Chapter Five: I Love You

The next morning, I wake up tired… but somehow very content. I feel that it will be a good morning. When I pick up Riku, I find that he, too, looks very content. We both smile at each other for no apparent reason, enjoying each other's company a little more than usual on the drive to school… on the walk across campus to the library… even just sitting together in the library.

Ironically, as we are walking along, browsing the fantasy/ sci-fi section of the fiction books together, we run into Tidus… kissing his apparent girlfriend, Yuna. Glancing at Riku, afraid that this will hurt him, I am surprised to find him smiling. He even softly calls out, mindful of his volume because we are in a library, "Hey, Tidus!"

Tidus turns, warily regarding Riku—obviously expecting some sort of negative reaction out of Riku… seeing him kissing Yuna. Riku surprises us both as he utters, "Good for you," and grins. The blond grins, nodding his head. He then walks over to us, his arm draped around Yuna's waist as he introduces, "Yuna, this is Riku. Riku, this is Yuna."

The brunette smiles, murmuring, "Nice to meet you," as she nods her head at Riku. Glancing at Tidus, she admits, "Tidus has told me about you."

I gape in amazement as Riku actually jokes, "Nothing too bad, I hope!"

The pretty girl shakes her head, that soft smile still on her lips. "No… nothing bad."

Riku nods before hurriedly introducing me, grinning as he says, "This is my friend, Sora."

Tidus's eyebrows go up as he questions, "Friend? What type of friend?"

I protectively reply, "Best friend. That's what type!"

He and I lock eyes; and my eyebrows go up as a signal. I know exactly what he is thinking… and he realizes this. He nods to show his comprehension… but abruptly requests, "May I speak with you a moment?"

Offering a shrug, I smile at Riku, uttering, "Be right back," before heading out the back door of the library to chat with Tidus.

He starts off bluntly, questioning, "You do know that Riku is gay, right?"

I frown at this. It is almost like he is trying to warn me. My defenses spring up as I retort, "Of course I do! He didn't tell me in exact words… but I could tell. What difference does it make? I'm not a total asshole like you! I still plan on being his friend no matter what!"

"Even if he likes you… like that? What if he just can't hold it in anymore and confesses that he's in love with you? What if he starts telling you about how much he loves you… and how he wants to hold you and kiss you… and how he could be the most wonderful, considerate boyfriend if you'd just let him? What would you say to that, huh?"

This bites at my heart, causing me pain. I scornfully wonder, "He opened his heart to you that much… and you shoved it back in his face by saying that you couldn't even be friends with him anymore? God! No wonder he wanted to kill himself!"

Tidus gets defensive now, swinging his right arm out as he yells, "Hey! I didn't know he would react that way! I tried to be as nice as I could about it!"

I sneer, "Yeah! As nice as you could… while breaking—no, shattering—his heart!"

The blond scowls at me; and I glower at him. I coldly state, "Riku is my friend… and just because he may or may not have feelings for me… doesn't mean that I will stop being his friend. I wouldn't even blame him if he did like me! Because I seem to be the only person who has ever shown him real kindness!"

He vehemently disputes, "I showed him 'kindness'!"

I snort derisively. "Yeah! By never really caring about how he felt—by neglecting him—by making him feel like a bigger freak than he believed himself to be! That's really kind of you!"

We glare at each other. He finally huffs and admits, "…You're much stronger than I was. Just… don't go making the same mistake I did."

I sneer, "I don't plan on it!" and turn on my heel, re-entering the library, forcing myself to calm down and appear pleasant as I approach Riku and Yuna.

Riku looks suspicious—especially when Tidus enters, smiling at Yuna as he puts his arm around her shoulders. The blond utters, "We'll get out of your guys' way! Have a nice day! It was nice meeting you!" Yuna echoes the last phrase, smiling pleasantly at us. Riku and I nod, also repeating this last phrase as we watch them walk off.

I turn toward the bookshelf, pretending to peruse the selection. I feel Riku's eyes on me as he asks, "What was it that you two discussed?"

I shrug, mumbling, "The differences between me and him."

"Like what?"

Looking over at him, into his eyes, I respond, "The fact that I'm a better friend to you than he ever was."

Riku smirks. "That's for sure."

I go back to "looking for a book" so that I will not have to continue holding Riku's gaze. It is not long before he wonders, "What did he tell you, exactly?"

Sighing, I decide to be honest—even though I do not look at him. "The first thing out of his mouth was: 'You do know that Riku is gay, right?'"

Glancing at him out of the corner of my eye while pretending to peer over at a book title, I notice that he swallows nervously. "…What did you say to that?"

