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The sun had barely risen, but today the boy was up and awake. Usually he would be sleeping waiting for his best friend to wake him— not today.
Today was special.
He woke up bright and early and rushed to his friend's house.
He waved hi to his mom before jumping on his bed, “Riku! Wake up!”
The boy grinned, jumping all over his bed. “Wake up, it's Christmas! You can't be sleeping! We gotta see what Santa has gotten us!”
“Sora….?” Riku muttered, with tiredness in his eyes. “Silly, did you know Santa is not real? I bet he doesn't exist!”
Sora widens his eyes, “Woah! Really? Yeah, Santa is not real! Santa is not real! We don't believe in Santa, we're cool and mature.” He told Riku in a sing-song manner as they walked out of the house.
“Yeah we're older. Only little kids believe in stuff like that.” Riku crossed his arms. “Say, Sora, do you want to go to the secret place?”
Sora widens his eyes, “Yes! I want to go, I want to!” He kept grinning and he tugged against Riku's arm.
Riku smiled softly. “Cute.” He said in a whisper as he glanced at his best friend.
It was normal to think your best friend was cute, right?
~•~•~
“Ta da!” Riku smiled and handed Sora a charm.
“Woahhhhh!” Sora immediately put on the charm around his neck. “This is so cool! My best friend is the best!”. Sora jumped and wrapped his arms around him.
Riku blushed.
It was normal to get something like that, right?
Unless, could it be too much for a gift to his best friend?
~•~•~•
“Hey Selphie, Wade, Tidus!” Sora waved over to the other island children. “What are you getting for Christmas? Riku got me his necklace!” Sora was smiling and excited when he told them that.
Selphie thought for a moment before closing her eyes, “Well I asked Santa to get me a beach ball!”
Wade nodded, “I asked him for a surfboard!”
Tidus, the third who spoke up, “I wanted a new oar for my dad's boat!”
Sora shook his head, “Santa is not real!” He told them immediately, “Older and Cool kids know that.”
Selphie stated, “Did Riku tell you that?”
Sora nodded, “Yep!”
Tide sighed, “No wonder, you're always listening to the things he says!”
~•~•~•
Sora sighed. Santa was real!
Riku was wrong and he got put on the naughty list because of that!
“Santa! Where is Riku? I want Riku for Christmas!” Sora put his hands together and made a wish. Maybe his wish will come true. He hasn't seen him in so long. “I don't care about anything else, I just want to see my best friend. I miss him!”
Riku, whose face wasn't his own and covered with an organization coat, looked down. “I’m sorry, Sora. I can't face you… Not like this and after everything that happened.”
~•~•~
“Hey Riku!” Sora peered up at his best friend who was sitting on the papou branch. “What are you doing here all alone?”
“You're not with Kairi and the others?” Riku avoided his question, or rather he answered it in his own way. “Doesn't everyone usually go to that Christmas bonfire party around this time of year?”
“Riku…” Sora peered at his face, “You have been avoiding everyone ever since we've gotten back.”
I can't face everyone— not after what I did.” Riku stared off in the lonely distance where the waves still sounded the same and nobody appeared in his line of vision, “I destroyed our island. Kairi knows this and I'm sure it won't take anyone too long before they find out. Our island was restored and I didn't come back.”
“What happened wasn't your fault!” Sora peered up at him. “You didn't know. There were so many new worlds and we didn't know who was right or wrong! Our island was only destroyed because you were…” Sora trailed off, he never got an answer onto why.
“I was mad. I was jealous. I just wanted to go out of this world. The rafts wouldn't take us far, I knew that. This place suffocated me, but now everytime I'm here now more than ever I feel that I don't belong.” Riku stared at his hands. One had a brace on his wrist from his fight with Roxas, it still didn't heal yet. He overused it and didn't bother to take care of it. He was glad, he didn't deserve to heal. ”I don't deserve to be welcomed back. Everyone is too nice and I hate it.”
“You're still my best friend. You made some mistakes but that's okay. You didn't know and you were alone.” Sora argued with Riku's stubbornness. Why did he always do things by himself? He didn't even believe he had many friends. “And now you have so many friends who got you: Me, Kairi, The King, Donald, and Goofy!”
“But I hurt them. Kairi was there. She saw everything. Not everyone is as forgiving as you, Sora.” Riku still turned his head away.
Sora frowned, “I don't want you to be alone, so I'm not leaving you. I'm going to tell Kairi I'm not going.” Sora grinned as he decided that.
