Disclaimer: Disclaimers are so derpressing v.v And no, I do not own the characters, Kingdom Hearts or cookie. Coz I ate it already.

Pairings: Riku/Sora, Axel/Roxas, Riku/Roxas that's really Riku/Sora :3

Summary: Sora's been having these weird thoughts lately… Like, is any of this for real, or not?

Note: It's my first one shot OMG. I was bored, sleep deprived and typed stuff :0

Post KH2

Dedicated to my new friend, Alex, because he rawks!

X-X-X

-Sweet and salt and something else entirely-

Hazy sapphire eyes stared down through thick lashes to the lithe arms encircling a small waist; his waist to be exact. He didn't need to look over his shoulder or turn around to know who stood behind him. It was always the same person. Bony fingers locked together to hold the smaller boy captive in the warm yet emotionless embrace the same way they did most nights. It wasn't good, bad, wanted or unwanted, it was just…warm. Some form of what would have been comfort to those who could feel it.

Thin lips lowered to whisper heedless promises into the shorter male's ear; most of which seemed to go unheard to him while the sapphire eyes stared half lidded into the eternal darkness behind the pane of glass. The tall man's hushed words would have sparked something within the boy, but he felt nothingness within it's place; hollow and rigid without purpose. It was a feeling they all had in common.

"You make me feel…"

A pale hand came into his vision to rest against the glass and it was only then that he noticed that only one arm remained bound to his waist. The hand's owner spoke again, his voice lower than before.

"Let me make you feel…"

At this, the boy finally tore his gaze from the dark heart-filled sky and turned around to lock sapphire with emerald. The oh- so green eyes toyed with the feeling, emotion and passion that never was and probably never will be. If he possessed a heart, it would be aching.

The hand fell from his waist and repositioned itself on a soft cheek to trace hot fingers along the jaw line they knew so well and fingers were soon replaced with lips which continued the exploration to the neck. He felt the tongue slide over his exposed skin, he felt the teeth leaving marks and he felt it when his back hit the solid window.

Letting his own hands curl into the material of the man's coat allowed him to feel the thin body press up against his smaller form when pulled closer but he wanted to feel more.

He sighed when lips pressed against lips, gasped as fingers danced over skin, moaned each time they found that perfect rhythm and screamed AXEL when there was nothing left and nothing more than feeling.

In the World that Never was…there was only one way to feel.

Sora's eyes fluttered open to immediate confusion. His room was cold, his body was hot and he was…definitely in need of a shower very soon.

Glancing over to the digital clock on the desk made him groan in annoyance. Five in the morning and he was awake…on a Saturday.

"You make me feel..."

Cheeks scorched when the dream came back to him all at once, he pulled at locks of his hair and groaned again with frustration. Third time this week. Four months had passed since returning to Destiny Island and he just couldn't shake off the memory or the feeling and everything else in between. The Heartless, the Nobodies, the Keyblade, Axel and Roxas. He could recall it all as if it were only five minutes in history. And then there were the dreams.

Sora rubbed his eyes with a yawn and sat upright letting the bed sheets pool at his waist. He hadn't thought of anything except picking up his old life where he left it, getting back to school with Tidus, Wakka and Selphie…Kairi and of course Riku.

The brunette smiled at the thought of his best friend. Ever since Sora had found the silveret in question, things had been different between them and the hard part was trying to decide if it was a good or bad thing…if it felt right or wrong. But every time he would evolve deeper on the thought his heart would ache and in some cases he would end up thinking about Axel. And for some reason, that hurt so damn much.

The brunet slapped a hand to his face and expelled a heavy sigh. It really was too early in the morning for thinking even if he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. So instead of wasting time trying, Sora pushed himself out of bed and had that much needed shower.

X-X-X

Cerulean eyes stared directly at the silveret currently lying on his bed facing the ceiling above before glancing over to the clock. 11:07 and Riku had arrived for a Saturday of perilous…less, best friend fun.

