Ok, so it's been like 9 years since I've written any sort of fanfiction and this might be the most tame thing I've ever written. No one even swears! Rated T for fluff but nothing heavy, just some cuteness. Also I'm very aware my punctuation is terrible, please forgive me, but enjoy the fic! I love these two so much.

Also these breakers are gross but FF doesn't want me to have normal breakers.

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, let me cry in peace.

It was almost a year to the day since Xehanort had been defeated and they all returned to their "normal" lives. Normal in this case was particularly subjective, they'd been through too much to consider anything normal anymore. They each had their own nightmares, but found solace in the bonds, relationships and friendships they had made. It made them stronger, and though Riku felt stronger because of these things, he also felt an ache in his gut. Sora had left and returned with Kairi, and being gone for those 7 months gave Riku a lot of time to think about what he really wanted. He discovered what the true light in his heart really was, and it was Sora. Plain as day, goofy grin and aloof attitude included. But how was he supposed to express that to his best friend? Could he even risk opening up like that? Probably not. Sora was in love with Kairi, and that was the main cause for the ache in Riku's gut and the twist in his stomach. Maybe he could never tell Sora… or maybe he didn't have the strength left in him to keep it a secret anymore.

R-S-R-S-R-S

Riku lounged at the port, watching the sun slowly dip behind the horizon, just the very bottom of it rippling against the water. Sora was late… again, there was a meteor shower tonight and Riku had told Sora to meet him at the dock at 6 o'clock. As Riku looked down at his gummi phone he let out a long sigh, 15 minutes late already. If Sora didn't arrive in another 5 minutes, he was leaving without him.

Not a minute later Riku's head lifted at the call of his name, Sora was running towards him, his hand raised high in long waves and his usual smile spread across his face. "Riku!" He called again and skidded to a halt in front of his best friend, hands on his knees to catch his breath. He finally lifted his head to grin but it faltered as he took in Riku, face stern in annoyance, arms folded across his chest in disapproval. "Come on Riku, I'm not that late" Sora tried to plead but Riku's expression didn't change. Sora stood straight, scratching his head like he always did when he was nervous. "My mom asked me to take out the trash just as I was leaving, then she made me bring sandwiches so I had to find my backpack," he continued in a more apologetic tone, Riku's eyebrow lifted in expectation. "I'm Sorry," Sora finally offered, clasping his hands together in front of his chest and giving his best puppy eyes. Riku sighed and smirked.

"Just, get in the boat" he half smiled, shaking his head in amusement as Sora cheered. "And I get first pick of those sandwiches," he concluded. This gained a rewarding pout from Sora, Riku knew he hated tuna and he also knew Sora's mother would pack some in their rations, so he'd make him suffer on the idea that Riku would stick Sora with the tuna sandwiches… they both knew he wouldn't.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors for who rows?" Sora perked up, Riku looked out onto the horizon again, the sun was almost half gone, allowing a dark blanket to cover it from above. Sora wouldn't be able to row fast enough to get there in time and set up the blankets before the shower.

"I'll row, just hurry up" Riku chuckled and Sora's eyes lit up with glee, "your laziness is showing" Riku mocked, and Sora sent a dig of his elbow into Riku's side as he passed him and carelessly threw his backpack into the boat.

Once settled, Sora unhooked the tether and pushed off from the dock with as much force as he could manage without falling into the water and they began the short journey to the island in calm silence.

R-S-R-S-R-S

"Kinda surprised Tidus didn't come," Sora said as they docked the boat on the island and started unloading the packs and blankets "he's a real stargazer" he laughed.

"Well, I asked him but he said he had a good spot on the field behind his house, so I didn't push it, apparently it's something him and his dad do."

Sora shrugged, "more blankets for us, it's kinda chilly tonight" he said and turned to face Riku as he hoisted his backpack onto his shoulder, and made sure the blankets he was carrying didn't trail the floor. "Hey Riku, you alright?" he asked, brow knit in concern at Riku's thoughtful face, he'd seen that face enough times to know something was bothering Riku, but the other boy smoothed it out and smiled at Sora in response.

"Yeah, I was just thinking where the best spot would be, I think our usual will be enough," he replied as he climbed out of the boat, his muscles flexing as he pulled himself onto the dock and Sora didn't realise that his gaze lingered a little longer than it should have.

R-S-R-S-R-S

"Hey, did you ask Kairi to come?" Riku asked, laying the blankets flat in front of the base of the twisted Paopu tree they always sat at. Sora propped his bag on the tree and pulled out two sandwiches wrapped in saran wrap, holding them in front of Riku with a small pout, expecting his doom from Riku's choice of sandwich.

