An Unintended Promise

Synopsis: Sora receives some lovely star shaped fruit in the form of candy which he plans to share with his best friend Riku. When the knowledge of the main component of the candy comes to light, Riku realizes there is one promise he can make.

Author's Commentary: A fluffy SoRiku story of the fluffiest kind. This only happened because I was stoked about KH3 and because I spent waaayyyy too much time reading cute doujinshi stories of kid Riku and Sora doing really cute things. Truly, Sora and Riku's relationship/bromance is just hiding in plain sight. By now I think SoRiku's relationship in KH3 has matured to that of a comfortably married couple -the silence, the quiet encouragement, Riku calling Sora's name in his moment of dire need, respecting while advocating for Sora's personal choice, and somehow following him to the place of the secret ending. That says a lot about their unbreakable bond. All the signs are there, and they do feel more genuine than Sora's and Kairi's rushed couple pacing story. Somehow, Sora and Riku's relationship is still my favorite after all these years. Woo, SoRiku forever! Ha, ha.

Please enjoy this humble fanfic, and even though it is far from my usual dark and stormy work, I hope you will find it heartwarming and a bit fun. This is my first shot at writing a fluffy shonen-ai piece, so I'm a nervous wreck. My apologies beforehand for any mistakes you may find.

Dsclaimer: Sora, Riku, and their respective properties are owned by Square Enix or Disney. None of it belongs to me and I am making no profit from this story. That being said, we can now move on to the one-shot story.

Sora loves candy.
He loves any type of candy.

But, he is especially fond of the sweet, sugary-type treats that melt right in one's mouth -the types of confectioneries that makes one's mouth burst with exquisite flavor and that remains for quite a while.

So, young Sora's sky blue eyes sparkle with barely contained glee as his mother produces a little bag of translucent, bright yellow candy wrapped in clear cellophane plastic and tied with a navy-blue ribbon.

"Wow!" Sora cries in amazement and before he is able to think about his next words he exclaims, "This candy makes me think of Riku!"

Sora's mother laughs heartily, her tinkling laughter reverberating through their modest home. Never had she thought to see it from her young son's perspective, but now that she ponders more about her five-year-old's comment, Sora's best friend is fond of bright yellow colors contrasted with dark blue ones.

"Oh, Sora!" She smiles kindly at her imaginative son, ruffles the cinnamon spikes affectionately, and drops the dried fruit candy into her son's small hands.

Sora envelops the transparent bag, a size intended for adults, with his two small hands and marvels at the little diced stars of pellucid, golden-yellow candy with anticipation.

The candy looks really, truly pretty. The little soft stars look so, so sweet and so very, very yummy.

"This candy is made from dried Paopu fruit," The twenty-five-year-old woman explains.

"Really?" Sora's voice is laced with awe.

"Yes, and the fruit is considered a highly nutritious delicacy in the region."

"What does the word nutritious mean?" The brunette youth asks with curiosity.

"Think of it as something healthy, something good for you." The motherly explanation appeases the little bouncy tyke.

"You mean that this candy is good for me?"

The young, auburn haired woman releases a loud chuckle before doling out her wise motherly words, "Candy is only good if you eat it in small quantities."

"Oh...ok." Sora nods, making his dark chocolate spikes bounce with the nodding motion.

"Legend has it, that is you share a Paopu with some else, that you will forge an inseparable connection with that person, and that you will remain a part of that person's life no matter what."

But the legend of the Paopu falls on deaf ears. Sora's attention span has hit a limit, and those eyes are more transfixed by the soft glow of the candy imbued by the bright light of the kitchen window.

Sora's mother, aware that her little hyperactive ball of energy is no longer paying any mind to her, decides to switch gears from teacher to parent.

"Don't eat it all in one sitting!" She instructs and ushers the boy out of her kitchen to prepare dinner.

"Ok." Sora replies happily and rushes off to his room to play. He can't wait for his friend to get off from school. He plans to share some of the candy with his best friend Riku.