Rain clouds gathered outside of the bedroom window with promises of a day spent inside which greatly narrowed both boys' list of things to do. The original plan had been to take a boat out to the island and spend the day on the sandy shores where it would be likely to see Selphie, Tidus and Wakka, maybe even Kairi too. Although he no longer felt the desire to leave Destiny Island, Riku had suggested they all build another raft together. They could sail it between their island and the main island without going too far.

The brunette let a quiet sigh pass his lips at the realization he could not work on the raft today when it was already half done. Now what could they do?

Sora allowed his gaze to rest upon his best friend again, unintentionally taking in everything that made him flawless from the impossible silkiness of his unusual colored hair to the stunning aquamarine of his eyes. Riku folded his arms behind his head, intent stare still set on the blank ceiling of Sora's room. The movement caused his shirt to hitch up and expose a line of pale creamy skin and again, the brunette found himself unintentionally taking in the small details which made up the teen on his bed. His bed.

His thoughts once more turned to whether his prolonged stare was good or bad…right or wrong. When it came to Riku, he didn't think anything could ever be wrong.

Sora's eyes widened as his dream came back to him. But were they really just dreams? Everything was so vivid, so real and every time he awoke from one he would feel so strongly it hurt. Was he remembering?

"Sora! Hey I asked if you were listening to me?!"

Sapphire hues unglazed and looked up to meet the viridian of his best friend. A pink tint adorned his cheeks and yes, he had been openly staring at the silveret.

Riku shifted onto his side using an arm for a pillow on Sora's comfy bed while awaiting his friend's return to reality. The brunette blinked, his eyes took focus and his mumbled some incoherent response.

"Apparently, you weren't listening." Riku laughed before taking in the flush state of the other boy. "You were thinking about Kairi again weren't you?" There was an edge to his voice.

Sora glared at the grin cast his way and slumped back against the wall he was currently propped up against. No, I was thinking of you.

"No, and I don't think about Kairi like that, she's like a sister." The brunette folded his arms over his chest and announced in a matter of fact way.

Riku snorted and rolled his eyes. "Sure Sora." His jade hues returned to the ceiling.

The aching took a hold of his heart again and Sora noticed how it was more painful than it had been previously. He remembered Axel, he thought of Roxas and he felt.

"Hey Riku?"

The silveret turned hsis head to look at his friend. "Mm?"

"Can we do something? Maybe play a game or whatever?"

Anything to get his mind off of the boy on his bed…

X-X-X

Rain. It was raining again. But it was always raining just like the day before and the day to come…if one could tell the difference from one day to the next. The sky was grey, the buildings were grey, the whole fucking landscape a mixture of grey apart from the dim lit neon signs of derelict and long forgotten shops and rooms. This place was dead—a spec of nothing in a universe of so much something and Roxas would have hated it had he been able to.

His keyblades were drawn, both of them, one held steady and tight within each hand as he levelled the dark streets and alleyways that never were. Either all the Heartless had been killed or they had grown something more than instinct and learnt to keep out of the blond's warpath. Axel had referred to it as 'a bad mood' but Roxas lacked the patience to hear him out.

The Heartless would still not come. Perhaps he really had killed them all.

When he returned to his room he wasn't (and couldn't) be surprised to see Axel sat by the window and staring out into the darkness. Roxas preferred this room when Axel was in it. A vibrant splash of red and green against a monotone background of white and grey just like every other room in the damn building. The redhead was always a welcome change to the dull nothing that had forsaken that place.

Neither male said anything for an uncountable amount of time; Axel at the window and Roxas on the bed that wasn't really his. What was the reason for it all? What the hell was the point to their non-existence. He'd asked Demyx before but he didn't know. He'd asked Xigbar and he had said "Could you care if you knew?"

It was a stupid question. Of course he couldn't, but still, Roxas thought he had the right to know.

"They're dead." Axel had mentioned quietly, eyes still glued to the heart shaped moon. He looked as detached to his words as he probably felt. "All of them in Oblivion."

Roxas could only nod and what they both thought went unsaid. Don't you wish you could feel?

