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Long ago, before the events of Maleficent trying to manipulate Riku and capture seven princesses of heart, Riku and Sora were just two people on their tiny island. They were two friends who loved each other very much as two friends could at the age of 4 and 5.
"Look!" Shouted the younger in excitement, "When we get older let's promise to never be apart," he suddenly snuggled his body against his best friend, pressing his cheeks towards the other's not much larger chest.
"You afraid you'd end up all alone if we don't?" The elder, Riku teased and somehow got Sora to stop stuffing his head into his chest when he looked up, crossing his arms.
"No! I just don't want to leave your side. I'm afraid you'll be alone and I want to always be there for you," he offered him an innocent, yet sweet smile that meant the world to Riku.
The silverette widened his eyes with a pink blush. At that moment, it was the first time he felt that way. Suddenly he felt all warm and a bit airheaded in a weird way. His heart kept racing more miles than he'd ever race against Sora, despite being fast and always winning. He wanted nothing more to lay down, hide his face in the sand, and stopped these strange feelings. Every time he looked at Sora with his cute smile and expression, it only got worse.
"S..Sora what's with that stupid expression?" Were the only words he ended up being able to think of in response, despite loving each and every expression his friend made, filling his heart with the warm feelings he could not describe but it was precious nonetheless.
Sora huffed, pouting at Riku's comment which wasn't unusual. Sometimes Riku would say random weird statements whenever he got too feely. Sora thinks he's just embarrassed.
Regardless Sora just sticks out his tongue, "So what! I want to be there for you no matter what, 'kay! Now Riku come on, race ya: first one to my house, gets to sleep in the top bunk!" Sora tagged him and pushed off in a running head start, now maybe with him distracted he could beat him.
Riku shook his head and soon ran after the boy, passing him up, "Nice try! Don't think just because I was a bit distracted you think you can win!" He continued to huff, racing his feet across the sand and ran faster than he could ever dream of running. He was suddenly out of breath, still ways ahead of Sora when he saw a perfect citrus colored fruit at his feet.
Riku stared at the fruit before picking it up. A part of him knew the legend and thought that the entire thing was much too silly, how could a fruit connect two lovers together?
However, despite those thoughts, he wondered if he could ever share a paopu fruit with someone. His mind instantly thought of Sora and his stupid, yet adorable, filled-with love smile. He remembered how Sora would walk around and say the most stupid things, listening to Riku despite any logic that told him that Riku was making things up. Riku would always just love that part of his friend, it made him smile each time.
Suddenly Riku jumped, getting tapped on the shoulder by the real Sora, forgetting he got distracted from racing Sora. He didn't lose did he?
Sora was also easily distracted by Riku's own lingering halt, had previously made his way over towards him and watched as his friend stepped back nervously, "S-sora!" He looked around to see if there was anyone else around, "Oh did you win the race?"
Sora just shook his head, "Nah, I gotta see what distracted you so much. Say did I scare you?"
Riku shook his head, "Definitely not! I'm not scared of anything. I just didn't expect you that's all..." He realized he still had the fruit in his hand and quickly hid it behind himself.
However, Sora didn't fail to notice that something in his hand, "What's that you got there?"
Riku blushed, "Huh! Oh this n-nothing... Not really anything important." When he quickly tried to remove the fruit from his vision, it was no use around Sora. He already saw what Riku had in his hand.
Sora just smiled and suddenly held both of Riku's hands, shuffling his very own feet in the sand. "Hey Riku.. You know what if we could promise on it? Promise that someday if we get married it would only be to each other."
The race was long forgotten, their thoughts elsewhere on each other and a fruit that lies between them.
Riku suddenly stepped back, "Get m-married!? Isn't that like for people who are..." The ears of the boy turned dark pink as he nervously searched around for the right words.
A part of him wanted to say boy and girl but something about that also didn't seem correct to his own feelings.
"Love each other?" Sora only tilted his head in response as he could only nod, "Yep and I love you, Riku so what's the problem?"
Riku at the innocent love his friend just offered to him—not quite understanding any of his feelings yet—couldn't help but smile. He stared at the cute freckles along his cheeks and shook his head, he was very adorable. He smiled, wanting to do this more than anything.
In his hand, he took ahold of the fruit and fed it to his mouth. Sora with his eyes dilated, bit half of the paopu. He blinked and then gasped at the flavor that filled his mouth. It was so wonderful, like nothing you would ever image. It was the flavor of all your wishes and miracles. It had such a sweet taste, yet sour and citrus-like. "Here you must try too!" Sora then held the other half as he fed the rest to Riku.
At once Riku blinked and knew it was the best flavor he had ever tried. It was everything and nothing like ever before. The taste was so hard to describe, but it was also too incredible to pass up. He felt wishes and tastes he never dreamed of. It was almost magical and at the end he couldn't help but smile as he stared at Sora's perfect blue eyes that held the journey of the sea inside them.
"So you'll be my destiny?" Riku could only shyly ask.
Sora nodded with a toothy smile, "Of course!" He clung onto his friend again, "I love you... Forever and ever."
Riku held Sora as he laid his head against him and softly murmured, "Our destinies will be intertwined forever.."
The other laughed shyly, "Yeah.. Say Riku I'm not gonna tell anyone that we're paopu married yet"
"P-paopu married?!" Riku looked bewildered at that suggestion, "What are you talking about that doesn't mean that we're in l..love" He looked at Sora's expression that was filled with absolute wonder and kissed his cheek softly, "You're so adorable, y'know.. What did I offer the angels to let me have you by my side?"
Sora just smiled, holding his hand and it was perfect for ten years...