Chapter two

Ten minutes after Leon had scared the wits out of Cloud, Aerith and Kairi came down the stairs giggling madly. Cloud (assuming Leon had been right) whimpered. He looked in a nearby mirror. All it took was one glimpse of his precious face to set him off.

Cloud dove behind a couch and assumed the fetal position. Cowering with his hands held protectively over his sacred hair.

"Hm? What's wrong, sweetie?" Aerith asked bending over the couch to peer at "her blonde".

"Please! Please don't give me a makeover!" Cloud cried coming out from behind the couch with his hands clasped together in a pleading manner.

"Huh? Makeover? Cloud what are you talking about?" asked Aerith.

"But… but…" Cloud looked over at Riku, Yuffie and Sora who were laughing their asses off. Then he turned his gaze to Leon. Leon was smirking.

"Meanie," Cloud huffed, getting back on his feet.

"Okay…?" said Kairi eyeing Cloud and the other people strangely from the corner of her eyes.

"What took you guys so long?" asked Sora indignantly; putting on his trademark pout. Kairi almost wanted to laugh; Sora was sixteen and yet he still whined like a little kid.

"Like I said," said Aerith, "we were looking at my new make-up." She and Kairi both glanced at Riku and burst into fits of giggles.

Oh boy… thought Riku, this can not be good…

Once Kairi and Aerith recovered they sat down at the table and everyone began to eat. Unknown to Riku half the people at the table were staring at him. Sora was trying to find out if what Kairi had said about Riku staring at Yuffie was true, Kairi and Aerith were of course watching him for reasons too obvious to state. Now, you might be wondering why the usually poised, on-alert, focused, and most of all cool silver-haired teen wasn't noticing this increase in attention.

Riku didn't notice because he was too preoccupied watching Yuffie slurping all her noodles down in one gulp and of course trying to stack a tower of rice (keyword there: trying). And Yuffie didn't notice because she was too busy slurping noodles and stacking rice. Duh.

Cid, Cloud and Leon were oblivious. Perfectly content with just eating their food. Leon might've noticed the strange new direction everyone was looking in but if he did he didn't say anything. This is Leon we're talking about here.

"So," said Kairi standing up and yawning exaggeratedly, "I'm really tired (yawn) so I think I'll just go home now!" she waved cheerfully as she headed towards the door.

"Wait Kairi," said Sora, "I thought everyone was sleeping over at my place today!" Sora looked confused; indeed they had all made plans for a sleepover at Sora's.

"No I'm not silly," said Kairi sweetly, "don't you remember? My mom's, uh, sick… with the flu. Yes! The flu! And I have to go home right away, uh-huh, that's right!" Kairi's mouth was going a mile a minute and though her voice remained sugar-coated there was something unusually evil about it.

Poor Sora was so lost.

Riku watched the whole scene with detached interest, just wishing they'd get this "lovers' quarrel" thing over with so that Yuffie would get back to her rice tower.

"It's okay, Kairi," said Aerith, "I'm sure it'd be fine if you'd stay!"

"But if her mothers si- ow!" Cloud stared at Aerith as he rubbed his sore foot.

"I'm sure Kairi's mother will be fine," said Aerith; barely concealing the iciness in her voice.

"Yeah, Kairi's dad'll take care of her," put in Riku, trying to help the two girls along.

"Okay…" said Sora. 'Wait… I'm confused… is Kairi staying over or not?' 'Um… I'm not sure… why'd she change her mind like that?' 'And why did Aerith ask her to stay?' 'I'm so confused!' 'Wagh!' 'Ack!' 'Uhhh…' 'Bleh…'

"Sora? Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Sora looked up to see Kairi and Riku kneeling over him.

"Dude, you had a freakin spaz attack," said Riku putting a hand over Sora's forehead, "you do feel a little warm… are you feeling alright?"

"Uh, y- yeah," Sora said shakily, trying to remember the last time Riku had talked to him like this… like an older brother, like he cared at all, "yeah… I was just thinking…"

"A thinking head ache?" asked Riku lightly laughing a little.

"Only you could pull that off Sora," said Kairi ruffling his hair affectionately.

"Hey!" pouted Sora. Everyone burst out laughing except for Cid who was shoveling through his food like it was his last meal.

Sora stared at Riku. And for the first time he realized Kairi was right. This thing Riku had for Yuffie was making him… happier. Sora couldn't recall the last time Riku had laughed like that. Or smiled like that. In fact lately Riku had been downright depressed but now he was so much like the old Riku.

"Uh… Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"You're freaking me out. Like seriously worrying me."