Riku looked in shock, “What?! All for me?” He shook his head, “Don't. You should go. I don't want to be selfish again.”
“Nah, I'd rather spend my time with you. It's Christmas after all.” Sora chose that moment to lift himself up on the branch right besides Riku.
“Sora…” Riku didn't face him. It never snowed on the islands. He remembered when he first saw snow. It was so bright and pretty. He really wanted to reveal himself to Sora and just play in the snow with his best friend.
It was almost like they were little kids again.
But he was too afraid. He was nervous and the fact Sora saw him cause a whole bunch of unnecessary blushing.
That was normal, right?
Sora always had that effect on him.
Usually best friends did that.
“I'm going to some world that has snow.” Riku just states, “You can either choose to come with me or you can stay with Kairi. I'm sure Kairi would like it if you were there.
Sora shook his head, “I'm coming with you.”
~•~•~
It was snowing here.
The first thing they did was run around like children. Well, I suppose they were children. Riku still makes mistakes, he didn't know. And Sora was just as childish and did things that Riku would often call silly.
Riku gathered snow together and started building things. It was like making sand castles and other things in the sand but instead it was with snow. Riku made tiny people outside the snow house. Then he made a paopu tree where he made three figures.
Sora on the other hand was trying to make something cool, but failing miserably each time. At last, he decided to make tiny snowballs. This was going well for him.
Riku, on the other hand, had decided to take a break. He sat down with a book in his hands as Sora ran around in circles. “Look! I made a snowman!” Riku smiled as he watched his friend. “Rikuuuuu!” He leaned over so his chin was on Riku's shoulder, “Got you.”
He threw a pile of snow at Riku. There was a big clump of snow where Riku was previously. Now, Riku was buried. Moments later, Riku climbed out of the snow and stood there. Sora grinned.
The snow, white as ever, made Riku's hair even whiter than usual.
Riku was smiling. No, he was smiling because of Sora. No matter what happened, Sora continued to be his friend despite what he did. He continued to make him feel better.
Riku had a mischievous look in his eyes when he huddled some snow from the ground, “Oh you're on!”
Thus, the two were throwing snow at each other and felt free.
Finally they felt free like all of their struggles as keyblade wielders were gone and they could finally be kids again.
Riku gathered a bunch of snow and started throwing it at Sora rapidly.
“Hey! That's not fair!” Sora exclaimed as he desperately tried to avoid each snowball Riku threw.
Sora shot snowballs right back at him. Both of their aims would hit the other majority of the time, unless, however, the other dodged and got out of the way before then.
When they decided to take a break, they laid in the snow. Sora moved his arms up and down, “Riku… Look! I'm a snow angel!”
Riku grinned at his best friend who lay beside him. “I want to take you somewhere.” He said quietly.
Sora's ears perked up as he lifted up, “Okay! Where are we going?”
“You'll see,” he stated casually.
“Ugh a surprise! You know I don't like surprises. Riku!” He frowned as he clung to his best friend's arm, “Come on, tell me! Riku! PLEEEEEASE!?”
~•~•~•
Riku and Sora were at a table. A single hot cocoa drink was placed in front of them. “This is so good! Like… like the best drink ever!”
Riku smiled at his friend's words, “You can have the rest then. I had enough.”
“What no you—”
Riku shook his head and passed the drink to him, “Sora, take it. I insist.”
He wanted Sora to be happy. He would do everything for him to feel this way even if his own happiness was the cost of it. Riku being happy didn't matter as long as his best friend was.
That's what best friends do.
They smile at each other. Wish they were always by the other's side, playing in the snow, and sleeping by the other's side during sleepovers, but push them away because he knows he's happier with Kairi.
And best friends secretly admire and want to kiss other said best friend.
But that's normal.
That's what best friends do, right?
But how come other said best friend who definitely wouldn't want to kiss him back was holding a mistletoe, with a grinning expression, “Riku…. You should kiss me!”
He was blushing and blinking to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
Did he really mean it?
Why would Sora hold that up for the both of them?
Maybe it was because they were best friends.
That's what best friends do, right?
So Riku held Sora's cheeks and leaned a bit down as he kissed his best friend.
He closed his eyes as he felt Sora's arms around his neck.
It was everything he always wanted, but so much more. Snowflakes landed on his nose. He felt icy, but he didn't mind. He kissed his best friend.
It was what he always wanted to do. It's what his feelings always pointed towards.
It was because they were best friends and that's what best friends do, right?