Axel finally turned away from the window with that brilliance of red and a harsh emerald green to throw off the room's dullness. He smiled and Roxas couldn't help but smile back because Axel was just that something in all his nothing.

X-X-X

Sora was vaguely aware of the rolled up balls of paper hitting him square in the head. In fact, he was pretty sure that they were what had woken him from another of his maybe dreams, maybe memories. He rubbed at the continuously violated part of his face and looked around for the culprit.

Tidus. The boy was grinning at him, a ball of rolled up paper ready in one hand and waving with the other. Selphie was all smiles and innocence beside him. Aha, the culprits indeed.

Falling asleep during math was as natural to Sora as extending his hand and summoning the Keyblade. It just happened. And all the extra work he had to catch up on…apparently saving the worlds didn't count as extra credit either. He was really, quite thoroughly screwed.

Sora snatched up one of the paper projectiles that had landed beside his head and trained it on the blond. Now, if only the blond were not hiding behind Selphie, he had a fairly decent shot. Aim—FIRE.

Escaping detention was something like a miracle by the end of class. Detention, for the Keyblade Master? Never! He was pretty smug about it too as he left the room and entered the hall.

"What're you grinning at, moron?"

Sora stopped dead in his tracks and batted away the hand before it ruffled his cinnamon spikes. He knew it was coming and had already set up a defence system prior to Riku's attack on his hair. Perhaps he should ruin his hair in return, see how he likes it!

"I'm grinning because it's the end of school for the day." It was said as though it were one of the simplest things in the world. And really, it was.

Riku smiled that half smile of his and asked, "Going out to the island?"

"Yeah and I'll be there before you." Sora was still grinning as the challenge was set. It went unspoken that Riku accepted. And with one quick exchange of smirks, they both fled the school before Kairi could roll her eyes and state that they were 'at it again'.

Some things never change.

X-X-X

He'd won. He had actually touched the island's sand before Riku and his victory was not something that the silveret would live down easily. The news of Sora's win was made known to Kairi as soon as she joined them some time later. However, the brunet's elation was short lived as Riku won their wooden sword fight, the race across the beach, who could get the biggest coconut and the swimming race from the tiny pier to the ladder of the Paupu island. Both boys ended up exhausted and laying in the sand. Kairi was amused.

"Riku wins again!" The redhead giggled from her place in the sand beside her two friends. She always bore witness to their childish games and today was no different. "It was close though."

Sora pouted at this. He should have won the last one and he could have sworn Riku cheated...somehow. The boy next to him laughed and sat up, shaking excess water and sand from his hair and Sora was left wondering how the hell it still looked so silky. His own hair was miraculous in it's own way at least; who else could go swimming and have perfectly (yet crazy) formed spikes with minimal (no) effort? Not even Wakka could pull that off!

The sand was sticking to the dampness of his clothes and Sora noticed that he wasn't the only one experiencing the annoyance. However, Riku had already found a solution to the problem and was free of his shirt which he chose to throw in his brunet friend's face.

"Stay still so it dries." Riku had said with a patronising pat to head under his shirt. Sora couldn't see, but he was sure the boy was smirking. He shifted the expanse of black obscuring his sight and caught a glimpse of a pale back and that silky hair before both sunk below the waters surface. His cheeks were hot.

Remembering he still had a damp sandy shirt on his head, Sora pried it off and walked over to the low wooden pier their boats were tied to. He hung Riku's shirt over the edge to dry and did the same with his own after removing it. They'd dry in no time.

Sora cast another glance out to where his friend had swam to see that Riku had stopped and was now floating aimlessly on his back and staring at the sky. He looked more contemplative than usual lately, but then again, so did Sora. For entirely different reasons, he was sure.

"You make me feel..."

A cold shiver ran down his spine and he turned on his bare heels to see a set of violet-blue eyes regarding him carefully. Why was Kairi smiling like that? It was just creepy.

"Uh...hi." Sora waved a hand and returned to sitting next to the redhead. She was still smiling. "What? Is there something on my face?"

