Rating: PG-13/T at most. It's not really all that bad

Warnings: Um, het along with the vagueyaoishness. Scary, I know. :( Nothing over a K+ rating as far as the fluff goes.

Pairing: Riku/Sora/Kairi friendship stuff

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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This was a bad idea. This had "BAD IDEA" written all over it in big, bright red letters but he'd been too stupid to realize that he knew how to read. His mistake.

"Jack… Jack, I really don't think-" Sora began hesitantly, digging his heels into the sand and clutching at anything to keep from being dragged into the brightly lit tavern not 500 feet away.

"Captain Jack, Dora. It's Captain," Jack drawled in a sing-song manner, swinging his half-empty bottle of rum with a flourish, still managing to keep Sora in his grasp and the alcohol from spilling. "Oh come on, we 'aven't seen each other fer 'ow many years now? An' ye've got your little friends 'ready inside, waitin' on ye."

That was true, he realized dimly, catching a hold of a nearby tree and holding as tightly as he could. Those traitors, giving him up to the pirate like that. Sora gritted his teeth, feeling the older man yank on his shoulder with surprising strength for a guy who was always a little more than tipsy. "Captain Jack, I'm really not…" he yelped when his fingers lost their hold and the two men were back to walking toward the bar. He wasn't going to get out of it, the teen realized with a growing sense of dreadful finality. Jack was all too ready for a reason to drink, 'not that he ever needed one before,' Sora thought dryly; this was just one more excuse for him, using the birthday as a veil. "How did you manage to get Kairi and Riku to agree with this, anyway?" Bribery wouldn't have worked, at least, Sora didn't think so but then there was a first time for everything as the two scheming teens had proven.

Jack's grip loosened as if he had realized that the shorter teen had given up struggling. "A pirate can't be tellin' all of 'is secrets, now can he?" he grinned, golden teeth and shiny objects tangled in his hair flashing in the dim lighting. "Elena, love, it's been a while!"

The sudden subject jump startled the brunette- Elena? Was Jack calling him that because he forgot his name? Who was- oh. Sora raised an eyebrow as he took in the sigh of a big-busted blonde who wore too much makeup for his liking, even more than Jack himself was wearing which Sora secretly thought was quite a feat. The woman's heavily kohl-lined eyes were narrow, her lips pursed as if she had just tasted or seen something she didn't like- probably Jack. The pirate himself seemed to notice the same thing and hurriedly he placed a hand on Sora's shoulder once more, tugging him along and away from the irritated woman. He couldn't help but feel a little relieved; the woman looked irritated enough to not care that Sora was an innocent bystander.

"Ta, Darling, 'nother time, maybe since we really must be goin'!" Jack called, walking with a swiftness not usually seen or used. To the relief of both men, 'Elena' hadn't bothered to follow, instead choosing to glare after them threateningly with her arms still crossed.

"Who was she?" Sora asked, wondering if he could take it back- it wouldn't do to be nosy especially with what looked like it might be a sensitive subject. "Sorry, Ja-um, Capta-"

Jack paused suddenly, tipping his head back to take a long drink of the rum and wiping his mouth with the corner of his baggy off-white shirt. "See, lad," he began slowly, glancing at the bottle he held as if debating on if he wanted to take another drink of it, "when you get a wee bit older, thurs' something' ye' start to notice about women, savvy?" Jack knocked back another mouthful and a half with a satisfied grunt. "And, well, once ye're a bit more," the pirate's hazel eyes scrutinized the teen carefully, "tall-"

"I'm tall!" Sora protested loudly, scowling because it was one thing to get teased by his friends, but it was an entirely different thing for a drunken pirate to be lecturing about relationships, women and his height. "I'm tall enough, anyway. I'm still growing, anyway, so let's just go inside." Sidestepping a drunken couple to the left and a man who had just passed out on the right, they were assaulted by the sounds cheering, laughter and singing, the tavern more lively on the inside than it had looked from outside. Out of the corner of his eye, Sora saw Jack wince in sympathy at the man who had fallen over and bend down. He wouldn't.

