Talk about fast work! XD

Ok guys here's the side story, Sora and Riku's day at the mall \o/ it took me about 3 hours to write which I'm happy about, and I like it. Any typos just tell me and I'll correct them, I try real hard to make sure my spelling's good ^^

You wanted it, so here it is xD I said I'd write it and I think I got enough requests from here and dA, now onto chapter 18.

Tily: Oh goody, I hope this is happier than the last Sora Riku side story.

Kit: I'm sure you'll see :)

Disclaimer: The planning resumes! Square owns all characters, but my day will come!!

"So how's everything going with you and Roxas?" Sora asked, as he and Axel wandered around the shopping mall, the brunet happily chewing on a piece of Christmas candy cane an unconvincing Santa was handing out to small children before Sora bound over to him with a huge grin and was given one of his own just so he would leave the poor guy alone.

"Everything's great," Axel said with a smile, and everything was, his boyfriend was perfect in every way, what more could he want. "I think I'm going to tell him soon," Axel added after a short pause, and the brunet beside him squeaked happily, bouncing as he walked.

"Oh my god really?" Sora asked, obviously excited to hear the news, Axel didn't even need to tell him what it was he was going to say, since it was Sora who had pointed the obviousness of it out to the redhead in the first place. "When?"

Axel laughed at his friend who was currently acting like a school girl reading Shoujo manga. "I don't know," the redhead said as he chuckled, "I just think that I can tell him soon and it might not freak him out." Sora sighed beside him, shaking his head at his friends answer, Axel was being silly, and he probably knew it himself.

"He'd never freak out Axel, I keep telling you that, you could have told him the first day you met him and I doubt he would have freaked out. You're perfect for each other." The brunet said, his face serious as he spun the remainder of the candy cane between his fingers, and Axel gave him an almost startled look.

"Wow," the redhead awed, "what have you done with Sora? And how did you kidnap him so quickly I'm impressed." Both boys laughed and the brunet shoved the rest of the candy cane in his mouth, to which Axel rolled his eyes. "I knew it wouldn't last," he said, receiving a dig in the side. "So, have you decided what you're going to do about your obvious Riku craving?" Axel asked with a smirk as Sora blushed bright red and choked on the candy.

"I told you not to talk about that," Sora whispered with a glare, but sighed when Axel gave him a look showing he was not going to drop this. "I don't know, I hurt him so bad, he'd never forgive me. Besides, we don't even talk."

"Then start with that. Trust me Sora talking will do you both a world of good." The brunet couldn't retaliate, he knew Axel wouldn't give up proving him wrong and continuing to convince him to talk to Riku. 'Maybe I should.'

"And look what we have here," Axel said, grabbing Sora's wrist with his free hand and stealthily - or as stealthily as a lanky teen with red hair could - he approached an unsuspecting and familiar blonde.

"He said he'd call me today." Axel smirked, his heart flipping happily as he heard his boyfriend's words, and obvious sadness that the redhead hadn't called, making Axel feel slightly guilty.

"Sorry babe, I didn't know you missed me so much," Axel said as he closed in on Roxas, and the blond jumped, turning to face Axel who couldn't help but grin.

Sora watched the pair, smiling at both of them 'cute' he thought to himself and sighed, he wished he had someone like that… or more specifically, he wished he had Riku to be like that with… "buying Christmas presents with Riku," Sora's brain snapped to attention, taking a lot more interest in the conversation now as Roxas pulled Riku to his side and the brunet froze, unable to process anything else except the fact that Riku was here.

"Oh really? I was shopping with Sora," Axel said pointing out the brunet standing beside him, whose heart slammed against his chest as Riku looked at him, his eyes never moving from the brunet, just as shocked as he was. "But I need to buy his present," Axel said, pondering his predicament then faking surprise at his 'brilliant idea' "hey Rox, why don't you come with me? Riku can keep Sora company, right?" the redhead asked, Riku looking back at him with a complete loss for words, Sora silently hoping that the silverette wouldn't say no."Great idea," Roxas agreed, pushing Riku towards Sora as both boys stared in complete shock at their friends, "we'll catch up with you guys later, don't get into any trouble and no wandering off alone," Roxas said, devious grin plastered onto his face as he and Axel waved and walked into the crowd, disappearing from their friends sight.

*******

Riku and Sora both stared after their friends, registering the obvious and undeniable plan they had created to put them together for some deranged reason. Axel and Roxas both knew how their friends felt about each other… but neither boy knew.

