The sequel to bubblegum prints and neon shoelaces! After a LOOOOONG wait, I am finally out of my writers block! And during the X-mas holidays too!!!!

"Mom…" Riku leaned on his mother's door awkwardly.

"Yes dear?" She looked up from her laptop.

"I…think I have a date tonight." He said.

"What do you mean 'think'? Are you hanging out with a girl, but you don't know if it's a date or not?"

"No…I was just told I was getting picked up at 8." Riku didn't want to directly correct her with the girl thing, so he replied a casually as he could

"Wow." his mom looked genuinely surprised. "Girls these days are pretty forward."

"Anyway." Riku looked at the clock. It was 7:45" I am going to get dressed and wait outside. I have no idea when I'll be back, so don't wait up."

"Just make sure your back when I wake up in the morning." She said, turning back to her laptop. She laughed to herself and typed something into the IM box on her screen.

Even though Riku knew it was about him, probably something about his growing into a man, he didn't pester her. His head was two far up in the clouds to care about what his mom told his friends. He was going to go out with Axel. He didn't exactly know if it was a date or not, but even if it wasn't, this was the first step. Quickly, he got dressed into his normal clothes.

When he was out the door, he checked his watch. It had only been 2 minutes. He headed down the street to sit on one of the swings. He knew he would have a long time still, so he would be able to sit for a while and calm down.

Riku started thinking about how all of this happened. Why was Sora so determined for him to get Axel to notice him? Was Sora just excited that Riku had finally had a crush on someone?

It wasn't the first time. When Sora and Riku were little kids, not even in school yet, they were attached at the hip. The first time Riku saw Sora, he felt butterflies fluttering quickly in his stomach. He got over it when Kairi came along, because he knew there was no way to compete. Sora had the same reaction with Kairi as Riku had with him. But that hadn't stopped them from being best friends. The only difference was that there were three instead of two.

"What are you doing out here alone?" Axel's voice rang across the empty play ground. It sounded smooth like honey.

"N-nothing!" Riku couldn't help but stutter. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" Axel took a seat on the swing next to his.

"Just some things that happened in the past." Riku got up and stretched. "It doesn't matter."

Axel got up and wrapped his arm around Riku's waist. "Shall we get going then?" Axel started leading Riku eagerly down the street, and Riku saw that it was down towards the dead end of his street.

"Where are we going?" Riku asked nervously.

"It's a secret!" Axel sang. "Don't worry; I won't rape you or anything."

Riku blushed in surprised. "That's not what I was thinking." he lied.

Axel led Riku through the dim forest. The sun was setting, so there was an orange light to everything. Riku looked up at Axels face, and saw his eyes glitter with determination.

"Only a little farther. Close your eyes." He stopped to make sure Riku's eyes were closed. They weren't.

"Oh, come on Riku! Do I have to cover them myself?" Axel reached around Riku's shoulders with the arm that used to be on his waist, and covered his eyes.

As Axel led him, Riku was off in his own world. He wouldn't hear or see anything, not just because there was a hand over his eyes, but because all he could think about was how cold and out of place his waist was without Axels arm around it.

"We're here!" Axel announced, taking his hand away. They were sitting on a Ferris wheel that was about to start heading to the top.

Riku was silent. He had no idea what to say, when it was just the two of them, and he was freaking out, scrambling for one word that would make the silence a little less awkward for him.

"Riku." Axel said, looking out over the town. "Do you like me?"

"What do you mean?" Riku's heart started to beat faster.

"I mean," Axel put his hands on Riku's shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Are you attracted to me?"

"Yes." Riku blurted out, looking away.

"Then I can do this?" He said softly, reaching for Riku's chin.

Axel brushed his lips softly across Riku's, and it made Riku blush a bright red. It was a short kiss, but it still left Riku in a daze.

Axel looked expectantly at Riku.

"I…I….umm…." Riku had no idea what to say.

"I like you too, Riku." Axel said as the Ferris wheel started moving back down to the bottom.

GAH! I didn't know how to end it! But here it is…...;;; R&R!