Author's Notes: Here I go! About time I've worked on another chapter story. As soon as I finished playing KH2, I wanted to write something about Riku and Axel. (Because, honestly, do you know how awesome they'd be together?) After a week or two of rolling the idea in my head and outlining everything, it's finally started!

Yes, yes, another college AU… but I'd like for it to be somehow different. For one: the pairing (obviously), and another: the content. I'm such a sucker for character development that there's going to be more to this than just the two main characters pairing up. I hope. XD It's not going to be anything really super dramatic, or even much crack!humor, but hopefully it'll be a nice, fun story.

I'm planning for twelve chapters total, one for each month in the year. The chapters may vary in length, but there will be twelve. Also, I'm assuming this AU is set in some obscure place and time in America, because they have American holidays. Fun stuff.

Last thing: my Riku is based pretty much on his KH2 self. More quiet and sullen than in KH1.

Tired of my rambling? Read on!

"Good Enough"

chapter one- September

by: Rosalyn Angel

-

Traverse University had it all.

Over seventy-five majors, more than thirty clubs, dorms for underclassmen, apartments for upper, financial aid able to cover complete tuition, options for studying abroad, teachers who make it their priority to give personal attention to students who come from all over the country, and a "beautiful suburban campus surrounded by trees and houses"…

He looked up from the brochure he had been skimming to see if it were true or not.

There it was. His home for the upcoming semesters.

Axel Hitzig suddenly felt small.

The main building had columns fit for a medieval castle, and its brick walls stretched out far and wide, decorated by numerous windows on each of the four floors. In front were flagpoles, donned by many different symbols, all color and pride rustling in the mid-September breeze. Pine trees spotting the green yard gave the air a crisp smell, while the other trees were turning their fall colors and beginning to litter the ground. There was also a huge stone fountain in front, with layered waterspouts and a ledge to sit on. And that was only one building—there were others, both near and off in the distance, for different subjects and purposes. Some were beautiful and Victorian, while others were newer and plain, more geared toward practicality than aesthetics.

Students, young and old, were filtering in and out of the main building's massive double doors. A few sat to the side on concrete steps or benches, talking between themselves, reading, or just lazily lounging back with their eyes closed. There were book bags, headphones, arms full of class texts, smiles, frowns, and the widest variety of clothing Axel had ever seen.

"Wow," he heard from behind as a car door opened. "This is a lot bigger than that community college you went to, huh?"

Axel looked back with a smirk and saw his friend Hayner staring at an attractive woman walking by. "Hey, it's nothing I can't handle."

Hayner's brow lowered after she disappeared into her car and drove away. His eyes went back to Axel and his ever-present black hoodie. "I give it two days before you're hopelessly lost."

"Your lack of confidence wounds me!"

Hayner rolled his eyes as Axel motioned his heart being ripped out, and then nodded to their cars. "C'mon, get back in. We need to find your dorm and drop all this junk off."

Axel's hand pulsed as if it were holding his poor, wounded organ. "Right, right. It's in the Moomba Hall, number 214. Closest parking lot is…" He stuck his imaginary heart back in place and studied the campus map. "… Lot J."

"Lot J," Hayner repeated as the two boys separated for their respective cars. Both were started up, and they moved on.

Axel had Hayner help him move his belongings to his new dorm room at Traverse University. They knew each other from high school, two years back. Axel was a transfer student to Traverse, having been unable to attend a larger university until the scholarships slowly built up enough money.

And so here he was, cruising down the small avenue roads, past the Victorian buildings and pedestrian students, with two trunks and backseats jammed pack with things he deemed necessary and Hayner deemed junk. He was ready for a new start in his junior year of college, ready for the people, the sights, the lessons, and maybe even the homework. Maybe.

Well, at least it was interesting to meet your rooming buddy.

The sound of Aladdin's voice belting out chords of A Whole New World alerted Riku that his cell phone was ringing.

