Sequel to Bleed It Out, so don't read this until you've read that one.

Songfic; Song: Are You Happy? by Drop Dead Gorgeous

Rated M for some language, cutting, and mentions of sadism

Pairings: Implied RikuxSora, SoraxAxel

Summary: He didn't need him. He was like a fever: something he didn't want, but something he couldn't get rid of easily. And just like a fever, he'd sweat him out.

This fic is told from Sora's perspective as opposed to Riku's and is set in a later time. So for you guys who felt bad for Sora in Bleed It Out, here's something to cheer you up. :)

Hiya! I'm back and here's the sequel to Bleed It Out. I'm surprised I got it up so quickly. I'm actually more pleased with this one than the previous, though of course I'm not completely satisfied (I'm never completely satisfied with anything I do; it's very difficult to please myself when it comes to my art...) Anyway, depending on whether the Muse decides to visit me, this will probably be my last or second to last one-shot for a while, because I'm hoping to start uploading some of my multi-chaptered fics. I'm very excited, so be on the look out for those! Oh, and also be sure to check out my other Kingdom Hearts fic, Soul Surrender, because I'm still debating whether or not to post a sequel. Anyway, enough with my rambling, enjoy and please review! Thanks, pretties!

Disclaimer: Disney and Squeenix own Kingdom Hearts, and Drop Dead Gorgeous owns Are You Happy? Remember that, because the last thing I need is a lawsuit.


Sweat It Out

It had been two years since he had last seen him. He had been so sure that once he had left, he'd never see him again.

Yet there he was, sitting at the bar beneath the neon lights, seducing yet another boy foolish enough to believe his hollow promises and convincing caresses.

Sora bit his lip and downed the last of his drink. He was seated in a booth at an overly popular night club, and despite the almost opaque mass of people, the silver haired wraith named Riku that haunted his dreams watched him with a superior gaze.

Those sloping eyes and cat-who-got-the-fish grin seemed to tell Sora to fear the past, to fear him, but strangely now that Sora was seeing him again in person, the long suppressed anger and spite welled up within him.

That sick bastard held no sway over him anymore. The leash was broken and Sora was going to let him know it. Sora caught his eye, disgusted by the sketchy looking man that was hanging all over his ex-lover (if that's what you could call him), and met his challenging gaze full on.

He sent Riku the most acid smirk he could muster. It was part loathing and part arrogance. Riku had hurt him horribly. Physically, emotionally, and mentally. The memories and the scars had burned him everyday after the night he had finally gotten the strength to say no. No to the kisses, to the sex, to the knife...to him. For good.

It had been obvious that Riku wasn't used to being rejected.

But he didn't care. Riku had gotten what he wanted at his expense and Sora had had enough. And when he had left the silver-haired Hell seraph, stunned and furious that night, Sora had never felt freer in all his life.

"You okay?" a voice asked, breaking through his thoughts and spiteful staring contest. Sora looked up and grinned, his eyes instantly lighting up.

Not too long after his walk-out, Sora had found the love, care, and compassion he needed in a gorgeous red-haired man named Axel. They had started out slowly, Sora apprehensive and cautious of entrusting his heart to anyone else, but it was almost as if they were made for each other. Axel was everything Riku was not: warm, caring, understanding and gentle.

And even when Axel had asked about the scars, and Sora had broken down and poured out his dark past in a torrent of sobs and tears, the green-eyed sun sprite had held him in his arms all through the night.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sora told him, wrapping his arms around him. He felt the taller man place a kiss atop his head and smiled as one of Axel's long, warm arms wrapped around him and pulled him closer.

Sora smiled and turned to look at Riku with a smug eye. He could see him peering venomously at him over the shoulder of the boy that was suddenly in his lap, kissing his neck and touching him in private places. Sora grinned and raised his face to Axel's, placing a sweet kiss on his lips and continued to watch Riku out of the corner of his eye.

Are you happy? You got what you wanted

I'm lucky, I'm here with my someone

He could see Riku's lip curling in disgust, jealousy threaded into his icy eyes, piercing Sora's heart like a spear. But Sora could tell that it was Riku's poor excuse for a heart that was really bleeding on the inside.

My everything, you'll bleed to death on me

But those eyes also held part of Sora's recollections of those sadistic moments and he could feel his stomach turn in revulsion as he remembered the things that his body had actually enjoyed, despite the protests of his mind and heart.

He could remember how he felt after every torture session. Riku had always been so irresistible when they had finished, and even though Sora would be left lightheaded and aching, the acrid taste of his own blood still fresh in his mouth, Riku would be the most beautiful creature beside him as they tried to catch their breath.

You're a ten when you're lying next to me

Heavy breathing...

You're a ten when you're lying next to me

Heavy breathing...

Sora grimaced and glared at his hands, the scars on his wrists bright white in the multi-colored club lights.

"You sure you're okay?" Axel asked, his lovely green eyes filled with genuine concern. Sora turned back to him, scolding himself mentally for letting his mind get caught up in thoughts that were best forgotten. Sora forced a laugh and gave his boyfriend a reassuring hug.

"A-okay!" he exclaimed with a wink over the pulsing music. Axel laughed and nodded, taking a sip of his drink and scanning the packed out dance floor with his feline eyes.

"Wanna dance?" he asked with a mischievous grin that made Sora want to agree to almost anything the pyromaniac suggested. Sora smiled widely, but a dull ache in the pit of his stomach refused to let him comply.

"Lemme run to the bathroom first," the brunette shouted over the music, standing up and preparing to make his way through the mass of gyrating people. He was about to step away from the table when a hand pulled him back down and into his lover's lap.

