The move from their rather small apartment to the new town and new, large house had been rather easy. The family of five simply wanted to start anew, and they packed up their bags and simply left Hollow Bastion, to the smaller Twilight Town.
They had loved the new house, of course.
It was old, nearly one hundred years old, with peeling paint and large wraparound porch, an unmowed lawn.
"Quite charming", as Cloud put it.
0o0
They had began loading all their furniture into the house, along with the tons of boxes that littered the yard, after being uloaded from the moving truck.
Roxas and Sora, the twins, of course had ignored the unpacking process, to race to find their rooms.
"Be careful, boys! Don't trip on the stairs!" their mother had called, but they had already charged the upstairs.
Sora dashed into the room at the end of the hall, attacking the old door, which creaked in protest at the harsh treatment.
"I call this one!"
Roxas walked up to the doorframe, frowning and staring at his brother, who sat on the floor.
"Not fair, Sora."
Sora stuck his tongue out at him.
"The rooms are almost exactly the same up here, Roxas. Besides, you hate being woke up by the sun. This room has a bigger window."
Roxas turned his head and looked at the floor-length window on the far wall.
"You have a point. You're lucky you have a legitimate excuse." He gave a half-smile and turned to walk down to his room.
Sora smiled and looked up at his ceiling, brushing his bangs from his face.
Cobwebs, and that musty new-house smell.
He had always loved that smell.
It wasn't long until everyone had moved in essentials, like beds and toiletries, and even done quickly, it was still about nine o'clock when everything had been done.
So, Sora had taken a shower, and ran to his room, hissing at the chilliness of the floor and air.
Hadn't mom turned on the heat?
Oh well, the house was old. It would most likely take a while for the heat to start to warm up the whole house.
He slipped under the covers after chaning into some pyjama bottoms, shivering until he finally fell asleep.
0o0
Riku had been alone a very long time, stuck in the old house, with its ever growing population of spiders, dust and cobwebs.
The people of the twon had known never to go into the house, because after all, they had said in hushed whispers: "People who lived in that house, every one, had died."
He had rolled his eyes and chuckled every time the subject had been brought up when passerby members of the town had walked by the house.
It sounded ridiculously childish, like some cheesy Scooby-Doo cartoon the previous owners' children had watched.
The truth in the deaths was there, though.
Although, he hadn't actually killed them. He may have been a demon, but he wasn't the best there was. Killing wasn't his forte, so to speak.
The aura had killed them, he supposed. The house, after the initial excitement of moving in died down, did terrible things to the psyche. He remembered the children waking screaming in night terrors. Families fighting, things like that.
Most deaths in the house had been suicides. Guns had been the number one tool of death. Last time the owners of the house had stayed until one the daughter shot herself in the temple in the room at the end of the upstairs hall. Next, the mother hung herself in the kitchen. The father followed suit, after their funeral. He had aimed the gun into his mouth, blowing the back of his head and brains into the bathroom wall.
The stain was still there, stained a rust color in the bottom corner of the shower stall.
And so, he had been alone for almost 20 years, eternally young in the teenager-like form he chose to inhabit.
Then, the Strife family had moved in.
Three sons, a thirtie-sh father and mother. They were so light, he had thought, watching them hop out of the car and beginning to upack.
He had leaned out of the bedroom window, knowing they couldn't see him. It hadn't taken long for him to realize that.
Then, the twins had run upstairs, to where he was.
The brown-haired one had pushed right through him, into the cold little room with the large window.
Riku had then stared, gazing with interest at the short teenager who sat cross-legged on the dusty wood floor.
He had the bluest eyes he had ever seen in his long life, framed by long dark lashes. A tan, baby face surrounded the eyes, and a bright smile.
Riku leaned against the wall, watching as the blonde one ran in.
He looked the same, but didn't. Not so bright at the brunette, perhaps.
"..Sora.."
The name had slipped past the blonde's lips, directed at the brunette on the floor.
A nice name, for sure.
Riku sniffed, still staring.
Perhaps these people could entertain him.
0o0
Night came, and the humans in the house had fallen asleep, unaware of the presence in the house.
Of course, not all were being watched.
The demon that shared their abode was currently leaning over Sora, watching the younger of the two twins breathe in slumber.
It was odd, the way his mouth hung open, a bit of drool dribbling its way out of Sora's mouth. His eyelashes fluttered, perhaps in dream.
Riku was absolutely entranced by the human.