He stepped between the half-unpacked boxes, reaching the desk where the phone was shaking, and checked the number displayed on the front. Below the digits was the name Sora in bold. Smiling, he answered, "Hello?"

"Riku! Are you moved in yet? Classes start in a couple of days!"

Riku held the phone a short distance from his ear as Sora loudly blurted out his name. He looked back at the half-occupied room. "Yeah, I'm pretty much in. Leon and Cloud helped."

"Has your roommate shown yet?"

"No," he answered, shuffling back to the bunker bed and sitting down. "Not yet."

"I hope he's better than last year's; you guys were so different and you always seemed stressed because he kept you awake so much and you couldn't study well and…"

Sora's happy voice overtook the conversation. Riku gave a few answers when asked, and he smiled and laughed because Sora was so energetic and cute that it was hard not to.

Though they went to the same college, their interests were so different, that it was hard scheduling classes together. And since Sora commuted, phone calls and online chatting were the most common form of contact.

That, and Sora always seemed busy.

"Hey, Sora," Riku skillfully interjected into the brunet's rant of how his summer had gone. He had taken to lying back on the lower bunker, the small cell phone held between his shoulder and ear. "You want to do something tonight? I'm almost done unpacking, and we haven't seen each other in a while."

Sora abruptly stopped talking. The short span of silence seemed longer to Riku than it actually was. "Sorry, Riku, but I already promised Kairi we'd do something…"

Sora was always busy.

Riku's contented smile was quickly fading. His voice became quieter. "Hey, don't worry about it. Maybe some other time, yeah?"

"I'm really sorry, Riku." He could almost see the sad blue eyes on Sora's pouting face.

"It's okay, you goof," he reassured, trying to sound light-hearted. "Girls demand a lot of attention, huh?"

Apparently he succeeded. Sora laughed; it rang through the earpiece. "Seriously! But she's really fun and pretty. And we've known each other for so long!"

Not as long as I've known you. "Seems like more trouble than it's worth to me."

"Rikuuuu, don't be so glum about it! You really need to get a boyfriend. I bet you'd understand then."

Riku's eyes were searching the bottom of the top bunker, the metal springs and wooden frame. He wasn't sure what was so interesting. His ear was getting sore. "I think I'll pass," he muttered.

"But—" There was a shuffling from the phone, and a distant shout. He heard Sora yell back with the phone held away before he returned. "Hey, I gotta go. Kairi's here. I'll talk to you later, all right?"

"Sure," Riku said. "Later."

The line was cut, and Riku flipped the phone shut. He remained lying on the bed for a few moments longer, arms spread out, gazing up at nothing in particular.

He didn't mind that Sora was always so busy. He just wished it were with him, every once in a while.

Riku got up, grabbed his jacket, and went out.

After speaking with the Resident Advisor, Hayner had helped Axel bring in the boxes and assorted stuff, but left the unpacking undone, opting to drive back home. Now Axel was alone in a dorm. He could see belongings that weren't his, but the corresponding roommate was nowhere in sight.

But whoever he was, he sure did have a sweet laptop.

On both sides of the small dorm was mirrored furniture. Each occupant had a desk, chair, and dresser along opposite, gray walls. To the back wall was the bunk bed. Axel was quick to throw his backpack up to claim the top.

After the long drive, he just wanted to stretch and bury himself into the white sheets. His things weren't going anywhere, and the single window showed the sun lowering beneath the house-spattered horizon.

The black hoodie was shed and tossed unceremoniously onto the floor, falling between a box full of compact discs and his stereo. Without bothering to change clothes, he climbed up the little ladder and flopped onto the bed.

New bed. New ceiling.

Axel stayed on top of the covers. One arm haphazardly hanging off the bedside, he closed his eyes.

The short walk had cleared Riku's mind. The fresh air and colored leaves had taken his thoughts off unwanted things. Honestly, he should be used to it by now. Sora had been with Kairi for some time. He still remembered Sora's cheerful blabber over the phone about how they had gotten together.