Kairi laughed and shook her head when Sora rubbed at his eyes and cheeks to be rid of whatever was supposed to be there. "Nothing's there you goof."

"Oh." He stopped rubbing. "So...why the deranged psycho look?"

"Wow, gee thanks Sora, sure know how to make a girl feel good." She laughed good naturedly. Sora liked those laughs the best. They always reminded him of the days before the Heartless, Nobodies, other worlds and Kingdom Hearts. Everything would feel simple again and there would be no dreams or memories or warped feelings.

"Hey Kai..."

"Yeah?" Kairi turned to face him straight on, cross-legged and face now serious. She knew from his tone that she was about to be told something important.

"Do you ever have dreams? Like, weird dreams that feel so real it could be a memory?" Sora's eyes were trained on Riku again, intentionally or not.

"To do with Namine, you mean?" She received a nod of yes. "Sometimes I do, yeah. I remember white rooms, drawing, Riku, Roxas...loads of things that I've never done. Do you?"

Sora supplied her with another nod. "Yeah..." He had meant to say more, elaborate further on what was troubling him and everything he remembered from the dreams; but words escaped him when Riku resurfaced and treaded water in the shallows, pale face framed with wet locks of hair sticking to every inch of skin it touched. Sora watched the rivets of water as they glided down his friend's very naked torso and wondered how the hell Riku had gone from ridiculously attractive by anyone's standards to ridiculously attractive to him!

Somewhere to his left, a redheaded girl observed with a quiet fascination and an instant understanding. Things added up in her head and she had it; whatever it was.

"Let me make you feel..." Sora's cheeks scorched. Riku's gaze was just so piercing.

X-X-X

"Why? Why do you have the keyblade?"

Blue eyes stared down at the boy on the floor. This boy...blacks and greys against the blacks and greys surrounding them, an Organization coat that wasn't supposed to be his and air about him that was just so familiar Roxas could have sworn he felt something for the briefest of moments. If he did, it had come and gone to quick to decipher.

Why did he have the keyblade? Another question to add to the ever growing list. But looking down at the silver-haired boy, Roxas couldn't help but think he had all the answers. If only he were to reach out and pull away the blindfold covering the eyes, he would see something otherworldly that held every truth he was looking for. This boy, Roxas decided, would have eyes bright enough to break through the black and grey and a gaze so intense it would chase away the nothing within him. If only he were to reach out and pull away the blindfold.

"Shut up!"

The next thing Roxas remembered was the dull thud of a keyblade piercing the ground and a weight on his chest where his heart wasn't. His eyes fluttered open and there was a strip of black, silky strands of silver and an incomplete expression. The weight on his chest-- the gloved hand pressed against his heart as the body of the boy knelt over him and the pale face void of emotion; Roxas just knew he had all the answers.

Above him, something changed. The silveret's lips parted slightly and fine eyebrows arched above the blindfold. Blinded eyes were somehow searching his own, he was sure of it when the gloved hand moved from his chest to his cheek-- it was something like recognition. But he had never seen this boy before.

A short space of time seemed to pass over hours and Roxas wasn't sure why he hadn't yet reached out for the keyblade and pushed the other away.

That incomplete expression changed again. It appeared as though the boy above him had reached some universal truth and decision; his body moved, his weight shifted and his lips were so soft against Roxas' own.

And he was kissing him back. He didn't have time to think--wouldn't have cared if he did. He didn't care when a hand wound it's way into his hair, didn't care when his own hands threaded through silver, didn't care when a tongue pried his lips to part and he tasted something between sweet and salt and something else entirely. Roxas was sure the boy had moaned at some point, or maybe it was him, again he didn't care because he was feeling emotions that were never his to begin with. And when they parted he felt that not even that kiss had belonged to him.

Covered eyes were watching him again. That pale face with it's moonlight hair and kiss swollen lips that quirked in the faintest of smiles.

"Sora." The boy had said and Roxas felt every emotion he never felt rush through his non-existence.

"Riku" He had replied. Then he was empty again, a void full of nothing as he pushed the silveret off of his body and reclaimed the keyblade. "Quit fooling around!"

