Happy House

Happy House

Disclaimer.

People who own Kingdom Hearts do not write FanFiction in their spare time.

This story has in no way have any association with the restaurant of the same name.

Warning: This fanfic will contain explicit scenarios, boy on boy petting, kissing, loving, etc.

Please READ and REVIEW

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2: Heartbreak Hotel

Wisps of gold and rich orange cascaded across the cyan sky. From a distance, the sound of roaring waves crashing against the seashore was audible. Riku peddled his bike to full speed and released his hands from the handles as he took a fast descent down the mountain. He turned to the love of his life flying downhill beside him. For a brief fraction of a moment, he relished in the stolen glance as he watched him spread his arms over his head and laugh. It was one of the last moments Riku ever felt so free and happy. They both hit solid flat ground and nearly fell over from the impact. The friends regained their balance and rode easy down to the beach—their favorite place.

They took their time to reach sand. But as the beach's sublime view grew closer, it was hard to resist peddling fast to finally feel the ocean waves gathering around their ankles. Sora was the first to jump off his bike and run towards the water. He was always a sucker for scenic views. Riku lingered behind, watching his best friend play innocently by the shore. He loved the sound of Sora's laughter. Riku silenced the noise of ocean in his head to focus on Sora's giggles.

"Get over here, will you?" Sora yelled clear across the expanse of sand.

"I'm coming, keep your pants on." Or down. Riku didn't have much of a preference.

Riku jogged towards Sora and stabbed his flip-flops into the sand. He watched the water ripple around his feet and looked up to see Sora still staring straight into the endless blue ocean before them. Riku recognized contemplation behind his soft blue velvet eyes.

"It's amazing." Riku stared out into the abyss of dark blue and the orange and pink-lit sky. He smirked; more entertained by how adorable Sora was right now than the miracle of nature.

He took a sideways glance at Sora and nodded. "It is amazing." He wasn't referring to the sea.

"Do you think it'll always be like this? The world being so beautiful?"

Riku stuffed his hands into the pockets of his shorts and shrugged. "I guess."

"Hey Riku."

Riku sighed. "Yeah?"

"We'll always be best friends right?"

"Of course. I'll never leave you." But would you leave me?

That was Riku's closest attempt to a profession of love. Even against the crashing waves, Riku's beating heart was still audible. Riku looked over at Sora; worried he might have heard its erratic beating. But, he was still staring blankly into the nothingness. Then Riku felt it. He would never be able to perfectly describe the feeling but whatever it was, it ached.

Finally, Sora tore his eyes away from the sight forward and looked down into the water toward his own reflection.

"I don't know why but I feel like something horrible is going to happen."

Coincidentally, they both had the same mutual feeling at the same sad moment. "What do you mean?" Concern strained Riku's voice.

Sora shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know. It's a weird feeling." Sora looked up at Riku and realized his words were worrying him. He patted him on the shoulder and pushed him into the water. Being Sora was much smaller, he would never have normally been able to successfully push Riku but because Riku was caught off guard, it came as an easy feat.

Riku laughed it off and lunged at his friend, throwing him backward into the water. Soaking wet, they remained in the water, sitting beside each other.

Riku had a momentarily lapse of courage and for a second, he even convinced himself that maybe Sora might love him in a "more than a friend" way too.

"Sora I have something to tell you."

Sora turned to his friend and tilted his head in curiosity. "What is it?"

Riku could feel his courage draining. He just couldn't do it. Seeing Sora now, Riku did not have the heart to break his happiness. There was a possibility that Riku's revelation could seriously jeopardize their lifelong friendship. And he couldn't sacrifice that for a resolution to his deep seeded feelings. He realized that maybe he would have to keep this secret buried forever. In the instant he changed his mind, he had no idea of the years of bitter regret to come.

Riku shook his head. "Never mind." To avoid any further interrogation, he tousled Sora's wild hair and splashed some water in his face. "Don't look so serious Sora. It doesn't look good on you."

Sora laughed and they sat there more a few more minutes, taking in the fresh air and seaside view, before finally finding the strength to get up and peddle back home in time for dinner.