But it was Jack, Jack the Pirate, and Jack the Pirate most certainly would. With a toothy grin, he reached out to riffle around the unconscious man's pockets to liberate him of any money he might have on him- because if the man was passed out, surely he didn't need more money to buy more rum? "Come on, Captain, loot the unsuspecting folk later, Kairi and Riku are all the way back there," Sora sighed, tangling his fingers in the pirate's shirt and tugging him away from where the other man was still on the ground in danger of getting stepped on. In the far back he could catch sight of a redhead a flash of silver hair- his two friends.

"Ah, Sora, the money, lad- what're you doing! 'e's still got money and-" Jack waved a hand wildly as if it would help make the teen see exactly why they shouldn't just leave the other man lying there where anyone else could get to his money. Sora either didn't understand or didn't seem to care at that point as he yanked harder. "You'll not make a very good pirate with that attitude, lad, I can tell you tha' righ' now."

"I'll survive for right now," Sora drawled.

Jack sent him an indignant look, examining the teen closely. "What happened to th' lad who wanted to be a pirate, hmm?"

"I...I grew up, I suppose," Sora smiled wryly, "and besides, you make a far better pirate than I do."

The pirate grinned and nodded, stroking his beard thoughtfully in agreement. "That I do, lad, though if yer' ever in need of some teachin'..."

Sora laughed and tugged on the older man's arm , ignoring how the protests about leaving the passed out man with his munny, not feeling all that bad for the pirate who was grumbling under his breath about 'Keyblade bearing brats who wouldn't let someone have some fun.'

Respite came in the form of Kairi, who smiled and waved once the two came into eyesight, Riku nodding his head in greeting, Will and Elizabeth both smiling and waving as well. "Sora, took you forever to get here! Happy birthday!" Kairi swept the taller teen into a tight hug, pressing a kiss to his cheek and laughing at the flush that crept up his tan cheeks. Even now, the teen was still blushing over the slightest forms of public affection. "Thought you and Jack got lost or something."

"Captain Jack," Jack muttered despondently, taking another drink from his rum bottle, noting how it was almost gone. The three of them settled down quickly, chatting about the new things going on, as well as any old news that had occurred in their time apart. "Elle, love." Jack purred suddenly as a waitress with breast far larger than any other woman that Sora had seen appeared, a coy smile curling her lips. "Drinks for the whole group, eh?"

The woman laughed throatily, bending over to whisper something in Jack's ear giving almost everyone an eyeful of her ample cleavage. Evidently something important was said in-between Kairi's snickers at Sora's helpless, wide-eyed look (he was the closest one to her chest) and his unwillingness to seem rude by saying anything, because the barmaid was laughing once more and then whirling off in a flurry of ruffles and red silk.

"Have you been keeping out of trouble, Jack?" Kairi asked once she had controlled her giggles, after a moment of silence at the table.

"Naturally," Jack returned, ignoring Sora's incredulously raised eyebrow and Will's snort. "I'm an honorable pirate, 'member?"

"He means," Will said in a mock quiet voice, "that he hasn't gotten caught by Commodore Norrington yet." Riku shook his head, elbowing Kairi gently when she snickered once more.

"Oh, right, you all haven't really been introduced yet, have you?" Sora broke in awkwardly after desperately thinking of something to say, only to be interrupted by the maid who sat down an assortment of cups and brightly colored bottles.

"What's the occasion?" Elle inquired, glancing at each person seated at the table individually, before turning her attention back to Jack.

"The lad's eighteenth birthday is today, and he's going to get royally drunk," Jack declared, swiping a cup from the tray and pouring himself a drink from one of the bottles. "An' these two are his mates, Peeku and Kyley." Neither Riku or Kairi said anything about the pirate slaughtering their names and distantly, Sora wondered if they were just used to it.

