Disclaimer: No ownage!

Notes: OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS! I have been suffering the worst writing block ever –pout- but I am back! Working on Incipient and Destiny University which will be updated after this is. Yus yus. How're you secksy people?

-Incipient-

-2: Silence reformed -

"Thanks Rox! It went so much quicker with your help!" Sora offered a cheesy grin before rolling off his bed to kneel on the floor. He looked around his now complete room and admired all of his and his cousin's hard work which took up the morning and part of the afternoon. The brunette's clothes were all in the closet or in drawers; his random necessities all had a place on either his desk or a shelf as were the DVD's. Roxas had even helped him put up some posters of his favourite bands. The room finally felt like his room; Sora's room. The brunette glanced to the end of his bed where the blonde sat with a faint smile of his own.

"It was no problem. I actually…kinda had fun helping." Roxas turned to look at his cousin, slightly awed by the fact that the usually hyperactive teen wasn't driving him to insanity. It was a welcome change from the when Sora lived on Destiny island and they would only see each other a few times a year…if that. The blonde set his sights around the room too, taking in everything they had done that morning and thinking how long it would stay that tidy. Knowing his cousin; not long.

Sora yawned and stretched out his arms before standing. He gave his pants a quick dust down with the back of his hands and turned his attention to the other male with a bright smile. "So Roxas, you promised this morning that you'd buy me coffee! Let's go!"

"Already? Not even a five minute break first?"

"Nope! C'mon."

Sora latched onto the blonde's wrist and dragged him to his feet then out of the room completely.

0o0o0o0

Cloud watched his best friend smash buttons on the PS2 controller without mercy in order to defeat the boss monster. The life gauge at the top of the TV screen slowly decreased in size with each button pressed and the blonde found himself silently impressed with Zack's ability to rant and play at the same time. But then again, the grey haired teen had always been able to beat him when it came to video games. The hero character on screen took a hit which only worked to fuel his determination to win ten fold. But it didn't stop him talking.

"School is gunna be more fun with you there Cloud. I can't believe our luck that you got put in most of my classes." Smash Smash Smash! The character took another hit.

"Yeh, but that is also most of Rikku's classes. So that's not so lucky." Cloud leant back against the side of his friend's bed and continued to watch the screen as if in a trance. The battle was pretty much even now.

Zack grinned but his eyes never left the game. "She's not so bad. Sure she can be the definition of annoying but it makes class that bit more interesting right?"

"I guess. As long as it doesn't involve me, her pranks can be funny."

"See! It's all good. Except in English class, she'd be hung if she pulled that stuff off." The grey haired teen laughed and delivered the finishing blow to his virtual enemy. He shoved the controller towards the TV and turned to face his friend.

"Tough teacher?" Cloud arched a brow when he asked his question.

"Yeah, but he's fair. You respect him, he respects you kinda thing. Piss him off and you're looking at a week's detention minimum. Just ask Rikku."

"Heh. I'll keep that in mind." That prospect didn't bother Cloud too much; after all, he never really was one to get into trouble. He just stayed relatively quiet and got his work done; not really a student that would stand out as being academically gifted or mentally challenged…the latter being a good description of Rikku. So all in all, the blonde wasn't fearful of his afternoons being spent in book club or detention, neither of the two being particularly appealing to him.

"Our math teacher, Luxord…he's a little out there but that's what makes his lessons fun." Zack laid back on his bedroom floor and stared up at the ceiling with mirth before continuing. "I lost twenty munny in his last lesson, not as bad as Rikku though, she doesn't know when to stop. Your cousin has problems Cloud!"

"You lost munny in class? And I know she has problems, she's as bad as Sora."

The grey haired teen turned his head sideways against the cool floor to look at his friend and laugh at his comment. "Yeh, he has issues too. And…I kinda lost munny gambling with Luxord."

"Gambling with the teacher?" Cloud arched both brows when looking towards Zack, confusion and disbelief evident in his blue hues. Wasn't it illegal for a teacher to gamble with his students and take their munny?

"Yeah, I said he's a little out there. He says it's a good way to learn math…all the subtracting munny from our wallets. I'm sceptical." He grinned and returned to looking back up at the ceiling. "So Cloud, no girlfriend yet?"

The blond looked slightly put out by the sudden question but answered anyway. "No and I don't really wan-"

"No girlfriend?! Well that's great because Aerith has this friend you see…Tifa, and…why are you glaring at me?"

