Note: Chapter seven, hurrah! Sorry I was later than usual with it, didn't want to rush it. And school's a bitch. Thanks to all reviewers, readers, and the two threats that made me put this up today. Their names will be witheld for security purposes. All review replies are at the bottom, so look for your name! If you reviewed that is...if not, then I wouldn't bother...
Warning: Guys swapping spit! -jazz hands- And there's foreshadowing in here. Typical language.
Disclaimer: -smiles at camera- I do not own ANYTHING related to Kingdom Hearts! -looks off screen- I said it...please put that gun down...
Ever have one of those days where everything seems to be going right?
"Damnit!"
Well…Riku definitely wasn't having one of those days.
He sighed, running his fingers through his silver strands in frustration for the umpteenth time. How had the days gone by so damn fast?
Only one day left. Tomorrow at sunset it was all over. Riku didn't want to accept that he'd lost, but it seemed that way. There was no way that he could possibly win now…
"I can't believe this," he mumbled. "And stop smirking already!"
Leon shrugged, still smirking and cast his eyes to the ceiling. "Don't be pissy with me just because you've lost," he said. "This didn't have to be as serious as you made it. You were the one who was soconfident that you were irresistible. You were the one who made up a 'legally binding contract so I couldn't try to get out of it.' You were the one who-"
"Enough already I get it!" Riku snapped. He massaged his temples and sighed again. "Maybe there's some sort of hope left…"
"May I remind you," Leon said airily. "That the contract states there may be no use of violence or alcohol."
Riku glared at him. "I wasn't going to use either," he said irritably, leaping off his bed and starting to pace. "There's got to be something I haven't thought of…"
"Like honesty," Leon muttered under his breath.
"I heard that."
Leon turned his head to look at Riku's sulking form. "Well it's true. Maybe if you just told him how you feel…well, I doubt he'd just shag you over it but, it's got to be better than nothing."
Riku stopped pacing. "Will you just drop that already?" he demanded. "There's nothing that I want to-"
In a flash Leon was off his bed and nearly nose to nose with Riku. "That's a lie and you know it," he said calmly. "You do care about Sora. Maybe it scares you, I don't know. I do know you need to accept it and do something about it, and fast. Sora's not just going to be there whenever you're ready." With that, he left. Riku slumped on his bed, and closed his eyes. He didn't want to admit it, but…he cared about Sora. A lot.
Question was…what could he do about it?
It was midnight when a dorm room door slowly crept open. There was an exhale of relief, his roommates were asleep. Now all he had to do was creep over to his bed and-
"AUGH!"
"AHHH!"
"Riku!"
"Sora!"
"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"
The room light clicked on. Sora slowly lifted his foot from Riku's chest. "What were you doing?" Sora asked bewildered, looking down at Riku, who had obviously slept in front of the door.
"I could ask you the same thing," Riku replied angrily, scrambling up from the ground. "Where have you been? It's," he checked his watch, "Midnight! You left around six. That's six hours! Where could you have been for six hours?" Sora gaped at him in disbelief, and Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, praying for patience.
"Let me get this straight," Sora said slowly. "You decided to time me, and then camp out in front of the door so you could tell me off when I came in. Since when do you have any say in where I am, or who I'm with Riku?"
Riku stared wordlessly. When you put it in that light, it really didn't make much sense at all… "But that wasn't why I stayed up!" Riku defended. "I just wanted to talk to you about something!"
Sora raised an eyebrow. "Okay I'll buy it. What did you want to tell me?"
Riku opened his mouth and closed it again. He'd been going over how to tell Sora how he felt all day, but now that he looked up at him with those big expectant blue eyes, the words wouldn't come. He couldn't do it… Sadly, he hung his head. "Nevermind. I'm sorry for being an asshole Sora," he muttered, picking up his pillow.
Sora frowned. "Well, you weren't exactly being an asshole," he tried. "You were just…"
"Being an asshole."
"Riku…"
Riku shook his head. "No Sora, I was. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty either. You have a right to be mad if you want. Let's just get some sleep okay?" He crawled into his bed and turned to face the wall. "Night."
Sora stood staring at his back for sometime before Leon's noises of impatience brought him out of his daze. He switched the light off, changed clothes and snuggled into his sheets, staring at the ceiling.
No one in the room slept for a while that night, and if they weren't preoccupied with their own problems then maybe someone would have noticed.
The morning was bright and cheery; sunlight streamed through the window and fell gently across the room.
It would have been a nice day for Riku if it weren't Monday. THE Monday. His time was up at sunset. The aqua-eyed boy sighed, and got out of bed, surprised that he'd somehow beaten both of his roommates in waking up. Well, Leon wasn't much of a surprise. Sora was. Riku looked almost wistfully at his sleeping form, smiling at the mass of spiky cinnamon hair. Then he looked away, sighing.
What a fucked up mess. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen at all. He was supposed to get into Sora's pants, and that'd be it. He wasn't supposed to care about Sora's feelings. He wasn't supposed to care about Sora.
