"Riku," Sora said exasperatedly. "That guy has been staring at you for the better part of an hour."
Riku didn't look up, continuing to use a fry to stir around the rest of them still remaining in the cheap paper bowl. "We haven't been here for an hour, Sora."
Sora's brow puckered, his lips mimicking the action. "You know what I mean, Ri-ku."
The silveret made a noncommittal grunt, popping a mustard-covered french fry into his mouth. "Whatever," he waved off the statement. "Where the heck are those girls?" he muttered.
"Dunno; they said they'd be here."
"Yeah. Fifteen minutes ago."
The brunet shrugged at his friend's callous attitude. "They'll be here."
"Obviously. I'm their ride home. How long can it possibly take to buy some bras, anyway?" He asked.
It was a rhetorical question, but Sora, nonetheless, answered. "Wouldn't know," he snickered. "No boobs," he motioned towards his flat chest.
Not joining in Sora's terrible attempt at humor, the silveret let a silence surround them. Glancing around, Riku didn't see any sign of the two girls that had managed to drag him and Sora to the mall.
"He's still looking."
Pale lips let out a gust of air in an irritable manner. "Who? If it's a tall blond, I know."
"It's not. He's got re-" Bags branding different names cut off the brunet's sentence as they were dumped on the table.
"Hey, boys! Sorry we're late!" The cheery redhead chirped. "Nami couldn't decide which shirt she liked more, and then I had to go check out this new perfume-"
"Kairi!" Sora squawked, staring wide-eyed at the assorted bags laid in front of him. "How much did you buy?!"
"Huh? Not all of this is mine, silly!" She snapped her freshly manicured fingers. "Here's your credit card. Thanks again, babe." She smiled and leaned down to brush her lips against her boyfriend's cheek.
Riku felt a smirk curl the corner of his mouth up. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Sora. Good looking money whores. That's all they are."
Namine sat down next to the silveret and giggled. "Oh, Riku. You don't find us attractive."
"Mmm... you're right. You're both just money whores to me."
The blonde girl shrugged before opening her purse and sliding a twenty to Riku. "Here's your change, 'Ku!" she laughed.
"... You had three hundred. And the only thing I get back is a twenty?" He shot Namine a glare.
"Not all of it was from you, remember?" Kairi chirped. "We all pitched in so Nami could have a decent birthday shopping spree."
"Most of it was mine," Riku argued before scowling over at Namine once again. "Money whore."
Namine waved off the comment. "C'mon; let's get some lunch. I'm starved."
"We already ate," Sora interjected, but the two girls paid him no mind and started walking towards one of the many restaurants lining the walls.
A silence fell over the two friends, before it was broken, after a quick catching of eyes, by the sound of paper tearing and rumpling.
"What the heck could they have gotten that was so expensive?" The brunet grumbled, lifting some clothes out of a bag, before reaching towards a new one.
x.
By the time the two girls returned, Sora and Riku had dissected all the bags and come across nothing but an obnoxious amount of clothes and beauty products.
Placing her tray on the table, Kairi took in the scene before her. Sora sat with his head buried in his hands, muttering something about going into debt, and Riku was examining one of the lotions Namine had purchased.
The aforementioned blonde snatched the lotion from the silveret as she sat down. "No. That's mine. You go buy your own lotions, damnit."
Sora raised his head. "You use lotion?" he asked, cocking his head.
The smirk on the elder's face made Sora regret even asking, but before Riku could inform him of something he didn't want to know personally, Kairi did the job for him.
"Sora, babe… Riku's gay." She took a sip of her Coke. "And lotion smells better than real lube," she added.
"Too much information, Kairi," he said dryly. "I got it once you mentioned the gay thing."
The auburn-haired girl just shrugged giddily and bit into her fish sandwich. After she swallowed, she remarked offhandedly, "Riku, there's a really hot redhead checking you out."
Sora's exclamation of "that's what I said!" went unheard as the silveret rolled his eyes and turned.
"He can't be that attractive," the man said, looking at Kairi from the corner of his eye. "He's working at a fast-foo—" the words died in the silveret's mouth when he saw the other man.
Kairi was right for once, he mused humorously. The man's hair was a fire-truck red (it had to be dyed), and Riku could see the emerald eyes and black tear-drop tattoos on the pale face.
A wink was thrown in Riku's direction, and he returned a smirk before turning back to face his friends.
"He's hot," Riku admitted with a shrug.
"He's gorgeous," Namine breathed. "Riku! Go talk to him!"
"I don't pick up guys at malls. Especially when they're working."
Kairi frowned and shoved Riku a five. "Go buy me one of the cheeseburgers there. And a milkshake."
"You've still got half of a fish sandwich left!"
"Yeah, and once I'm done, I'm gunna want a cheeseburger and a chocolate shake. Now go!"
Muttering, Riku stood and made his way towards the food joint the redhead was standing at, figuring he may as well try and land a date.
"Yo," the man said when Riku was close enough. "What can I get'cha?" he smirked.
"A number four and a medium chocolate shake."
Nodding, the redhead went to fulfill the order. Upon his returned, Riku asked, "Do you make it a habit to ogle people from across the food court?"
"Only really hot ones. Name's Axel, by the way. Got it memorized?" Axel punched in something on the cash register and said, "That'll be four twenty-seven. And your name and number."
Leaning over the counter to grab a pen and napkin near the register, Riku scribbled down the seven digits. He slide the cloth, along with the five Kairi had given him, to Axel. Picking up the food, he turned to head back to his friends.
"Keep the change," he said, smirking over his shoulder. "And you'd better be worth it."