He found himself wanting to entangle his own fingers with the outstretched hand that lay on the blue sheets. Maybe press his cheek to Sora's, to feel the warmth of the living boy.
For the first time in years, boredom didn't lace his sea-green eyes.
A light made them glow in an otherworldy way, like they should have in the first place.
Entertained?
Yes, but maybe something else as well.
x.x
The next few nights were the same.
Riku would wait for the boy to go to sleep, watching his movements with interest, and then he would watch, inches from his sleeping face.
For four days he didn't touch him. It was a forbidden want to the demon, to even brush a piece hair from Sora's face.
Then, one night, he couldn't resist, and in a moment of weakness, placed four fingers on the right side of the sleeping boy's face, gently caressing downwards.
Silk was all he could compare the texture of Sora's cheek to.
After that one fleeting touch, he yanked his hand away, drawing up a portal and rushed into it, to the inbetween place he used as an "office" of sorts.
The weakness of the gesture made him angry at himself, and yet, he didn't know why.
0o0
"Sora, what's that on your face?"
Sora looked up from the bowl of cereal he was eating, to stare, confused, at Cloud.
"Hm?"
Cloud walked over, tracing a thumb lightly down the right side of his face. Sora flinched at the light sting the touch brought.
"This. It looks like a burn. Did you burn it on Mom's straightening iron?"
Sora rolled his eyes, pushing Cloud's hand away from his face.
"No. Does it look like I use that thing?"
Cloud looked away, blinking.
"Okay, don't answer that. But no, maybe I uh, scratched it or something."
"Maybe. Where's Roxas?"
Sora grinned, plopping his spoon up and down in his cereal, making milk spatter in small puddles in the table top.
"He's with a frieeend. That Axel guy."
"Don't do that." Cloud wiped the little spatters of milk. "The readhead clerk that keeps flirting with him at the gas station?"
"That's the one. I guess he's psychic or something."
"Hm." Cloud looked out the window.
"Yea. Axel keeps saying that he senses something in our house. Rox is acting all weird about it."
Cloud's jaw visibly stiffened. "Oh, yea?"
"Yup. Roxas keeps saying he feels it too. Do you?"
Cloud bit his lip and turned to the cabinets, grabbing some cereal.
"...I don't know, I guess."
Sora shrugged, picking up his cereal bowl and dumping it in his sink.
"I'm going out. You coming?"
"...No, I'll stay."
"Suit yourself. Can I take the car?"
"No."
Sora frowned, but left anyway, walking down the street to Axel's place, hoping he wouldn't find Roxas and Axel snogging on the couch.
0o0
That night, Sora had a strange dream.
He found himself laying on cold ground, and looking up at what he thought was the night sky. However, there were no stars present, and the surrounding "walls" were black as well. When he saw that the ground was black, he felt an odd sense of vertigo, not knowing which was up or down.
Then, a voice echoed throughout the space.
His name.
"Sora..."
And then, two lights penetrating the darkness.
Green. No, blue.
Blue green?
Sea green?
No, sea-glass.
Glowing sea-glass eyes staring at him.
They stared at him, blinking once, twice, three times.
Silence, silence like no other, and Sora nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a light brush of something cold against his skin.
Fingers? Yes. Cold, so cold fingers, brushing the burn on the side of his face with an almost-apologetic touch.
Sora blinked, and he found himself wrapped in his duvet, staring at the rising sun through his window.
He slowly reached up and touched the side of his face where the burn sat.
It wasn't there.
0o0
Riku hated himself at the moment.
He hadn't meant to hurt him! Burn, no, marr that beautiful face of his!
He had stared in horror when the boy got up the next morning, that burn, purple and red reaching up the side of his face.
He wanted so much to apologize, and when he did, later that night, he regretted it.
Because now, the boy had seen him. His eyes.
Had felt him. Felt his touch.
Taboo, taboo! A little voice screamed the words in his head, but he pushed them back down.
No. He had apologized, and he was done. He couldn't watch him any longer, he told himself, even thought he knew he could never fufill that command to himself.
In fact, he went back to him the next night.
He had sat gingerly on the bed, staring at him again. By now, he certainly knew he was infatuated with the boy. Obsessed, even.
It was enough that he could watch him sleep, and live in the house he had inhabited for so long.
But then again, it wasn't enough.
He had seen what his brother had done, going off and having relations with another human. He knew it was normal, but he didn't want it. Not for Sora.
He didn't want anyone else to have him.
He silenced his thoughts, and contented himself with the sight of the sleeping human.