I heave out another sigh, answering, "I told him off. I basically said that it didn't matter to me—that I would be your friend no matter what. He seemed surprised at that—like he didn't believe it." Now I regard him. He stares at me… and I just know that a newfound affection for me is blossoming in his heart. I smirk, uttering, "After all… I did swear on the mirror. And, truthfully… I don't much like the thought of being sucked into a world of doom!"

Riku laughs at this, ducking his head as a fond smile clings to his face. He seems eager to get off the subject as he shifts his eyes over to the bookshelf and inquires, "Do you see anything you like?"

I shrug. "Nah. Nothing really catches my eye right now. Let's go walk around campus for a bit."

He swallows again. "Okay."

Things are a bit awkward between us now. It makes me regret telling Riku the truth… because now we cannot ignore any obvious signs between us anymore. Nevertheless, we try to pretend that things are okay. Until the bell rings, we walk side by side, and we talk of random things—anything but Tidus… about what just happened… about homosexuality. I think that we are both grateful when the bell rings, and it is time to go to class.

Lunch is awkward… because Kairi and Selphie insist upon mourning the fact that Tidus is now—as of yesterday evening—with Yuna.

I can't resist saying, "I told you girls: wishful thinking!"

Selphie pouts, glaring at me; Kairi sighs… but then she looks at me with this contemplative haze in her eyes, causing me to question, "What?"

"You look nice today."

I grin at this, replying, "Thanks. So do you."

Selphie puts her hand on Kairi's shoulder, chastising, "Kairi, honey, I know that you're depressed… but don't get any funny ideas in your head. We all know that there is absolutely no chemistry between you and Sora—you two have been best friends since forever… and… well… it's Sora!"

I scowl at this, affronted at the 'It's Sora' part.

Kairi sighs, staring down at the tabletop as she mumbles, "Yeah, you're right. Sorry. I just… it makes me really want a boyfriend."

My brows furrow as I indignantly question, "And I'm not boyfriend material?"

Selphie counters, "Not for Kairi, you're not!"

Kairi actually laughs at this, lifting her head and smiling at me. "She's right, you know. You and I wouldn't last five minutes before scampering back into the 'Okay, damn! That was just plain weird! Let's go back to being friends!' zone."

I laugh at this, realizing that she has a point. I concede, "You're right."

Selphie sighs dreamily, murmuring, "They make an adorable couple, though, don't they? They're so sweet… and romantic together."

The two now sigh simultaneously in that dreamy fashion. I mutter, "Girls!" while shaking my head. Riku snickers into his sandwich. As the girls continue chattering on and on about the type of guys they like… as well as prospective boyfriends in some of their classes… Riku and I sit and quietly eat our lunches together, preferring not to say a word.

Walking to math class is spent in silence.

We get into my car in silence.

We drive along in silence.

We enter my house in silence.

We work on homework… in silence… sitting a respectable distance away. When we do speak, it is for Riku to help me with my math homework. He is very careful not to touch my hand—he simply points at the sheet of paper or at the page on which we are in the book. I am surprised to discover that I miss these little touches—these forms of contact. He stops staying for dinner… always in a rush to get home.

We talk to each other, still… but of little things. Things really are awkward between us—the whole week. Even the world in which Seth and Ryou live is tainted. I am unable to work on my story… because, deep down, I know who the characters really are.

Now it is Friday… and we are coming out of the Science building, fresh from exiting the room in which Anime Club is always held. We walk along… and… out of nowhere, I ask, "Do you want to spend the night? My parents are going to be away for the weekend. They were actually hoping that I could spend most of my time with you…."

He blinks, softly regarding me. Finally, his lips curl into a gentle smile; he nods, murmuring, "Sure. I'd love to." My heart races at hearing this; and I grin, nodding for no apparent reason.

Somehow, this simple gesture has the power to make our awkwardness vanish. We start talking a lot more than we have been during the past week. We smile at each other openly. I even sling my arm around Riku's shoulders—a somewhat awkward feat considering his height compared to mine. He smiles down at me, and I flash him one of my cute grins (as Kairi and Selphie have called them). Riku laughs, turning away as he mutters, "Cute…. Very cute…."

I cockily say, "Thank you! I know I am!" We both laugh at this. My arm now aches, causing me to drop it back to my side as we walk to my car.

The best part about going home in the later afternoon: there is less traffic around school. As I drive along, listening to the radio, I state, "We'll swing by your place first—so you can get your stuff; then we'll work on detaching ourselves from your very adorable—but rather overzealous—mother. After that… we'll head to my place and hang out. Sound like a good plan?"

