Author's note: This story is for Jediempress, in honour of her first year anniversary on this site. Congratulations Jedi and thanks for all the great stories.

Zack grinned as he added another ingredient to his wok while his tattooed friend prattled on about his girlfriend; the ex-SOLDIER could remember talking that way about Aerith years before. In all truth, he still talked about her that way.

"How can you eat that stuff?" Zell asked abruptly as he looked into the wok that Zack was holding over the stove. Tofu and an assortment of vegetables danced around the pan as the raven-haired man tossed the food around to cook evenly.

Zack chuckled. "It's good if you cook it right. Besides, what would you have me do; feed Riku nothing but hotdogs?"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that and there are enough different types of hot dogs and ways to prepare them to have plenty of variety." The tattooed man smirked. "Besides, you don't want the kid to get too used to all this normal food…what will he do when Aerith gets back and you're both forced to eat her cooking again?"

"First of all, you know how I am about anyone picking on Aerith," The violet-eyed man sounded only half bothered, and even that faded as he spoke again, "And secondly; that's exactly why I need to try to fatten him up now, he eats too little as it is."

"I wasn't picking on her, I was just stating-" Zell stopped speaking mid sentence and both men turned in surprised as the door opened and a spiky-haired boy with blue eyes, whom neither of them had seen before, walked into Zack's house as though he owned the place.

"Hey look," commented the blonde man without missing a tick, "Now we have a mini-Spiky to go with our mini-Sephiroth! My Munny's on Mini-Seph if they have at it."

Ignoring his friend's comment, the raven-haired man looked at the boy with a neutral expression. "Uh, kid…who are you?"

The teenager had been looking at the tattooed man perplexedly, but then he turned to Zack and suddenly looked surprised. "Hey, you're that guy from the picture."

"Picture?" repeated both men questioningly.

"Yeah," cerulean eyes were looking over Zack as though he were a museum exhibit. "The one Riku always had- Oh. They told me Riku was staying here. By the way, is he around?"

"Maybe, but I'm not telling you until you answer my question," stated the ex-SOLDIER as he folded his arms over his chest. "Who are you?"

The teenager looked slightly disheartened. "You mean Riku hasn't told you about me? I'm his best friend…Sora."

"You're Sora?" asked Zack. "Riku's talked about you quite a bit actually."

"I've never heard a description though," commented Zell as he glanced over the awkward looking teen.

"That's because no one's given one." The violet-eyed man returned his attention to Sora. "Sorry, but I need to be sure, so…prove you're Sora."

Now the blue-eyed boy looked both confused and annoyed. "How am I supposed to do that? I don't even live on this world; it's not like I have valid ID here…Just call Riku or Leon or Yuffie or someone; they can prove I'm me."

"Or you could just tell us something that Riku would have told us about you," stated the blue-eyed man. "I'd know what Squall would tell people about me."

"You could also just show us the Keyblade," interjected Zack. "Only Riku, Mickey, and Riku's friend Sora can summon them."

"Oh, good point." Sora raised a hand and the Kingdom Key appeared in its grasp with a small flash of light. "There, happy?"

Both men nodded. The ex-SOLDIER smiled at the teen. "Yeah, sorry about that; It's not like Riku causes any trouble around here but he still has enemies, you know?"

Sora let the Keyblade vanish. "Yeah, I actually hadn't thought of that…sorry. So, you're like Riku's dad now or something?"

"I'm his godfather," amended the violet-eyed man. "Sephiroth was one of my best friends, and I knew Riku when he was a baby…that's when that photo you were talking about was taken; assuming it's the one I'm thinking of."

The spiky-haired teen looked puzzled. "What does Sephiroth have to do with that?"

The two men glanced at each other before staring at the boy. "Well, that's why he made Zack Riku's godfather," stated Zell slowly.

When the boy continued to look blank, Zack scratched the back of his head before stating evenly, "Seph is Riku's dad, Sora."

Sora's eyes flickered about in confusion for a second before widening in shock. He looked as though the wind had been knocked out of him. "What- How- When did- I- Are you sure? Why didn't Riku say anything? Does he know? When did you find out? Does Sephiroth know? Is he still alive? H-He wouldn't try to do anything to Riku would he? Do-"

"Whoa, slow down…breath;" Zack got a glass of water while Zell steered the puzzled teen to the table.

Zell sat down beside Sora and Zack sat across from him. "Yes, we're sure. As I said before, Sephiroth was my best friend before he…got sick. I knew Hilargi and Riku before they moved to your world. Riku knows, he's a little upset by it, but he's coping well. I've always known; Riku didn't find out that Sephiroth was Sephiroth until after he moved here; and yes, Sephiroth is alive and he knows that Riku is his child. He doesn't seem to care right now, so I don't think you have anything to worry about."

The teen drank the water and then stared at the glass in puzzlement. "I- Wow, I didn't see that one coming. I jus figured Riku's dad was-" Suddenly, cerulean eyes widened as Sora looked up at the two men. "Shit, I tried to kill Riku's Dad! He'll understand though, right?"

