So I'm in the middle of rewriting quite a few fanfics and Wow definitely needed one…horribly so. I'm not going to lie, I liked the fic to an extent, at least the first few chapters? After that, it took a turn for the worse. The original story will be left on my Deviantart account if anyone wants to reread the crap. This rewrite won't be perfect, but it should be an improvement.
Warnings: This is shonen ai, yaoi, slash, Riku/Sora and Sora/Riku. Axel/Roxas and Roxas/Axel. Also some Kairi hatred
Notes: (X) is pov change and or time jump.
Notes2: So this rewrite has Destiny Island following mostly a Japanese school culture. Before anyone complains, if you don't like it, turn away. I did this, because Kairi and Selphie are wearing Japanese styled uniforms in Kh2. Not everything is followed directly. I'm thinking they aren't in a highly populated area, so school would be ran somewhat differently than in a city. Also, I will be nice and not use honorifics since they are not used in the game. If this is a problem, sorry. I'm not changing it.
Chapter 1
"Do you really think it'll be okay?" Sora turned to Riku, his eyes wide, pleading. He was standing in front of the high school, his fingers gripping his book bag straps tight, and already turning dark red. He was fidgeting so much Riku wanted to grab him and hold him in place before he put a hole in the sidewalk.
"You'll be fine. You know everyone here, just because you're in high school now doesn't mean everyone suddenly hates you."
"R, right." He glanced at the school and then back at Riku, his face managing to pale even more. Without warning, he dodged behind Riku and grabbed the older teen's bag.
"H, hey!" Riku tried to turn, but Sora jerked his bag open and pulled out his planner, moving in front of him in swift movements. He began flipping through the planner until he found Riku's schedule. "What are you doing?" Sora's eyes seemed to grow wider as he scanned the piece of paper again and again.
"YOU SAID WE HAD CLASSES TOGETHER!" He thrusted the schedule into Riku's face.
"Jeez, would you calm down?" Riku removed the schedule from Sora's hands, pried it out if he was being honest. "Take your schedule out." He really couldn't understand Sora's fear at the moment. He had never been the most popular guy in school, but no one had ever treated him badly. He was well liked over all, even by his poor teachers who were tasked with the near impossible mission of getting Sora to learn. One quick smile from him and his teachers' frustrations would melt.
Sora dropped his bag onto the ground without hesitation and started a mad dash look through all of his things. Riku noted a planner, what he was sure had been a new notebook a few days ago, but due to Sora's hazardous bag had been bent and ripped in numerous places already. A couple of pens, no promise that they'd work given the shape they were in and a few snacks shoved into a side pocket.
"I know I put it in here!"
Sighing Riku knelt down and removed the planner from his friend's bag. The brunette looked at him as if he'd just managed to cast a complicated spell.
"Let's see." He flipped some pages and found Sora's schedule half crumpled and partially torn. "Sora, you can't treat your stuff like this. You won't make it through school." He unfolded the schedule as carefully as possible, smoothing the poor piece of paper out afterwards. If this was what Sora's stuff looked like on the first day of school, the items in question weren't going to last the first month. Granted, a month was probably better than what Sora had managed last year. He trailed his finger down the piece of paper and tapped on the fourth period. "There. We have gym together."
Sora snatched the paper from Riku's hand successfully ripping it in half.
"Eh!" He stared at Riku's hand that still held part of his schedule and the piece he was holding. "…I knew this was going to be a bad day…"
"No it won't if you stop panicking," Riku scolded him. He placed his own bag on the ground and removed a pencil pouch from it. "Give me your stuff." Head hanging, Sora handed him his torn schedule. Riku was quick to work .The bell would be ringing soon and neither of them needed to be late for their first day. He taped the schedule back together, stapled it to the inside of Sora's planner right up front and then ran a highlighter over the words physical education. "We have gym together right before lunch and then we have lunch." He handed Sora his planner. "Don't you have classes with anyone else until then?"
