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Two souls and nobody else— that's how it was supposed to be. Just us against the whole world.
"The stars are bright tonight," I heard him whisper.
He was the only one that mattered — my star
I stared up at them as he leaned on my side, hugging me from behind with his head resting on my own.
That's how he likes it, that's how I liked it.
"You know I don't get it." Sora suddenly pouted, "For Winter and Valentine's Day everyone wants to be in that kind of relationship, but I don't get it at all."
I hid my smile with my hand. "Well I guess there is a certain person that is really precious to all those people."
Love... I thought.
I love Sora. I knew that for awhile now. And I'll do anything for him and to protect him.
"You know it?" Sora looked at me with such a curious look.
I couldn't refuse an answer. "Yes. I have."
Sora looked down, "Oh but... What is it like? I don't understand any of it."
"I don't really understand it completely myself," I allowed myself to look in his eyes. His eyes that were so precious like the perfect sea, I could get lost in them. "That person....is so special and nothing else matters anymore. You know, I'll sacrifice the world and destroy for you. You're just important to me so I don't want to lose you."
"Destroy the world? Then we must remain together so none of that happens. I know, let's get married when we're older!" Sora suddenly gets in front of my face, hugging me instead.
"S-sora?" I blushed.
Kids talk about marrying people just for fun, right?
Sora didn't love me now, that was certain. Besides it would be such a forbidden taboo if that were to occur.
Even if truly wanted that to happen... But I knew Sora didn't feel the same.
Sora held my hands with his, "I know on this very star," he pointed up to the sky.
"The star?" I looked up at the brightest one that filled the sky.
"On this star, I make a vow to cherish forever and love you eternally. Someday the two of us shall get married and in exchange I will bite into this fruit of legend so our destinies shall always be connected." Sora closed his eyes before bringing the fruit to my lips.
I didn't care. At that moment I allowed myself to be selfish even if he was doing it as a child who just wanted to be with his friend. I took the fruit into mine and then with the same fruit I bit from, I had fed Sora.
Then I watched as Sora soon hugged and tumbled on me.
He was so cute.
I felt his hair as he continued to hug me, "I don't want you to leave me."
"I won't," he responded, "I promise you won't be forgotten."
I kissed his cheek. "Okay, star."
"Come on, Sora I thought you were stronger than that!" I held the hilt of the sword to his neck as I stared at him.
With his sword he knocked mine upward, causing me to stagger back. "Oh? But look who is winning now!"
Sora grinned— he's so adorable with his smile that absolutely takes your breath away and— "Sora! Are you still with Riku? I thought you said you were going to help me?" A girl's voice interrupted my thoughts.
Ah right.
The red head walked over, putting our score to a pause. Sora just forfeited as he allowed Kairi to pull him out of it.
I smiled sadly looking down, "I don't want to be forgotten..." I whispered only quietly.
Kairi was nice. She was my friend too, but I hated how she interrupted our time together.
I wonder if Sora still remembered that promise we made that consisted of the paopu legend.
If you feed each other a piece of the fruit, you'll never be apart. However, I saw behind the waterfall— it was supposed to be us against the world with that being our secret place— on the drawings were a picture of them sharing a fruit just like we had when we were younger.
He probably had forgotten all about it. I knew it, it wasn't the same for him.
"Let's get married" he once said to me, making me blush. It fills me with warmth like never before.
It didn't help that I heard the other Islanders often make comments, "I wonder who it will be Kairi and Riku or Kairi and Sora."
I grit my teeth. Sora a long time ago said he didn't understand love— romantic love because he only knew of one kind. A part of me often wondered if he knew of the taboo love, would he love me?
However, that's not right. That would be frowned upon and it would change everything.
Kairi... She wouldn't understand either. What if she gets upset with me?
I felt alone.
I felt cold and angry. I didn't want to blame anyone. My jealousy had overtaken me and I only brought darkness. All because I was tired of hearing the phrase "Kairi this, Kairi that!" I grit my teeth.
It's what everyone said. Why did they keep bringing her up. They asked me what would Sora do if he found out me and Kairi were dating — but that's absurd.
None of us are! Sora is the one who has fallen for that girl's charm— not me. I'm just the friend who is hopelessly in love with his other best friend.
He is my star— my light and my everything.
However, if he is happier with Kairi then I'll let him.
I saw Kairi coming my way. She was alone. Where was Sora?
"What's so special about you anyways?" Kairi looked at me.
"...what?" I looked down. I remember making a promise to a stranger about my special friend. However, Kairi didn't know that.
"Sorry. You're all Sora talks about, you know." Kairi apologies as she smiles sheepishly.
Sora talked about me a lot? That.. that was surprising. "He does? Well I wanted to talk to you about Sora too. I know none of you need this, but I think you should go for it. Be with Sora— you both are important to each other." I looked at the fruit and legend and smiled sadly.
They deserve to be together. He is happier with her. Besides I don't deserve him especially after what I did. I'm back at the island with them, but I keep feeling like everyone blames me. It's because of me the homes of so many are lost.
Everyone is back but still...
"Do you not understand?" Kairi crossed her arms, "What am I going to do with the two of you. At first I enjoyed both you and Sora's friendship, but then I started hearing things. It made me believe I should be with one of you— Sora actually but I realized I would be destroying something if I did. All the pressure made me believe that I may have liked him. Maybe we once did even but it's not the same. That year apart I changed I think. I think that's when I realized it wasn't meant to be— and Sora realized it was different."