Riku had been genuinely happy for his best friend. It was good to see Sora so ecstatic. He had been happy for him. He was still happy for him.

It wasn't as if he had a chance in the first place.

Riku moved to unlock his dorm, but found it already open. His brow furrowed. This year's roommate must've finally come by.

The door slowly swung open and he stepped inside, locking it out of habit. He hoped his roommate would be the same. He had a lot of expensive things, and was taught to always be careful with them.

Turning, he saw boxes filling the wooden floor, leaving little room for walking space. A black hoodie was splayed besides a stereo. Dread filled him. He didn't need another person who cranked up their music.

Then he saw him. Or rather, he saw the pale arm that hung over the side of the top bunker.

Must be sleeping. He stepped over the cluttered space, hanging his jacket over his chair and placing his keys and phone back onto the desk. The metal clinks of the keys made the person on the bed stir.

"Mmph," he heard a groan. "Whoiszat?"

Riku looked over his shoulder and saw a long, tired face with droopy green eyes and mussed, spiky red hair peeking over the bedside.

"Roommate," Riku explained simply.

After his vision adjusted to the now-dark of the room, Axel squinted and caught the faint sheen of long, silver hair. "Name's Axel," he replied, yawning. "Get it memorized."

Riku looked away. Axel hadn't the manners of covering his mouth. "Right." By the time he looked back, Axel had already lied down again.

Nothing more was said. Riku quietly finished unpacking and got ready for bed. If Axel woke up again, he didn't show it.

Riku didn't expect much to come out of this year. Not in this place.

After all, their first meeting had been nothing special.

Axel's cell phone was what roused him the next morning. Blindly he fumbled around in his khakis until he was able to yank the offending device out and shove it next to his ear. "What?" he grumbled.

"My, my, aren't we Mr. Grouchy?"

"Larxene," he rolled the name off his tongue, along with the sticky morning taste in his mouth. "Shove it, okay?"

He heard Larxene's haughty laugh. "I take it you're settled in?"

Axel turned his head to the side. Oh, right. Boxes. "Sure."

"Don't your classes start tomorrow?"

"Hey, I'm working on it." He sat up, careful not to bump his head on the ceiling. Swinging his legs over, he hopped off the bed with a loud thunk. He wondered if he woke up his roommate, but upon searching, he found the bed and room were empty.

"I bet your lazy ass hasn't done anything yet."

Axel had met and befriended Larxene at the community college. While he had transferred, she had stayed. She was about the only person he cared to keep in contact with from there.

Even if she woke him up to give him shit.

Exchanging more insulting, dry humor, Axel began to move around and arrange his things. Half the room was already taken, the one with the window; he almost wished he had come earlier so he could've had that desk.

It had been hard, though, leaving his old town and friends. He also had to leave behind any chance, however small, of seeing Roxas.

Not that they talked much, anymore.

But he digressed. It was a new day. After waking up further, he went on to explain the sheer expanse of the campus, and upon Larxene's question, said that yes, he had seen a number of cute guys…

"I don't believe it. I think Leon is embarrassed."

Riku looked between the two seniors with a small, amused smile. They sat in a cafeteria booth, conversing idly and picking at their lunch. Leon and Cloud were both easy to be around—their quiet natures suited Riku fine. Cloud, however, often took to calmly teasing the stoic Leon.

Riku didn't know how long the two men had known each other, but he had met them in his freshman year. After being paired together for a class project, they had become steady friends.

"Whatever," Leon said in monotone, arms crossed and staring at the tiled floor. He sat slouched, next to Cloud, while Riku sat opposite.

Cloud was smirking, blue eyes darkly lit. He tried to get Leon to look at him, voice deep and teasing. "I know you can't take compliments well. It must be so hard, stuck with two attractive gay men like us." His hand was comforting on Leon's shoulder, but his smirk was directed at Riku, who was having trouble hiding his smile.