Sora blinked around at everyone, they were all staring at him.

"What's wrong?"

"You were staring at Riku," Kairi pointed out.

"Oh… sorry… Guess I kinda spaced," Sora laughed and scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Uh, you kinda spaced while staring at his chest," muttered Yuffie dryly and, Aerith and Kairi noted, just a little possessively.

"Whatever," sighed Riku.

Sora laughed again before he sat down and started eating. Riku resumed his staring and order was restored. After all the boys finished eating they started setting up sleeping bags in the living room.

"How are we all going to fit down here?" asked Cloud.

"Yeah," said Leon turning to look at Sora, "you don't have enough sleeping bags."

"Well," said Kairi, "we could all share."

All the boys stared at her.

"Um, maybe I'll just sleep in my room," said Cloud quietly.

"Oh c'mon," said Aerith, "it'll be fun." She nudged Cloud in the ribs a few times.

"Yeah," Kairi chimed in, "let's make it two to a sleeping bag," she added determinedly avoiding Riku's questioning stare.

"Why don't we draw names?" asked Aerith. She and Kairi were making a great team. It was like they were reading each other's minds as they went along.

"Yes, yes, yes," said Kairi nodding fervently, "in fact Aerith and I will get started on making the names right now!" Kairi and Aerith left without another word.

"How… odd…" said Leon quietly.

"Yeah, I'm a little lost," agreed Sora.

"Eh, don't try ta understand women folk," said Cid gruffly.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" asked Kairi eagerly once she and Aerith had arrived in the guest room.

Aerith gave her an 'are you stupid look', "It's obvious isn't it?"

Kairi shook her head, "Sorry, I'm a little new to this game… I only started a month ago so forgive me…" she bowed her head, "I'm not as learned in the arts as you are."

"It's okay," said Aerith, "you've got potential. Okay so here's the plan. We get a hat full of little papers…"

"Right and put everyone's names on them," said Kairi, "but how do we make sure Riku picks Yuffie?"

"It's simple," said Aerith, "we put Yuffie's name on every one of them!"

"Oh, okay!" said Kairi, catching on, "but… wait… What about the others? They can't all pick Yuffie!" Aerith stopped to think for a minute.

"Um… I'm not sure…" she admitted.

"Can I be of some help?"

Aerith and Kairi spun around. Sora was standing in the door way.

"Sora? Oh… uh we were just… um," Aerith was at a loss for words. It was obvious Sora had heard every word of their conversation.

"I know exactly what you were doing," said Sora sternly, Aerith and Kairi's faces fell, "And I want to help."

Both heads snapped up to look at Sora as if they were seeing him for the first time.

"What?" asked Kairi blankly.

"Look," said Sora sitting down on the carpet cross-legged in imitation of Aerith and Kairi, "I was watching at dinner and I think you're right. This whole Yuffie thing is making Riku a lot more pleasant… It's almost like having the old Riku back… You know the one who wasn't so absorbed in his own problems and actually cared about the rest of us." Kairi and Aerith stared at Sora flabbergasted.

"That's the second time today that you've said something that made sense," Kairi pointed out.

"When was the first?" asked Aerith.

"Never mind," said Kairi waving her hand airily.

"So Sora," Aerith scooted over to the brunette, "do you have any ideas?"

"Actually I do," said Sora puffing his chest out proudly.

"Okay, which is?"

"Well after Riku picks Yuffie's name out of the hat… I'll steal the hat!" he proclaimed.

"What? I thought it was a good idea! What's wrong?"

"That's so stupid…" said Aerith.

"Tactless…" muttered Kairi shaking her head sadly.

Sora pouted and a heavy silence set in.

"Although," Kairi said slowly, "seeing as Sora would be the one stealing the hat…"

"Yes," said Aerith catching on, "it wouldn't be too different from his normal behavior… And you did drink a lot of soda too so you're naturally going to be more hyper than usual…"

"It could work," said Kairi finally.

"See?" said Sora excitedly.

"Alright," said Aerith, "let's try it."

And with that the three of them put their heads together. First making the hat filled with all of Yuffie's papers and second writing everyone else's names down so that Sora could switch them quickly.

"They're taking forever," groaned Riku as he continued to bang his head on the wall. Cloud glanced up at the stairs.

"I thought Sora was going up there to speed it along," he said.

"Please," said Riku taking a brake to rub his aching forehead, "Sora's probably slowing them down."

"Grr…" Cid grumbled marching over to the stairway, "YO! Ladies?! Get your asses down here pronto!"

"Alright! Jeez, Cid could you be any louder?!"