"I don't know…" He looked down at the fixed planner and gave his head a firm shake. "Thanks for fixing it." A smile broke across his face, that beautiful, radiating smile and Riku's heart skipped a beat, his cheeks burning. He couldn't stay mad at Sora when he smiled like that, no one could and his friend knew it.
"Just treat your stuff better," he muttered replacing his pencil pouch into his bag. He hoped Sora hadn't noticed the blush that'd crept across his face. "Come on, I'll take you to your first class so you're not late."
Sora's eyes lit up.
Oh Sora, you are so easy to please you fool. He thought shaking his head and smiling himself. His friend was indeed easily pleased and a fool, but that was all right. He didn't want Sora to ever change.
"Riku?"
Riku blinked. Sora was standing in front of the school entrance looking at him worriedly.
"Coming."
They stepped into the school together, other students passing them. Riku scanned the first year shoe lockers and pointed to the small square with Sora's name on it. "Shoes," he instructed.
"Duh," Sora said rolling his eyes and approaching his locker.
Riku went to the second year shoe lockers and located his own. He popped his own shoes inside, and removed his indoor school slippers.
"Hi Riku!"
Riku turned offering the girl behind him a smile. He didn't quite remember her name, it started with Fu maybe. She'd been in his home economics class the year before and they'd been partners for one project. While they had never gotten to be partners again in class, she always made it a habit to say hi to him. She'd grown her hair out over the summer and had it pulled up in a ponytail.
"Hey. Ready for a new year?"
"As long as we don't have to make any quiches, I think it'll be fine," she said cheerfully. "What class are you in?"
"No kidding." Their attempts to make the foreign dish had gone completely awry resulting in not only a failing grade, but the two of them staying after school in order to clean up the entire home economics room as punishment for the disaster they had created. "2A," Riku said.
"Oh…I'm in 2B." She hesitated a moment her eyes downcast before they focused back on Riku. "Hopefully we'll have extracurriculars together!" She ran off down the hall her bag held in front of her.
"Who was that," Sora asked from behind him.
"Classmate," Riku said. He noticed Sora's look had turned sullen. "What's wrong?" Sora had gotten his school slippers on, so it wasn't anything to do with his locker. No doubt, Sora's nerves had struck again, which Riku found odd. His friend was often confidant and worry free, and even when he wasn't, he pretended to be.
"Nothing," Sora grumbled.
"Riku! Class A," Wakka asked loudly. "Welcome to the big school Sora!" He threw his arm around Sora, pulled him down and started attacking Sora's head. The younger teen struggled to get away only resulting in his hair being messed up that much more. After a moment or so Wakka finally released him and hit Sora hard on the back causing the younger teen to stagger forward. "Tidus show up yet?"
"Hey Wakka," Sora said. He'd managed to grab hold of a locker to steady himself "I haven't seen him."
"What's wrong? Someone do something to your locker?" Wakka cocked his head to the side and let out a loud laugh. "Just let us know, ya? We'll take care of them for you, won't we brother?" He motioned to Riku with his head.
"No," Sora said his lip coming out in a pout. "It's nothing."
"Sora!" All three heads came up. Standing in the front hall was Kairi and Selphie. Selphie was waving and grinning from ear to ear. Kairi was standing tall and proud in her new high school uniform. Riku had to remind himself not to snort. She'd altered her skirt so it was just long enough to be acceptable in school, somehow. Riku was sure if she sat down; either the top or bottom of her underwear would be visible. He didn't know how she'd gotten away with it. Her parents would be horrified if they saw what she was wearing. Didn't she have any self-respect? She obviously had the confidence to pull off the look. Whatever the reason, he wanted to take her to the side and tell her she didn't need to wear her skirt so short. At least wear something under it. There were creeps at the school, just like any other place, and she was taunting them right now.
"Hey Kairi…" Sora still sounded like he'd been told the world was ending.
Jeez even Kairi can't cheer him up right now.