I glance at him; he nods, staring out the window. "Yeah…. Sounds good, Sora." He murmurs, almost whispering, "It sounds wonderful…." For some reason, I blush at this, purposely staring harder at the road. My heart thuds rather awkwardly in my chest… and I feel a little funny. Somehow, Riku's words have done this to me.

Aiko is very pleased to see us—she gives both me and Riku identical greetings: "Okaeri nasai!" suffices just once for the both of us; then she gives us… a hug… a kiss to the temple… and a pat to the head. Riku tells her, I assume, that he is going to spend the night over at my place. Aiko beams, gushing, "Okay! Sounds like fun! You two have good night and make sure to get rest!" She urges Riku, "Riku-chan! Go, go!" Riku smirks but heads toward the stairs to do as his mother bids him. Meanwhile, Aiko invites me to the kitchen for a snack. When Riku comes in, she hands him a plate. He sits across from me, and we eat together, listening to Aiko sing while doing the dishes.

When it is time for us to go, she gives us big hugs, wishing us a good night—and to be safe. We wish her the same… and then we are in the car, driving to my place.

We head straight to my room, where Riku sets down the plastic bag in which he stowed his belongings, placing it on the floor, by the bed. Turning my head, I find myself enticed by the mirror; I slowly step toward it, gazing into my reflection's eyes. I ponder: Riku cares for me… and I care for him… but how much? Do I care for him as he surely cares for me… or do I care for him as a friend—and only a friend? How much? How much do I care?

"Sora? You okay?"

Staring at the mirror, I see him step up behind me, frowning in concern. Wheeling around, I suggest, "Let's sit… and talk for a bit." He swallows, nodding despite the fact that he looks incredibly nervous. Walking over to the bed with him, I gesture for him to sit down first, which he does; I quickly follow. We assume our usual position, bringing one leg up, and bending the knee, as we face each other.

My heart races… and tension builds in me; my stomach churns with anxiety. Attempting to push this aside, I start speaking my piece.

"I know that you care for me as more than a friend. I'm not blind. And I didn't need Tidus to suggest it to me. I knew from that day that you told me about your 'best friend'. I also know… that I care for you deeply. The thing is: I don't know how much. As much as I know that you have feelings for me… I can't seem to sort my own feelings out. So… I want you… to help me figure things out. I want to figure this out together."

Riku swallows, looking as I feel. His voice shakes as he asks, "What do you think we should do?"

Huffing out a heavy exhalation, feeling as if I am not breathing properly due to the nerve-wracking situation in which I have found myself, I order, "Test me. If… If I don't feel anything… then… we'll just go back to being friends. If I do feel something… then… we can try… being…" I swallow, finishing, "…together." I flush at having to say that word. My heart rate is up. My stomach is uneasy. However, I know that I am doing the right thing by taking this leap.

Riku hesitantly scoots closer to me, swallowing again, breathing rather heavily. His right hand shakes as he places it on my left thigh. The warmth of his palm seeps through my jeans; my heart races; I swallow, feeling as if my throat is going dry. His other hand also tremors as he reaches out to touch my face. His fingertips brush hesitantly against my cheek before he cups it, pressing his warm—somewhat sweaty—palm there. His thumb caresses my skin, rubbing back and forth; my heart seems to do flip-flops in my chest; I shakily exhale. I know what he is about to do… and now my whole body is pulsing; I can practically feel the blood rushing through my body. We both seem to be panting anxiously as Riku leans his face in, bringing it closer and closer to mine. I find that I like the way he smells… and that I have never really noticed how nice he smells before.

Hovering just in front of my mouth, his breath hitting me as he pauses, he asks, "Have you ever kissed someone before?"

His voice sends rather delightful tingles coursing through me. I truthfully intone, "No. …Have you?"

He shakes his head, swallowing and wetting his lips with his tongue. He worriedly questions, "Will you… hate me… for taking your first kiss… if it turns out that you don't feel anything?"

Staring into his eyes, I whisper, "No. I could never hate you."

The suspense is killing us both… but Riku is too anxious to proceed at the moment. His voice is tremulous as he begs, "Do you swear?" His eyes are getting glassy—like he is tearing up out of fear.

"I swear…."

