• Slosh. Slosh. Slosh. The clear ocean water calmly lapped at the edge of the small island. Pink and purple clouds drifted lazily in the evening sky, a soft warm breeze slowly pushing them across the horizon. The deep green leaves of a towering coconut tree danced with every gentle gust of wind.
    "Doesn't it feel good?" Riku asked Sora.
    "What?" Sora replied, coking his head to one side in slight confusion.
    "Being here, sitting in the paopu tree again, its just like-"
    "Just like old times." Sora interrupted,
    "Yeah, just like old times." said Riku. The two teenage boys sat in silence for a moment, staring up at the sky. Sora nodded, but somewhere inside him he knew something was different. The way he looked at his best friend had changed over the time he had been away from the island. Before, he liked having Riku as a friend... But that was it. Now, unfamiliar emotions had crept up on him, making him want to be more than just friends. Without realizing, he stared at Riku, smiling dumbly. He loved the way the sixteen year old boy's silver hair glowed faintly in the moonlight, his bangs swaying back and forth with the soft, warm breeze, and his tight vest exposed his slim but muscular chest and arms.
    "Hey, what are you looking at?" Riku asked playfully and nudged him on the shoulder, causing Sora to momentarily lose his balance. Sora looked down at his shoes awkwardly, trying to hide the fact that he could feel his cheeks blushing. "You know Sora, you've been acting just a little bit weird tonight." Riku stated. Sora's stomach flopped as he tried to think of something to say.
    "Yeah... Hey, I got a question..." Sora said quietly. Riku nodded. Sora gathered his courage and decided what he was going to say next. "How do you see me?"
    "I see you as... a person with inspiring courage. And an amazing friend." was Riku's answer. Sora's heart sank.
    "Is that it though?"
    "Well, how do you see me?" Riku responded. Sora's heart started to pound in his chest so hard he was sure it would break one of his ribs.
    "I see you as a person I care about a lot. A person that, I think, I might be in love with." Sora couldn't believe he had actually said it. He watched as Riku's face transformed from an expression of relaxation and contentment, to one of shock and speechlessness. Sora put his head down in embarrassment. I am so incredibly stupid. What was I thinking? Riku could never like me like that! He thought to himself.
    Without warning, Riku leaned over and pressed his soft pink lips against Sora's. He felt Riku slip his hand into his own, his hot, wet tongue slip inside his mouth, and their muscular bodies press together. After several minutes of sharing a passionate kiss, Riku pulled away. He looked into Sora's electrifyingly blue eyes and whispered, "Sora.... I think I might be in love with you, too."