But he did. What a fucked up mess.
Sora sighed and shifted in his sleep, oblivious to the eyes once again gazing down at him. 'Not only is Sora not mine,' Riku thought. 'But he's someone else's. That kid with the flaming hair. Axel.' His fists clenched at his sides. That kid wasn't good enough for Sora.
'Oh, but I am.' He thought sarcastically. 'I bet on whether or not I could lay him in two weeks. Yeah, I'm perfect for him. Right.' Riku ran his fingers through his hair and looked around the room. He figured it was time to start the day, or they'd all be late. Hiding under his covers, he picked up a shoe and threw it at the edge of Leon's bed, where it his with a hollow yet loud thump. Its victim bolted up with a strangled cry, looking around wildly. On cue, Riku pushed away his covers and rubbed an eye. "What are you squawking about?" he demanded, scratching his head.
Leon faced him frowning. "The strangest thing he just happened," he remarked, voice thick with sleep. "I was sleeping, then I hear this bang right next to my ear but…" he trailed off and looked around his cluttered mattress. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary."
Riku shrugged. "I'll leave that to you," he said airily, lying back down. "I'm going back to bed."
Something in his attitude made Leon frown. "What did you throw at me?" he asked, looking more closely around his bed. After a few minutes of searching, he fished out a shoe. The same shoe Riku had thrown.
'Damn,' Riku thought, wincing. The shoe came hurtling at him, landing on his forehead with a loud smack. Yelping, he put his hands over the mark, spiraling backwards.
"Ha!" Leon said triumphantly, turning to go back to sleep.
"Sssh," Riku hissed, rubbing his forehead with a scowl. "You'll wake Sora up!"
"Don't worry about it, I've been up."
Sora sat cross-legged in his blankets, torn between exasperation and amusement. "It never ends with you two does it?" he muttered, shaking his head. "And don't bother going to sleep, it's late enough as it is."
Leon groaned and glared at Riku, who shrugged with wide eyes. "Don't get mad at me!" he said defensively. "It's not my fault you lost…what, three minutes of sleep?"
"Every minute counts," Leon snapped, before getting out of bed with a sigh. Riku followed suit, but considerably more cheerful. 'I'll tell him today,' Riku thought. 'Even if I die in the process. He must have something for me right? Shouldn't he?'
"Sora, who are you trying to impress?" Leon's voice snapped Riku out of his thoughts.
"No one," Sora smiled, ignoring the faint pink in his cheeks he knew was there. He rolled up his sleeves and ruffled his hair, then stood with his arms wide. "How do I look?"
"Absolutely-" Riku started, eyes bright.
"Okay," Leon cut in, shooting him a warning glance. If Riku hadn't known better, he would've sworn a smirk flitted across Sora's face. But it was gone as soon as it had come, and Sora smiled sheepishly.
"Thanks," Sora said, picking up his bag. "Well, I'm off to go talk to Axel. See you guys in class, and say hey to Cloud for me." The door closed and Riku scowled.
"I thought there wasn't anything going on between them," he said irritably, jamming a book into his bag. "Yet he gets all dolled up and runs off to him first thing in the morning. Why?" he ranted, unaware of Leon looking at the ceiling an almost pleading look on his face.
"You've got to be one of the most jealous people I've ever met," Leon said, lacing up his shoes. "If Sora says there's nothing going on between him and Axel, then there isn't. Hurry up, we'll be late for class," he added, looking at his friend expectantly.
"I guess you're right," Riku mumbled, following Leon out of their room and down the corridor. "But I still don't like it."
By the end of classes, Riku wasn't sure how many times he'd clenched his fists during the day. But he did have some rather deep crescent marks in his palms from where nails dug into skin. It had been a good way to keep calm though, so he hadn't complained about it.
Sora had lied to him, there was something going on between him and Axel. Riku knew it. Friends just didn't act that way towards each other. Riku had even heard someone in class comment on how cute they looked together. Now that had taken all of Riku's self control to let slide by.
"You won't achieve anything by sitting here sulking."
Riku looked away from the ceiling and at Leon who was peering over Cloud's shoulder. "Maybe not," Riku agreed. "But I like it anyway."
"Riku don't be like that," Cloud said encouragingly. "He's not lost to you."
"Actually he is," Riku countered, "I've actually lost a lost lately. He's lost to me, and I guess I'll have to deal with it."
"Who's lost to you?" Sora stood in the doorway, concern taking over his features. "What's wrong Riku?" He sat next to the boy and put a warm hand on his arm. His eyes widened in surprise and hurt when Riku jerked his arm away.
"It's nothing you can help me with anyway Sora," Riku said dully, looking away. "So don't worry about it."
Sora's eyes flashed and he leaned forward. "I can help more than you think," he said earnestly. "If you'd just tell me." Riku missed the emphasis. "No you can't Sora," he said, standing up. "So drop it okay?" He left. Sora frowned and looked over at Leon and Cloud. "Where is he going now?" he wondered, sounding both irritated and worried.