By the time Riku is able to see his young spiky-haired friend, the sky has turned a dusky pink. The now tired sun sinks lower into the distant horizon, giving the water a more grayish hue below the mirror reflection of the evening sky.

Teal green eyes watch Sora's sandaled feet kick back and forth happily as he sits on the pier waiting calmly for the older boy to arrive, which is a bit surprising considering the brunette is usually an incandescent sphere of hyperactive energy in motion.

Riku makes his way down the old, familiar wharf as stealthily as a feline. He does not intend to startle his friend, but his actions will certainly have that effect. It always happens when Sora is distracted. But Riku just hates moving in a loud or clumsy manner. He has always been graceful - his movements elegant and precise for someone so young- his mind honed sharper than most; he is gifted and talented with an awareness of his own superb skills.

He has always considered himself better than his younger companion because his mere six years of life affords him a bit more maturity and a slight advantage with the refinement of a better developed set of motor skills, but his best friend somehow always manages to keep him constantly on his toes.

Even now, Riku's movements go undetected. From his vantage point he can see Sora's cerulean eyes closed in silent reverence of the warm Caribbean breeze as it sifts through burnt-caramel spikes. There's a goofy grin plastered on the boy's face. It warms Riku's heart to see his friend so lax and carefree.

"Hey, Sora."

"Hi, Riku." Sora greets in their familiar way, and the silverette is slightly surprised that the younger boy wasn't shocked by the intrusion.

"Sorry I'm late."

Unclouded baby blue eyes regard him with a light, mischievous glint swimming on the surface -like there is a really good secret that he wants to share with his best friend.

"Look what I've got!"

Sora's eager sun kissed hands reach into the deep pockets of his maroon colored shorts and produce a neatly wrapped bundle tied with a navy-blue ribbon.

"Candy!"

The bubbly voice reveals happily as if the facts aren't obvious enough to Riku who sits next to his friends with a patient smile as he watches the exuberant boy fumble to undo the ribbon.

When the candy is finally unwrapped, and the blue ribbon is tucked safely in Sora's pocket, small, boyish hands pick a star shaped piece in unison. They bring the candy close to their inquisitive gazes for inspection.

The candy is by far the prettiest Riku or Sora has seen. Both friends marvel at the attractive amber color the crystalline candy catches in the fading dusk. The candy appears to glow softly as if it has magical properties the duo has yet to uncover.

And with some reverence. They bring the candy to their waiting mouths to finally have a taste of the enigmatic sweet.

"Wow!" Sora exclaims giddily as the treat dissolves and is crushed by impatient teeth "So sweet! So yummy!"

Riku says nothing, but the approving nod he gives his friend is meant to speak volumes. He doesn't speak much because his more refined palate can taste the underlying tangy taste of the dried-up fruit. He consumes a few more pieces to familiarize himself with the new taste of the fruit he's never tasted before.

"Riku! No fair you mean, mean Riku!"

Sora's angry shouts cut through the silence of the now empty beach when the elder of the two manages to purloin one of the bigger pieces; clenching it with his teeth as Sora's fingers hold it with all the impetuousness of a bragging child.

"Too slow, Sora." Riku taunts triumphantly...because really, Sora should be more modest and respectful towards his elders. It's also called good manners. But in reality, he wants Sora to stop being so boastful.

"Hey, Sora, what's the candy made of anyways?" Riku questions after the angry brunette has calmed down.

Sora pauses, thinks for a brief moment, and once he is able to remember, he reveals the information.

"My mom said it was Paopu."

"..."

There is a moment of heavy silence that blankets the air. Sora's revelation hits Riku like a ton of unexpected bricks -like a bucket of cold water in the dead of winter. His alabaster cheeks procure a red tint and he turns away from his friend in order to hide the furious blush that has spread from his cheeks to his entire face.

"Uhmmm...Sora?" Riku begins to speak, his lips move as if he desires to continue, but no sound emerges, and thus he is unable to finish his sentence.