Leon stared at the appendage like it was the plague. "Cloud."

Cloud's blond eyebrow rose. "Hm?"

"I never want you to touch me. Rinoa—"

Cloud's hand withdrew sadly. But it was an act. They did this all the time. "Rinoa means more to you now? Is that it?"

Leon sighed, his brown bangs swinging in front of his eyes. He looked to have the entire weight of the world on his leather-clad shoulders.

"Leave him alone, Cloud," Riku said, grinning and sipping on his soda. "I think that's enough for now."

They all knew Leon didn't mind. Maybe even found it funny, or flattering. It was just hard to see the quirk of a smile in his gray eyes, unless you really looked for it.

"No classes together this semester," Cloud said, looking at their schedules in the middle of the table. He mindlessly stuck a French fry in his mouth. "Leon and I are already done with all the underclassmen courses… Geez, Riku, you're taking eighteen credit hours again?"

Riku's head hung slightly. "I want out of here as soon as possible."

Leon gave a quiet, disapproving grunt. They translated it as being concerned for Riku's sanity.

"It's not that hard," Riku defended himself. His soda was almost empty. "I can't help that I'm naturally gifted."

"You're so confident," Cloud mused, sliding the schedule back to its owner. "And overachieving."

"Some people consider that a good thing, you know."

The food was depleted after a while. They began to pick up the trash.

"Anything planned the rest of the day?" Cloud asked, sucking up the last remains of his drink before tossing it away.

Riku brushed his hands off and stuck them into his baggy jean pockets. "Not really."

"Leon and I are going to go see a movie. You should come along."

Leon was already walking to the door, waving his hand without looking back. They translated it as a hurry up or I'm leaving without you. And I'll take the car, too.

Riku smiled lightly. "Yeah. Okay."

"Good." Cloud clapped his hand on Riku's back once as they followed Leon out. "Someone has to get you to relax…"

Axel spent the rest of the day getting to know the campus grounds. After becoming accustomed to his class' locations, and also nearby restaurants (which he tried out), he purchased his textbooks and trudged back to his dorm.

'Get hopelessly lost', my ass. That'll show Hayner.

Too bad Hayner was several hours away, along with everyone else. He'd have to get used to not being close to old family and friends.

He stumbled up the stairs to the second floor of the Moomba Hall, and looked at each door until he found number 214 again. The books were heavy in his camouflage backpack, not to mention on his wallet—

He somehow managed to wrestle the door open and slip inside, letting the pack collide to the floor.

It was still empty of life. He wondered if he had dreamed about his roommate last night.

He went through his luggage and stacked the empty boxes, carelessly tossing them into the single closet. After that, he collapsed into his chair, staring at his cheap laptop before switching it on and configuring it with the dorm's wireless Internet.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette were online. He hadn't really expected to see anyone else.

SnickerBar: hey axel, hayner told us ur at traverse now. when do u think ull come back?

Pence invited him to their chat first. He had known these three all through high school, along with Roxas. Last year, however, Roxas had moved to a college far away and lost contact. He wondered if the other three thought the same thing would happen with him.

FireGod: Hey, man, no worries. I'll be back winter break.

Hay21: who's worrying!

Olette: hayner, be nice.

Axel laughed and quickly typed his reply.

FireGod: I know you all miss my sexy ass.

After only hearing the tap-tap-tap of the keyboard for a while, he plugged in his headphones. He didn't pay attention to how much time passed talking with the trio. It was easy to lose track of the hours.

Axel twisted in his chair and slid his headphones off when he heard the doorknob rattle. His roommate stepped in, frowning at the lock.

"S'up," Axel greeted casually. Okay, so he hadn't been dreaming. The kid really did have silver hair.

