“I changed my plans. I decided that you could use some company during those boring tests.”
If it was possible, Sora’s smile grew bigger.
“Aww, thanks Riku.”
“Don’t mention it,” Riku said, smiling back. “So, how are you feeling today?”
“Not too bad. But I do feel like I’m some sort of experiment,” Sora complained while motioning toward the suctions cups plastered all over his body.
Riku laughed, and Sora sighed.
“Anyway, what's the news?” Sora asked.
Riku took a seat near the pod and started to brief Sora about what had happened in Radiant Garden since yesterday. They talked for about an hour before Ienzo finally called the tests done. Ienzo helped Sora to unplug all the equipment and soon, Sora was out of the pod. He put his shirt back and went to join Riku who was talking with Even.
“So, can I leave?” Sora asked when he was close enough.
Even turned to face him, and Sora knew the answer before Even responded.
"I'm sorry, Sora, I'm afraid the results aren't good enough yet,” Even said with a sympathetic face. “Your general health has improved, but your heart’s still not strong enough and since no one can tell the consequence of reconstructing a heart, it would be for the best if you stay a little longer under supervision.”
Even if he knew what was coming, Sora’s face fell, and Riku placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.
“I... understand,” Sora said flatly.
"I’m glad you do," Even said. Riku could tell he was trying to be kind; he even attempted a smile for Sora. "I hope next time will be better."
“It’s okay, Sora,” Riku said once they were alone in the corridor leading to Sora’s room. “I’m sure you will be in top shape in a couple of days. Until then, I’ll continue to keep you company.”
“Yeah, you’re right but still...”
Sora halted in front of a window and turned his back to Riku to look outside. He wrapped his arms around himself and the gesture made Riku frown. Riku knew Sora was looking forward to heading back to Destiny Islands, but he never thought that the idea of staying here a little more would have affected Sora this much. He joined Sora near the window.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Riku asked, concerned, as he ran a comforting hand over Sora’s back.
Sora kept his gaze fixed on the garden outside and shrugged sheepishly.
“Don’t mind me...” He turned his head slightly to smile at Riku. “I’ll be okay in a couple of minutes.”
But unfortunately, Sora’s smile barely reached his eyes, and Riku’s frown only deepened.
“Sora, please tell me what’s bothering you...”
Sora peered at Riku a moment before letting his arms fall to the sides of his body.
“Fine,” he sighed before pointing a menacing finger toward Riku. “But don’t laugh.”
“Promise,” Riku said putting his right hand on his heart.
Sora glanced outside one last time before turning back and resting his back and head against the wall without looking directly at Riku.
“I know I should just be happy to be alive and not be that disappointed but...” Sora paused and snorted, shaking his in disbelief. “That’s so silly!” Then, he continued. “It just that... my birthday’s coming up and... well you know... it sucks."
Sora's cheeks were flushed from his embarrassment, but he tilted his head to look at Riku nonetheless. Riku was already staring at him with sympathy. Sora smiled weakly.
“Silly, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not.” Riku moved closer. “Come here.”
He gently grabbed Sora’s arm and pulled him into a hug. Sora wrapped his arms around Riku’s torso and buried his face in his shirt. He took a deep breath, inhaling Riku’s comforting smell.
“It’s okay, Sora,” Riku’s said in a low soothing voice. “It’s not silly. I know you’ve always considered birthdays like very special days.”
“Yeah...”
“Look, I don’t think I can make Even and Ienzo change their minds, but I’ll try to figure something out. And if anything, at least I’ll be there for your special day.”
Sora tightened his grip around Riku, bringing him into a bone-crushing bone. The force of it made Riku’s breath hitch, but he squeezed back anyway.
“Thanks, Riku.”
****
Riku didn’t stay long after that, excusing himself with some work he had to do for Merlin. But the fact was that Sora's birthday was in three days, and he had to find something to celebrate the occasion even if Sora was still confined at the castle.