And then, before the sun came up, he leaned down and, praying it wouldn't mark his poor boy's (yes, his boy's) face again, and gave him a peck on his forehead.
When Sora woke up with a burn marring his tan forehead, Riku felt self-hatred boil up again.
He couldn't stand it.
0o0
On the tenth day in the house, the bright aura of the house began to fade. Sora noticed Cloud looking sullen, staring off into space much more often than he usually did.
Mom and Dad bickered, and Roxas began to get paler, and spent as much time as he could at Axel's.
He himself spent a lot of time staring out of his big window in his room, listening to every song he owned on his iPod a couple hundred times.
0o0
The next dream Sora had was even stranger.
He woke up in the same dark place, except this time a white hand blocked his vision and was placed on his forehead.
Slowly, a person came into place, silver hair, long, coming into sight first. A face and body next, arms and legs covered in a black hoodie and black skinny jeans.
White feet, bare, stuck out from the dark shade of the jeans.
Then, sea-glass eyes came into view last.
Sora gave a large gasp, sitting up upbruptly.
"You!" He pointed at the teenager next to him.
The boy smiled, keeping the white, white hand on Sora's forehead.
"Wh-what're you doing?" He lifted his own hand to the boy's.
"Making you better." A whispery voice that sounded like the wind, and a song all at once, seemed to echo in Sora's head. He stared so intently at Sora, it felt as if his eyes had a touch.
"Oh..Who are you...?"
"Riku." He responded, smiling. Sora felt his heart pound against his ribs.
They sat in silence, staring at each other.
After a few minutes, Riku removed his icy hand, staring at Sora's forehead.
"There." He sighed, in what Sora could almost mistake for relief. "Better?"
Sora lightly touched his forehead. No sting, and the skin there lay smooth.
"Y-yea. Thank you."
Riku smiled again, and leaned forward, and Sora felt lips, cold as death, peck the spot.
"I'm sorry." Riku whispered, and Sora woke to the sound of rain pounding on the old roof of the house.
0o0
Riku for once, wasn't staring at Sora. He was looking at his twin, who was currently laughing with Sora about something.
He stared at their close contact, the look of familiarity in their eyes when they looked at each other.
It wasn't fair.
The stare turned to a glare, and for once he wished he could actually shoot fire from his eyes like the demons in books could.
Roxas.
He hated the name.
He hated the face.
He did not look like Sora, his beautiful Sora.
He hated it all. How dare he could touch and laugh with his Sora, the one he wanted.
The one he loved.
Yes. It was love now. Never infatuation.
And no one could take him from his love.
He promised to himself.
0o0
The house grew as gloomy as a crypt.
Cloud never talked, and Mom and Dad were irritated all the time.
Things weren't bad, though, until Roxas got sick.
Axel had brought Roxas home, arm around his waist, and lightly cupping a rosy cheek of Roxas's. He had said that Roxas had thrown up, and thought he should bring him home. Roxas had reached for Axel, who had reluctantly let go of him.
The next day, Roxas was coughing up blood and laying in his bed all day, with a fever. Sora had stayed there, petting his brother's hair.
The following days included Roxas coughing up more blood, and his temperature dropping.
They thought the lowering of the fever might've helped, but when it started to dropped lower than normal, worry arose.
On Wednesday, Sora walked in, gently putting the thermometer underneath Roxas's tongue. His brother was pale as death, blue eyes cloudy and staring. He panted, in exhaustion or pain, or both, Sora couldn't exactly tell.
When the thermometer beeped to signal the temperature was averaged, he looked.
88 degrees? What?
He carefully placed a hand on Roxas's face.
Cold. Why was he so cold?
"Rox? Roxas? Are you cold?"
His brother's head lolled off to the side, without answering.
"Mom! Mom! Come here!"
His mother had appeared beside him in an instant, hands finding Roxas's face.
"What was his temperature?"
"I-it said 88 degrees, but I think it's wrong..."
Only twenty minutes minutes later was Roxas admitted to the hospital, and diagnosed with hypothermia.
"It's summer, how the...?" Cloud mumbled to himself, steadily working on biting the tips of everyone of his fingernails down to the skin.
Sora stared at the ground.
0o0
His mother was crying, hard.
Roxas was in a coma.
The day he was admitted, he had fallen asleep, and at the moment, wouldn't wake up for anything.
Unresponsive, and perhaps braindead, the doctors said.
Unexplainable, they said.
Sora bit his lip, hard enough to make it bleed.
When he felt the iron taste in his mouth, he didn't stop chewing.
