A Survival Guide
If anyone can survive asking out Riku Hawes, it certainly isn't Sora.

No. 1. "I Can Has RikuSora Fluff Fic?"

Two sets of curious eyes peered in through the small pane of glass of the classroom door. The moment one pair dropped from the view, the second followed.
With a frustrated groan, the owner of the first pair ran his hands through his hair, choosing to ignore the wide grin spreading on his friend's cheery face.
"I can't do this, Kairi."
Yet, despite the words, the grin grew wider. "Suuure you can!! You've only been best friends since... foreverr! Come on, Sora!"
The brunet tugged on locks of his spiky hair in aggravation at the girl's sing-song voice. "Why did I ever tell you?"
With a girlish giggle, the redhead smoothed out her friend's hair. "Because we've been best friends since forever too, silly! Now hurry up and get it over with before you miss your chance!"

"Am I interrupting something?"

Kairi swallowed back her cry of surprise, but Sora wasn't quite as lucky. With a jump like a gazelle, Sora stood before his other best friend, eyes wide, and a blush staining his cheeks. "R-Riku!"
Clearing her throat, catching the amused stare that her friend sent Sora, Kairi stood in between the two boys, figuring that their silver-haired friend had opened the door while they had been talking and completely oblivious. "Now, Riku! You know better than to do that to us!!"
Giving a soft chuckle, Riku waved his hand offhandedly. "I'm just surprised because I expect that kind of reaction out of you, Kairi, not Red."
"Red?!" Sora huffed as if offended. "Since when did you start calling me that, Riku?"

Grinning at his friend, Riku ruffled Sora's cinnamon spikes. "Ever since you're face turned that color! Be careful, I might have to start calling you Crimson."
"Ri-kuuu!"
And with a laugh, Riku started towards the cafeteria. "Well, are you guys coming or not?"
As inconspicuously as possible, Kairi nudged her brunet friend forward, flashing Riku a look of surprise. "Oh that's right! I brought my lunch today! I'll meet you two in there!"
Riku's eyes widened. "You... actually had time to make your lunch?"
Kairi glowered. "Well, if it wasn't for Mr. Goldfish Brain over here-"
"-Hey!!" Sora called out after the name, a pout on his lips.
"-who forgot about his Zoology exam today, I would've had my proper 8 hours of beauty sleep!" Kairi finished with a nod and a frustrated huff.
Riku grinned. "You also would have been barely making it to school on time."
Sora threw a hand over his mouth to cover the laugh that was forcing its way out of him in broken bursts.
"You two!" Kairi sent a particularly annoyed look at her two best friends before Riku grabbed Sora's hand, tugging him away and towards the cafeteria while laughing.
"Come on, Sora! We gotta hurry or we're gonna be last in line! It's chicken fried stake day!"

Kairi watched with a smile as Sora stumbled along after Riku, the redhead giggling softly before she turned, heading back to her locker for her lunch.
Today would be no different from any other day. So long as your name wasn't Sora Rowley.
Catching a quick glance at the clock alongside the wall, a redheaded girl made her way out to the cafeteria where her friends were waiting. For Kairi Laraway, today was inevitable.
Today was inevitable simply because... today... would be the day that Riku Hawes would be unable to say no.

For Riku, he held a reputation of turning down girls left and right, so it was only natural for Kairi to assume that he wasn't interested.
Then, when she found out about Sora's little secret, it was hardly a matter to think hard about.
Riku turned down girls because he was interested in boys... but Riku never asked out any boy.
And yet...
Kairi had been best friends with the two boys for years and years. They had all grown up together, so it was only natural that the one Riku would end up liking would be his complete opposite. Sora was the only one who knew everything about the taller teen. Sora was the only one who had seen him cry.
So it had to be Sora.
There was no doubt in Kairi's mind that Riku liked Sora.

Sora watched helplessly as his best friend picked an apple up from the fruit basket and bit right into it as they waited in line. "R-Riku! You can't do that! You haven't paid for that yet!"
"Oh really?" The silver-haired teen spoke smartly, sporting the chunk of apple on the tip of his tongue as he placed the apple upon his friend's plate. "It seems I just did."
"Ri-kuuu!!"
The taller teen of the two ran over to their usual table laughing, snatching the bitten apple off of the brunet's tray as the pouting boy sat down across from him. Stretching leisurely in his chair, Riku gazed up to the ceiling. "Man, can you believe it's only Tuesday? It feels like it should be Friday already."
Sora nodded slowly, picking away at his lunch mindlessly, his thoughts elsewhere.
"And this on and off rain makes me want to sleep, you know?"