"Aw, come on, you can make it one dance." Axel insisted, holding him tight around the waist. Sora snickered and reached over to his tall, empty glass on the table.

"Ax, this is inside of me." Sora informed him as he shook the ice in the drained glass. Axel laughed and nodded, letting him go.

"Good point," he agreed, placing a kiss on Sora's cheek, "But hurry up!" Sora nodded and slid from his lap, pushing his way through the ever shifting current of people.

In all honesty, Sora didn't have to go to the bathroom at all. He just needed to get away from all the noise, to clear the unwanted images that began to breach the boundaries of his mind. Seeing Riku again had really put him on edge despite the justified arrogance he had been feeling earlier and Sora just needed to sit in silence for a few minutes until he could compose himself.

Sora glanced towards the bar one more time, but Riku and his boy toy were gone. He rolled his eyes. It's not like he cared – he had something real after all – he just felt bad for the stupid guy who had left with Riku. Poor guy had no idea what he was in for.

Are you happy? You got what you wanted

I'm lucky, I'm here with my someone

After a valiant struggle, Sora reached the door marked "Men" and let himself inside. He stopped in the doorway almost immediately and let out a cry when the swinging door hit him in the back.

"Good to see you again…Sora."

That voice that had whispered poison into his ear so many times seemed to assault him from all sides as it echoed throughout the tiled room. Sora quickly recovered from the initial shock and gritted his teeth. "I have nothing to say to you." Sora said flatly. He went to the sink and gazed into the mirror, trying to avoid the reflection of his nightmare behind him.

Riku was sitting on the floor, back to the wall. One of his sleeves was rolled up and he was holding that same pocketknife in his other hand. The pale skinned boy smirked at the reflected Sora.

"But we miss you, Sora…" he called in a singsong voice, waving the knife back and forth, "Do you know how much we miss you?" he asked, an unsettling note entering his voice. "So much that we want to give you a gift." He raised his exposed arm and opened the knife, bringing the glimmering blade to his skin.

My everything, you'll bleed to death on me

"Stop it…" Sora growled, gripping the edges of the sink, and glaring fiercely at the reflected Riku. The latter merely smiled sickeningly and tapped the edge of the blade to his bluish veins.

"Why, Sora?" he asked, his voice darkly simpering and mocking, "Isn't this what you want? For me to feel your pain? Or…" A new darkness entered his eyes before he spoke again. "…would you rather do to me what I did to you?"

"Would you just fucking quit it?!" a suddenly enraged Sora shouted as he turned to face him. Something had snapped in him at those words. To even think of sinking to Riku's level made him want to slit his own throat. Go figure.

"Can't you see you're just wrecking yourself and anyone else who's stupid enough to fall for you?" Sora yelled, his voice reverberating around the bathroom. "God, you're fucking addicted, and you can't even admit it." Sora spat with disgust, "You need some help, because you've got some serious fucking problems."

Riku was silent for a moment, mildly surprised by the sudden outburst. He recovered quickly, however, and scoffed, regarding Sora with a sneer, "Call it addiction, call it what you want to, but the only problem I have is saying 'no.'"

Sora wrinkled his brow, not in the mood for Riku's games. "Saying no to who?" he demanded.

Riku looked away and twirled the blade slowly in his fingers watching as the dim light fluttered across it, "To myself..." he murmured as his eyes dulled and he took the knife to his wrist and pressed.

In that single moment, all the memories came rushing back, and Sora almost reached out to him. But when the knife pierced Riku's wrist and he hissed from the pleasure he derived from the pain, Sora could almost feel the scars on his own wrists split and burn, and remembered just how cold and uncaring the man mutilating himself on the floor really was.

Despite how they used to roll off each other in sweat-soaked ecstasy, Riku had always been cold. A wintry personality to match his pale skin, snow water hair, and Everest eyes.

And Sora had always stupidly trailed after him, going into a sort of withdrawal whenever he felt like he was losing him. But now, he had Axel who was always on fire. So full of energy and passion that Sora basked in like an island sun. He was always warm and loving. He didn't need Riku. Riku was nothing but a fever. Something he didn't want, but couldn't get rid of.

He didn't need him and his icy touch. And no matter how noticeable the scars were, and no matter how much his body ached for his violent lust, Sora would wean himself off of him. Within the warmth of Axel's love, he'd sweat him out.

Are you happy? You got what you wanted

You're winter, I left you for summer

"We could get out of here and have a little fun..." Riku muttered seductively as his wrist ran red, painting his arm scarlet and drip dripping to the floor. "I was never quite finished with you, you know." Sora felt a muscle twitch in his jaw, but merely stared at Riku with disgust and pity. Riku may have had a problem with saying no, but Sora sure as hell didn't.

"But I was finished with you." Sora snarled as he turned to leave, the sight of the blood making him dizzy and hot. He wiped the beads of sweat that were gathering at his lip. He felt himself smirk.

Ha, I'm sweating him out already…

He frowned when he heard that all too familiar snicker slither into his ear as he opened the door.

"You'll be back," Riku called to him, his voice weak and breathy, "Just like before..." He laughed lowly, sounding so sure of himself, masking the rejection and self-loathing that was swirling within him.

Sora only turned his head by a fraction, glaring at Riku peripherally. It was the same thing Riku had said to him every time Sora had left with the unspoken promise of his reluctant return. But there'd be no turning back this time around.

He was done.

"No, Riku," he murmured, "Not this time." He then exited the restroom, closing the door on Riku, and his darkest memories forever.

My everything, you'll bleed to death on me...


Once again, thanks so much for reading! Please, please leave a review for me and I'll see you guys in my next fic! Lots of love!

-Starry-NightsXIII