"Oh, really?" The woman bent over again, giving Sora another eyeful as she poured a lightly colored drink into a cup for him. "Here then, lad, down this and it's on the house as well as anything else you might require. Not from me, of course as dear Jack is-"

Sora really didn't want to interrupt her because it would be rude but he definitely didn't want her to continue her train of thought because- awkward. "Um, thanks for the offer, but we're really not around that often and-" he floundered helplessly for what to say, ignoring Jack's small snort of laughter, wishing that someone else would just step in because he had no idea how the hell to handle this. Rescue came in an odd way.

"He doesn't like girls, honestly," Kairi interrupted pasting a wry and saddened smile on her face, "at all."

"He doesn't?" the woman asked, blinking as she glanced from Sora back to the redheaded girl.

"I don't?" Sora hissed from the corner of his mouth, carefully keeping his eyes away from the woman's breasts.

"Oh," Elle grinned suddenly, nodding. "The boy an' the other are," she leaned forward even more (a small, panicked, helpless noise escaped Sora) whispering conspiratorially, "involved, aren't they? Seen it before but not often in such young lads. Should have known when I looked at ye, though."

That did it; he was going to need a drink or six to get over the embarrassment of this whole ordeal. Riku was looking uncomfortable as well, though he wasn't showing it as much as Sora probably was. The older teen's blue-green eyes were wide and he was tense as if holding himself back from saying something he might regret later whereas Sora was sure that he was blushing all the way down to his toes in embarrassment. The barmaid was giving him a scrutinizing look, glancing from him to Riku with something akin to disappointment. Awkward.

"Aye, tis' a sad fate," Jack agreed somberly, lightly smacking the waitress's rump, "off with you, lass, before poor Sora's eyeballs be fallin' out of his head and I forget why I'm here."

The woman laughed again, winking saucily over her shoulder at the pirate and left.

Elizabeth looked from the blushing Sora to a blank-faced Riku and to a giggling Kairi with confusion, but not willing to ask so personal a question to the teens who she really didn't know all that well. If Sora was like that, it wasn't really her business- he was from another world, maybe that sort of thing was common, but from the way he was blushing it might be that no one else knew.

"Kairi!" Sora kicked the other girl under the table, pouting after he recovered. "You couldn't think of a better excuse?"

Kairi looked offended, everyone noticed with interest, watching the two bicker like a pair of siblings or an old married couple. "She's gone, isn't she? Besides, I didn't hear you coming up with anything useful, you were too busy ogling the woman's….assets." she finished primly, reaching out toward one of the bottles hesitantly, not knowing which one was what. It was at tavern, but one of them had to be water- it looked like the one in the clear bottle was it.

"Ah, Kairi, you probably don't want that one- it's not water," Elizabeth pointed out helpfully, gesturing to a slim green bottle instead as she handed out cups to those who didn't have any. "That one is."

"By God, yer here t' drink an' 'ave a good time, stop worrying about every bloody thing that's goin' on." Jack waved his hands dramatically again, scowling. "Here." With only slightly shaky hands, he poured some of the liquid into each cup and thunked it down in front of those who didn't have any and refilling those who did (with the exception of Kairi who drank water only). "Now, like proper folk, to Sora an' a 'appy birthday."

The others around the table raised their glasses and murmured the same thing, making Sora grin shyly and look down at the rough wood of the table as glasses clinked in his honor. Slowly he raised his own glass, and simultaneously, the cups were knocked back, the contents making some cough lightly and other only blink and reach for more. Sora was one of the ones who coughed, followed by Elizabeth and Kairi, while the other men looked barely effected, Jack the very least.

"You, lad, you've drank, er, drunk b'fore, haven't ye?" Jack asked Riku appraisingly, watching the teen take another sip of the liquor without a wince.

He has? Sora mouthed in shock and raised an eyebrow and at the same time as Kairi asking, "Have you?"

"Maybe," Riku answered vaguely, "I've got a sort of natural immunity to alcohol." He didn't explain more than that, knowing that the other teens would know why or at least formulate a healthy guess.

"Lucky lad," Jack muttered, wiggling his fingers experimentally and not bothering to ask any further questions, "though, I don't quite fancy th' idea of not bein' able to get pissed."

