[ It's not just that Arden has to carry him. It's that he has to carry him without using a Dark Corridor to make the trip any shorter. It's the long way home that he almost never takes anymore.
He's focusing on all of that when Riku says his name again. That time it catches his attention. How long had it been since they'd avoided using each other's names in conversation? ]
I'm sorry, Riku. I won't tell Sora.
[ Since he assumes that's part of why Riku is telling him. They'd discussed this when they'd... connected has all kinds of terrifying connotations for him now, but when that had happened and he'd gotten the Darkness mark due to sharing in Riku's struggles. The memories neither one had wanted to face. The parts they were ashamed of. The parts that Sora couldn't help Riku with because of how closely it was all tied to the Darkness, in ways that Sora had never had to deal with and was unlikely to ever have to deal with either. ]
no subject
He's focusing on all of that when Riku says his name again. That time it catches his attention. How long had it been since they'd avoided using each other's names in conversation? ]
I'm sorry, Riku. I won't tell Sora.
[ Since he assumes that's part of why Riku is telling him. They'd discussed this when they'd... connected has all kinds of terrifying connotations for him now, but when that had happened and he'd gotten the Darkness mark due to sharing in Riku's struggles. The memories neither one had wanted to face. The parts they were ashamed of. The parts that Sora couldn't help Riku with because of how closely it was all tied to the Darkness, in ways that Sora had never had to deal with and was unlikely to ever have to deal with either. ]