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know Sora? Where do we always go when we need to think?" Without another word, Sora took off for the one place he was sure Riku would be.
"I knew you'd be here."
"You chased me, it didn't take much thought. Leave me be Sora."
Instead Sora plopped down next to him, lying back in the grass. "No," he said calmly. "You're hiding something from me. And I promise your life would be a lot easier if you just told me what it was. That way, you wouldn't be all mope-y over something so stupid."
Riku scowled. "What do you know Sora?" he said angrily. "Stop assuming you know what's going on!"
"But Riku," Sora said calmly, smiling for no apparent reason. "I do."
"No you don't!"
"So tell me."
Something inside Riku snapped, and he pulled Sora close. "You want to know what's wrong with me? Fine," he hissed. "I'll show you." Before Sora could say anything, Riku was kissing him fiercely. His eyes flew open in shock, but when it seemed as if Riku wasn't planning on letting go, he relaxed into the kiss.
Their lips fit against each other like pieces to a puzzle. Sora slipped shaking, slender fingers around Riku's neck, before they became tangled in silver hair. The kiss was long and slow, leaving them breathless and flushed when they finally broke apart for air. Sora gazed into the sunset, fingertips to his lips saying nothing. It was only when the silence became unbearable that Riku spoke. "Well?"
Sora faced him slowly, his eyes glowing. "Doesn't it feel better to get that off your chest?" he smiled. "As happy as I am that you showed me that, there was no need Riku." He stood up. "I've been waiting for you to just tell me how you felt. Wasn't that hard was it?"
Riku's eyes widened in surprise. "You knew? For how long? And what about Axel?" he demanded, feeling both thrilled and slightly stupid.
It was now that he noticed Sora had been slowly edging back down the grassy slope. He put a thoughtful finger on his lips and looked up at the sky. "Oh, didn't I tell you?" he asked, face radiating innocence. "Axel wasn't interested in me, he's already got a boyfriend. I just talked to them about you." He smiled sheepishly as Riku slowly stood up.
"You did that on purpose," Riku said accusingly.
Sora was beaming. "Maybe I did," he said before turning around and running back to their room, his laughter echoing in the clearing. Riku shook his head in disbelief and chased after him as the sun settled down behind the mountains.
The other note: Woot! Geez, that chapter took forever and six weeks. And I'm still unhappy with it. But, I'll have to shrug that off because there's an awful lot of love in the next chapter...heh.
Review love!
Little Soul Eater: Thank you! -bows- Glad you like it! starry-nights88/lilc/that nice dear who reviews: Hehe! Yeah, I had to throw a wrench labeled 'Axel' into the works. Love him too much to leave him on the sidelines. I think all your questions got answered and yay for not offing yourself! Thanks for reviewing! TasuKitty: Please...if you wish to gnaw my furnishings, go for that chair in the corner. The pattern is killing me. serenity denied: Double reviewage! Ha, love it when that happens. Nope, not going to drop this fic, it's my little love. -pets it- And hehe, I made you snicker. Thanks! Drunken Monkeychan: My story makes you happy! Yay! Your review makes me happy too. Keyblade Rebellion: You crack me up. -hands cookie- Thanks for reviewing. Scarlet Echoes: Hi! I updated! Thanks for story support, makes a girl smile. Or make a fishy face. Sekre: Jealous Riku is great fun to write! There shall be more. Muehe. Thanks! angel-yuripa: Thanks for the grammar info. I didn't know that. Hehe. I tried to improve this chapter, but now I'm bothered by the paragraph shortness. I'll work it out! twi: Heh, I swear you and angel-yuripa are the same person. Told me the same thing! But thanks for the tip and reviewing! BeutifulDisgrace246: If that would've happened while I was sick, you'd hear my anguished wail. -shakes head- I don't mind the rambling I love long reviews! Hehe. Thanks for reviewing again and again! Hope you feel better by now. Hiero Kaze: Your review made me giggle. No need to beg, but I like the effort! -hands cookie- Kingdom-Girl-of-Darkness: Thanks! Ja ne, Kat: Yep, he might. I think this was shorter than last chapter...heh, sorry! Thanks for reviewing! Avacados are evil: Heh, isn't he though? Oh Axel. Merci for reviewness. Sorceress Fantasia: Thanks! There shall be more lurving in the next chapter! Lady of Infinity: Yes ma'am! -salutes- Thanks for reviewing! KittyBlue: Hehe, maybe I'm just a mean writer. I should get a tattoo! evilgoddess1990: Thank you and I love you back!
The OTHER other note: Well, you dears have done it. You've spoiled me. I'm a review addict. Please don't make me go through withdrawl! I want to break the 100 review mark! I'm only twenty away and I got nineteen last chapter! Go for it! Oh, and drop a line at my other story if you get a chance. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off for ice cream.