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[tall_dark_and]

You left first, you bastard.

Riku, when are you coming home?

Finder's keepers, I'll take everything you gave up and more.

I know you're out there, why won't you come and see me?

Whoever you're trying to find... please protect yourself, too.

Writings on the cave wall, the one he cannot even stand up straight in anymore. Those words and more, as well as

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[mommys_remnant]

"Finally back, eh?"

Kadaj hides everything well. He hides his shock, he hides his joy, his anger, his resentment behind nonchalant words as he finishes wiggling through that damn hole and shakes the sand off of his leather outfit. He started wearing it while Riku was gone, to match his brothers, the ones who stayed.

Kadaj had always planned to somehow go with Kairi, Sora, and Riku, even if he didn't really like the other two, he wouldn't let his brother go out on his own. Not his precious baby brother, not Riku. Kadaj was older, it was his job to forge a path for Riku to follow, and that's why he'd written those words there and encouraged Kairi and everyone else to do the same. He knew, in his heart, that Riku would one day see these words one way or another

[tall_dark_and]

And Riku, ever so much taller, in the brighter clothing he'd always hidden under that Organization cloak, the one that's long gone in the depths of Nobody and Nothing.

"Didn't say I didn't want to be here," Riku says, staring at one of the walls, fingers tracing a random drawing on the wall. "Just don't deserve it."

He doesn't want to be like this, he wants to act five and let his brother hug him and make it all better, but he can't expect that anymore. Not when Riku's supposed to be an -adult-.

[mommys_remnant]

"You sure look it, idiot," his words are harsh and unforgiving now, so different from how they were when they last saw each other. They were still kids back then, and yeah they fought and yeah Riku was beginning to find his own way as a person, but they were still brothers. They were still close. Not like now.

"The fuck are you talking about," he asks, touching the drawing and looking at Riku with sharp, bright eyes. "Did wherever you went make you a total, worldclass idiot? Do you cry like Loz, too?"

There's a taunting smirk on his face, he's being childish, he's being cruel, but Kadaj is so angry that it seems necessary.

[tall_dark_and]

Riku frowns at him. "I don't cry," he says, defensively. He doesn't do it, he never will, it's just lame, okay?

"You just don't remember it. I did some bad things."

Like accidentally fucking killing Kadaj just so he could leave this island.

[tall_dark_and]

They'd finally reached the other cave - not as if it was that far, in any case - and it even had a handy stone you could pull across the doorway if you didn't want anyone to see or get in. He didn't usually bother, over two years ago, but he bothered now. Just some feeling he should, he guessed.

Despite the fact he doesn't look more than average muscled, he manages more strength than even Loz in this. Heh, Kadaj, be proud of your little brother?

[mommys_remnant]

"You've gotten strong," Kadaj says, impressed. He's returned to normal now and isn't crying or blushing or particularly emotional lol not. He's just following Riku, wanting to spend time with his younger brother.

"A lot of things have changed," he says, eying Riku suddenly, noting the height, the muscle, the hair, the eyes, the overall .... Everything.

[tall_dark_and]

"Scars," Riku says. "Strength. Magic. Fighting."

He taps his fingers against his hip, twitching them a little as Way to the Dawn appears. He holds it out silently - Kadaj is one of three people he'd ever trust to touch it.

"Destiny, I suppose."

[mommys_remnant]

Kadaj doesn't know what it is, but he knows that wherever Riku went was surreal, that it did more to him than he can truly comprehend at the moment.

"As long as it brought you back," he says, touching the blade carefully and feeling as though he's touching Riku himself. "Then Destiny is good."