Riku slowly made his way through the streets. He knew Sora would have liked to be at home for his birthday and throw a party on the beach with all his friends for the occasion and despite what the lab team had said, he was convinced that it would have done Sora a lot of good. But even if Riku wanted to give Sora what he wanted, he didn't want to defy the medical authorities. If something would happen to Sora because they intentionally ignored what Ienzo and Even had recommended, Riku would never be able to forgive himself.
However, even without throwing a big party, it could be nice if they allowed Sora something smaller, maybe a picnic with Kairi, just the three of them. It had been a very long time since they had such an occasion and Sora would definitely be pleased by that. The more Riku thought about it, the better it sounded. He should absolutely call Kairi to see what she would think of his idea. If she agreed with him, he would be able to handle the medical team.
Riku finally arrived at Merlin’s house and found it empty. He passed by the kitchen to grab a muffin Aerith had made yesterday and then went to his guest room. He took his jacket off, placed it on his desk chair before sitting on his bed. The picnic idea was nice but didn’t seem enough to him. Sora hadn't celebrated his two last birthdays after all.
He sighed and took a bite from his muffin. It was delicious. He should bring some to Sora next time. With Sora's sweet tooth, he would surely enjoy them. That made Riku think that he should make sure to not forget the cake. He took another bite and stopped chewing for a second. It shouldn’t be any random cake, it had to be Sora’s favorite cake, the one his mother always used to bake for the occasion. The chocolate-raspberry one. And since they were not home, Riku would have to be the one to take care of it. Cooking wasn’t his greatest skill but for Sora’s sake, he was ready to pass the next two days in the kitchen until he obtained a satisfying result.
But first, he had to get the recipe. With determination, he shoved the rest of the muffin in his mouth and took his gummiphone to text Kairi. Fifteen minutes later, Riku received the recipe.
****
Baking the cake was way more difficult than Riku had thought. When it wasn’t the cake that was burned, it was the raspberry jelly that was too thick or too liquid or the frosting that tasted awful. After his fourth attempt, Aerith came into the kitchen to offer some help, but Riku politely refused it, insisting on the fact that it was important for him to make this on his own. She smiled at him fondly.
“You’re very kind, Riku,” she stated. “Sora is very lucky to have you in his life.”
Her tone was casual, but Riku had the feeling that the girl knew more.
“I’m the lucky one,” he replied softly, not knowing exactly why he felt the need to pinpoint this fact.
Aerith gave him a genuine smile and to his relief, she didn’t try to push the subject further. Instead, she took an apple from the basket on the countertop and kept silent as Riku measured and poured some of the cake ingredients into a bowl.
“Did you find a gift for Sora yet?” she asked after a moment.
Riku stopped what he was doing, considering the question. He let out an involuntary sigh.
“Not yet,” he answered.
The truth was that Riku actually had an idea, but he wasn’t really sure if it was a good one. In fact, he was afraid of how Sora would perceive it, and the last thing he wanted was to make Sora feel uncomfortable. But, since the moment this idea had come into his mind, he hadn’t been able to think of anything else. As if she sensed his internal turmoil, Aerith put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Riku turned to face her.
“You have to trust your heart, Riku.”
Riku stared at her a long moment, shocked that she could read him this easily, before nodding. She smiled and squeezed his shoulder.
“Good. And if you need help, just tell me!”
Riku wasn’t sure if she was talking about the cake or the gift but before he could say anything, she was already gone. With Aerith’s advice in mind, he returned to his baking.
It took him three more attempts before being able to get something edible and somewhat good enough looking.
****
On the day of Sora’s birthday, Kairi arrived from the Land of Departure and joined Riku at Merlin’s house in Radiant Garden early in the morning. They packed all the stuff quickly and headed to the castle. Earlier this week, Riku had received Even’s permission to have a picnic on the condition that they stayed in the garden surrounding the castle. But that was more than fine with Riku.