"Sora, you're going to be fine. The teachers here don't allow for any kind of bullying," Riku reminded him. Not that Sora had really had any bullying problems. Back in elementary school, he'd been teased, but it'd only lasted a few days and the kids hadn't exactly been horrible. They had pointed out how bad a haircut Sora had received, but they'd lost interest fast and even Sora had agreed in private that he hated the haircut.
Sora gave Riku a hard look and nodded.
"Right..."
"Sora, you're in 1B right," Kairi asked.
"More like 1D," Wakka whispered to Riku and despite himself, he chuckled. Sora was not an idiot, not exactly. He just had to get himself motivated to care. The motivation part however, hardly ever happened unless someone was dangling some sort of reward in front of Sora. Still, once he put in the effort he could do amazing things. Riku wished the teen would apply himself a little more, had told Sora to do just that, but his friend had blown him off telling him it wasn't worth his time.
"Come on, we can go to class together," Kairi said. "A lot of our friends from junior high are there."
"Actually, I was—" Riku started.
"I can walk with Kairi," Sora said cutting Riku off. "It's okay. I'll see you in gym class?"
"Umm…yeah sure…" Sora ran towards Kairi. Riku blinked a few times feeling like he'd been tricked. He wasn't sure what had happened, but somehow he'd lost his chance to walk Sora to class. He'd been sure they would go together, Sora had begged him just days before to do just that, but now it was okay for Kairi to do it? It has to be the skirt, Riku thought shaking his head. So all it took was a short skirt to get Sora distracted. A shame, he couldn't wear one, wouldn't even if he could. Skirts were just too inconvenient to wear.
"Don't forget Blitzball tryouts are this week. You need to sign up by Thursday," Wakka yelled after Sora.
"Okay," Sora called back.
The three first years vanished down the hall laughing. Riku watched them go wishing the two girls had never shown up. He had nothing against Selphie, she was always cheerful and saying hi, but Kairi…Kairi had come in and taken his friend without warning and not for the first time. The three of them were supposed to be friends. Maybe he was looking too much into the situation, but he'd really wanted to take Sora to his homeroom and assure him that everything would be alright.
Whatever. I need to get to class myself.
"Man, Kairi sure has Sora on a leash," Wakka laughed. "Come on, let's go."
"Right." So, it wasn't just Riku who'd noticed Kairi's sudden bold move of dominance. She'd always gone out of her way to manipulate the two of them, he was used to that. How many times had he played her game just to get Sora annoyed? This had been different. It seemed now that they were in high school she had chosen Sora to be her boyfriend. Lucky for all of us, he thought as he walked with Wakka down the main hall. He wanted no part in dating Kairi. Sora on the other hand…
Part of the way down the main hall it broke into three different directions, straight, left, and right, and then a staircase next to the right side hall. They took the right hall, other students the two of them had known last year and a few they just knew from Destiny Island greeted them before they hurried on their way to their own classes.
"I'm here," Wakka said as they came in front of 2B. "See you in gym?"
"You'll wish you didn't," Riku said. Wakka gave him a quick wave and entered his classroom. Riku's was still a few feet down the hall. He kept walking, his thoughts honed in on how great it would be if Kairi had just skipped school today when he noticed a student with dirty blonde hair standing in the hall, a schedule held in his hands and a dark look on his face. He was examining it so intently, RIku wasn't sure he was actually breathing.
"…Are you okay?"
The teen jumped and looked up.
"I'm fine," he said looking angry, but sounding completely defeated.
Riku grabbed the teen's schedule. Maybe helping someone else would get his mind off Sora.
"Hey!"
"You're a first year, you're in the second year hall," Riku said handing him the schedule back. He gave the clock a quick look and started back down the way he'd come. "Come on, before we're both late."
"But…fine." He sighed catching up with Riku fast enough. He remained silent, the dark aura he'd had directed at the schedule now surrounding his entire body as he remained a few steps behind Riku.
"You can walk with me," Riku said surprised at how irritated he felt at the teen trailing behind him.
"Yeah?" The first year quickened his pace and fell into step with Riku.