Aerith came prancing down the stairs followed by Kairi and Sora, who was grinning suspiciously.

"Tada!" cried Kairi presenting them all with a round bowler hat that was filled with little pieces of paper.

"You go first Riku!" Aerith proclaimed clapping her hands together.

"Why Riku?" asked Cloud suspiciously.

"Because he's the hottest guy here! Now shaddup!" snapped Aerith. Cloud went over to the corner and sulked.

Riku shrugged and plunged his hand into the hat and pulled out a slip of paper.

'Yuffie'

Riku stared at the paper for five seconds. 'This is impossible!' he shouted in his mind, 'How did I pick Yuffie of all people?! It's like some force of nature is drawing me to her! Man… Is this what love is? Cause it's scary… I swear there's some higher force trying to set us up… Riku didn't notice Sora, Kairi and Aerith grinning behind him.

"Well?" asked Kairi snapping Riku out of it, "Who'd ya get, huh? Huh?"

"Yuffie," said Riku showing them the paper.

On the couch Yuffie was staring at the paper as if it might explode.

Oh my God! Selphie was right! The Heavens are trying to set me up! The power of Twelve O'clock is working! Riku… Fate hath brought us together on this fine day. Twill it be love? Yuffie shook her head, Now I sound like Selphie and Namine after they read their stupid girls, magazines… Well there's no way I'm gonna let them get to me! This is just coincidence! It has to be! I do not and will not love him! And that's it!

"Yaah!" Sora's battle cry shook Yuffie and Riku from their thoughts. In one quick motion he snatched the hat from Kairi and ran upstairs cackling like a lunatic.

"Sora! Bring those back!" cried Kairi.

"What is wrong with him?" asked Cloud.

"Well," Aerith offered, "he did drink a lot of soda at dinner…"

"I guess," said Cloud.

"Hi guys," said Sora as he came back down the stairs and with the hat in hand.

"Sora, what was that?" asked Riku.

"What do you mean?" asked Sora blankly.

"Why'd you steal the hat?" prompted Cloud.

"It's even outside your normal behavior," Leon added.

Aerith and Kairi exchanged nervous glances. It wasn't working.

"Oh…. Um…" Sora thought for a moment. And then suddenly it dawned on him; you could almost see the light bulb clicking on over his head, "it looked like it was going to attack you all so I had to go yell at it a little."

"Huh?" asked Cloud. Leon was massaging his forehead.

"Ho boy," he said, "I actually think my IQ went down listening to that."

"Well, you know how Sora gets when he drinks too much pop," said Kairi.

"Yes, I do," said Riku, "and he's never gotten this wired."

Aerith, Kairi and Sora waited for the blow to fall. Of course Riku knew all about Sora's normal sugar high behavior. He'd been Sora's best friends since they were both in diapers. I should've known Riku wouldn't fall for it, moaned Kairi, the others may be fooled but Riku's gonna see right through us…

Riku was staring hard at Sora and Sora was caving under the pressure. He was sweating and laughing nervously like he always does when he's nervous.

Crap, groaned Aerith, Sora's no good with this kind of stuff.

Sora was falling fast. His face was red and sweaty, he kept laughing quietly, and he'd even started scratching the back of his neck.

"You're sweating," said Riku causing another wave of heat to come on, "and you're laughing fretfully… and," he paused to stare at Sora firmly, "you're scratching the back of your neck." At these words Riku turned his attention to Kairi and Aerith.

"Something is up," he stated; folding his arms and looking at them imposingly.

"What are you talking about?" squeaked Aerith.

"Hey, c'mon Riku," said Cloud; he didn't like the way Riku was staring down Aerith, "you're being paranoid."

Kairi glanced at the door to Aerith's room subconsciously. That was where Sora had dumped out the Yuffie papers. Riku followed her glance and slowly and deliberately he started walking up the steps.

"Uh, wait… Riku!"

"Yes, Kairi?" asked Riku mockingly as he stopped on the stairway, turned around, and eyed his friend in mock curiosity.

"Don't… I mean… shouldn't you…? Uh…" Kairi picked up the ball and ran with it. But then she tripped.

"What she means is…" Sora made a great recovery but then let it fall.

"Shouldn't you wait till the rest of us have picked our partners?" asked Aerith making the goal for them all.

"There's enough sleeping bags," Riku pointed out, "we just need to spread them out a little more," he added coldly before continuing his march up the stairway. Aerith, Kairi, and Sora could hear the funeral bells ringing.

Slowly and deliberately Riku opened the door to the room.