"Riku, are you ok?" The russet spikes tilt slightly to the right in an inquisitive manner. Riku is holding a hand to his face like he usually does when Sora does or says something inappropriate. "Did I say something wrong?"

And how can Riku explain to his friend what he just learned in preschool about the legend of the Paopu? How can he even begin to explain that he and his classmates spent an entire day hearing songs, reading stories, coloring yellow stars, and drawing about the significance of the legend in their learning journals as an important step to educating themselves in the unique lore of Destiny Islands?

How can he expound upon the intimate significance of the Paopu as a sort of romantic based legend; a declaration of love from one person to another - a desire to establish an inseparable connection with another human being for an entire lifetime?

Sora.

His young but sharp mind reels from the unintended meaning of them sharing their first taste of Paopu even if it is in the form of candy.

I should have known, but I would have never imagined...

Oh, and Riku should have realized it before ever taking the first bite. All the little signs were there to pick up on. The star shaped design, the yellow color, and the neatly wrapped bundle tied with a cute little ribbon. A beguiling declaration of love wrapped in a discrete package for hesitant souls.

That I would share my very first Paopu with you...

Riku takes a moment to steady his racing heart. He takes a long, steady deep breath to purge the red color from his face. "I never knew you were such a romantic." He teases his friend vaguely with a wink and watches as it is now Sora's turn to become flustered.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, RIKU?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN!? ARE YOU TEASING ME AGAIN!? DO YOU KNOW SOMETHING I DON'T?!"

Sora's balled up fists are pumping in the air with poorly contained indignation. There goes Riku saying cryptic stuff he can't understand. Puffs of smoke are almost emanating from the lanky boy's utter frustration, so Riku wonders how long his friend's ire will last.

Then, the platinum-haired boy ushers a hearty laugh at Sora's expense and pops another candy into his expectant mouth. Sora will relent at some point, he figures. He has to, so Riku simply waits for his best friend to calm down.

Riku takes some consolation in the fact that his friend's naïveté provides him with a rare sense of amusement few things in this world do. There is awareness that Sora's action are sometimes unintentional, and that his inadvertent promise may not have to be taken too seriously after all. Sora is five and Riku is just a year older; not enough time to take things to heart. There is a world out there to explore and there is more than enough time to test their bond.

Riku surmises that he does feel some sort of affinity for his younger friend, but he must also admit that he is far too young to even decipher the varying degrees of love someone can have for another. Still, he will never admit to Sora that few things are beyond his comprehension level because the petite boy will never let him live it down. For now, he is content with sitting in the embankment next to Sora. For now, sharing the Paopu candy with his best friend ain't so bad.

"Here..."

And when Sora is done venting and his mouth is a bit slack with exhaustion, Riku feeds the second biggest star piece of Paopu candy to his friend. The more mature six-year-old comes to the conclusion that is better to eat the candy than to stare stupidly at nothing and catching flies.

Sora chews pensively on the treat, and knowing that he won't be getting any more information out of his companion, he settles for looking at the vanishing sun in complete silence. Sora looks up to his friend Riku and at some point, he too will understand what just transpired. There is no rush.

Soon the evanescent candy stars are consumed, and the delicate veil of real celestial bodies begin to grace the night sky with angelic light.

"Ready to go home?" Riku prompts his companion. He is the first one to stand and to hold a hand up to Sora to help him stand.

"Yeah."

Sora takes the offered hand and both traverse the dock linked together with Riku at the helm guiding them home.

No one can see Riku's small blush in the creeping darkness, nor can they feel the peaceful warmth that spreads from his heart, flows like a tranquil river throughout his body, and coils gently to repose in his belly. His friend's unpremeditated stunt has awakened some sort of shapeless awareness that, like Pandora's box, cannot be reversed.

And for now, Riku happily basks in the unspoken determination that blossoms in his youthful heart; a resolute determination that he is willing to protect his best friend no matter what.

Owari

P.S.

Thank you so much for reading this story. Please take a brief moment to review this fic if you really enjoyed it, or if you have a few pointers to share. Constructive criticism is always welcome, but please keep it productive and professional.