Pairing: Riku/Sora-ish, but more gen than anything.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Square-Enix, whom I am not affiliated with. No profit made.
Notes: Written for KH Drabble. Spoilers for KH2 contained within. Vaguely based off an idea presented in Final Fantasy VI.

--

A rush of air against your ears. The thrill twisting your gut to know you're at the mercy of gravity. The smell of the sea, all salt and water, leaving a tang on the back of your tongue that you can't quite shake.

--

They call it a leap of faith. The idea is foreign to Riku after all this time. It's not that he can't understand it; it's more like an old house he moved away from as a child, only to return to find it painted in different colors.

Blindman's Edge, it's called. The green grass is overgrown, and the weeds as wild as the Pride Lands. The rocky edge of a cliff juts out beyond the wild daisies, white as sun-bleached bone, pointing to the horizon like an accusing finger. Beneath the cliff is the ocean, that moody, blue mistress whose power can only be overshadowed by the sky.

"You don't need to do this, Riku," says Sora, his tone flat and his electric blue eyes suspicious. There's a bit of Roxas still in there. Just like there's a bit of darkness still in Riku.

"Yes, I do."

"You could fall short and hit the jagged rocks at the bottom."

"Or I could hit the water, victorious."

Sora runs his fingers through his hair. The spikes of light brown hair tremble for a moment, like long grass in the wind, before returning to their usual defiantly still shape. He turns to look at the ocean, glittering in the bright sun. It's just a reflective light; it doesn't really pierce the watery depths. The water is like Riku, in that regard.

"Jumping off a rock doesn't prove anything."

"I know."

"Then why are you doing it?"

Riku spreads his arms and lets the wind ruffle his silver air. It brings with it the smell of the ocean, a hint of what is to come. "Because I can."

Sora sighs, relent obvious in the breath escaping his lungs. "Then let's do it together." He holds out his hand, eyes clear and as powerful as the sky itself.

Riku nods. He takes Sora's hand, their fingers entwining. Sora's grip is stronger than his, rough with Keyblade calluses. Riku has an urge to brush his lips over Sora's fingers, but he refrains. Instead, he turns to the horizon, to Blindman's Edge.

They run without counting or speaking. They just know. Their hearts beat as one, their feet pounding against the ground in unison. When they leap off the edge, it's as though they're one person with two bodies.

--

The cry of a seagull off in the distance, punctuating the moment your feet leave the ground. The rush of air, bringing with it the sound of laughter – his and yours. The knowledge that you could both die, dashed to pieces against the rocks that line the bottom like Monstro's teeth.

It doesn't matter, because if you die, you die with him. There's no better fate.

You hit the water like a clap of thunder. Your body stings from the impact, and the ocean water floods your mouth and nose. Pressure on your left hand reminds you that he's still there, hanging onto you.

You rise through the watery, blue world together, coughing and laughing when you break the surface. You've never felt more alive. Not because you leapt off the edge of a cliff – but because he's there, with you, and you know he'll never let go.

And neither will you.