I stared at her words. "Oh... Well" I rubbed my neck. I felt extremely foolish after practically awaiting the moment they got together. "But... I think Sora still—"
"Do you think that or are you telling yourself that, Riku?" Kairi crossed her arms, "Maybe you should be honest with yourself. What is Sora to you?"
I blinked, Axel asked me something similar. I hesitated and Naminé answered for me my precious friend.
"Sora is my... Most... Precious... ... Friend," I chose to answer. It was half the answer.
Kairi raised an eyebrow. What? "Riku, you don't have to hide it. You love Sora!"
I stumbled back, "O-of c-course he's my friend."
She shook her head, "No, more than that."
I looked around to see if anyone was listening or around. Thankfully there wasn't an it was just me and her by the docks. I grabbed her arm and began walking to the waterfall.
Sora first took her here a long time ago sometime after she arrived. They quickly became friends and Sora begged me to get to know her. He said she was "really super nice" and that everyone is mean to her cause she wasn't from here. Also I was a bit of an outcast myself until Sora decided he wanted to be my friend too.
"Who told you? How did you find out?" I whispered shouted once we went to the cave. "Don't... You can't tell anyone!"
I felt sick. How did she find out? Did Mickey— no, he wouldn't do that. He was the only person I had ever told.
"R-riku... It's okay." She gave me a smile. "I knew for awhile. When Naminé went to me, I gained her memories. She didn't know persey but her memories helped me realize, but also the two of you had always been close."
I looked away, blushing. "You can't tell anyone. I mean it. If the other Islanders knew, I'd be... Just you can't—"
Kairi gave me a sympathetic expression, "You know I'd never do that to you. So when are you going to tell him?"
I blinked, "I just said— Ri' Sora still likes you."
She crossed her arms, "It's like we're back at the castle that never was again and you're going off despite Sora being right there and wanting to see you! You're everything to Sora. He's always talking about you!" Kairi raised her voice, a little exasperated.
I looked down, "Are you sure?" I had trouble processing this, how could Sora love me?. "He doesn't. After everything?"
"He forgave you. I forgiven you. You can't keep beating yourself up about it." She gave my hand a squeeze, "You helped Sora all throughout his adventure. You helped watch over him as his memories got restored. You helped defeat the Organization. You both were away for several hours in the dark world together. I may not know what exactly transpired but I do know he was probably okay being there because you were there too."
I just stared at her. I then smiled, "Yeah... He was okay being there or fading into the darkness with me. It made me almost sad, but he was glad everyone else was safe." I recalled out loud.
"See. Just give him a paopu fruit or... you could tell him your true feelings instead..." She looked at me.
I looked down, "...I already shared the fruit with him." I spoke quietly while saying this.
I still have memories of it to this day. A promise he made. A star he made me believe in. A fruit and a vow he proclaimed that day.
".. WHAT?!" Kairi suddenly exclaimed, "wait wait wait what? When? Why hasn't Sora say anything about that?"
I looked down, "I mean we were just kids saying stupid things... Probably." I was still blushing as I thought about it. "I was young."
"You both shared the fruit of legend?" Her eyes kept lighting up as if they were sparkling.
I nodded, "He probably didn't mean it. He was most likely just young and didn't know anything even if he made that vow."
"A vow?" She put her arms on me.
I nodded, "Yeah kids stuff. It's like when you tell your friend if you don't get married, you will marry them." I muttered sheepishly.
She furrowed her eyebrows, "Riku I need you to go to Sora and ask him about the fruit."
I looked down, "But—"
"No! You are going to go and see him."
That's how I ended up at Sora's house. Because I've been there so many times, I let myself in and headed to his room.
There he was with that stupid grin on his face just staring up at the ceiling—except his smile wasn't stupid, it was adorable.
His ceiling had stars, I remember as children. It would open up and you could see thousands of stars for miles away.
"Hey Sora.." I smiled, a bit shy as I sat next to him. "You like the stars?"
I instantly regretted that. Who says, "You like the stars?"
I sighed. "Forg—"
But he answered, "Yes. The stars are important. They hold secrets and protect your wishes. Every vow is certain to remain."
I looked to the side, blushing. "I just thought of something it's probably stupid, but do you remember when we were kids and we would look at the stars all the time? And then one day you decided to make a vow to a special star in the sky."
I lifted my hands up in the air as I stayed by his side.
"Yeah, we used to, huh? Then one day you told me you were too old for stargazing with me." Sora looked sad when he said that.
I looked down. That's right, I said that about a lot of things. I was afraid of becoming more attached and in love so I pretended to be the cool kid who wouldn't fall deeper in love with him.
"And then you told me you wanted to marry me!" I smiled a bit. Hopefully he takes it as a joke.
He shook his head, "Yeah, I still do. Riku," Sora leaned by my side to hug me before leaving a kiss.
I blinked, "S-sora?"
"With you, I'll never hesitate. No request is too extreme. Maybe once I was scared but the future doesn't scare me at all. I think I realized why I never understood love— it's because I love you Riku and nobody ever said that I could."
I stared at my best friend as I watched him take the first step. He embraced me in his arms like never before. I smiled, Kairi was right.
This time I was blushing. "I love you too Sora. I have for awhile actually..." I replied back, returning the hug he brought into me. "You're everything to me, My Star."