Riku and Kairi had wanted the picnic and Kairi’s presence to be a complete surprise for Sora so instead of going inside, Kairi and he walked through the gardens, looking for the perfect place. They finally chose a spot under a big tree at the back of the courtyard. The place offered a beautiful view of the gardens and was isolated enough to assure them some privacy. Riku dropped his bag and the basket on the ground and left Kairi preparing their spot while he headed inside.
He found Sora lying face down on his bed, his feet resting against the wall behind him. His gummiphone was in front of him supported by a pillow so Sora’s head was resting in his hands. When Sora noticed Riku in the doorframe, he waved at him with a big smile, patting at the free space next to him. Riku smiled back immediately and joined Sora, plopping on the bed at the indicated place.
“Hey Roxas, I gotta go, Riku’s here,” he paused, moving the gummiphone slightly toward Riku who made a little sign with his hand to say hi, before replacing the phone in front of him.
“Okay,” Roxas said. “So, happy birthday! See you soon!”
“Thanks! Hope to see you soon too!”
“Oh! And tell Riku he’d better be spoiling you today or else I’ll kick his ass,” Roxas added quickly with a smirk of his own.
Sora burst out laughing, and Riku rolled his eyes for good measure but he was smiling too. The call ended after another bye and Sora close his gummiphone before sitting cross-legged near Riku.
“Happy birthday!” Riku said cheerfully, giving Sora a quick hug.
"Thanks, Riku!" Sora smiled.
Riku leaned back but kept Sora at arm’s length, eyeing him from head to toe. He raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Hey, mind telling me why are you still in your pajamas? Feeling lazy today?”
Sora looked at his clothes like he didn’t even remember what he was wearing.
“No, not at all,” he laughed. “It’s just that everyone has been calling me all morning. I haven't even had five minutes for myself since breakfast.”
Sora bit his bottom lips and gave a little sheepish shrug. But by how his eyes were shining, Riku could tell that Sora was pleased by the situation.
“Well Mr. Popular, I have a surprise for you which needs more proper clothing. So, if you’re interested, you must get changed.”
At the word ‘surprise’, Sora’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, and Riku didn’t have to tell him twice. Sora jumped out of bed, quickly grabbed some clothes, and ran to the bathroom. Ten minutes later, Sora stepped in front of Riku with a big grin.
“I’m dressed!” he singsonged.
“Brush your teeth?”
“Riku...” Sora rolled his eyes.
“Just kidding,” Riku chuckled. “Your surprise is outside.”
“Oh! What are we waiting for then?” Sora grinned and grabbed Riku’s hands and pulled as hard as he could, forcing Riku to stand up. “Let’s go!”
****
When they arrived in the gardens, Sora couldn’t keep still. Riku couldn’t help but think how cute he always found Sora’s childish behavior, and he hoped nothing would ever change that. He smiled fondly as Sora spun around in an attempt to find his surprise.
“C’mon Riku! Where is it?”
“Over there,” Riku said, taking Sora's left hand and leading him past a bunch of big bushes. Once on the other side, he pointed toward a big tree standing a little further. The sun was shining brightly and Sora narrowed his eyes before placing his free hand over them to block out some of the light. He then looked in the indicated direction and gasped when he saw Kairi waving at him. Sora squeezed Riku’s hand as he glanced up at him with big twinkling blue eyes. Riku grinned and winked at Sora.
“Go get your hugs,” he said.
Sora pulled Riku in a bone-crushing hug before he started running toward the tree, yelling Kairi’s name. Kairi jumped in Sora’s arms, locking her legs around his waist but the impact made Sora lose his balance, and they both fell on the grass in a burst of laughter. As soon as Riku joined them, Sora grabbed his hand forcefully and pulled him down. Riku yelped and before he knew it, he was tackled by both of his friends.
They cuddled together for long minutes like they used to do on sunny days when they went to the beach, Sora curled up on his left, his head over his heart, and Kairi at his right, her head on his shoulder. At some point, Sora changed positions, snuggling in the crook of Riku's neck instead. And when Sora turned slightly his head and whispered a ‘thank you’ against his ear, Riku couldn’t help the shiver that ran all over his body.