"I don't think I've seen you before."
"No…my parents thought it would be fun to make me move and transfer to a new school for high school." He spit the words out, his eyes narrowing. "Like my life wasn't hard enough." He seemed to realize he was complaining, his eyes widening. "S, sorry. Just ignore me…."
"A little late for that," Riku snickered. "Welcome to the school and to town," he added. There was something strange about this teen. He reminded Riku of someone…was it Sora? Only he was moodier. Or was it darker? They weren't the same and yet they gave off some of the same energy or something. Maybe once the boy was in a better mood he could figure it out.
His eyes, he thought realizing this teen had the exact same eye color as Sora. That's what it was.
"I'm Riku," he said. They crossed the main hall into the left branch and started down it. First year students were gathered in the halls and in the classrooms, both groups nervously chatting with friends. Riku wondered if Wakka and he had been that out of sorts the year before. He remembered finding his class and just dropping his head onto a desk, because he hadn't slept the night before at all. His fear hadn't been about high school itself, but rather the fact that he was being separated from his two best friends. Sora and Kairi would still be at the junior high for another year before they'd reunite at the high school. Riku's fears hadn't been founded however. Sora and he had remained as close as ever, Sora still pestering him for help with homework and sword training, Blitzball practice. They met every day after school and spent weekends together just as they always had. Of course, Kairi had been there too, but Riku had done his best to be civil and ignore her. Wonder if we'll still spend time together this year…
"Roxas…"
"This place isn't so bad." If you ignore the fools.
"I guess not. I don't really know anything or anyone to consider it bad. I just miss my friends."
They managed to maneuver around some more first years. It was getting loud now.
"I can understand that."
Roxas tilted his head looking interested. "Did you move?"
"No, but I might as well have." It probably would have been better if he had. He'd gotten an acceptance letter into a private school in the city on the other side of the island, but he'd thrown it away after a quick look. His teacher from last year had sent his test scores in without asking him. At the time, Sora and he had been so close he couldn't imagine taking off and leaving his best friend. Now it would have served Sora right. He could have just left for the other school without a word. Sora would obviously have been okay with Kairi.
Stop it, he scolded himself. There was no reason to go down that road right now. That was an indulgence for lunch or after school.
Riku stopped for a moment. In front of them was the group of friends that had stolen Sora away, not that Sora seemed put off about it. He was smiling now standing next to Kairi. Hell, he looked full blown relieved.
That's it. Kairi can have him, he thought bitterly. "Come on." Without waiting to see if Roxas had heard, he moved through the crowd of students. Sora gave him a weird look, so he just smiled at him and turned to Tidus.
"Hey Tidus. Wakka wanted to remind you Biltzball tryouts are this Thursday."
"W, wait," Roxas yelled.
"Thanks. I'll sign up at lunch. Wakka would never forgive me if I didn't try out for the team." He grinned at RIku. "You're trying out too, right?"
"Of course."
"I'm trying out too," Sora said.
Everyone gave Sora a quick look. Some of the other first year students seemed impressed.
"Why are you in the first year hall anyway," Tidus asked.
"Had to get someone to their class," Riku said.
"I'm in front of my class," Sora said. "Kairi walked me here, remember?"
Sora, do not make me kill you our first day of school. He let out a breath, turned and plastered a fake grin on his face. His anger must have shown through, because Sora took a step back immediately.
"I see that you've made it to your class, but you are not the only first year in the building." He turned back to Roxas who was standing just outside the group. He refused to meet anyone's eyes until he noticed Riku was looking at him. "Come on."
"Y, yes." A surge of power and arrogance ran through RIku as he saw the stunned look on Sora's face. He didn't want to hurt his friend, no he wanted Sora to be happy, more than anything, but he didn't want to be thrown to the side either. Sora's mouth dropped open as Roxas passed him and it took every bit of self-control Riku had not to grin at Sora or put his arm around Roxas. It wasn't like it'd do any good. Sora didn't like Riku the way he cared about Sora. He knew that, accepted that, but that didn't stop him from having fun like this. Sora couldn't be the only one to enjoy himself this year.