Cloud sighed in vexation and folded his arms over his chest with a look that was annoyance all over. "As I was saying… I don't really want one."

"Why? Are you gay or something?" Zack grinned and nudged Cloud's leg with his foot. "Hmmm?"

The blonde suddenly remembered why having the other teen as a long distance friend was good for both of their healths. If Zack pissed him off, he could hang up the phone or sign off of messenger, thus saving him further mental stress or trauma; but with no way to hang up, sign off or be instantly rid of his sudden concentrated irritation, the other male was in danger of much physical pain. Which he was very close to experiencing.

"Whoa-hey don't look at me like I just ran over your pet cat with the flat tire of my car Strife! I was joking!" Zack sat up and slowly edged backwards towards his bedroom door when he noticed his friend's death glare not faltering. "If you kill me, Aerith will cry!"

"Start running now Zack Fair."

"OH SHI-"

0o0o0o0

The brunette glanced around the strange setting of that known as Highwind. It was, to Sora's knowledge at least, a fairly old book store with a small coffee shop in the far corner. The shelves were crammed with books of all genres, some collecting dust and most of which he had never heard of…he was usually too hyper to sit down and read anyway. The overhead lights were a little dull but it didn't really matter because the large windows near the front brought in enough light to pull off a comfortable glow on the surprisingly big on the inside store. Sora thought it would be pretty small when Roxas had pointed it out to him from across the street so upon entering he was pleasantly surprised. A few people stood scattered between the many shelves and scanning over the various books but it still wasn't very busy, nor was the coffee shop where the brunette currently sat opposite his blonde haired cousin.

Roxas took a sip of his drink with eyes glued to a book he had picked up before bringing Sora for his caffeine. Cerulean hues took in all of the information the paperback had to offer before the closing of the shop's door drew his attention towards it and more importantly, who passed through the door. The blonde's gaze followed the newcomer from his entrance right up to his exit through a staff only door on the opposite side of the room. With the object of his interest now out of sight, Roxas turned once more to his book. However, he was again interrupted by a few suspicious and obviously fake coughs from his cousin.

"What Sora?"

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

Sora nodded in the direction of the staff room door that the newcomer had disappeared through moments before. "That guy. You couldn't stop staring. I thought you'd become comatose and fall into your drink face first so I would have to rescue you before you drown or something."

"Sora…that's bizarre." Roxas knew it was a lame excuse to change the subject but it was worth a try. After all, he was talking to Sora…who had the attention span of a chimpanzee on crack. Well…most of the time. Unfortunately the brunette was particularly primate and crack free today it would seem.

"It's not bizarre Rox, it could happen. Now don't change the subject. Do you know him or something?"

"No, not really." The blonde took another sip of his drink and returned to reading the back cover of his book with a greater new found interest.

"Then what the hell was that?" Sora persisted as his curiosity got the better of him as usual.

"He…just had really weird hair so I stared. That's all." Roxas knew it was a lie, although the guy really did have odd hair. However, the part about him not knowing the man was true despite him seeing the crazy haired red-head numerous times every week. Every time he'd see him, Roxas would never know why he stared.

"Oh, ok then. He did have CRAZY hair!" Sora laughed followed by his grin. Apparently, he bought into his cousin's lie.

The blonde placed his book on the table, leant back in his chair and turned his attention towards the large window and quiet streets beyond. It felt nice—sitting and talking with Sora about nothing serious or nothing in particular; almost nostalgic regardless of never having done this with the brunette before. The whole scenario reminded Roxas vaguely of his summers on the islands; but back then, there had been more than just himself and Sora…and there was the beach instead of the old bookshop.

"Hey Sora?"

The brunette finished his drink and waited for his cousin to continue. When nothing else came and the blonde seemed fixated on the world on the other side of the glass, he decided he needed to voice that he was listening. "Yeah?"

"Let's go to the beach." Roxas looked away from the window just in time to catch the other's grin followed by a definite nod.

0o0o0o0

The ocean here was just as good as was back on Destiny Island to Sora who ditched his shoes the moment he reached the sand. Brown spikes of unruly hair bounced in rhythm with the brunette as he sprinted for the sea, his blond companion all but forgotten upon seeing the vast expanse of crystal clear blue waters ahead. And just like back home, being at the beach was just as calming as it always was. Sora moved until the water covered most of he shins before stopping and he trained his eyes on the horizon momentarily lost to the world.

