Together we build our hobbies

"Riku, you can't just sit there forever. I know you're on watch but I won't let you just sit there all night. We'll be fine for a couple hours." King Mickey had said, and he was right. The hours were ticking by like seconds while the stars thankfully shone brightly in the night sky. It was a beautiful sight, a sight that let's people forget all of their sorrows or painfully remind them. Depending on the problem. "I know, I'll be sleeping soon." Riku said, his eyes still glued to the starry night sky. 

They had been on the road to dawn together for as long as Riku could actually remember, his memory was starting to go foggy from exhaustion and too much head trauma. But the road didn't last forever, and he hadn't walked it forever. He remembers many things, but few things at the same time. He doesn't remember what school he went to, or what his school friends' names even were. Sometimes he even wondered if he had any, or if he even had parents. But so many things were still so clear in his memory. Two people were clear in his memory. 

There are so many things everyone wants to forget and wants to never forget as well, and it always seems like what someone wants to forget they can never do so, and vice versa. Riku never wanted to forget his other friends and his family, but he did want to forget other things. In some not so deep parts of his mind, he wanted to forget everything about the past year or so. The regret that bubbles in his chest whenever he even dares to think for a moment. Sometimes he wishes he could just forget his old friends. 

Every night he and his only friend sat under these stars that cradled the worlds in it's dark blanket, and every night Riku would finally let those nagging thoughts come back into his memory. Everything he did to his two friends, how much they must hate him now. And now because of him, because of Riku, his best friend, his...his love, is now stuck in an endless sleep. All because of him. Riku made himself sick at the thought of how horrible of a person he used to be. 

Riku wishes he could just forget him, that brunette and even that redhead, he doesn't want to even think of their names. He hurt them so badly, and he never wants them to ever feel that ever again. However, he made himself sick with other thoughts too. Thoughts of wanting to return to his brunette buddy and pull him into a tight embrace and never let go of him. Always protect him no matter the cost. But he knows he can't do that either. He can't do anything right. 

"Riku, talk to me. What's going on with you?" King Mickey-- Mickey had said, finally walking over to Riku and sitting down next to him. "Just admiring the stars." Riku said, keeping his vision staying firmly to the stars. "Stars don't change in the span of less than a night, and you've been enthralled for a while now. You're thinking something in that big brain of yours." Mickey said, his large eyes begging to be acknowledged, so he could help. 

"King Mic-- er, I mean, Mickey, can I ask you something?" Riku asked, and Mickey nodded though Riku couldn't see it. With a few moments of silence, Riku took it as a yes. "What's the point of me running after my friends? No, they're not really even my friends. They must hate me now." Riku mumbled, and he already could feel his hands starting to itch and shake. "I just, I hate myself so much. I hate myself for what I've done to them. I hate myself because I know I should just go away, stay away from them. But I just-" "You can't." Mickey interrupted Riku. 

"...Yeah. I can't. There's just...a huge battle inside of me. One part of me is hating itself for what I've done and just telling me I should go away forever. However another part of me...wishes I shared that paopu fruit with them a year ago so no matter what I'd go back to them." Riku said, clenching the black leather on his hood. Mickey stayed quiet for a moment, then sighed. "You shouldn't blame yourself for your past mistakes you know. And you shouldn't hate yourself for wanting your friends back." Mickey said. 

"Just because I shouldn't doesn't mean I won't do it anyway." Riku chuckled quietly, painfully. "You're right. But that's what I'm here for. You may hate yourself for your past, but I won't hate you for it. I'll be your friend, even when your other ones come back." Mickey smiled, and Riku finally turned his gaze to Mickey's. "When?" Riku asked, tears welling in his eyes. "I know they'll come back for you. With or without a paopu fruit, there's something special about you three. There's something even more special about you and Sora though." Mickey smiled. 

"What do you mean? He hates me, and he has every right to. I hurt him and...Kairi. I hurt them both, there's no way...no way....he could ever feel the same....or even believe...." Riku's voice was breaking under the pressure of his own thoughts and emotions. "Everything will work itself out Riku. You don't need to worry, they both are forgiving people. You know that. And besides, once Sora wakes up you can tell him everything and his feelings toward you might even change." Mickey said, and Riku wiped at a forming tear. "But what about the-" "You don't need to depend on a fruit to have a successful friendship or relationship." Mickey said, a warm smile forming on his face. 

Riku smiled back at his friend, which caused Mickey to then laugh with relief. "I don't expect you to get better by tonight, or for you to ever get better. What has happened here is hard, but you have me, and Kairi, and Sora to guide you. You're not alone, Riku. Not anymore." Mickey said, standing up. "But I'm going to sleep, we have another long walk ahead of us." Mickey said, walking over to his little patch of grass that he made comfortable for himself. "Hey Mickey?" Riku asked, and Mickey turned his attention over to him. "Thank you." Riku smiled, and Mickey smiled back. "You're welcome. Now get some sleep." 

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Riku grabbed Mickey, throwing him up in the air and spinning him then put him down. He was thrilled, they were finally home. He was finally home with his friends, he was finally home with Sora. Everything felt so right as they all stood on the beach water, and the relief had never felt so good. Even though Riku was still weak from his wounds, and his fatigue was slowly breaking him down, he was alright. Everything was alright, because everyone was there for him. 

"W-We're back!" Sora shouted, his hair still bouncing even though it was wet. "You're home." Kairi smiled, holding out her hand to Sora. Sora held out his little key chain of Kairi's and handed it back to her. She looked at him, puzzled at first, but then smiled brightly. "You brought it back!" Kairi shouted, and Sora grinned even more. "I told you I would." Sora said, pulling himself up onto his feet. 

Sora turned his attention over to Riku who was a little ways behind him, and smiled his beautifully bright smile that was brighter than the scorching sun. " Come on Riku, we gotta go see the others!" Sora said cheerfully. He was so much happier here than he was in the realm of darkness, and Riku was too. In the realm of darkness, Riku was afraid. He was overly afraid, he had a hard time facing Sora and facing himself. but now that everything was bright and pure, he wanted something from Sora. He wanted to do something he really hadn't done before. 

Riku made his way over to Sora, his feet getting pulled down by the water but the water never stopped him. Sora waited for him, he always had. He always forgave him, and he always waited for him. He always cared, and he always would stay by Riku's side. No matter what Riku did, he'd always stay by his side. They were tied together for life. That was something Riku thought he could never say, never admit, but now here he was knowing everything was alright. 

Riku stood face to face with Sora, and wasted no time. He laced his arms around Sora, pulling him into a tight embrace. The scent of sea salt was ever present on Sora, his skin was wet and cold but there was some sort of warmth that Riku couldn't pinpoint where it was from. This was what Riku had wanted for so long, to be here and to embrace Sora as tightly as he could. "R-Riku?!" Sora asked, confused. "We're home." Riku whispered into Sora's hair. "Riku...?" Sora asked, trying to look up at Riku but Riku just squeezed him tighter. 

"I'm here to stay." Riku said, hugging him tighter. Sora wrapped his arms around Riku's waist, causing Riku to jump up a bit more in confusion. "Don't go away again." Sora muttered into Riku's chest. "I won't. We're bound together, we don't need a fruit to keep us together." Riku said, a smile curling onto his lips.