I watch one tear fall… and then another… and then… Riku brings his lips to mine—softly, sweetly, gently… lovingly. My heart fills with warmth at the sensation of his lips on mine… of them rubbing… then brushing… sometimes with the insides of his lips… sometimes with the outside… alternating between this. My arms tremble as I bring them around Riku's neck, grasping at the back of his head as we kiss. This influences him to wrap his arms around my body, pulling me up against him as he continues kissing me… warm… soft… wet…. He retracts his lips… only to bring them to mine again. It feels wonderful. It feels… meant to be. It feels… like magic.

Riku seems to be terrified of letting me go… of stopping kissing me… because then he will receive his answer. However, he does stop; he rests his forehead against mine… and he sits there quietly, his arms remaining around me. His voice quivers as he questions, "Well?"

I grin, whispering, "Like magic…" just before I renew our previous activities.

Tears slip from his eyes, landing on my face as he crushes me against him, kissing me more fervently. He breathes into my mouth, "I love you, Sora…."

He sobs joyously when I reply, "I love you, too, Riku." And then we kiss some more. When it seems as if we cannot take anymore… we simply hold each other. Riku brings me onto his lap, holding me against him as he strokes my hair.

We sit in the quiet for the longest time before he murmurs, "You really are my light in the darkness…." I grin at this, nuzzling him; he squeezes me tighter, nuzzling my face with his before softly kissing my closed eyes.

An hour or so later, I mumble, "I'm kinda hungry."

"Me, too."

"Let's order some pizza."

"Okay."

I get off him first; then he follows me. I grin at him, offering my hand for him to hold. He grabs it, squeezing it as he smiles at me. Hand in hand, we descend to the bottom floor in order to get the phone and order some pizza.

Neither of us can stop grinning. Camping out on the living room floor, we eat the pizza from the box, stealing bites of each other's slices… as well as the occasional kiss… smiling and laughing all the while. It is a pleasant sort of surprise to feel so content… to see Riku so content… so unburdened. I love it.

After we finish eating, and put the pizza box in the fridge, Riku grabs his toiletries from his bag, and we stand side by side in the upstairs bathroom, brushing our teeth together. This will be the first time we spend the night with each other… this night is the first night… of something special just beginning.

My original plan was to pull out the spare futon we have and set it up in my room, on the floor, running parallel to my bed. I would then take the futon, giving my bed to Riku. However, now that we have discovered our feelings for each other, we see no problem with sharing the bed. I lie on my right side, facing Riku and the wall as Riku caresses my face, giving me soft little butterfly kisses; I close my eyes as I bask in them. They make me smile. We fall asleep… just like this… in each other's arms… and perfectly happy.

Opening my eyes, I grin at the way things are. Riku is here beside me… in my bed… on my side of the mirror… holding me in his arms. Very slowly, he opens his eyes, gazing into mine as his lips curl into a soft smile.

I greet, still grinning, "Hey."

He purses his lips in a content sort of way, responding, "Hey."

"So… I… took a big leap today."

"Yes, I know. …Thank you."

"You're welcome. It was my pleasure." We both grin at this. And then… we kiss. For the remainder of our time in the dream world, we hold each other… and drift back into the waking world in much the same way that we fell asleep.

I open my eyes… and stare at Riku. He feels my eyes on his… and his eyelids fly upward. We both blink a bit, trying to clear the warm haze that fogs our minds. For a moment, we simply stare at each other. And then… we smile… which turns into grinning… which turns into wild, joyous, carefree laughter.

Grinning like mad, I victoriously cry, "I told you that the mirror was magical!"

He responds, "Yeah, well… I think that you're the one that's magical…."

I speak with wonder as I jokingly question, "Do you think I have magical powers? Maybe we could go fight evil!"

He laughs, murmuring, "Wherever your dreams take you, Sora… I'll be sure to follow."

We smile blissfully at each other before basking in another kiss and our newfound love.

THE END

A/N: Awww!

Awww!

AWWW!

Okay. I just had to get that out of my system. Lol.

After listening to the song, "Only You" by Sulk, I decided that that song fits the story perfectly. Listen to it if you have the chance!

Believe it or not… this novella is the first story I have ever completed that has not been a one-shot. So… aside from it being my first real step into the fandom of Kingdom Hearts… this is quite an accomplishment.

Since I love hunted-snark so much for all his help… and because he is awesome… I recommend that you all read his KH RxS story: Bend or Break. It made me grin quite a bit. It is short but sweet—and the ending is quite steamy! Hehehe.

I will have lots more KH stories in the future—once I finish my story Love of Music (my final work for the fandom of The Phantom of the Opera). So… keep an eye out for more by me! Hopefully, I won't disappoint you!

I hope you all enjoyed the story. Please be so kind as to review! Thank you!

Kagome-chan