"SORA! AH OH MY G-"

Thud. Splash.

The brunette gazed up through his now wet lashes to see the boy who had assaulted him to the ocean's gooey sand bed and was now straddling him. Eyes almost as brilliant as his own stared back before his attacker pulled him into an embrace showing no sign of caring that the growing yet gentle tide was slowly engulfing their entwined forms. Sora blinked a few times when the other boy pulled back to sit on his knees and grin down at him. The face became instantly recognisable, though a little more mature than he had last seen it.

"Nami said you moved in and I came to see you but your mum said you were out with Roxas!" the boy pouted and pushed himself back up to his feet. He offered a hand to Sora which the brunette accepted and was also brought to his feet. "I had a feeling you'd end up here." The grin returned.

"Tidus! I haven't seen you in like…" Sora paused for thought before continuing, "two years! How did you get taller than me?"

Roxas caught up to his cousin with Namine at his side and a browned haired girl who was rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. She looked to Tidus, then to Sora with an unreadable expression. She blinked one. Twice. And broke out into an insanely giddy grin while attaching her self to the brunette male with what seemed to be no intention of letting go anytime soon.

"Hi! I'm Selphie; you must be Roxas' adorable younger cousin Sora. OH! You're coming to our school aren't you?! I hope you have the same classes as me or at least one or two classes that'd be awesome!"

Tidus detached the rabid girl from his friend and motioned to her discarded skipping rope lying lifelessly in the sand a few feet away. "Go skip off some sugar Selphie and stop scaring Sora."

Green eyes sparkled with mischief and Selphie ran off down the beach, rope in hand and dragging Namine along for the ride. "See you in school Sora!"

Three pairs of cerulean orbs stared after the two females and at length came to rest upon each other. Tidus rubbed the back of his neck and laughed with that ever present grin. "Why does my sister have to choose the mentally deranged ones for friends?"

Roxas arched a brow at the comment to which the other blond quickly added, "apart from you Roxas. You are Nami's non..mentally..deranged friend."

"Thanks…I think."

Tidus laughed and caught sight of his wrist watch. He slapped a hand to his forehead and fidgeted on the spot in an odd spasm. "I'm late. Oh my god, Wakka will kill me I am gunna die via a Blitzball in the groin GOTTA RUN! See you guys at school yeh!" and with that, Tidus took off down the beach in the same direction as his sister and Selphie.

A few moments passed in silence before either of the two remaining spoke. It was Sora who decided to shatter said silence. "Tidus still plays Blitzball?"

He was rewarded with a definite nod. "Yeah, he's captain of the school's team now. Not that it's a surprise."

To this the brunette nodded with his own grin and turned back to look at the ocean not caring that his wet clothes clung to his skin and his damp spikes drooped down to stick to his cheeks. "I like living here already. I don't miss Destiny Island at all, not even the people really."

"Not even your friends?"

Sora shook his head. "Nope."

Roxas raised both brows not expecting his cousin's response. To him, Sora had always seemed the type to be surrounded by friends; people just gravitated towards him and stayed there. He was always smiling, always a bundle of hyperactive joy and making the best out of any situation ever since the blond could remember. That was who Sora was. Why wouldn't he miss his friends? Something struck Roxas and he just had to ask.

"Do you miss R-"

"No. I don't."

The bitterness in the brunette's voice shocked Roxas. It didn't suit him. Not at all. It was unlike Sora to hold a grudge for longer than a day…

Cool water crept up both male's feet as they stood in silence facing the calm body of aqua sea. The sun was closer to the horizon than it had been when they arrived and had only just begun to streak the sky with a faint orange late afternoon glow. Roxas watched its reflection dancing on the ocean's skin. He liked this time of day as evening showed first signs of making an appearance.

"We should head back soon."

Sora hummed a response and nodded. He too was gazing at the water's surface with admiration. "I'm all wet."

His blond companion laughed and glanced in his direction. "I know."

"It's not fair."

Roxas arched a fine eyebrow in question. "Why not?"

The moment the words left his lips he was pounced and tackled into the water with a triumphant looking Sora sprawled out at his side. "Now it's fair."

"I'm all wet."

The brunette grinned. "I know."

The blond laughed. "It's not fair."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Ok you guys! It wasn't very long but it sets up some stuff for next chapter –nods to self-

REVIEWS? COOKIES? ICE CREAM!?! Mmm..

Luff you all!