Room 525

Cloud re-read the two clearly written names on the envelopes that had been previously taped on the door to what was supposedly his room. A room he was supposedly sharing with the "brooding hot guy in the corner." He wasn't sure whether he was happy or sad. The emotion he was feeling was cryptic and even if he could decipher it, he didn't want to know the answer. Cloud felt so childish. He wasn't a little boy anymore. He could handle these feelings!

"Can I see that?"

Cloud nearly peed in his pants from the sound of his masculine voice. He set the envelopes down on the bed and tried to relax the agitation by focusing on Leon's rippling pectorals. No! That didn't help.

"Sure. I don't care." Cloud was cool.

Leon Lionheart reached for the envelope with his name on it and haphazardly ripped open the side, exposing the piece of paper inside. It just had one simple sentence. Cook Dinner. Leon was relieved. It was something he could actually do.

Leon threw Cloud his assignment and watched him open it. Cloud was a little nervous, more from Leon's presence and less from what was scribbled on the piece of paper.

Mow the lawn. Cloud was puzzled. He was a carpenter. An aspiring architect! Not a gardener. He felt a little hurt. At least Leon was a chief. He was reduced to the second hand help.

Leon looked over at Cloud's assignment and tried hard not laugh his ass off. He wondered if their assignments were always going to be so easy. In an effort to hide his amusement at Cloud's dismay, he decided to start unpacking. He opened the closet, which they apparently would have to share, and noticed two hangers with clothes on them. Leon took them out and sighed. They were uniforms.

Room 600

The girls shared one mutual room. A spacious three-bed room that overlooked the ill manicured garden below. Not ten minutes passed before their first argument ensued, which centered on a common problem most women have—closet space. While Kairi wouldn't normally care about such trivial things, she was still a little upset about the news she just heard a couple minutes ago downstairs. So, her agitation level was already at an alarming code red.

She watched Tifa and Yuffie continue to bicker about sharing and not sharing a few more minutes before throwing one of her prison style black Converses at them, hitting Tifa squarely in the head. Good, that shut her up.

"Hey, what did you do that for?!" she screamed, scrambling for a stiletto to pay Kairi back for hitting her.

"You guys are acting like a bunch of stupid kids. Why don't we just split the damn closet into three? It is big enough to hold all of our clothes!" Kairi yelled.

"Do you really expect me to just mix my jeans with my slacks and my whites with my pinks?"

Yuffie shook her head. "Yes!"

Tifa folded her arms and grunted. If she had known she would have to share a room with two other people, she would never have agreed to this stupid dumb ass job! This was all ready her father's fault! If he hadn't cut her off, she'd be soaking in the pool with a cold Margarita in her hand. It would have that paper umbrella in it with a lemon. Her happy thought was disrupted by an uncalled for hit to her arm. Tifa looked up and saw Yuffie staring at her.

"You bitch!" Tifa screamed.

"Whore."

"Slut!"

"Spoiled ugly bitch!"

That's it! Yuffie could call her a slut, a whore, a wench even! But damned if she would let her get away with calling her ugly! Tifa took a handful of Yuffie's hair and yanked on it. Yuffie screamed, less from the pain and more from the shock. Yuffie, in turn, grabbed Tifa's hair and pulled on it.

Kairi folded her arms and leaned against the windowpane, watching her roommates take turns pulling each other's hair. When this was over, it would be Kairi cleaning up all the fallen hair. It would have to be up to her to mend their relationship so they could all live in peace and quiet. But Kairi was so tired of cleaning up after other people's messes. She left them to their own affair and began to unpack her bags. She drowned out their screaming by putting on her earphones and beating the volume button. There! That fixed it!

A couple minutes into the hair pulling, Riku passed by the door with a plate full of dumplings. "What's going on?"

Kairi saw a glimmer of silver hair and sighed. As if it couldn't get worse. She turned off her iPod and shrugged her arms. Uninvited, Riku waltzed in and made himself comfortable on the bed. This was much better than watching TV. He bit at a dumpling and waited for Kairi to sit beside him. She grabbed a dumpling and decided to watch the entertainment with him.

"How long have they been at it?" Riku inquired.

"A couple minutes… Bet'cha Tifa knocks her out with her left boob."

"You're on." He extended his hand and Kairi shook it to seal the deal.

Room 598

Sora surveyed the room and flopped onto the bed. Okay, so he would have to spend his whole summer, not to mention, share a room, with a guy that hated his guts. And so he'd have to be a human footstool. Cloud needed this gig and he had to support him no matter what.