"What's wrong Sora? Are you giving up already?" Riku smirked. "Pretty pathetic."

Roxas didn't know why he swung the keyblade, didn't know why they had the fight that followed, but he did know he had the edge. He had it right up until--

"The power sitting in my heart...the power suppressed by my heart. If I were to be someone else..."

And when Riku gave in, when he surrendered his very being to an unknown darkness, Roxas felt his chest ache where his heart wasn't. He watched and for the second time he felt emotions that did not belong to him for the boy who did not belong to him. And as he felt, he regretted never taking the chance to remove the blindfold and witness Riku's complete expression. To witness everything the boy felt for someone other than him, to see the sea reflected in his eyes and to allow himself to gift to feel so damn much it hurt.

Those eyes would have surely pierced the darkness, through the black, the grey and the white...but the eyes that stared back at him now-- a metallic gold, they looked as empty as Roxas felt.

Roxas thought of the room that didn't belong to him, the bed that didn't belong to him, the boy, the kiss and all the emotions that just didn't belong to him. And then he thought of Axel. He thought of the red, the green, the kisses and the touches that all belonged to him. Roxas wished he had emotions of his own to tell Axel so many things and feel them; because Axel was the only thing that was his.

Too bad that the next time Roxas awoke, not even his own memories would belong to him.

X-X-X

Overwhelmed. It was the only way Sora could describe how he woke up that morning. His cheeks were wet, his head hurt and his chest ached. The first thing he did was look at himself in the mirror. He was still him, no doubt about it.

Roxas... He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be unable to feel. For Sora, someone who felt so much, it was completely unfathomable to be without emotion. His dream was still vivid in his minds eye... no, not dream-- memory. He was sure of it now. If Kairi was experiencing the same thing, it just had to be a memory of their others.

A memory of their others. Sweet and salt and something else entirely.

Sora stared at his flushed reflection. For the briefest of moments, he was jealous of the image staring back which was just ridiculous when he thought about it. And then he felt sorrow. Sorrow for his reflection and everything it couldn't feel. It was within that instant that Sora remembered Axel and it became clear to him why the thought of the man made his chest constrict. He wished he could have understood sooner, to tell Axel everything Roxas never had. It was the only thing he regretted despite knowing there was nothing he could have done about it.

Sweet and salt and something else entirely.

He wanted to punch the mirror, he wanted to watch it fall and he wanted to see it shatter. But he didn't. He didn't because feeling jealous of his reflection was ridiculous when it nothing more than an empty shell of himself staring back. And then he felt guilty.

X-X-X

"What are you doing?"

"Hm?" A head of cinnamon spikes lifted off of the math text book with an air of confusion. "What?"

Kairi tilted her head to one side with a sweet smile and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The sight before her was vaguely amusing and way too obvious. Apparently, Sora had yet to see it.

"It's so obvious it hurts. Just get over it already."

Now Sora really was confused. "Get over what?"

The redhead rolled her eyes and propped up her chin in an upturned hand. Really, Sora could be so dense sometimes.

"You want Riku."

It was said as though it was no big deal, like everyone knew and had bets on when he'd admit it. Knowing his friends, it was perfectly plausible too. Sora stared at Kairi in disbelief. "W-what?"

"Riku-- pretty guy with amazing eyes. You want him, he turns you on, should I make it clearer?" She was beaming at him with the innocence of a child despite the choice of topic.

Sora didn't know if he should blatantly lie and deny it, if he should panic and flail or just sign his death certificate now and resign himself to his fate. How the hell did she know?! It wasn't like he was sighing wistfully and staring a little too long at the boy in question...that would have made it obvious. Kairi was a quick one and it was time to pick his poison. But when she smiled at him and laughed just like that he knew he couldn't lie.

"What the hell is wrong with me, Kai?" Sora clutched his head in his hands and groaned.

"There's nothing wrong with it, So-ra. Tell him."