"I know most of those people, I can introduce you later if you'd like," Riku said once they'd moved passed them.
Roxas glanced back at the group of students and shrugged as they walked on.
"They seem a little…off?"
"You're friends with RIku," A student asked just loud enough for RIku to hear over all the other voices.
"Yeah…I am. We play Blitzball together," he heard Tidus say.
"You play Blitzball together!?"
"Riku's an awesome Blitzball player!"
"Riku's awesome in general," a girl said.
"They are," Riku agreed as they moved farther down the hall and away from his would be fans. "I guess if you need anything, just ask me." They were at 1A now.
"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother."
"You won't be." Especially if just walking around with you gets Sora riled up, he thought. Of course, there was a bit more to it than that. While the teen did remind Riku of Sora, he was more refined. There was an energy about him, but Roxas seemed to know how to keep it in check unlike Sora who just let it fly in every direction. If Roxas was in 1A, that meant he took his studies seriously, something Sora would never do.
"Okay. Thanks again Riku."
The older teen nodded.
"Do you play Blitzball?"
"Not really. I was in Kendo, but this school doesn't offer that club."
"We do our own kind of sword practice at Destiny Island. You can meet everyone else, if you want."
Roxas' gave a small smile. It shined from both his mouth and eyes.
"I'd like that."
"Great. I'll find you later and let you know when we're practicing next."
"Sure." Roxas entered his classroom and Riku started back down the hall. His smile isn't like Sora's, but it's pretty cute. He gave his head a firm shake. You can't do this. If you get a crush on every male friend you have it's just going to cause problems. The more he thought about it though, the more he realized he didn't actually like, like Roxas. He liked the teen in general, but he loved the reaction Roxas caused from Sora. It always comes back to Sora.
With only two minutes before the bell, the other students began running into their classrooms. Students wished each other luck, laughed some more. A few were dragging others in while their friends tried desperately to stay in the halls. It was both amusing and sad. Most of the 1B students were still standing in the hall chatting. Riku passed them without comment until a hand wrapped around his forearm stopping him.
"Riku."
Surprised Riku turned. Sora was glaring at him and showing no signs of releasing him until he listened.
"Talk fast. We have two minutes before the bell goes off."
"….Forget it." He released Riku's arm and sulked off into his classroom.
Riku glanced at the clock on the wall. I'll ask him in gym. He dashed off down the hall towards his class.
(X)
The bell rang and Riku could hardly contain himself. He was sure Sora hadn't said anything, worried that they might end up late for class if they started talking, but he was curious to know what his friend had to say. He was probably going to ask about Roxas, not that Riku had much to say. Roxas had just transferred to the shool and Riku had just met him, so he didn't know much about him.
The school didn't have enough students to justify separate gym classes for each grade. Instead, the classes were broken up into two classes. Group A, consisting of first through third year students, would take gym before lunch. The Group B, also consisting of first through third year students would have gym after lunch. It had been a fifty percent chance that Riku would have gym with Sora, but when he'd found out that was the case, he'd been very pleased. So had Sora.
He went into the boy's locker room, found his assigned locker and changed. Once he was wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and gym shoes he stepped outside to look for Sora. He noticed a tall red head with spikey hair and dodged back into the locker room. It wasn't that he didn't like Axel, but the third year would never leave him alone to talk with Sora if he spotted him now.
Riku waited. After six minutes, he began to get worried and wondered if Sora had gotten lost. He should have gone straight to Sora's class and walked him to the locker room. It seemed a little much; especially since there was no way Sora could be the only one in his class taking gym before lunch. On top of that, his teacher would have shown the students where the locker rooms were.
There was nothing that could be done. RIku started for the door only to step back as it swung open. Sora walked in, three other first year students with him.
"I was starting to think you were lost," Riku said.
Sora glanced at him.