And to his dismay…he was going to have to share one bed with Riku. Sora turned his head to meet his death. Because Riku was originally assigned a single room, he only needed one bed. On the bright side, the bed was a queen and Sora was very petite. If he hugged the edge enough, he could make enough space between himself and Riku that it would make it seem like two beds.

Sora shook his head violently. No matter how he looked at it, the truth remained—Riku and him were going to be under one blanket tonight.

Sora surveyed the room. He was a little scared to be alone in such a big room. Sora finally made up his mind to go with Riku a little too late. Sora peeked out the door and realized he didn't know where he was. Better to be safe than sorry; he reluctantly stayed in the drafty room. He had unpacked his bag (which didn't contain too many things) hours ago and still Riku had not come back. Despite the fact that Sora was scared to death being in the same breathing space as Riku, he would rather have him as company than no one at all.

Finally Sora couldn't take the unwelcoming silence and braved the world outside his room. He looked outside and stared down into the long uninhabited corridor. He remembered that Cloud was just a few doors down, sharing a room with that Leon guy. He took a step onto the red-carpeted floor and proceeded down the hall, taking some time to take a gander at the paintings hanging on either side of the hallway. They were all old—the pictures and the people in them. And the more he stared at them, the more he realized that the paintings looked like they were staring at him! Okay Sora, cool it. You're seventeen years old. You're letting your imagination take the best of you!

Sora quickened his footsteps and suddenly broke out into a run. He took one last look behind him and came to a halt after hitting something in his path. Disoriented, Sora did not get up from his position on the floor. The figure before him grunted and shook his head. Sora stared at the figure beside him nervously. It was Riku. He was on all fours. Sora could practically see the little blue birds dancing around his head.

"You were always hardheaded," he grunted. He rubbed the soft spot on his chin, where Sora had obviously hurt him.

Sora rose from the floor and stood beside him. He wanted to touch him but was scared of Riku's fierce temper. He was already angry, minus the growing bruise on his chin.

"I wasn't looking where I was going. Sorry." Every word came out in an incoherent stutter. Sora dropped his head.

Riku stood, his shadow looming over Sora's small frame. Sora couldn't help but notice the slender sculpted muscles that made up his physique. Sora's eyes rose to his face and he marveled at the definition in his jaw. Riku had grown up so much. Sora felt prepubescent. He didn't have an ounce of pure muscle in his body and most people mistake him for twelve.

"What's wrong?" Riku caught his eye. They both turned away instantly. Riku couldn't hold onto the gaze. Every moment alone with him was excruciating. He could feel the anger he had built begin to crumble. And all he wanted to do was just hug him.

"Riku…" Sora's voice trailed off. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say. Sorry, I haven't written. Sorry I'm a lousy friend—a good for nothing jerk.

"Look, you go do your thing. I'll do my thing. Just because we have to see each other every day doesn't mean we have to talk to each other. Just pretend I'm not here." His eyes were talking to the carpet, the walls, anything that wasn't Sora's face. "It'll be like it's been for the past four year."

Sora swallowed the lump in his throat. He suddenly didn't feel so great.

Riku walked around him and headed towards the run to take a nap before dinner. He needed to clear his head. Sora let him go without another word. After Riku left, he realized he was lost again and he could no longer go into the room. He picked a direction and just went with it. He'd eventually end up somewhere, which was better than being nowhere with Riku.

DINNER--6 pm sharp

Kairi stuffed the twenty into her pocket and looked around the room rather smug. Not one day and already she was making some cash. To her left stood Riku, looking a little depressed. She wasn't sure if it was just the twenty he lost that had dampened his mood. To her right were Tifa and Yuffie, finally exhausted from their rumble. At last, after being knocked on her feet by Tifa's unidentified flying boob, Yuffie reluctantly handed over half her side of the closet. Kairi didn't really understand why they had to fight over dumb closet place when they could have easily asked Kairi and she would have gladly given them her share. Kairi was perfectly happy living from her suitcase, which didn't contain much but a couple articles of clothing and CDs.

