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Seventeen-year-old Sora neatly set the book into the cardboard box, trying to get as many in as the small space would allow. “Jeez, Riku, read much?” Sora joked.

“Jeez Riku, shop much?” Kairi continued, taking clothes off their hangers and folding them tidily before placing them in a suitcase. “You have more clothes than Selphie!”

“Oh shut up.” Riku snapped, tightly packaging his stereo up with as much newspaper padding as he could. “I don’t even wear half of it, Mom just buys it all. And just because you can’t Sora doesn’t give you permission to tease me about it.”

The brunette childishly stuck out his tongue at the other. “I can read, I just find it boring. School took away the pleasure.”

“Well, in one year when you and Kairi join me at DIC you’ll have to learn how. I hear the English professors there make you read a book a week.”

“A week!” Sora cried, horrified. “I’m gonna die!”

Kairi giggled. “Poor you, Sora.” The one in question just groaned as she continued. “So, are you excited Riku?”

“It’s just a community college.” The silver-haired almost-adult said noncommittally. “It’s nothing special.”

“At least you’ll be with Wakka.” The auburn haired female pointed out with a smile, folding up some pants.

“Yeah,” Sora intoned, sneaking an unsure glance Riku’s way. “And he’s been talking about the girls all week. He says when you two went to orientation they were total hotties.”

“Yeah, they were good-looking and a lot more mature too.” Riku said with a small smile, fingering the newspaper in his hand idly.

Sora had expected the answer, but it didn’t stop his heart from cracking a little more or his stomach from sinking down to his toes. He stuffed a few more books into the box with a little more force than was needed.

“But it’s not the same.” The silver-haired male added suddenly and he glanced his friends’ ways determinedly. “I’m going to visit every weekend – count on it. It’s only two hours away and I’d get bored without being able to bug you two.”

“But Riku,” Kairi started, concerned, “Gas is so expensive.”

“Don’t care. I’ll get a job. DIC is just a temporary stay, this is my real home. Besides, how will Sora pass math without me?” He responded, glancing the brunette’s way.

Sora flittered on a cheerful grin. “Get real Riku, you just can’t resist my charm and sexy good looks.”

Riku rolled his eyes. “Oh yes, I’m totally hot for you Sora.”

The two laughed – one believing it was all a joke, the other desperately wishing that was the truth.

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“Come on Sora, drink up!” Riku cheered, setting the alcoholic drink in front of his best friend.

Eighteen-year-old Sora gazed at it like it was poison.

“It’s your birthday!” The nineteen-year-old insisted jovially. “You’re supposed to celebrate.”

Sora gave his best friend a calculating look. “What happened to parties full of ice cream cake and piñatas and silly little sleepovers?”

“We grew up. Besides, this is more special. Now chug it down!” Riku said, nursing his own drink before holding it up. “Cheers!”

Sora sighed, lifting his and the glasses clinked merrily. He had to give Riku his props though; the other had really worked hard for this. Abandoning time with his newest girlfriend – Melanie – and driving 120 miles just to see him, then demanding they have a ‘Boy’s Night Out’ complete with late night movies and spending time in this dingy old bar – and actually managing to get them in and get drinks – even though Sora’s birthday crashed right in the middle of Riku’s Finals Week (It sucked to be a Gemini) and the other older teen was probably very busy trying to study, was nothing short of a miracle.

Nevertheless, he was entirely grateful. This birthday just wouldn’t have been the same without his best friend. So that was why Sora forced himself to lift up the drink and take a sip.

And then another.

And another.

And another.

A few drinks later, Sora was pleasantly drunk and couldn’t understand why he suddenly found Riku so hilarious. “Hey, Ri, gimme ‘nother one o’ these.” He slurred, indicating his empty glass.

“I think you’ve had enough.” The other said, a small smile on his face.

Sora burst into laughter, laying his head down on the table, the cool wood pleasant against his flushed cheeks. “This where I say ‘I’ll tell you when I had ‘nough?’ and make a big scene?”

“I’d prefer you didn’t, but if you must.” The other chuckled.

Even when he was half out of it, it was still a pleasant sound. “’Iku you have a pretty laugh.”

“Oh yeah, you’re definitely drunk.”

“No, I mean it!” Sora lifted his head, pounding a fist down on the table as if that would make everything clear. “Pretty hair and eyes too! And, and… what was I saying again?” He slumped back down onto the table.

“Alright, I think it’s time to get you home.”

“And a nice, pretty voice.” Sora mumbled. “’Iku? How we gonna get home?”

“I’m still sober.” Riku chuckled, standing and sauntering around the circular table to Sora’s side. “Come on.”

The brunette shivered as strong arms wrapped around his waist and helped him to his feet. They didn’t let go, even as Sora stumbled and stepped on Riku’s toes. Riku would never let him go, would he?

Suddenly overcome with drunk-induced emotions, he swung up his arms, clasping them around Riku’s neck, bringing them into a strange half-hug and declared loudly, “I love you ‘Iku!” He sloppily kissed the other on the lips.

And the next day, when Riku was holding back Sora’s hair as the boy threw up and guiltily offering some painkillers for the massive headache, Sora would remember nothing.

Riku would remember it all.

Give you all I can
Flower and a hand
I hope this helps you see
Signed,
Sincerely me.

Twenty-year-old Riku proudly set down his associate’s degree, carelessly flinging off his graduation cap. It wasn’t over yet, he still had four more years to go of torturous psychology courses before he could be free but he was ready for it. He would be a psychoanalyst if it killed him.

He looked around the small dorm that had been his room for the past two years, full of memories of staying up into the wee hours of the morning studying for tests, getting drunk, and Sora visiting at odd hours of the day only to drag him out into the wide world beyond. It wasn’t quite home, but with Sora and Kairi and many other familiar faces there it had been close.

And tomorrow, he’d be packing up and heading out again, this time to DIU, his time at this little college forsaken and forgotten. He could only hope his friends would follow him there too.

He faintly noticed his roommate was not back yet – probably out partying still. He glanced at his bed, strewn with graduation presents from admirers and parents and friends that he had yet to open. Many were brightly wrapped or placed in shimmering bags with merry and colorful tissue paper overflowing from the tops.

Just as Riku was about to pounce on the gifts, a knock at the door halted him. He sighed, a tad disappointed that his splurging would have to wait, and trudged over to the door. Seeing a nervous-looking Sora on the other side, however, completely erased the idea of present-opening.

Something about the way the nineteen-year-old was fretfully rocking on his feet, a hand behind his back like a guilty child, sent alarm bells off through Riku’s head. “What’s up?”

“I uh well,” Sora paused, biting his lip and Riku recognized the gesture instantly. Years of friendship made it easy to pick out when the brunette was trying to stall.

“Sora?” He pushed.

“I just I…” Sora took a deep breath. “I forgot… I forgot to give you your graduation gift.”

“That’s alright.” Riku nodded and waited patiently for another gift-wrapped box that he would have to open.

He was duly shocked when Sora held out his hand and revealed not a gift but a delicate white rose. He knew back from his botany class that it represented innocence, friendship and secrecy.

“Sora…” Riku breathed, feeling his heart give a pleasant little shudder.

“I wanted to get a red one but they were all out.” Sora mumbled almost inaudibly, a brilliant blush spreading across his cheeks. “Besides, this reminded me of your hair.”

Riku, speechless, reached out and took the flower, careful to not touch the thorns. That’s when he noticed a curious slip of paper was wrapped painstakingly around the stem and words in a very small print were meticulously written upon it.

Riku brought the flower close to read:

Dear Riku, I love you, Sincerely Me