"Of course, Ku will understand," interjected the violet-eyed man. "You didn't know who he was and you probably just heard a lot of bad things about him from Cloud."

The spiky-haired boy tilted his head slightly. "Ku…?"

"That's Zack's pet name for Riku," explained Zell with a smirk.

"Oh," Sora turned his attention to the ex-SOLDIER again. "You know Cloud?"

The raven-haired man smiled and chuckled lightly. "Yeah, we're old friends too. I taught him everything he knows about swordplay."

"Oh, so are you the light he was searching for, then?" asked the teen with an interested expression. "Fist, I thought it was Aerith, but that wasn't right, and then I figured it was Tifa, but it seemed more like she was hunting him down then he was looking for her."

The violet-eyed man looked slightly confused. "Uh, you'll have to ask him about that."

"Okay," the blue-eyed teen nodded and began glancing around the kitchen with an easy smile. "So, it sounds like Riku's doing alright here. I bet he missed you, huh? Does he remember you?" Sora glanced out the window. "The reconstruction has gotten a lot done since I was last here too."

Zack smirked and glanced at Zell, who looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh at the now giddy boy's mood swings and abrupt succession of questions.

Then Riku's soft voice wafted in from the next room. "Hey, your lunch is burning."

Zell dashed to the stove, Zack stood to greet the silvered adolescent as he entered, and Sora's smile broadened as he saw his best friend easily return the quick embrace his godfather gathered him in as a welcome.

"Hey, Riku!"

"Hey, Sora," Riku smiled softly in return as he took the seat across from Sora, which Zack had just vacated as he joined Zell at the stove to try to save their food. "You're here earlier than I expected."

"Yeah, I guess I was anxious to see all of you guys," replied the cerulean-eyed teen. "I already talked to Yuffie and she said you were living here with Zack and Aerith. Of course, I didn't know who Zack was, but he seems nice. Where is Aerith anyway?"

The aqua-eyed boy nodded. "Obviously you've met Zack, and yeah, he's great. Aerith and Tifa are visiting a couple of their other friends in another city, but they should be back tomorrow evening."

"Cool," The spiky-haired boy grinned mischievously at hi friend. "Yuffie also mentioned that you and Leon have gotten really close…what's going on there?"

Riku grinned and flushed slightly. "We're together, but try not to say that too loud in public, okay?"

Sora looked confused and even somewhat angry before his eyes widened in understanding and he blushed slightly. "Oh, yeah, sure; so…you really like him?"

"Mm-Hmm," the soft smile returned to the silver-haired boy's lips.

"That's great," The blue-eyed boy cleared his throat lightly and glanced at the two men in the room briefly. "So…Kairi said you only like guys?"

The aqua-eyed teen chuckled, "Yes, Sora. What about you?"

"What? I like girls! You know that," the brunette paused at his friend's quirked eyebrow. "Oh, you mean that…uh, Penelo and I are dating. I really like her too."

Riku nodded, "That's great." The adolescent then turned to his godfather. "Zack…can Sora stay here while he's in town?"

"Of course," the ex-SOLDIER waved off the boy's gratitude before he could voice it. "We can set up my old military cot in your room, if you want."

Sora smiled wide, "Cool, thanks." At the same time, Riku smiled lightly and thanked the raven-haired man quietly.

"You know," Zell looked over the two boys and then glanced at Zack. "Have you noticed that the loud, bright, laidback guys tend to befriend the quiet, dark, serious ones? You and Sephiroth, then you and Cloud, me and Squall, Rude and Reno…I guess that balance just works well."

"Well there's a reason why those friendships last so long." The violet-eyed man glanced at Sora, "You having lunch too?"

The spiky-haired teen nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I'm starving."

"Riku rolled his eyes. "You're always hungry."

"Maybe that goes with the loud, bright, laidback position," commented Zack. He indicated Zell. "Have you ever seen how food this guy can put away?"

The silvered adolescent nodded. "Yeah, I still can't figure out how it's physically possible for him to eat that many hotdogs and not get ill…he's even topped Sora's record."

"Ah, a boy with good taste," commented Zell as he sat beside Sora and handed the teen a bowl of stir-fry before tucking into his own.

Zack chuckled and sat beside Riku, handing the boy a bowl as well as he placed his own down.

The four conversed lightly over lunch, trading old stories and filling one another in on new developments, thoughts, and plans.

Zack smiled broadly, as he tucked some silver hair behind Riku's ear while the teen grinned as he and a very animated Sora recounted some trouble the younger had caused when they were kids, and about how Riku had been dragged into the predicament, not entirely against his will. The whole thing sounded like something Zack and Sephiroth might have done once.

Then the ex-SOLDIER chuckled as they ended their tale, and began telling one of his own mishaps from when he was watching Riku when the boy was less than a year old. As Sora and Zell were in stitches and Riku was chuckling warmly while listening to him, Zack could not help but feel that this was exactly where he was supposed to be.