Riku shrugged elegantly, ignoring the looks that he knew he was getting from all of those at the table, "It's possible, it just takes a lot. I haven't been drunk in a while, though. And no. I'm not sharing how and, or why for that matter."

Bottom lip sticking out at being denied information about the secretive teen, Sora poked his friend in the side, "Ri- ku, c'mon, you never told us that you'd been drunk before."

Kairi joined in the poking, smirking up at the taller teen. "Yeah, Riku," another prod in the side, "why wouldn't you tell that to us?"

"This is why," Riku answered dryly, swirling around his cup absently, ignoring the complaints that he was 'no fun.' "Different subject."

--

The woman, Elle had come back multiple times to check on them, giving Sora and Riku appraising looks which made them both glance back and forth nervously, not quite sure what to say. When other women who worked at the tavern began darting surreptitious looks over at their table and whispering to each other with giggles, it was decided that it was time to probably leave before anyone got any ideas. Sora's head was pleasantly buzzing by the time they were all leaving the tavern, the tips of his fingers feeling just a little bit oddly numb, his hands curled in both Riku's and Kairi's partially for support. Elizabeth and Will had both left earlier, wishing Sora a happy birthday once more and telling him that he and any of his friends were welcome any time.

Jack had abandoned them after making sure that the three had gotten back to the old hotel that they were all staying at, holding the ever present bottle of rum (or was it whiskey this time around? Sora wasn't sure anymore, they all started to taste vaguely the same after a bit). A ruffle of brunet hair and a final well-wish and then they were all slowly making their way up the stairs, Riku being the most stable of all of them.

"I don't know half of what I tried there," Kairi said; (she had given up on drinking plain water halfway through) dragging one of her hands through her hair with a sigh, feeling only the slightest bit dizzy. None of them had drunk until they were too drunk to walk or talk, but she could feel it just like she was sure Sora could even though she had started out with water. "Jack was downing them like water."

"Mmhmm, that's what you get when you're a pirate," Sora nodded sagely, releasing their hands and throwing himself onto the bed with a heavy, content sigh. "Prob'ly getting drunk most of the time- I think he walks around drunk all of the time, actually. Don't know how he steers a ship like that. Don't know how he walks." His expression turned pensive, bright blue eyes narrow as he tried to decide if Jack really did walk around drunk every moment of every day. Where would he even get all the alcohol?

"You're thinking too hard," Kairi said as she pulled off the sweater that she had donned for the cool evening on the beach, throwing it onto a mildly dusty table. "I'm getting a headache from just looking at you thinking so hard."

Riku laughed lowly, the old mattress dipping down under his weight as he stretched out sideways beside Sora, looking up at the cobweb covered ceiling and wondering if it would be worth the effort to take a broom to it. Too much work. "That's what a crew is for, so you don't run into things while you're steering," he stated, curling one arm behind him as a makeshift pillow, scooting over when Kairi moved to lay down beside him too, all of their legs hanging off the edge of the bed. It wouldn't be very comfortable in the morning, Sora was sure that his entire body was going to regret it but at that point he couldn't find it in himself to care. "We're laying the wrong way."

"Yeah," Sora agreed, not really caring at that point. "We won't all fit the other way. We'll figure out something tomorrow morning." Kairi muttered her agreement, eyes closing and falling asleep, followed quickly by the other two boys.

--

Sometime during the night they had all kicked off their shoes and curled together onto the mattress with a squeal of the old and rusting springs, giggling softly as they tried to arrange themselves without knocking each other off of the bed. Kairi had very nearly fallen when Sora had shifted to kick his other shoe off; the only thing that saved her was frantically swinging her hand out to grasp Riku's arm and pull herself back onto the bed. A snicker and apology later, she was steady, curled up against Riku with Sora's fingers intertwine with hers over Riku's chest. Finally they were settled, the redhead whispering a soft, "Happy birthday," to Sora. The oldest Keyblade wielder echoed it, his voice just as soft and a giddy sort of warmth rushed through Sora. He could live like this, with the two of them, with no worries of fighting for their lives- simply living in the moment and worrying about everything later.

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