0o0
Riku appeared in his dream, again.
This time, no confusion flooded Sora. He simply ran into Riku's arms and sobbed against the black fabric clothing his chest. Arms wrapped around his back, and lips found his forehead like the last time.
Sora cried, longer and harder than he ever had before, blubbering nonsense to Riku, who nodded and shushed him, gently rubbing his back.
When the first wave of sobs subsided, Sora stood with his cheek against Riku's chest, unable to know why this felt so familiar.
When Riku spoke, his voice sounded broken.
"I'm sorry."
Sora looked at the black expanse of space. "Why?"
Riku didn't answer, but rubbed his back some more with his terribly cold hands.
Finally, he spoke.
"I did it."
"D-did what?"
"Roxas." Riku whispered, face in Sora's hair. Sora stared a moment, before his eyes widened in realization.
With force that Riku never know Sora had, he shoved the pale boy away from him.
"You? How did you even-? Who are you?"
Riku felt his face sag in sadness. He never wanted Sora to be angry with him.
"I did it, for us, Sora..."
"Wh-What? I don't even know you!"
Riku moved foward, placing a hand lovingly on Sora's cheek.
"He was coming between us, please understand..."
Sora stared at the sea-glass that were fixated so strongly on him.
Between them? What the hell did that even mean?
The tone that burst out next, it had meant to be vicious, but, for some reason, his brain would not let him scold this man.
"Why would you ever...?"
"Because..." Riku cupped his face in his hands, the ice hands.
"I love you, Sora, so much."
Sora stared with wide eyes, and his stomach lurched with disgust in himself when his heart fluttered and his cheeks flushed.
Riku held out his arms, not moving from the spot.
Sora hated himself with a passion as he didn't resist, returning the embrace.
Riku kissed his temple, and Sora awoke with twin trails of tears running down his face.
He curled up, burying his face in the duvet and cried.
0o0
After a visit to Roxas, who never moved during the visit, Sora felt Axel grip his arm. He looked down at the redhead, who's acid-green eyes were hard and cold.
"Sora. Get out."
"What?"
"The house. Move. Convince your parents, and Cloud. Please."
"Axel, why-"
"Don't ask. You...You don't want to know. I just know...it's doing something to all of you. Horrible things."
Sora didn't question the determined look in Axel's eyes.
He would talk to his parents as soon as he got home.
0o0
And so, it was decided.
The family agreed to move, to stay in the same town, but move from the house, as soon as Roxas woke up.
Sora felt a heavy weight fall on his chest when they agreed.
It felt as if two cold hands hand settled on his chest, and he couldn't help but think of Riku.
0o0
"No! You can't leave me, Sora!"
The usually calm Riku was shouting at Sora, who was trying to calm him.
"Riku, I-"
"NO! I can't let you leave!"
Sora grabbed Riku's black sleeve as the silverette turned.
He had no words to comfort him. How could he?
"Please, Sora... I'll do anything."
Sora's mind flashed back to his brother, in the hospital, and his distraught family.
"...Anything?"
Riku turned, hope in his eyes. He gripped one of Sora's hands.
"Yes." He kissed the knuckles of the hand. "Anything, Sora."
Sora stared at the ground.
Sacrifices.
It was one, but...
Perhaps, if it could make Roxas wake up...
"If you wake up Roxas, and make him better, Riku... I-I'll stay with you."
He was immediately embraced, and he hated the pleasant feeling in his stomach.
"Yes. Of course I'll do it, Sora."
Sora felt his eyes well up.
"But, to wake him up..."
Sora blinked.
"You will have to give up your life."
Sora was suprised when he didn't feel any sadness. Just...expectation.
"Okay, Riku. Do it."
0o0
The next morning, in Twilight Town Hospital, Roxas Strife opened his eyes and gained all functions back, no brain damage.
And at the same time, Sora Strife died in his sleep, curled in a ball in his blue sheets.
8:43 a.m.
Cloud had found Sora, and their mother had answered the phone call.
Sadness and joy were felt at the same time that day.
0o0
Sora didn't mind the darkness much, and he could watch his family.
And he had Riku.
He wasn't in love; not yet, but he knew that if he had to look at those glowing sea-glass eyes for eternity, he knew it wouldn't be long.
Riku never left his side, and vice versa.
He still didn't understand it in the least.
But he accepted it.
x.x
A/N: Please, for the love of God, do NOT ask.
Reviews are accepted, and flames are used to roast marshmallows.