Prologue

The jingling of keys sounds from the other side of the hallway. There's only one other person who has them for the dorm. I hear him shove them into the slot of the doorknob, unlocking it with a click. The door swings open with ease, and my roommate Riku walks in, paper bag full of groceries in hand.

"I'm back," he announces, making his way towards the mini-fridge we have in the corner of the room.

"Get anything good?" I ask from my bed, eyes still glued to my phone.

"Just some drinks and fruit, and I'll keep chips and cereal and all that stuff on my shelf. If you want any, be my guest." The bag rustles while he unloads his purchases and puts them in their new designated spots.

"Thanks, man." I don't mean to sound like I don't give a crap about his kind gesture, nor do I realize that I do 'til the noises of all his shuffling around stops. I look up over my phone screen at him, to see him bent near the now-shut mini-fridge, eyeing me quizzically.

"You alright, Sora? You look pretty stressed."

"It's…" I trail off; to be honest, I don't even really know what to say. Do I even have the right to talk about it? I don't want to make him look bad, but at the same time…

"Of course, you don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable with talking about it," he reassures, noticing my hesitation. "You're usually not this quiet, though, so you had me kinda worried."

"It's just another friend of mine," I explain. Maybe I can talk about it if I keep it as vague as I can. "We sorta got into an argument, and I don't really know how to feel about it."

Riku sits on his desk chair, which he wheels over to the foot of my bed. "Paopu juice?" he asks, holding up a can in each hand.

Alright, I can't stay too upset when there's paopu juice in the house!

"Thanks, man!" I sit up and catch the can he tosses to me.

"Back to what you were saying," he begins, as I pull back on the metal cap of the juice can, "if the argument's still going on, it's probably best for you to step away from it for a little while. I learned the hard way that it's best not to get into riffs without a putting a little time and thought into what you say. It helps keep emotions under control, too."

I take a contemplative sip.

To be honest, I can't stand the feeling of knowing someone is upset with me. It claws at me from the inside, like it's slowly shredding at my heart, and the only way I can stop it is by working my hardest to get on that person's good side again. And when it's someone important to me, the toxicity of the situation is only amplified, the need for the antidote all the more dire. I'll step away from my ego and admit to my wrongs, even if I know I'm right.

The thing is, I have my limits.

"Honestly, I'm just tired of this," I reflect out loud, letting out a dejected sigh.

"It shows," he nods in agreement, taking sip out of his own juice. Should I tell him…?

"I can…trust you to keep a secret, right, Riku?"

"I mean, I already shared your bank account number with all the people at the grocery store, and we've only been roommates for about 6 hours," he quips, giant smirk on his face. I feign a sour expression, which makes him snicker. "In all seriousness, though, bro, tell me whatever. I promise you, these lips are sealed." I can tell he's being a hundred percent genuine; I wouldn't expect any less from this guy.

Riku isn't my closest friend – at this point, I don't even know who that title belongs to right now – but I do know that he's a great guy. And super laid-back. It's why I chose him to be my roommate instead.

I take a big gulp of the almost too-sweet, tangy juice before I begin. "Before I start, I just want to say that I don't want you to take this as me talking shit…I just…really need to get some stuff off my chest." He nods in understanding. "It's about…Roxas."

"Roxas, huh? I thought you two were practically attached at the hip." He leans back in his chair.

"We were – are – really close but…we've been through a lot. There were several things that happened last year that I don't think I would have overcome without him having my back. He's a great friend. But, he struggles, too. And, to be honest, sometimes, it's too much for me to handle…" I let out another sigh. "Maybe I'm just a crappy friend."

"Or maybe you're just a pushover," Riku quickly suggests. "Look, I don't know Roxas very well, but…I've heard things."

Instantly I'm on the defensive.

"Like what? I'm sure a lot of the stuff out there's not true. People like to twist things against him a lot, and I don't understand why…"

"Hey, man, I'm not saying I believe any of it," he clarifies, before I go off on a tangent. "All my interactions with Roxas have only been good. I think he's a solid guy. But there are rumors out there."

"People need to mind their own business," I scoff, reclining on the wall my bed is propped up against.

"Totally agreed," he concedes. "But, um, anyway, what was it you wanted to tell me?"

Flashbacks of the previous year run through my mind like a highlight reel. A smorgasbord of emotions overwhelms me as I reminisce about the highs and the lows, the happiness and the drama. Oh, the drama.

There's too much back-story that accompanies all this baggage.

"I think there's a lot I need to say," I explain apologetically. "It might take a while."

"Take all the time you need. I don't have any plans for the rest of the day."

"You sure?" He nods. I take a moment to gather my thoughts before I begin. "Well…Roxas and Kairi broke up." I look for a reaction, but his expression doesn't change. "And, he's pissed at me because he doesn't think I genuinely care." Which is totally unfair! I've always put our friendship first, regardless of my feelings...

"But…you're his best friend, aren't you?" Riku asks. One of his eyebrows has risen up onto his forehead in confusion.

"I don't even know anymore…honestly, it's been one hell of a rollercoaster ride." He takes this into consideration for a few moments before he speaks again.

"Why don't you just start from the beginning? Talking about all the history and retracing all your steps might help you figure out what you need to do." Can't deny, that's a good idea. And…maybe it's just what I need.

"Alright…Roxas is one of the most caring, considerate people I've ever known, but…he's complicated…"

A/N: Dang, it's been a while since I've started a fic! Feels good, but at the same time, running three fics at the same time isn't gonna be easy...

Anyway, this fic is going to be pretty different from what I've put out so far. It won't be all fun, fluffy, and funny like the majority of my other stuff is. In fact, in all honestly, this story is going to be based on some events that have occurred in my life; I guess, through Sora, I'll be venting to you guys :P Of course, names have all been changed and some events will be more or less exaggerated than they actually occur to keep you guys somewhat entertained, because, hey, that's fiction for ya!

I don't see this story being super duper long, but it will be divided into two parts; the first will be an account of what Roxas and Sora have gone through during the previous year, and how they got to the point they're in now, and the second will be back in present day, as he goes through and figures out what the best solutions are to his problems are, and, ultimately, the fate of his friendship.

I really hope you guys enjoy this, please let me know what you think in a review!