The silverette's mind raced, he was here, with Sora, in a crowded mall with no easy way out of the place and no one else around… They were alone… together. He had a feeling this wasn't going to go well, but he'd always thought the worst for this scenario, they'd been together before, there were enough of them at lunch times at school, and the pair always managed to sit opposite each other, but nothing except the frequent smile and glance was exchanged. They hadn't spoken to each other in almost 2 years, so awkward would definitely be the appropriate word for this scenario.

"They're not coming back are they?" Riku almost died of shock, turning to look at Sora who was wide eyed and staring in the direction Axel and Roxas had disappeared in, not that that mattered, Sora had just spoke to him. Willingly! This wasn't something Riku expected, even if it was just about their friends.

"Apparently not," Riku said, and at his answer Sora finally turned to look at him, blue eyes into sea green, and the silverette could see Sora finally realise what was going on, that they were in fact together without anyone else to distract them from talking, and the brunet laughed shyly.

"Well," Sora started, scratching the back of his head, "I guess we should find somewhere to stay while the crowds die down, I don't think either of us could survive trying to get out of here on our own or t-together," Sora swallowed as he said the last word, feeling nervous. Would Riku even go with him? After running away that night and breaking the silverette's heart Sora doubted Riku would ever even want to speak to him again.

"Good idea," Riku said, and after the initial shock Sora smiled, the pair making their way through the crowds and finally finding a comfortable coffee shop after Riku refused to go to Starbucks since it was his day off, to which Sora laughed and they wandered away from the shop. "Think I can still get this right?" Riku asked with a smirked as he approached the counter to order drinks. Sora laughed but kept his mouth shut, waiting for the silverette to order his drink. "Ok, we'll have two hot chocolates, one with three sugars, half milk, cream, marshmallows and caramel, the other with two sugars and milk." The server nodded, writing the orders on a slip of paper before smiling at the pair and telling them she'd bring the drinks over.

"I'm impressed," Sora giggled, "I didn't think you'd remember."

"Yeah, well, you're predictable," Riku smirked as they took their seats in two of the armchairs by the wall close to the front of the shop.

"So are you, you're as plain as ever," Sora laughed at the silverette's frown and their drinks were set in front of them, the girl glancing over at Riku as she smiled and the boy looked away, his eyes resting again on Sora who blushed slightly.

"I'm not plain I'm consistent," Riku said, taking a drink from his warm cup and looking over at Sora's drink, decorated with as much sugar as he could fit in there.

"Boring," the brunet murmured, Riku raising an eyebrow at the brunet who stuck his tongue out at the silverette, making Riku roll his eyes and grin. "Are you excited about graduating this year?" Sora asked, blushing again at the smile he'd missed for the longest time. He was genuinely curious, Riku had been in his junior year when everything had happened, so the brunet had missed his old friend's entire sophomore year. Riku just shrugged nonchalantly and Sora kicked him under the table, "I told you before you answer with words," Sora sent the boy a playful glare, the pair lapsing into old habits as they sat together, neither of them noticing, as if everything was like it used to be. Like it should be.

The silverette sighed, "I guess, it's not that big a deal, it's only graduation," he shrugged again.

"You can say that because you know you're going to graduate at the top of your class," Sora said and Riku rolled his eyes. "What are you doing after you graduate?" Sora asked, drinking from his cup and ultimately spreading the cream across his top lip and nose.

"Honestly Sora how many times do I have to tell you to learn manners?" Riku said, handing the boy a napkin to wipe his mouth as the silverette chuckled at his friend, the sight so familiar, but something he'd always missed. "I'm going to university."

"Oh yeah, you're going to be a doctor, I forgot about that," Sora admitted with a nervous laugh as a pang of guilt shot through him, he couldn't believe he'd forgotten about his best friend's dream to be a doctor, he'd always loved the way Riku smiled when he talked about it. "I thought you might have changed your mind during sophomore year or something," and the brunet looked away, regretting what he'd said immediately, remembering his own junior year and the way he'd seen Riku alone.

"You know me, I'm boring," the silverette smirked, and Sora lifted his head, his eyes wide before he finally laughed, glad that the comment had been brushed off, right now he couldn't deal with having any awkward moments, though they both knew it would come eventually. But for now, they were both happy to forget about it. Just for a little while.

******

"Have you talked to Kairi?" Riku asked as both boys left, finally finished their drinks and walking around the mall together now that it was less crowded.

"Sure, she's on holiday for Christmas this year to Australia," Sora said, and Riku looked impresses, seemed like the redhead would be having a sunny vacation. "But we don't really talk as much anymore, we're still friends but she has a lot to do with choir and we don't really hang around so much."

