Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts or the game's characters.

Riku feels like he can't breath. There's stinging prickling at his eyes as he watches the retreating back that's crushing the breath in his chest, trapping it there for him to choke on.

He knows he's ruining this, whatever it is they have. His eyes are riveted and he wonders why he can't move after the one person that makes it worth it.

It could be perfect, something that makes him forget how they got there in the first place. It could cast his fears somewhere unreachable and make him forget, if only for a while, why it had all gone up in flames.

Riku could bawl and plead, try to make the other see reason but for some reason it hadn't felt worth it. It left him wondering where all his selfishness had gone, why it had deserted him at the most crucial moment. And now it was back, mocking the fact that he couldn't even speak, move, do something to prevent this from happening, this thing that proved he was worthless.

Words at this point were useless, the thing that was lodged in his throat as his mind raced for the appropriate thing to shout. He felt his knees connect painfully with the hard wood and he winced at the pain that pierced his nerves. He ignored it in favor of trying to think of what to do to stop him from making the biggest mistake of their lives.

Riku found himself wondering what he had done to deserve this and if it was bad enough to just let him go, let him walk away from it all before he got hurt or worse. If only words could make this right . . . . In another way, he was trying to find another way to say it, to make the other stop their brisk walk to the exit.

Did it really have to happen this way?

He couldn't answer that but it didn't mean he had to let it happen. With a gasp and a jarring lunge, Riku dragged himself to his feet. He hadn't cried but if the other didn't listen to him, Riku might as well cry himself raw, drowning in the emotions many had said where meaningless.

Tackling the other left Riku breathless and nearly insane with worry. He half expected the other to throw him off but when Riku gathered his wits enough to turn the other over, Riku found himself looking at a tear stained face and raw blue eyes. The only thing that crossed his mind was, 'thank god it isn't too late', but he doesn't know why. He finds he doesn't care and as his lips connects to Sora's, the only thing that matters is that he stopped Sora from leaving, from letting Riku make the biggest mistake of his life.