The lunchtime passed in a haze of laughter, jokes, and banter. The boys eagerly questioned Kairi about her training and she responded with genuine enthusiasm to every question. Kairi brought up some old memories and talked about future plans, asking the boys what they were intending to do next. Riku knew that this subject was a sensitive one for Sora so, he discretely kept an eye on Sora's mood. When Sora lowered his eyes and shrugged, Riku cleared his throat.
“Who wants some cake?”
Maybe his was a little too cheerful, but it had the desired effect. The subject was dropped and the clouds left Sora’s eyes.
When Riku took the cake out of the box and placed it on the tablecloth in front of them, Sora gasped.
“A chocolate-raspberry cake!” he exclaimed. “You remembered that!”
“Of course we did!” Riku replied with a snort. “What kind of best friends do you think we are?”
“And Riku made it all by himself!” Kairi added, like a mother proud of her son, which made Riku's cheeks burn.
Sora turned to Riku, surprise all over his face. Riku knew that his friend was well aware of his skills and history in a kitchen.
“You baked it? Really?”
Riku’s blush spread a little more, and he scratched the back of his head bashfully.
“Well, yeah... Took me a bunch of attempts though.”
“Wow! I’m impressed!” Sora said in awe and to that, Riku’s stomach squirmed pleasantly.
“See how much we love you!” Kairi added, wrapping an arm around Sora’s neck.
“I never doubted it!” Sora smiled and easily returned Kairi's hug.
For a split second, Riku could have sworn that Sora had locked eyes with him while answering Kairi. He shook the thought away and served a piece of cake for Kairi and himself and two pieces for Sora.
****
Kairi left at the end of the afternoon. Before doing so, she had given Sora his gift, a good-luck charm of her own, saying in a half-amused, half-serious tone that he definitely was the person who needed it the most. Sora laughed, accepting the fact that she was undoubting right, and engulfed her in a bone-crushing hug, promising to see her again soon.
After Kairi’s goodbye, Sora asked Riku if it was possible for them to extend this moment any longer before they returned inside. Riku easily agreed. He and Sora lied down in the grass, arms crossed under their heads, and watched the clouds pass across the sky. They stayed mostly silent as they used to when they were alone together, but both of them were clearly enjoying this peaceful moment.
“Thank you so much for all this,” Sora whispered as he didn’t want to break the moment.
He turned his head toward Riku at the same time as Riku turned his head towards Sora’s.
“I wish I could’ve given you the big party you wanted...”
Sora smiled and reached for Riku’s hand that was resting between them, squeezing it gently.
“I know.”
They both returned to their sky-gazing but Sora never removed his hand from Riku’s. Not that Riku would ever complain about it, but the gesture reminded him that he still had his gift to give, and that made him pretty nervous. After his conversation with Aerith, he had decided to follow her advice and trust his heart. That had given him enough strength to actually ask Kairi for some help with it, but giving it to Sora was way more difficult than he'd thought.
“I’m starving!” Sora suddenly exclaimed, sitting back. “Do we have any cake left?”
Riku gave him an amused look, and Sora responded with a lopsided grin.
“Yeah, hold on a second.”
Sitting up, he reached for the cake box and served Sora a more reasonable portion than earlier.
“Aw, this is so good!” Sora praised without caring that his mouth was full of cake.
Riku stared at his friend. True to himself, Sora was devouring his piece of cake with such passion that it would've made anyone else laugh. For Riku, it only made his heart swell with a new burst of affection.
“I didn’t give you your birthday gift...”
The words passed his lips before he could think better of it. Sora broke into a smile.
“You got something for me on top of all that?”
Riku hummed. He reached for one of the bags and pulled out a blue box tied with a white ribbon.
“Here,” he said, offering the present to Sora.
Sora reached for it and just looked at the box for a moment, caressing the edge with his thumb, and then glanced back at Riku.
“Go ahead, you can open it.”