Everyone is quiet. Aerith, Kairi and Sora are waiting with baited breath. Even Cid, Leon, Cloud and Yuffie have sensed something's wrong. Drastically wrong. Because if it's important enough to worry Sora… The same Sora that didn't even flinch when Leon was yelling at him for wrecking his iPod well… It's bad.

Slowly Riku's foot steps stop. Aerith turns to Sora and for one moment it's like the two have a pychic connection.

Sora… please tell me you had time to put the Yuffie papers somewhere safe…

Um… No… Oh God he's going to hate us! After the Ansem episode he's been…

Well where are they?

On the floor…

Aerith closed her eyes and briefly imagined Riku staring at the papers on the floor and what he must be feeling. She opened them just in time to see Riku walking out of the room silently.

Sora would've preferred it if Riku had yelled. Anything would've been netter than the steely look in his eyes right now. Greenish aqua filled with pain, anger, hatred, indignation and worst of all… betrayal.

"Idiots."

Slam!

And just like that Riku had walked out on the sleep over.

"What the hell?" asked Cid.

"What did you guys do?" asked Cloud.

"It's kind of a long story…"

"Aren't any of you gonna go after him?" asked Yuffie.

"No," said Sora and seeing Yuffie's expression he added, "listen you don't know Riku like I do… When he gets like this there's no talking to him…"

"But you're his best friend!" she exclaimed.

"Right. And that's how I know this stuff. Just hear me out, it's best not to follow him."

"I won't stand for this," Yuffie grumbled, "and if none of you are going then I guess I'll go." She yanked the door open and stopped out into the night air.

Sora and Kairi flopped onto the couch. Their friendship with Riku had been strained enough as it was. Especially after he tried to kill Sora. I mean, hello? Awkward much? Sora was miserable. Kairi was had been hurt by Riku's words… er, word.

The small bond they'd managed to grow back had dissipated with that one mistake.

It took Yuffie a while to catch up with Riku. She found him sitting on the beach. Not the small kiddie island mind you. Just the beach. In the exact spot Kairi had been standing when she'd sent the letter in the bottle to Sora. Not that Riku knew this. Just a fun fact.

"Hi," said Yuffie as she came up from behind him.

Riku didn't even give any sign that he'd noticed her.

"You okies?" she asked cutely.

Still nothing. Yuffie was beginning to get a little miffed.

"Listen, about what happened back there… you wanna talk about it?"

Riku's back was to her and he didn't make any movements.

Yuffie blew a few strands of black hair out of her eyes and sighed huffily.

"Well, if you don't want to talk… I guess I'll just go inside then… I only wanted to help… since no one else was coming back for you…"

She waited for a response, a comment, a "good-bye". Silence.

"Alright I guess I'll be seeing you," she muttered as she made to get up.

"Wait."

She froze and turned to look at Riku who still hadn't taken his eyes off the ocean.

"You can stay."

Yuffie sighed and sat down next to Riku.

"So," she said happily, "you want to talk? I'm not a good listener but I'll try…"

"What did they say?"

"Huh?"

"Sora and Kairi. What did they say? How did they describe me to you all when you guys were making the arrangements for you, Leon, Cid and Cloud to come here? What did they say about me?"

"Um…" Yuffie was completely taken aback, "well…"

"Just be honest. Completely honest," Riku added, "I'm not in the mood for anymore lies."

"Well," Yuffie took a deep breath, "first they told us all the things you did to help them during and after Sora was asleep," Yuffie paused and waited for a response or some sign of emotion, Riku frowned a little, "the they talked about how you'd been really depressed lately and that…" she stopped and cut herself off.

Riku turned to look at her, "Well? Go on. I want to know."

"Uh, they said that it seemed like you didn't care about life or anyone else anymore and that… Um, you were really withdrawn and you… used to be like… like a big brother to them. Always looking out for them and… stuff. But now it was like they were the ones dragging you around and looking out for you."

Yuffie stopped abruptly. Riku was shaking. She placed a hand on his shoulder. And before the young ninja knew what was happening riku was sobbing unrestrainedly into her shoulder. After a few minutes he stopped and his breathing returned to normal.

"You know," said Yuffie thoughtfully, "I don't think you're that depressed."

"Well," said Riku, "I actually have been lately."

Yuffie stared at Riku, "Not from what I've seen."

"That's because everything you've seen took place while you were there."

Riku stood and started walking. Yuffie blinked a few times as she tried to figure out his words. When she did she blushed.

"C'mon, we should head back now," Riku held out his hand and slowly and hesitantly Yuffie took it as the two headed back to Sora's house together.