"Yeah but she wasn't interested, I think her and Naminé were gonna call Xion on their gummi phone tonight since it's the only day they've all had time to chat thanks to the time difference," he offered, and grinned as Riku took the tuna sandwiches with a knowing look. "But hey, we haven't hung out just the two of us since way before we left the islands," he concluded and Riku swallowed, glancing away and towards the darkening waters below his dangling feet.

"True" he answered, a sullen look on his face that Sora could still see, Riku's hair wasn't long enough to hide his emotions anymore and Sora's brow furrowed, then with a mischievous look on his face he pressed a cold can of soda against Riku's exposed neck. The older boy gasped in shock and recoiled while placing a hand over the cold abused spot as Sora let out a loud train of laughter. Riku pouted, but took the offered can and cracked it open as Sora sat down beside him, legs crossed and blanket lay across him as a hammock for his soda and sandwiches. "So…" Riku paused awkwardly, tapping his fingers against his open can "how does it feel, being back? Have you adjusted?"

It's something they'd spoke about a couple of times since Sora's return almost 5 months ago, but it was usually met with a quick answer and even quicker change of subject. Riku had been regaled the tale of Sora's search but when it came to discussing how he was coping Sora said very little- which didn't really surprise Riku, Sora didn't like to think people worried about him and he gave them very little excuse to do so. What he didn't know was that Riku worried about him constantly, because sometimes his eyes didn't shine quite as bright, and sometimes he'd look so distant Riku wondered where he was in that moment.

Sora took a bite of his sandwich and looked up at the stars. They were bright, and twinkling, and a reminder of all of the places Sora had been. He sighed, as if admitting defeat, and looked at Riku, a small apologetic smile on his face and Riku couldn't tell if it was because Sora had kept it a secret from him, or if it was because he was about to tell him what he never wanted to admit. "It's… tough" he finally said "sometimes I wake up and wonder where Donald and Goofy are and why I'm not in the gummi ship trying to figure out the next step to fixing things." Sora looked down at his hands, palms facing upwards and resting limply on his knees. "But sometimes I feel like… I feel like" Sora's voice stuck in his throat, too scared of his next words to actually speak them.

"You feel like it gave you purpose," Riku finished for him "because when you did all those things you knew you were helping people, and now that it's over you're not sure what to do anymore, or if you even know who you are anymore."

A long silence spread across the empty sea air. "Just so you know, I know you better than anyone. You're still you, even if at your deepest core you feel different, I know that Sora is Sora," Riku nodded in assurance and Sora let a teardrop fall into the palm of his hand, half relieved that he was finally able to admit it -the one thing that had been tearing him apart inside since he returned- and half because Riku knew exactly what he wanted to say, and Sora never wanted Riku to feel this anguish that he felt, because it hurt too much to feel it, but it hurt even more knowing that Riku felt it too.

"Sora, look" Riku pointed at the sky, a shower of meteors shot across the stars in long stripes and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Sora looked up too, taking in the sight of this wonder, one he hadn't seen or appreciated in almost a decade. His eyes shone with wonder and struggling tears, with his guard down he didn't notice Riku move and place a thumb on his cheek, wiping away a stray tear that clung to his skin. Sora turned to face Riku, his expression unreadable as he looked at his best friend who looked so apologetic, as if he should have known that Sora was hiding this from him. Sora wanted to look away from those sorrowful eyes, but the comfort of Riku's hand kept him in place.

Without much thought and even fewer words Riku leaned forward, capturing Sora's lips with his own. He could taste the salt of Sora's tears on his lips, wetting them from the dry sea air. The contact was chaste, lingered longer than it should have, and Sora was the first to pull back from the kiss, confusion swimming in his eyes, a look that Riku misconstrued as betrayal the moment he opened his eyes and saw how Sora stiffened.

Neither of them was sure how to break the tension, Riku's hand was still on Sora's cheek and finally Sora inhaled a shaky breath, leaning further back to break the contact entirely. "Maybe… we should head back, it's getting cold out," he stood and brushed himself down, the unopened can of soda fell into the water and the sound broke Riku from his thoughts long enough to nod and right his posture. He stood, collected the blankets and silently followed Sora to the boat. Neither spoke until they were docked at the port again. Sora jumped out first, tied the rope securely to its post and gave an awkward smile to Riku though he dared not look him in the eye. "Night, Riku" he said quietly, with as much of a normal carefree tone as he could muster though it wasn't convincing, and left before he could hear Riku's response.

Riku watched Sora go, words caught in his mouth and an apology building in his mind. He hadn't meant to kiss Sora, his heart had told him to do it so he did, no questions asked. He wasn't sure whether he had neglected the thought of rejection or if he just hadn't prepared enough for it. Either way Riku hated himself now, and he had no idea how to reconcile this with Sora.

A/N: Oops Riku. /

Reviews are welcome. 3