"Sorry to hear that," Riku said, though he wasn't totally sorry, Kairi was one of his old friends, but he had still always been jealous of her.

Sora shrugged, "she's got Namine, and it's not like we don't talk, it was like that towards the end of the relationsh-" the brunet stopped, kicking himself for bringing it up, it seemed like a lot of things were leading back to that one, unavoidable subject.

"I was shocked to hear about that, you were good for each other," Riku said. The silverette felt his heart stop at the memory when Sora mentioned the couple, though they weren't together anymore, it hurt a little to hear about it. There were too many bad memories from that time.

"Not really," Sora said, scoffing at the thought, "we never really clicked like that, it was kind of weird, especially kissing-" the brunet cursed, and his stomach flipped as he remembered kissing Riku, and how right it had felt compared to kissing Kairi, he'd always tried to block it out, but nothing seemed to work. The brunet jumped as he was knocked out of his daze, stumbling slightly making his hand rub against Riku's, the old memories of the pair holding hands flooding his mind as the sparks that shot through his hand from the contact made him tingle. "S-sorry," the brunet apologise with a weak smile, noticing Riku rubbing the spot on his hand where their hands had touched.

"Do you need a ride home?" Riku asked as the pair exited the mall, the cold air hitting their skin in the clear dark night, and Sora looked at the silverette before nodding, both boys walking over to Riku's car.

"You know, you owe me five dollars," Sora said with a smirk as he approached Riku's silver Mini Cooper.

"I can't believe you still remember that," Riku laughed, unlocking the doors and sliding into the driver's seat as Sora sat down in the passenger seat, closing the door and turning the heating up to maximum and shivering.

"I told you didn't I? There was no way you'd get a better car within two years, you're predictable," Sora laughed, "good old Mickey," the brunet smirked as Riku glared at him.

"I wish you wouldn't call it that," he said, starting the car and pulling out of the car park. "I thought I was rid of that name for good."

"I doubt you'll ever get rid of that name," the brunet laughed, turning on the radio and reaching into the pocket of the car door, pulling out an envelope from behind the speaker, his eyes lighting up joyfully "they're still here!" he smiled excitedly, opening the brown envelope as Riku gave him a curious look.

"What are they?" he asked, his eyes growing wide as Sora scanned through the photographs and pulled out one to show the silverette. One which contained said boy, lying asleep on Sora's couch cuddling a plush toy shaped like a yellow star with two green leaves sticking out of the top. Riku looked at the picture in horror, almost swerving the car as he grabbed for the photo, Sora easily snatching it away from the silverette's grasp and smirking. "Are you telling me those have been in my car for over two years and I had no idea?" Riku asked, horror evident in his voice, if he'd known that they would have been burned and the ashes spread into the sea.

"It's my hiding place," Sora said with an amused grin, "and since you didn't find them they're mine," he said triumphantly, pocketing the envelope. "Do you remember when they're from?"

"Christmas," Riku answered, Sora had given him that plush on Christmas, and the silverette had sworn to put it through Sephiroth's paper shredder when he got home, though he knew he wouldn't, anything from Sora was something he would cherish. He just couldn't believe he'd been caught asleep with it. "I still have that you know," Riku blurted out without thinking, immediately cursing himself and blushing.

"What happened to destroying it?" Sora asked and when Riku didn't answer his expression turned sad and frustrated for spoiling the mood again.

"We're here," Riku said, pulling up to Sora's house and stopping the car, though Sora didn't move, just stared out of the windscreen at the starry sky.

"This isn't going to work is it?" It was a rhetorical question, and Riku sighed, though he wasn't sure if Sora meant their rekindled friendship, or going on without talking about new year. "I guess we should talk about what happened." Riku nodded as their eyes met and he turned off the car engine.

There was only silence. Neither of them wanting to start, so much had happened that night, that year even, but where to start? "I'm sorry," Riku finally said, his voice filled with remorse. "For what I did, I shouldn't have, and I'm sorry that I did it."

Sora wanted nothing more than to tell Riku not to apologise, because it was the best kiss of his life. But he wouldn't say it, he doubted Riku would ever love him again after he left, after he broke his best friend's heart, he'd done worse than Riku had. "I'm sorry for running away without saying anything, I was going to talk to you at the coffee shop, but I wasn't sure what to say, and after that we never really had the chance."

"I forgive you," Riku smiled, he knew he'd done something wrong, it was his fault Sora had left in the first place.

Sora smiled, "I forgive you too," he said, holding his hand out to the silverette, "friends?" he asked with a smile.