The majority of the party had arrived on time to dinner. Along with their no-brainer chores, a list of house rules was contained within the envelopes. Kairi's only job tomorrow was to feed the dogs out back. Kairi was pretty sure she'd be done with her share of the work in no time, giving her just enough time to explore this hellhole. She always had a weird affinity for the mysterious.

The gang was impatiently waiting for Leon to finish cooking. Riku tried to sneak a peek inside the kitchen but was almost temporarily blinded by Leon's fist two inches from his face. Everyone was a little confused about his sudden shyness. Yuffie thought she might have better luck convincing Leon to let her in the kitchen. She strolled inside and in a second was out again. She refused to tell us what happened in that one-second timeframe.

Cloud led the party into the dining room, which was sparsely decorated. The pivotal piece in the room was a banquet-sized table, extravagant enough for a king. Cloud picked his place in the table. He looked around for his brother and was troubled to see he was still absent.

"Where's Sora?" Cloud asked the group. They all looked around and shrugged their shoulders. Riku stuffed his hands into his jeans pocket and made minimal eye contact. Cloud rushed out of his seat. Just as he was about to race back up the stairs, Sora wobbled into the room dazed.

"Where have you been?" Cloud questioned. The worry lines on his face suddenly softened.

Sora looked around the room. Everyone was staring at him. He checked his watch. He was only three minutes late. He looked up at Cloud again not sure how to answer his question. He couldn't very well tell him he got lost and fell asleep in a random hallway. And that he was afraid to go into his room because Riku had the eyes of a murderer. If it weren't for the commotion downstairs, he would have never found his way.

"The bathroom," Sora said innocently. He phrased it more as a question than an answer.

Cloud studied the question marks on his brother's face unconvinced. But he didn't poke further. Ansem glided through the hall, the train of his jacket swept the floor as he walked. As always, his nose was in the air.

"6:05. I said dinner should be served at 6 sharp." His voice was acid. It melted away the last shed of happiness in the room.

Ansem eyed the group incredulously. His eyes landed on Sora, "You there, footstool, fetch me a drink of water."

The group turned their attention to Sora, whose expression was wide in disbelief. "Me?"

Ansem rolled his eyes, "Yes you. Is there another footstool in the room?"

Sora guessed there wasn't. He trudged towards the kitchen, though he didn't know where that was either. Cloud blocked his path, to what he supposed, must have been the right direction.

"You don't have to get the water, Sora. You aren't his slave."

Ansem chuckled, "Here comes brother to the rescue, once again. Let me ask you big brother, are you going to fight all of his battles for him?"

Cloud shot him a glare; so intense it could shatter glass. His eyes momentary lost its illustrious shade of baby blue. Cloud was mentally threatening him; his eyes communicating more than words could ever express. Sora was trapped in the middle—a sandwich between his brother and their dictator.

Ansem held Cloud's cold stare. The thin line of his mouth curved gradually into a smile so wide it lifted his face a millimeter. "And I think Riku would like some water too, right Riku?"

The crowd turned to Riku. He suddenly realized the tension in the room. He was drinking from a milk carton. He took one last gulp and set it down on the table. It didn't go down smoothly. Yuffie shook her head in disgust.

"What?"

"Would you like some water?" Ansem repeated.

Riku was annoyed. He didn't appreciate Ansem disturbing him as he drank. He was hungry and the growing rumble in his stomach put him in a mood sour.

"No, I'd like my dinner."

"Ah, dinner." Ansem's thoughts suddenly shifted. He took one last look at Sora before taking his seat in the table. Unsurprisingly, he sat at the head. The group was confused but they followed the lead anyways. Cloud purposely took the seat farthest away from Ansem. The distance between them would help Cloud calm down from their confrontation. Sora settled into a seat beside Cloud. He looked beside him and saw Kairi claim the chair beside him. He looked across from him and stared at Riku in disbelief. Sora bit his lip, a habit of his when he was nervous. Riku didn't bother to meet Sora's eyes though he could feel his presence like an impending typhoon.

Yuffie and Tifa reluctantly sat next to each other, taking the only two seats left beside Riku. They glared at each other and finally sat down, neither one of them wanting to acknowledge the other.

Ansem appeared to be in his own world, piecing together his thoughts. Cloud shuddered at the things probably lurking in his mind. Even after Leon rushed into the room, a plate perched on both his hands; Ansem was still staring blankly into space.

