Title: Crush

Rating: Uh, PG? I guess..

Author: Sammei

Pairing: RikuxSora

Disclaimer/Author Note: Dedicated to Amaronith/AquaianGoddess, because she is my reluctant muse, and this was in response to one of her prompts. Also, I don't own Kingdom Hearts at all, just this fluffy little fic. And the games, a couple action figures, one of those cardboard cutouts…

One time I mentioned I was moving, and you said you'd help me move, I almost went out and bought some shit so I'd need your help to move... - Crush, Cory Branan

Crush

"Sora. It'll be fine. It's not like you're moving to another country or something. Hell, you're still in the same school district. We'll still see each other all the time!"

"…but we won't get to walk to school together anymore! And I won't be able to just go next door to see you if I want to hang out!" Sora whined.

Rolling his eyes, Riku pressed the phone to his ear with his shoulder, balancing a large box in his hands. "Stop with the weeping, already. You've been spending too much time with Kairi. Thank goodness she's at her dance camp, or I'd have to deal with two blubbering idiots."

"Riku! You're such a jerk! I'm not holding back the next time we race!"

"Yeah, yeah. You're just a sore loser." Stealing a glance at his manager, who was heading his way, Riku sighed. "Look, I gotta get back to work. I'll head over to your place right after work, and I'll help you pack up all your junk, alright?"

"You'd better!" Sora hung up with a decisive push to the 'off' button. He eyed the neatly packed and labeled boxes in his all but empty room, cursing his decision to get a jump on packing and finishing early. I wonder if Riku'll notice if I opened all the boxes and dumped all the stuff out…

"Yo."

Sora straightened up at Riku's greeting, closing the refrigerator door as he watched him stroll into the kitchen. After being friends and neighbors for so many years, they were accustomed to coming into each other's house without so much as a knock. He tossed a soda to Riku, sitting down at the table and cracking his own open. Casually glancing at his watch, Sora hoped it didn't seem like he had been eagerly awaiting Riku's arrival… though he had. "Get out of work late today?"

"Huh? Oh, nah," taking a sip of his soda, Riku replied, "I needed to take a shower. I was filthy."

Sora's soda paused on the way to his mouth, as visions of naked Rikus danced about in his head. Curse his hormones! It wasn't bad enough that earlier that summer he had realized he had feelings for his best friend; no, his libido had to go and join camp with his traitorous heart and remind him that he was a healthy young boy who had NEEDS, thank you very much. Oh, and did he need reminding that his best friend was gorgeous? No. Sora already knew this. He should have realized that he had recently taken a shower, as Riku's hair was still fairly damp. He watched with fascination as a droplet of water traced down the side of Riku's neck, suddenly wondering what it would be like to be just one molecule of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom gliding down that gorgeous body. Sora could practically hear his chemistry teacher groan at the way he was applying his lessons.

Riku's voice broke into Sora's thoughts, "So, are you just going to sit there all day, or do you want help with your packing?"

"Wha? Oh, sorry! Yeah, c'mon, let's go to my room!" Sora had to resist smacking himself in the forehead at how eager he sounded.

The two boys made their way to Sora's room, which had undergone a drastic transformation since their phone call that morning.

"What the – Sora, have you even STARTED packing?!" Riku exclaimed in disbelief.

It looked like a tornado had blown through his room – which, in a way, is what had happened. Before Riku had come over, Sora had frantically ripped the tape off of most of the boxes, dumping the contents onto the floor until the hardwood was barely visible.

"God, Sora, this is going to take forever! You're buying me pizza tonight." Riku nudged some old schoolwork out of the way with his foot, clearing a space on the floor before sitting down.

"Sure!" Sora agreed cheerfully, nonchalantly clearing a spot next to Riku, "whatever you want."

A couple of hours later, Riku paused in the middle of taping closed a box. "Sora," he began, an odd tone in his voice.

"Yeah?" Sora didn't look up from his spot on the bed, folding a pair of pants.

"….this box is already labeled."

The younger male jerked his head up, his mouth open in a round 'o.' He closed it, opened it, started speaking with a slight wobble in his voice, "S-so what? Maybe that was from when my parents moved here before I was born."

"It's your handwriting." Riku pulled over another box, "This one is labeled, too. Sora, these are all already labeled!"

Sora was never any good at lying to his friends. Especially Riku. Especially when those emerald eyes were staring at him. Like they were doing now. Sora knew when he was beat.

Sighing, he put down his laundry and went for blunt honesty. Might as well get the rejection over and done with. It seemed moving to a new house a few blocks away might have a positive aspect, after all. He wouldn't have to deal with seeing his best friend and first love (first rejection?) anymore than necessary.

"Yeah, they're all labeled. I just…" Sora glanced up from where he had been staring intently at the floor. Riku's eyes were still trained on him. He looked down again, dangling his feet over the edge of the bed nervously, continuing, "I just.. wanted to spend more time with you."

"Are you serious? You know that all you have to do is say when you wanna hang out, and I'm there. What's the big deal?"

"No, that's not it! I mean, yes, it is, but.." Sora chewed on his lower lip nervously, steeling himself for the next words that were going to come out of his mouth, "gurgh…" Or what was supposed to come out of his mouth.

"….come again?" Riku was looking at him amusedly, one pale eyebrow arched.

"Okay!" Sora stood up, puffing his chest out in false bravado, pointing at Riku, who still sat on the floor, looking mildly surprised, "I like you! And not just as friends, even though you're my best friend. I like you like… Wakka and Tidus like blitzball! I mean, I like you… as more than friends.' Sora let out a sigh, as his speech wound down. He lightly kicked at the floor, avoiding Riku's gaze, unsure of what to do next.

"Sora." Riku's voice was soft, steady, and entirely closer than Sora remembered the taller youth being. Sora jerked his head up, locking gazes with him. Riku smiled; not one of his challenging smirks, or the false smiles reserved for the annoying girls who fawned over him at school, but a genuine smile. "You should have said something earlier, dummy." Before Sora could retort properly, Riku's mouth covered his in their first kiss. It was chaste, but filled with a feeling Sora couldn't properly pinpoint. Before he could analyze why it felt so right, Riku had pulled away from him, smiling again. He laughed when Sora leaned in again, hoping for his second kiss. "Hey, there's plenty of time for that later. Right now, we have to finish packing up all the stuff YOU dumped out."

Riku's laughter echoed through the room, mixing with Sora's loud groan and exclamation of "You jerk!"

~fin