"I'm not stupid. I wasn't lost, I was talking to friends," he said walking past Riku.
Riku watched him go, unsure of whether or not to hit the younger teen or just let it go. Riku hadn't been the nicest of people when he'd taken Roxas to his classroom. This was probably just Sora's way of getting back at him.
"Oh, Riku, you're in this class?" Roxas came around the corner and up to Riku, a hint of a smile on his lips.
That had been two weeks ago.
Things had not improved with Sora since then.
And now…
"Why can't I just disappear," Riku asked. No one was around to hear him so he let a groan out as well. In two weeks, no in the first day, Sora had gone from a panicked first year high school student to one of the most popular guys in school. He'd exceled of course at Blitzball tryouts and secured himself a spot with ease. His easy going attitude and loyalty had gotten everyone around him wanting to be his friend or worse, his girlfriend. At the moment, Sora was sitting with a group of friends laughing, no doubt telling some joke or screw up he'd managed that day. Kairi was included in this group of course, because Kairi had not let Sora out of her sight since she'd stolen him from Riku that first morning. She'd known exactly what was she was doing and Riku had been too blind to keep up.
The three of us were supposed to be friends, he thought closing his eyes and leaning back against the tree he was sitting under. There was a wonderful breeze caressing everything in its path. Not enough make him feel better, but enough to stop him from throwing a Blitzball at Kairi's head.
"You're going to give yourself a heart attack," a voice said.
"Axel…" Riku opened his eyes, the two students that he'd somehow befriended lately standing in front of him. "Can we join you," the dirty blonde asked hesitantly. Roxas's transfer to the school had not been easy. He'd lived on the other side of the island before his family had come here. Being new to the town and the school had resulted in a great deal of curiosity from the other students. They had bombarded him from the second he'd introduced himself with questions about the city and why he'd come here. And, while the students had been nice and asked him to eat lunch with them or to hang out, he always ended up with Axel or Riku.
"You're never going to make any real friends hanging out with us," Riku said.
"You two are my friends…aren't you?" He almost dropped the bento box he was holding. "No, you are my friends," he said firmly. He took a seat beside Riku, Axel laughing.
"You are. Axel on the other hand…." He gave the red head an evil grin and straightened his back against the tree. Axel was a third year goofball. He had real thoughts; he had to in order to have made it into class 3B, but Riku rarely saw him performing mentally at such a level.
"As if I'd trust you alone with Roxas," Axel spat. He took a seat next to Riku and pulled out some wrapped bread. "Curry right?"
"Might as well," Riku sighed. Today had been Axel's turn to get lunch. He'd preferred a tonkatsu sandwich, but seeing Sora have such a good time with everyone else, but him, he was losing interest in his food before he even tasted it.
"You ate it last time," Axel muttered. "What do you have Roxas?"
"Tori katsu," Roxas said. "And onigiri."
"Yeah," Axel asked leaning across Riku. "What kind?"
"Hey, watch it." Axel was the only person Riku knew who didn't seem to worry about touching anyone. Okay, not the only one, he thought daring a look at Sora. The brunette had his arm wrapped around Selphie and the two of them were holding milk cartons up in the air singing. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what was going on with them and redirected his gaze to Roxas.
"Negi miso…and mom wanted to try something new. So this one is cucumber and avocado."
"That is new," Riku said leaning forward. Axel had no choice, but to move back or fall, so the older teen moved. He crawled around so he was sitting in front of the other two teens. He examined Roxas' food without touching and nodded.
"I think we need to get him something else to eat."
"You're on food duty today," RIku reminded the third year.
"Yeah well, I'm also broke, so you'll have to do it. We don't want our poor little Roxas to starve, do we?"
"I'm not poor, or starving," Roxas snapped narrowing his eyes at both of them. Roxas was rarely mean, but Riku had noticed early on that the boy didn't take well to insults. When push came to shove, Roxas slammed people out of his way into walls.
"I'll share the curry bread, you share the onigiri," Riku offered.