Leon settled the dishes on the table. Cloud was shocked to see the slight appearance of a smile on his face. For the guy who rarely left the corner all day, he seemed rather eager to present them the meal he spent time in the kitchen to concoct. Cloud hid his own smile of amusement. He secretly captured the picture of contentment on Leon's face. He'd refer back to it on a particularly rainy day or maybe tonight in his dreams.

Ansem stared at the plate in front of him and blinked once. "What is this?" His tone was condescending.

Leon stared at his hard work. He looked taken back by the question, unable to describe his work. "It's uh…braised chicken cutlet seasoned with garlic and pickled chili." Cloud was impressed. The flood of fancy words sliding off his satin voice was intoxicating. He didn't wait for Ansem's approval. He watched the vulnerability creep across Leon's virile features and almost crumbled.

"I think it looks excellent." The room turned to Cloud. Cloud looked down at his nonexistent plate and then at Leon's face. Instead of meeting Leon's usually abrasive stare, he gazed into warm liquid orbs.

Leon exited into the kitchen and came out with three more plates. When everyone was served, the group stared at the food in front of them, scared to even prod it with their fork. They waited for Ansem to react to it. He hadn't moved for a couple minutes now and Riku secretly hoped he had died. But his slight movements quickly distinguished that hope.

Cloud was angry with himself for allowing Ansem control over his actions. If he wanted to eat the damn food, he should be able to eat the damn food! Thankfully, Ansem finally picked up his fork and jabbed it into the chicken breast. Something on his face made Cloud assume he was no longer seeing chicken on the plate.

Leon took a place beside Cloud and watched Ansem play with the meal he slaved over before finally cutting a piece. Ansem with a knife looked dangerous. Yuffie (who was sitting on Ansem's right) shifted the weight of her body towards Tifa, eyeing the knife in Ansem's right hand with caution.

He stared at the piece of white meat jabbed in between the ends of the fork. Ansem scrutinized it as though he had never seen anything like it before. As if in slow motion, the crowd watched Ansem smell it, open his mouth, stick the fork inside, slide the meat off with his brilliant white teeth, and then chew. The group leaned in closer to watch his reaction to the food. Leon never cared what other people thought of him but when it came to his food, he was always self-conscious. He prided himself over his cooking, something he seldom practiced in public.

Cloud pried his eyes off of Ansem to sneak a peek at Leon sitting by his side. The close proximity was making him suddenly sweat in all the wrong places. Leon didn't seem to notice him. He was enthralled in Ansem's unstated conclusion to his cooking.

"Delicious!"

Cloud jumped slightly from Ansem's outburst. Ansem began to cut his chicken into pieces, swallowing each morsel with delight. A wide grin escalated across his tan skin.

Cloud felt Leon relax beside him. He relaxed his shoulders and his body slumped into the chair. Cloud noticed he didn't have a plate in front of him.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Cloud asked, already cutting his own meal now that Ansem had given the implied signal to eat.

Leon shook his head, "I feel strange eating my own food."

Cloud took his first bite. He felt like he bit straight into heaven. It helped knowing Leon had made what he was eating. "This is great. Where did you learn to cook?"

Leon shrugged. Cloud noticed he was diverting all eye contact. "I've learned a little here and there. I used to apprentice for a chef since I was twelve."

Cloud took another delectable bite. He couldn't believe Leon had created something so delicious with own two hands. He opened his mouth to praise him when Ansem interrupted.

"That was fantastic!" He stood suddenly and glided towards the only exit. The trail of his coat slivered out the door and marked his leave. The room was silent for a moment, not really sure if they were also allowed to leave. Riku yawned and the group stared at him as he stretched his arms over his head before standing up. Now that he was full, Riku's mood had lightened and he pondered the idea of taking a quick walk outside before going to bed. Bed.

He quickly glanced at Sora, who was still finishing up the last bites of his meal. He was fully aware he not only had to share one room with Sora but one bed as well. He had explored the mansion that afternoon, hoping to find another unoccupied room to sleep in. Sora's nervous presence was unwelcoming and Riku felt guilty although he had nothing to do with the circumstance. But no matter how many doorknobs he turned, every single one of them came up locked. Figured. Riku had decided that he might have to sleep on the couch tonight…or every night for three months.