Sora did as he was told and carefully untied the ribbon. He lifted the cover and froze, his eyes widening as he stared at what was inside. Riku shifted nervously, preparing himself for Sora’s reaction.
“A paopu fruit?” Sora finally said, bewildered.
He looked up at his friend and Riku blushed, rubbing his neck nervously.
“Well... Yeah... You— You once said that it was unfair you only shared one with Kairi so I thought... If you still wanted to...”
Sora stayed silent as his eyes dropped back to the paopu. His silence was driving Riku crazy, and he started regretting following Aerith's advice. Maybe he had misinterpreted things back then, maybe Sora hadn't meant it that way, maybe Sora just wanted to be kind, and maybe... His thoughts were silenced when he saw a tear glistening on Sora's cheek.
“Sora... Oh Sora, please don’t cry...” He reached for his friend’s cheek, sweeping the tear with his thumb, and gently forced Sora to look back at him. “I didn’t mea—”
But Riku stopped himself as he saw his friend’s expression. To his greatest surprise, Sora was beaming. He still had glassy eyes, but no more tears were threatening to fall.
“Riku, that’s... that’s the most wonderful birthday gift I’ve ever had.”
Sora tossed the box aside and wrapped his arms around Riku's neck. Riku’s arms naturally wrapped themselves around Sora’s lower back in response and Riku’s whole body relaxed as relief flood over him.
“But,” Sora added after a moment, pulling back. “I don’t need a paopu anymore.”
“Wha— What do you mean?” Riku sputtered, confused.
"Riku, don’t fret,” Sora gently said taking Riku’s hands in his. “I don’t need it anymore cause I figured out that what we already share is way stronger than that.”
Riku was probably making a confused face because Sora tilted his head slightly and gave him a tender look before clarifying.
“It’s not a paopu that allowed you to find and bring me back...” One of Sora’s hands left his to land on his chest right over Riku's heart. At the same time, Sora guided Riku’s other hand over his own heart. “...it’s this.”
Riku’s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes grew wide in shock. He felt his cheeks starting to burn. Did Sora imply what Riku thought he was implying? Riku was pretty sure he was, and he should have said something but nothing coherent came to his mind. He blinked at his friend. With Riku’s silence, Sora's smile turned shyer and more unsure.
“Say something, please...” Sora pleaded.
Riku took a shuddering breath and pressed his hand over the one Sora had placed over his heart in an attempt to ground himself.
“Sora...”
His heart sped up under his friend’s hand and Riku knew without a doubt that his face was now all flushed. He looked intensely into Sora’s beautiful blue eyes, gathering the courage he needed to finally let out the words he had always craved to confess. He took a deep breath.
“Sora, I... I love you...”
Sora showed no surprise, but his eyes filled up with tears and his lips stretched in the biggest and brightest smile Riku had ever seen on him.
“I- I thought you’d never say it...” Sora said, shakily.
He brought his hands up and cupped Riku’s face, bringing their foreheads together.
“I love you too, Riku,” he whispered before slowly closing the remaining distance, giving Riku plenty of time to back off if needed.
But Riku didn’t. Their lips met gently, and Riku’s stomach fluttered in the most pleasant way. For a moment, neither of them moved, lost in the sensation of the softness of the other’s lips on their own. Then, Sora tilted his head slightly and began to move his lips against Riku’s, leading him into a slow and delightful kissing waltz. A waltz that deliciously tasted of Sora, chocolate, and raspberries.
When they parted, they were both grinning, eyes full of love.
“Forget what I said earlier,” Sora said, still grinning. “Kissing you is the best gift I ever had!”
Riku’s heart swelled with love and a soft warmth spread all over his body.
“Well,” Riku smirked. “We'll have to do it again, then.”
And without further ado, Riku dove back in and captured Sora’s mouth, muttering a “happy birthday” against his lips before dragging him into a searing kiss.
Sure, Sora would still have some healing to do, but Riku knew he would be there every step of the way, trying to speed up the process of healing Sora's heart as much as possible. Starting with more kisses now.