Shooting Stars
written by jess

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"The stars are so pretty, Riku," mumbled a young boy with chocolate brown hair. His bright, happy blue eyes were shining with admiration as he looked up at the star-filled night sky.

"I guess they are," replied they boy next to him, who was no more than a year older than the other boy. His hair contrasted his friend's greatly, as silvery locks fell down his back in softer spikes, bangs covering his boyish aquamarine eyes. He was the older boy. He was supposed to act more grown up. But he couldn't help but smile slightly as the stars twinkled above him, smiling down on the two of them.

The brown-haired boy frowned unhappily. "Ah, Riku! Don't be like that! They're very pretty!" Riku smiled as he turned to look at his friend.

"Sure they are, Sora," he told the younger boy, "But I know something's that even prettier."

The boy named Sora perked up. "What? Something prettier than the stars? Nah, you're kidding." Riku shook his head.

"Nope. Telling the truth."

"...Well, what is it?" Sora was not the most patient of eight-year-olds.

"Do you really wanna know?" Riku asked, still smiling gently. Sora rocked against the paopu tree impatiently.

"Yeah, I wanna know Riku! Please tell me! Please!" Oceanic eyes shone with anticipation and excitement as they regarded the older boy in front of them.

"Well, just because you asked so nicely..." said Riku, jumping off the tree and turning away from the boy. "It starts with a S and ends with an A."

Sora's eyebrows knit together in confusion. He didn't know that spelling would be involved. Hmm, what words did he know that started with S?

"Umm...Santa?" wondered Sora, pulling at a brown spike absently. Riku laughed quietly.

"Santa's not pretty, Sora. He's not even real." Sora bristled at this.

"Is to!"

"Nuh-uh."

"Ya-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Ya-huh!"

"...Just think of another word, Sora."

Sora pouted slightly as he set his mind to work again. If it wasn't Santa, then...

He peered down towards the tan sand.

"Oh, I got it! Sand...a! Yeah, that's it!" Riku's palm made contact with his forehead.

"No, Sora. Not Sanda. That's not even a word." Sora's pout was back again.

"Well, it's your fault! You know I'm not good with spelling stuff! How am I 'posed to know a word that has an S and an A in it at the same time!"

"Sora."

"What?"

"Spell your name."

"...Why?"

Groan. "Just do it."

Pout. "Fine. S-O-R-A. Sora. There. Happy?"

Why did he have to torture Riku so?

"What's the first letter?"

"S. Duh."

"And the last?" Riku's cheeks were beat red by this point.

"A."

Riku was silent for a moment, letting that information take hold of Sora. Three, two, one.

"...What, did you think I couldn't spell my name or something?"

The nine-year-old made a strangled growl at the back of his throat.

"Why must you make this so difficult?" asked the enraged (and embarrassed, don't forget embarrassed) boy.

"What?" asked Sora innocently, without a clue in the world. He clicked his shoes together naively.

"I'm talking about you, Sora! I think you're prettier than all the stars in the sky! There, okay! I said it! I think you're pretty, and funny, and cool, and amazing and—" Riku was abruptly cut off as something tackled into him, pushing him to the ground.

Sora had rammed into him, and was hugging the older boy.

"...Sora?" asked the confused boy. Sora's head was now resting on Riku's chest, so all he could see was brown spikes.

The younger boy lifted his head up slowly, revealing the brilliant smile he had there.

"Oh, Riku, you're so silly." And without any further warning, Sora's lips were on Riku's nose in possibly the cutest kiss known to mankind.

Riku's face was on fire as Sora pulled away, still sitting atop the silver-haired boy, though. The older boy was at a loss for words.

"You want to know something, Riku?" asked Sora, smile still firmly in place. He bent down again, his nose touching Riku's.

"I think you're prettier than all the pretty things in the world combined."

And a single shooting star raced across the sky above them.