"Hey," the other said, clicking the bolt in place. His voice was low and quiet, but sure of itself. When the boy turned, Axel saw a hint of light blue in the fine strands. "Can you keep the door locked?"

One look at that laptop and Axel understood why. "Yeah, no problem."

"Thanks."

Axel waited for him to say something more, but all he did was fold his white jacket on his bed and disappear into the bathroom.

SnickerBar: hey u there?

FireGod: Yeah, sorry. roommate just walked in.

Olette: how is he?

FireGod: yanno, I can't really tell. He hasn't said much.

Olette: is he cute?

Hay21: man i hate it when you two talk about guys.

SnickerBar: lol poor hay.

Hay21: shut up

Axel smirked.

FireGod: Well, he does have nice hair.

Riku came out from the shower in his nightclothes—a grey t-shirt and sweatpants—with damp hair. Axel smiled at him (i.e., I come in peace), then returned to his laptop.

As soon as Riku had situated himself on his bed with a book, Axel spoke up:

"So, what's your name?"

Riku looked to the side to see Axel's headphones on the desk. The computer screen gave his face an odd glow. Riku knew he'd be living with this Axel for two semesters, so he had to be pleasant. "Riku Yokuya."

Upon further inspection, Axel could see the small slant in Riku's eyes. "That's cool. Riku," he tried the name out, mouth curling around the 'oo'. "Nice to meet you."

Riku wasn't inclined to become friendly to new people quickly. He settled his eyes on the page and hoped Axel got the idea. "Likewise."

Axel frowned, but turned to his keyboard anyway.

FireGod: This guy is quiet.

SnickerBar: gonna b a fun year?

Hayner and Olette had gone to bed; classes started for them early morning. Pence was just an Internet geek.

FireGod: Oh, you know me. I'll make it fun.

Riku was gone before Axel woke up again. He had morning classes—specifically Figure Drawing.

He sat on his selected horse: a wooden bench that allowed him to prop up a drawing board and pad. Naminé, a sweet blond girl he met the previous semester, was across from him.

Their first assignment was to pair up and draw each other's portraits. Riku had gone to her right away; she was too shy to approach him. There was no one in the class he'd rather be with. Everyone else cluttered around and made their groups, chatting while working, and the instructor roamed and observed. The medium used was optional—Riku selected charcoal, while Naminé used her beloved pastels.

When he had gotten the base lines of her face onto the newsprint paper, she smiled up at him and said softly, "How've you been, Riku?"

She was so nice and tiny and cute. It was hard not to like her as a person. "All right," he said, giving his sketch darker strokes. The charcoal crumbled off in little bits down the page.

Her wide, light blue eyes flitted between his face and her drawing. "Have you decided on your major yet?"

Riku took a moment to answer. "Not yet."

Her hand held the green pastel stick tightly, smudging it into the blue. She always started on the eyes first. Especially his. "Why not art?"

He finished outlining her hair sweeping around her shoulder. "I like it," he started, "but I'm not sure if that's what I want."

Naminé studied him carefully. It always amazed him, her level of understanding. All it took her was a few questions. "Then what do you know you want, Riku?"

So his reply didn't startle her. That's why he had been so comfortable around her the first time. She just smiled peacefully, nodded, and continued drawing. He couldn't help but feel that she had already guessed.

His eyes strayed to look out the window. "I know I want out of here."

It was hard to concentrate on the portrait after that.

The days passed slowly. Autumn came full-blow, with colored leaves littering the ground and leaving the trees bare. They crunched under footsteps and brushed along the pavement in the wind. Students attended classes, teachers taught, and friends hung out. It was a normal time.

Axel attempted a few more times to get his roommate to speak up. Riku answered politely, but that was the extent of it. When they were home at the same time, they did their things on their sides of the dorm, separate. Eventually, Axel shrugged and went on his way. He'd meet other people soon enough. As long as Riku and he weren't at each other's throats, he could live.

Nothing special ever really happened.

-September, end