Maybe he hadn't heard that right, but he was fairly certain that Kairi had just told him to tell Riku the truth. Maybe she really was a deranged psychopath!

In the hour to come, he told her everything, every dream...memory he had had since they returned to Destiny Island. He told her about Roxas and Axel, he told her about Roxas and Riku and he told her about everything the boy had that didn't belong to him, up to and including the kiss. And that was the point she hit him over the head with the text book.

"Do you not hear yourself speak? What the hell are you so afraid of?"

Sora didn't catch on. "Riku, my best friend, he's a boy."

Kairi looked exasperated. "Not a problem for Roxas and Axel. Besides..." She had that serious look again. Something important. "Riku kissed Roxas-- a boy-- and called him Sora, which is your name by the way. "

And finally Sora got it. Everything fell into place and made sense. Wow, he really could be dense indeed.

He didn't need to be jealous of his reflection, he needed to thank it. He needed thank it for all of those memories that didn't belong to him, but to Roxas. He needed to tell him that he made Axel feel like he had a heart and that's really all that mattered.

And finally, he had to tell Riku everything so his reflection's efforts were not in vain.

"Thanks Kairi."

"No problem lazy bum, now go find him."

X-X-X

He knew where'd he be because it just wouldn't make sense for him to be anywhere else. He just had to be on the small island, back leant up against the Paupu tree and gaze set off into the slowly darkening sky. It's exactly where he was.

Riku heard the familiar footsteps but didn't turn around. He knew that the brunet would hop up onto the tree beside him and dangle his legs over the side with the goofy grin and childlike innocence that even Kairi couldn't pull off. A smile tugged at his lips when he heard the continuous light thudding of shoes hitting wood where the feet did indeed dangle. Neither boy said anything until the last of the sun was disappearing beyond the horizon and there was nothing to hear but the sea. It was the time of evening when they'd get their boats and return to the main island. But not today.

"Hi." Sora said so quietly he wasn't sure he was even heard.

"Right back at cha'." Apparently he was.

For the first time since the brunet arrived, Riku turned his head and offered a faint smile. Sora noted a popsicle stick poking out one side of his friend's mouth and was disappointed had he arrived too late to steal the ice-cream. Riku looked tired, like there was just too much on his mind, too many questions and not enough answers. His gaze shifted back to the expanse of sea and the dying sun. The bright aquamarine eyes shone with a reflective sheen of gold from the horizon and for a scary moment, Sora thought Ansem had returned. But it was far too soft for that. He berated himself for even thinking it.

"So, what's wrong, Riku?"

Stubborn as he was, Riku just gave a shrug.

"Y'know, this would be so much easier if you stopped being awkward." The brunet folded his arms over his chest and pouted down at his best friend who still chose not to look at him. Riku could be so annoying sometimes.

The older of the two narrowed his eyes, glaring out at the sea, the sky and everything in between. He wasn't being awkward damnit! Brooding was different to being awkward, and he was most definitely brooding. About nothing in particular…of course. Riku was just not a fan of not being told things. Unfortunately for the silveret, there were so many things he was not being told lately.

"What would be easier?"

Sora just gave a shrug….Sora could be so annoying sometimes.

Seeing the unspoken challenge, Riku accepted. If the boy wasn't going to tell him then he sure as hell wasn't going to ask. Sure, his curiosity would be killing him inside in no time, but it was a matter of pride! It would be another win for Riku if only Sora would break first.

With a quiet sigh and an amused grin, Sora leant back on the Paupu tree and used his arms as a pillow. He knew Riku was being stubborn again. The silveret's shoulders were tense as he crossed his arms and frowned at calm sea in thought once more. Oh yeah, it was getting to him.

Another sigh, a grin and a chuckle later, the brunet sat upright on the warped tree trunk and stretched out his arms leisurely beside his friend's face. He could have sworn he saw a silver eyebrow twitch.

Sora reached out with a hand and took the popsicle stick from Riku's mouth before popping it into his own with a wide smile as though it were just the normal thing to do. Perhaps he and taller boy had different understandings because finally, Riku turned his head to level him with that glare. It wasn't an 'Oh my freaking God, I can't believe you just took my popsicle stick' look…but really more of a 'You aren't right in the head' kind of look, which was probably pretty spot on.

