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1
Sora leans against the railing that separates the park from the riverside. The wind brings some much needed relief from the stuffy heat of the day.
Was it really a year already? A year in this city. A year without his friends and family. Without everyone he ever loved...
He sighs deeply and straightens. Time to go back and face his empty apartment for tonight.
"Sora.."
Sora turns around and everything falls from his face as he stares at Riku in utter disbelief
"Ri...ku?"
Riku walks towards him, getting faster with each step and breaks into a short run until he bridged the remaining distance and collides with Sora, pulling him into a fierce hug.
"Sora..!" his voice cracks under the weight of his emotions.
"I looked for you.. I looked everywhere..!" Riku's low and deep voice, right next to his ear, sends a shiver down Sora's spine. Breaking the trance he is in.
He slowly lifts his arms and places his hands on Riku's back. He is here.. he is real! His hands cling to Riku's jacket, giving away how desperately he wished to see him again. Not ready to let go, not wanting to ever let go again.
Tears fill Sora's eyes.
"Riku..! You.. you are here..!" a strangled sob escapes his throat.
Riku tightens his arms around Sora, pulling him impossibly closer to his chest. Fighting his own tears, he breathes "I'm here.. I'm here.."
Still struggling to process it, Sora hides his face at Riku's neck, whispering his name. His arms, his voice, his scent, he knows it all so well, almost like he's an extension of himself. Having him here, suddenly so close, as if he didn't lose him forever, as if this hug wasn't absolutely impossible, doesn't help his jumbled thoughts in the slightest.
"But.. how? How can you be here? How is this possible? How did you find... how..??"
Riku chuckles low, reveling in the moment he feared would never come.
"Long story. Are you ok?"
He leans back, trying to get a good look at Sora. His heart does a summersault when their teary eyes meet. He found him. He made it to another reality! Now everything was going to be alright. No matter what they must do to get back home, no matter how long it takes.
As long as they are together, they will be fine.
2
Sora was walking down the street, his mind numbed by the monotony of his everyday life, when suddenly something caught his attention.
A hint of silver in a sea of brown and black.
He stops and stares in the direction he saw it.
There.. between all those strangers.. he sees it again. Silver hair. Bright sea green eyes meeting his blue gaze.
It was impossible. Absolutely impossible. He could not be here. He should not be here!
"Riku..."
They both stood on the sidewalk, rooted to the spot, until Riku finally manages to move again, walking towards Sora.
Sora's feelings waging a war inside of him, disbelief, gratitude but also something entirely different. When Riku reached him and opened his mouth to speak, Sora beats him to it.
"What... are you doing here?? What have you done..?!"
The anger and pain in his voice made Riku stop dead in his tracks. His relief and happiness fading from his face, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion.
"What do you mean..? I came here to bring you back h.."
"No! You can't just...!" Sora interrupts him with blazing eyes, shaking in anger. Making Riku take a step back.
"What.. why are you so angry? Did you think I would just leave you here? We were all looking for a way to.."
"You were supposed to be safe!"
Riku blinks surprised and shakes his head confused. "I.. what..?"
"I gave everything for you! I rewrote time itself! I brought you back from.." his voice breaks and he shakes his head like he is trying to shake the memory.
"I made sure you could all go back home together!"
Sora steps forward and grabs Rikus shirt, pulling him closer and shaking him slightly.
"How could you do that?! You were finally free! Free of Xehanort, free to travel to any world you want! And you throw that away to follow me?! Into a world without magic! To be stuck again!" He glares at him through angry tears.
"Why.. why would you do that?! You were supposed to be safe and happy and.." He looks down and closes his eyes when a sob breaks through his anger, shaking his head in frustration.
"Oh.. Sora.." Riku just stood in front of him, letting him yell at him, unsure what else to do. He wants nothing more than to wrap him in his arms but.. would Sora even want that? He has never seen him this upset.
A moment passes before Riku finds his voice again
"Did you really think I would allow this?"
Sora looks up at him frowning "...What do you..?"
"Did you think it would be okay to sacrifice yourself, as long as everyone else gets their happy ever after? Do you think I would be alright with that? That I could be happy, knowing you were all alone with no way home.. No. Forget it."
The determination in his voice leaves no space for doubt and makes Sora start to let go of his anger.
"But.. what about your Mom.. and Kairi? Now we are just both stuck here."
Riku shakes his head and smiles a little.
"They will be fine. And who knows? Together we might find a way back." He lays his hands on Sora's shoulders and smiles softly at him.
"As long as we're together, we will be fine."
3
The city was overwhelming. So many noises, cars, people, lights.. He never enjoyed places like these.
But coming from the silence and emptiness of the Final World to.. this. It was jarring.
How was he supposed to find Sora here?
He managed to follow him into his dreams, as if it was second nature to him. Became his Dream Eater without question. Followed him to Castle Oblivion from the emptiness. He was always easy to find. Like a beacon, shining only for him.
But here.. it felt like he was cut from his senses, trapped in a cloud of too many impressions and.. suddenly something changed.
The noise lowered and the storm, that had been brewing inside of him for a year now, quieted down. Then he saw him.
Passing by on the other side of the street.
He was here! He was alright! Not injured or comatose or trapped or.. no. Just walking down the street, groceries in one hand while looking at his phone.
So normal. So impossible.
His heart was beating heavily, as if it was trying to jump from his chest. All he could think of was Sora. The way he looked, how much this year changed him, how unmistakably he was still himself.
Riku was so focused on Sora, it was a miracle he made it across the street in one piece. It was all a blur, his voice managed nothing but a quiet call of his name.
It should have been too low, too soft for Sora to hear on this busy street. But he did anyway.
The moment he turned around and their eyes met will forever be burned into his memory.
The soft gasp, the disbelief on Sora's face, the sound of his voice when he breathed Riku's name.
It was surreal.
Riku had no idea how it happened, but the next thing he knew was his hand was holding Sora's. He must have pulled him closer because his body was flush against his own now.
With his other hand he was caressing Sora's soft cheek and for the first time, for the very first time, he felt Sora's lips pressed against his own.
He never believed something like this 'feeling of fireworks' really existed. But here he was, consumed by fireworks and butterflies in the most beautiful of ways.
He was here! Finally in his arms..! Sora..
He was.. kissing.. 'Oh no..'
His eyes flew open and he took a step back as fast as he could.
"Oh my.. I'm so sorry..! I shouldn't have just..!" His thoughts were a jumbled mess, blood rushing in his ears. He barely registered Sora's half lidded eyes or the soft blush on his cheeks until that dopey smile started to spread on Sora's lips.
His soft voice cut right through the haze that was Riku's mind and made his heart stumble.
"Can we do that again?" the dreamy smile he gave him could have killed him right then and there.
But instead, he let out a breathless chuckle, as he laid both hands on Sora's cheeks and pulled him in for a second kiss.