"Always," Riku said, shaking Sora's hand and smiling.

"See you around then," Sora said, opening the car door and stepping out, "I'm keeping these photos for my album," he laughed as he shut the door and waved goodbye to Riku as the boy drove away.

******

"I'm home," Riku called as he walked into the house, taking off his coat, scarf and shoes before walking into the living room where Sephiroth was sitting, the older man looking up to see his son's happy face.

"You're cheerful tonight," the man said as Riku sat down in a chair near the fire to warm up from the harsh outside weather, his fingers and toes riddled with pins-and-needles. "What happened? I thought you just went shopping with Roxas."

"I did," the younger silverette said, "we met up with Axel and Sora," he added, and Sephiroth gave the boy his full attention, his expression intrigued by this turn of events.

"Ah, so you both made up then? I'm glad to hear it, I haven't seen that smile for almost two years." Riku blushed a his obviousness, Sephiroth had always called it his 'Sora smile' and the younger male couldn't believe it was back, he thought he would have at least grown out of it. "So the chase begins now then does it?"

Riku rolled his eyes as he stood up, "perhaps," he said, and grinned as he walked out of the room and upstairs, taking out his phone on his way up and dialling Roxas' number, making sure he sounded as monotone as ever.

"Hey Riku," Riku heard his friend greet cheerily and the silverette knew for sure that everything had been planned.

"I don't know whether to hug you, or shoot you," the silverette said down the phone and Roxas laughed.

"Either coming from you would worry me," Roxas said, and Riku rolled his eyes, he should have expected that kind of response.

"You can tell Axel the same goes for him," Riku added as he lay down on his bed.

"Don't worry he knows," Roxas said, smile obvious in his voice "so how did it go? If you're offering hugs then we must have done something right."

"We talked," Riku said after a long pause, deciding not to tell them the whole story, that information would be enough considering all of the hassle he'd been getting.

"That's great!" Roxas said happily, and Riku could have laughed at how much the blonde had sounded like Sora.

"Still, I can't believe you just left us like that, it was a sneaky trick, you have no idea how awkward it was when you left, we were both in total shock." Roxas and Axel laughed, and if Riku was there he would have hit them both for being so happy, even if he was on cloud nine himself right now.

"I'm impressed neither of you walked away, that's a good sign," the blond said and Riku hummed. "Planned any dates then?"

"It's a miracle he's speaking to me again, and none of your 'he likes you too' theory, I know you're wrong, if he forgives me that's all I want, considering what happened last time, I doubt Sora's going to like me." Riku said, and he could imagine Roxas frowning.

"You're a moron. But if you're talking I'll take it as a starting point, don't think this is over Riku," the blond said and the silverette grunted, he just knew they wouldn't give up.

"I'll see you in a few days," Riku said, ignoring the last statement and Roxas sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, see you Christmas."

"Bye Riku," Axel added as the friends hung up.

'I wonder if Sora's going to Roxas' on Christmas' Riku wondered before getting up and changing for bed.

*******

"I'm back," Sora sang as he entered the house, taking his outdoor clothes off and skipping into the kitchen.

"What's got you so happy?" Leon asked, the older brunet standing beside the kettle as his brother entered the room.

"I've been talking to Riku," Sora said with a grin as he took out the milk and a glass, pouring himself a drink before passing the carton to Leon who smirked.

"I was wondering how long it would take you two to start talking again, it's been long enough." The older boy said and Sora stuck his tongue out at his brother.

"No one asked you Squall," he said, receiving a glare from Leon as the younger boy skipped out of the kitchen and up to his room, turning his bedroom light on and getting changed before flipping his phone open and calling Axel. "Axel! Guess what, you were right, me and Riku were talking today!"

"I know about it," Axel said, and Sora went silent, sad that he didn't get the chance to tell his friend about it first, but happy that Riku had decided to call them, obviously he was thinking about it too, and that made Sora's heart flutter happily.

"Ok, well I guess I'll talk to you later then," Sora said, pouting slightly.

"ok, I'll talk to you later," the redhead said.

"See you Christmas Axel."

"Bye." Axel said before ending the call, and Sora sighed, walking over to turn his bedroom light off before curling up in bed, a smile plastered on his face as he drifted off to sleep.

Everything was right again.

A/N: XDDD I liked it! finally they're friends again.

For once there's more description than dialogue... I think the ending was a little rushed, but at least it was a happy one.

Tily: Cute stuff. Review please guys, see how fast this came out because of those.

Thanks for reading, and remember all reviewers will be listed in the last chapter.