"Sora! Riku!"
Both boys looked over, waving their redheaded friend over to their table. Kairi took a seat next to Sora, giving her friend a concerned look. She leaned over, whispering something into the brunet's ear that was out of Riku's range, earning them a suspicious from across the table.
"Hey."
Two pairs of startled eyes looked up and Sora's heartbeat quickened at the jealous look that had crossed into Riku's eyes. "What's going on? What's with the secrets?"
Kairi's eyes widened and she raised her hands in defense as Sora's head dropped, his face turning red. "No! Nothing's going on, Riku!"
The silver-haired teen leaned back in his seat, noticing the embarrassment burning on Sora's face. Kairi was nervous. If Riku became suspicious that there was something going on, then it would be harder for Sora to build up the courage he needed. Riku sat up, taking his empty tray with him as he turned away.
"Sora."
Looking up suddenly, Sora saw that Riku was watching him from the corner of his eye, his head just barely turned in his direction.
"Come with me."

Sora sent Kairi a hesitant glance before he stood, swallowing loudly, following his best friend out to the outside commons. No one else was out due to the drizzling rain, and Sora silently followed behind Riku obediently. The moment Riku stopped, Sora bit his lip.
"Is it really necessary for you two to be so secretive about it?"
"Huh?" Sora watched as Riku turned, a sympathetic smile on the taller teen's face. "Wh... what are you talking about, Riku?"
Chuckling, Riku shook his head. "I already told you that I didn't like Kairi that way, you two dating is what I figured would happened, eventually, anyway."
Sora's eyes widened and he raised his hands before him, waving them frantically. "N-no! Riku, we're not- we couldn't, I don't even-, Riku, I like-"
Cut off by the sound of laughter, Sora's face was as red as ever. "Oh come on, Sora! Cut it out! You've always been a bad liar."
Sora had his full of this frustration and he walked forward, catching the laughing boy by surprise. "And you... Riku, you might be a good liar, but you still can't fool me." Stopping directly before his best friend, Sora's face burned red, yet he refused to back down no matter how ridiculous he looked.

Riku was caught off guard as his best friend pulled him down to level by the collar of his uniform, and his breath hitched as lips pressed against his own. Wide-eyed and at a loss for words, Riku could hardly even think straight as the kiss broke and he stared into the sapphire eyes of his best friend. "S-Sora..?"
With a look of strong determination on his face, Sora refused to shy away. "You. I like you, Riku, and I've always liked you. I just never... I couldn't..."
As the wave of bravery began to fade and the brunet began to fumble with his words, a warm smile spread onto Riku's face. Wandering fingers reached around the brunet's head, and Riku pulled the teen into another kiss.
Giggling softly, a smile graced the face of the one watching the entire scene from the doors.
"Just as I thought!" The girlish voice spoke up brightly, "I knew there'd be no way Riku could say no today!"
Just as the bell signifying the end of lunch rang, Kairi turned and walked off to class feeling triumphant.

"Whoa! You're all soaked!"
"You guys went outside, didn't you?!"
The chatter stirring in the room caused bright blue eyes to look over to the doorway of the classroom. A smile spread upon her face as soon as she spotted the pair.
Sora scratched the back of his head, a nervous habit of him, with a shy smile on his red face as he entered the room with Riku's arm draped around his neck, both of the boys drenched. Riku grinned, sending Kairi a thumbs-up.

If it was any other day, Sora might not have survived asking Riku Hawes out.

Author's Commentary:

So, I loved writing Kairi. I also apologize for making the first one-shot a fluff fic under an M setting. D: But I just loved the plot bunny which I have had for moooonths. It was titled "I Can Has RikuSora Fluff Fic?" because I had no title in my mind then... and had been looking at LOLCats. :D BUT, the next one-r will be shameless smut because I just love this pairing.

Thank you all so much for reading!!
(5/18/09)