Turning the rest of his body sideways to the tree, Riku rested an elbow on the trunk and used the palm of his hand to prop up his chin. The brunet was still smiling at him. It was odd and a little unnerving because it wasn't a goofy grin; just a calm, unreadable smile. An expression foreign to the almost childlike face before him.

The popsicle stick was removed from his mouth and discarded to one side and then Sora was closer, legs hanging either side of the tree and face suddenly no more than a few inches away.

"Close your eyes."

"Huh? Why?" Riku fought the heat from his own cheeks. The boy had no respect for something called personal boundaries on top of being oblivious; it really was a wonder how he survived everything he went through.

"Just do it."

Curiosity must have gotten the better of him as Riku did as he was asked. Nothing happened and Sora punched him lightly in the shoulder and told him not to peek when he opened one eye.

Riku's lips were as he expected them to be; warm, a little chapped and instantly addictive, even when unresponsive. His fingers slid into the silver locks without a thought or hesitation and God it was as silky as it looked if not more so. Before Riku even had the chance to register it, Sora moved a hand to the back of his neck and brought him closer. It was strange, there was a tingling sensation and --

He was kissing his best friend who had yet to respond; positively or not.

He didn't give him the chance to. His lips parted from Riku's and two dazed aquamarine eyes focused in on his face with flush cheeks and an uncertain expression. Sora was torn between 'sorry' and kissing him again but the hands were still in place on his friend's neck and threaded into silver hair. He was about to chose the former over the latter. Sora opened his mouth to speak, eyes full of apologies and ready to voice them when --

A pale hand clutched onto the collar of his shirt. He was being pulled back down, a brief incline of a head of silver, moonlit hair sliding against an ivory cheek and then he could feel the chapped warmth again that was just so addictive. A hand slid against his cheek, surprisingly icy and he didn't know if he was shivering because of it, the kiss or a mixture of the two setting his nerves on cold fire that left him rigid. Lips moved from his mouth, to his cheek, to his temple, to his neck and he didn't realize he'd let an appreciated moan slip until Riku's eyes were on him and Riku's face was amused and lustful and intense all at once and kissing him again, but harder.

A tongue brushed against his lips, he met it with his own and he fought to kiss the boy as hard as he kissed him; to taste the sweet and salt and something else entirely Riku. He couldn't stop until he did. Another electric shiver ran down his spine and Sora was lost – lost until he was left out of breath, far too hot and far too cold all at once.

And when he looked down, those piercing eyes were staring at him again.

Sora could have explained why he did what he did, could have asked why Riku kissed him back and if he had stopped brooding yet. But looking down to see the smiling teen he knew what had to be said.

"You taste like Sea salt ice-cream." He run his tongue over his lower lip and seemed to ponder it for a moment.

Riku stared and he blinked and he couldn't help but laugh because it was just such a Sora thing to say, in that Sora like way that could be ridiculous but not stamp out and ruin the moment completely. Yes, so ridiculously Sora.

"Riku?"

"Mm?"

"Do I taste different to Roxas?"

"Ye—WHAT?"

Lips formed into a triumphant smile. Sora laughed.

He really did have to thanks his reflection for the dreams, the memories, the shove in the right direction to admit to himself and everyone around him that Riku tastes like Sea salt Ice-cream and something else entirely. He had to tell his reflection he was sorry and that he forgives him because Riku's lips are addictive and he isn't jealous anymore. Sora had to look at Roxas and let him know that he didn't need a heart and neither did Axel for any of it to have been real. But he got the feeling, Roxas already knew.

And finally, he had to look Riku in the face and tell him that—

All his wins amount to nothing because Sora had the biggest win of all and the temporary marks on his neck to prove it.

END

Omg OMG SO TIRED MUST SLEEP!

But as always, reviews and cookies make me a happy camper :0 !!

Much love!