Roxas stared back down at his bento giving it an emotionless look than nodded. Riku broke his bread in half and gave it to the younger boy.
"Thanks…" He held the bento box up so Riku could take an ongiri. He knew he'd probably regret it, but removed one of the cucumber and avocado ones. Roxas' mother was a good cook; surely, she'd given some thought to this concoction before forcing it onto her only son.
"I want to share too," Axel yelled. He removed three different kinds of bread from his pocket and held them out to Roxas. No wonder he was broke. "You can have any one of these!"
Roxas' face turned a slight shade of pink, barely noticeable. He looked at each bread and then tapped on the last one. "I want this one," he said quietly laughing.
"All yours," Axel said shoving the fruit sandwich at the younger teen. Axel's face had turned a much stronger shade of red.
These two… Riku closed his eyes again as he brought his curry bread up to his mouth and bit into it. He was glad they were getting along so well, but it just made things awkward. He'd tried ditching them earlier, but Axel had tracked him down before he'd managed to find a different group in gym to practice basket ball with. He'd looked so proud of himself too, Roxas congratulating him….congratulating… he popped open one eye staring at Roxas. He'd known that Riku was trying to avoid them and had purposely sent Axel after him. He wouldn't have thought the other teen would go out of his way, but now that he actually had time to think about it, it made sense.
"You were watching me," Riku said, Roxas jumping at his words.
"Don't get full of yourself Riku. Just, because you're popular amongst kids your own age, your charm has no effect on the first years in this school." Axel motioned towards Sora's group. "Or you wouldn't be having a problem."
"Shut up," Riku growled. He knew that all too well and didn't need any reminders. Axel had caught on to Riku's feelings for Sora pretty fast. He hadn't exactly been hiding it, but he'd thought he was at least being careful. Perhaps not. Maybe that was why Sora was keeping his distance. He didn't want Riku, or anyone else for that matter to get the wrong idea. Maybe after some time had passed Sora would start talking to him again and everything could go back to the way it used to be?
But, do I want it to? The people Sora was with, the friends he'd had for years. They were too loud, too energetic for him right now. If more than three of them approached him at time, he felt like all of his energy was being drained. They always seemed to be having fun and laughing, but Riku just couldn't muster the effort to join in. Sure Axel and Roxas were sometimes spontaneous and surprised him, but for some reason, Riku could handle them.
"Riku," Roxas asked. "Is it that bad?"
Riku hadn't even noticed he'd popped the cucumber and avocado onigiri into his mouth. Attention restored he allowed the flavor to settle on his tongue and swallowed.
"No…actually it's good."
"Yeah," Axel asked. He snatched the half-eaten onigiri from Riku's hand and popped it into his mouth.
"Axel," Roxas said his annoyance clear. Axel went silent, his face turning a dark shade of red. He didn't move for a second. "Axel?" Roxas looked to Riku. "Is he choking?"
The red head started spitting the food onto the grass.
"What is wrong with you!?" Axel grabbed Roxas' water bottle and drained it.
"My water…Why do you always steal my things?!" The blonde demanded, his fist clenched. "You could have asked!"
"It was a matter of life or death," Axel said gasping. "Riku lied to me!"
"I liked it," Riku said with a shrug. He watched the two, amused. There was always something for them to bicker about. It would die down in a minute or so, after everyone else in the schoolyard had noticed them.
"You have no taste buds," Axel growled. "And now you have Roxas mad at me!"
"Don't drag Riku into this," Roxas screamed.
Riku would have told them to calm down, but there was no point. He knew from experience the two of them had to get this out of their system. Besides. With all the commotion, Sora and his group of friends were staring at them, some with worried looks, others with their mouths slightly opened. Riku shook his head a smile spreading across his face.
(TBC)
Yes, yes. I know, the opening is extremely different from the original. We'll get there. I just know that the original had so many problems and mistakes and I'm hoping this will fix most if not all of that as I push on. So here's chapter 1 of the rewrite. Chapter 2 coming along.