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Riku was sound asleep in his bed dreaming of what he and Sora would get up to the next day, when he heard a strange noise that roused him from his sleep.
Riku blinked groggily and rubbed his tired eyes.
The strange noise was still sounding, in fact, it was much louder and much more frantic.
Riku glanced over his shoulder and saw Sora in the tree just outside his room. He gasped and hurried opened the window, his drowsiness completely gone. He pulled him inside and Sora flopped on his bed. He had that toy sword with him that Riku got him for his birthday.
"Sora!" He whispered so he wouldn't wake up his parents that were sleeping in the next room. "What are you doing here so late! I thought I told you not to climb the tree when it is so dark!"
"I know but I couldn't help it! I had to come and get you!" Sora matched his volume. Riku's parents weren't like his parents. They were the type of people to go to bed early and wake up early. Riku used to be like that too, but Sora was whittling him down. "My dad was telling me about something that was happening tonight! There's going to be a bunch of shooting stars tonight!"
Riku shushed Sora when his volume started to get a little loud. He smiled as he felt Sora tackle him in a hug. Riku had to bite his tongue in order to stop himself from crying out in surprise.
"Sora!" Riku chided quietly causing Sora to giggle.
"Please come with me!" Sora begged batting his eyes up at Riku. Riku looked away knowing if he stared for too long he wouldn't be able to say no. "It won't be as cool without you there too!"
Riku wanted to say no, to stay in bed and sleep, but Sora was right there and he looked at him with those eyes that he weaponized against him. Riku groaned and Sora hugged Riku again.
"Alright alright!" Riku whispered. "But keep it down. My parents can't know that I'm up this late."
Sora perked up and hugged Riku tighter. "Let's go let's go let's go!"
Sora hooked his arms around Riku's arm and began urging Riku towards the window. Riku rolled his eyes pulling his arm out of Sora's grasp.
"Hey, I need to get my shoes on first!" Riku said. Sora pouted before he started practically vibrating from excitement. Riku shoved on his shoes, and climbed back onto his bed and over to the window. He helped Sora down so he wouldn't fall and hurt himself, grabbed a gift for Sora from under his pillow, and joined him soon after.
As soon as Riku's feet touched the ground , Sora was dragging him off towards the beach. Riku was certain they woke up at least one sleeping individual, but he couldn't find it in himself to care all that much. Sora was excited and having fun, and that is all he ever wants for him.
Sora's eyes shimmered with wonder as they looked up and saw the brilliance of the shooting stars. They heard the waves and stopped when their shoes started to fill with sand.
Sora pointed up at the lights streaking across the sky. Riku could only bring himself to watch the meteors for a fleeting moment though. All he could really look at was Sora in all of his radiant glory. He was beaming and loveable in every moment, but now? Riku felt his heart stop with how much he truly cared and loved his best friend. His pocket felt heavy with a gift he'd been trying to give Sora for weeks now, but no time ever really felt right. Maybe under these thousands of shining lights, Riku could find the chance to give him this special gift?
Riku guided Sora to sit down since he was so enchanted with the sight before them.
"It's beautiful..." Sora whispered.
"Yeah, it is." Riku answered, he wasn't even looking at the meteors anymore.
Riku and Sora laid there under that sky for what felt like hours. There were more and more as time went on. There were so many it was hard to count them all. They all just blended together in a light that made it look like dawn was approaching. Riku watched them, but his attention was drawn from the sky when he felt Sora trembling beside him.
Riku sat up and looked to Sora, his expression was full of worry and full of concern.
"What's wrong?" He asked with worry dripping off his every word. Sora shuddered as he sat up looking up at the bright meteors that covered the sky in light.
"Riku I... I'm scared." He sniffled. Sora looked up at Riku with eyes brimming with tears that threatened to fall.
"Sora, are you..?" Riku started to ask but Sora cut him off, the tears in his eyes now falling. "I'm scared."
He knew that the meteors probably wouldn't hit the island now or ever, but he didn't want to tell that to Sora and make him feel like his feelings weren't warranted. Riku wanted to tell him that was unlikely, but seeing him so frightened and small... it made him sick. He wanted Sora to be as bold and as brave as he knows he can be in his heart.
"Don't worry..." Riku took Sora's hand in his. "I'll protect you."
"But... the shooting stars are so big... what if one of them comes down and hits the island?" Sora's ocean blue eyes welled with fresh tears and Riku softened instantly.
Riku swallowed thickly. He didn't know what to do. So, he did something stupid.
Riku stood up after he picked up Sora's wooden sword, still holding Sora's hand in his. He pointed the sword towards the sky.
"If a shooting star comes towards the islands, I'll protect you!" Riku exclaimed as he smiled back at him.
"...promise?" Sora whispered in a small voice.
Riku knelt down next to him placing the sword down beside him and took both Sora's hands in his. "I promise."
Riku pulled a silver chain from out of his pocket on the end was a crown charm that caught the lights shining above them. He held it out to Sora.
"Here. So you never forget my promise to you." Sora took the necklace from Riku wiping his eyes of the fresh tears that tried to fall. He held it so gently in his hand. Sora's eyes sparkled as he flipped it in his hand, examining it closely. Riku took it from him gently and hung it carefully around Sora's neck. "This is so that no mater what happens, you will always know that I will protect you."
Sora looked up at Riku. Ocean blue caught aquamarine green. Sora smiled at Riku.
"Thanks Riku."
They stayed there for hours. Sora and Riku's parents found the two sleeping on the beach early in the morning. Riku laid against the sand and Sora rested on top of him with a silver chain with a crown charm around his neck. None of them could ever know the promise that was made that night under the brilliant sky.
Riku sat sleepless in a room that felt too dressed up to be his own.
Everyone told him he needed rest, that without it he would never be able to find him, but how could he sleep when he was haunted with memories of promises he'd forgotten and broken?
The night of that meteor shower. The night that he made his promise that he himself forgot.
He would find Sora. He would bring him home. Then... he would remake his forgotten promise, the promise he broke when he failed to protect him, and walk beside him towards the light.