Despite his confrontation with Sora, he still cared about him. More than he could ever express. But he needed to build a front. The faster he disconnected himself from him, the easier it would be at the end when he could have to say good-bye to him forever again.

After Riku left the room, Tifa got up and began to clear the table. She had been given the arduous task of cleaning the dishes. Yuffie danced around the room rather smug. She was glad she didn't have to clean anything tomorrow. Then she frowned at the idea of having to clean the house in the morning. Her assignment had specifically demanded her to clean the East Wing, which she assumed meant that the other half of the house would have to be cleaned by someone else that wasn't her.

"Hey, I'm missing a fork." Tifa scanned the table. She had laid out the utensils on top of the stack of plates.

Kairi looked under the table, "That's weird." She shrugged her shoulders, "But who cares? It's just a fork."

"Okay you tell that to the Nazi!"

Kairi saw her point. The remaining occupants searched half-heartedly for the missing fork not including Leon, who had by this time decided that he had enough excitement for one day. Cloud watched from the doorframe of the dining room as Leon climbed up the spiral staircase into the black abyss above. He sighed. He'd have to enter that room too sooner or later. He thought about finding another room but to his and everyone's dismay, they all soon realized that every unoccupied room in the entire mansion was locked, probably dead bolted and chained as well. And oddly enough, there weren't any couches, just hard wooden chairs all throughout the house. Convenient.

It wasn't that Cloud had a problem staying in the same room as the luscious man of mystery but he thought maybe Leon had a problem with him.

"I don't see it anywhere," Kairi grumbled. She stood up from her place on the floor. "It's just a fork. I don't think he'll even notice."

Tifa exhaled and frowned, "I guess someone stole it."

Kairi and Sora laughed. "Why would anyone want to steal a fork?" Kairi cupped her mouth to stop the laughing from escaping. That was so ridiculous.

Yuffie twirled the fork in between her fingers. She felt compelled to steal it. She wanted to get back at Tifa for their fight this afternoon. She slipped out of the room when no one was watching and headed for open air. Yuffie had to hold her breath to stop herself from laughing at the horror on Tifa's face. She'd eventually bring the fork back. Eventually. Let her get worked up for a little while longer.

She gawked at the expanse of rolling hills which ceased to end and probably didn't as far as she could tell. Even under the poor lamplight, Yuffie could see the possibilities the house offered. The neglect would be only temporary. Maybe in time, the house might one day be beautiful again.

Without warning, the fork was ripped from her fingers. She froze expecting to see a ghost. She knew it! The house was so old; someone had to have died in it.

But the voice that followed sounded much too alive. "Don't tell me you stole the fork that they've been looking for!" He howled with laughter. Yuffie turned around and faced a crouching Riku. He was laughing so hard he could barely stand.

"What are you doing here?" He was the last person she wanted to see.

Riku clutched his stomach. He calmed for a second and then erupted into a fit of hysterics again. Yuffie gave up and let impatience take over. She strolled past him suddenly feeling tired. She suppressed he animal instincts to tear him limp from limp.

"Wait…you forgot your…fork!" He wailed. He held out the fork a fraction of a second too late. Yuffie slammed the backdoor with a startling BAM and stomped towards her room. She'd give it to him in the morning.

Riku watched her leave still laughing. That just made his century. Despite the flashback to the traumatic past this afternoon, he finally found a reason to be thankful for being chosen to be a rat experiment.

"I can't believe I signed up for this."

Riku controlled his laughter. He waltzed towards the voice. He spotted Kairi leaning against the railing of an iron terrace that encircled the east half the mansion. From where she was standing, it looked as though she had just left the living room. Riku rolled his eyes, a little disappointed that he wasn't alone and headed back towards the backdoor. He was caught off guard by the second voice—Kairi's companion.

"I didn't even sign up for this," Sora mumbled grudgingly. He leaned forward and sighed into his hands, which rested on the railing.

"Do you always have to follow your brother? To think you could be home on your own bed instead of being the footstool."

Sora cringed. He really took offense to people calling him a footstool. "I guess I don't really have a home so it doesn't matter where I go."

Kairi stared at Sora for a moment in contemplation. She immediately looked sorry for judging him so harshly. She had assumed he was just a big baby who couldn't even manage to spend a summer without his big brother catering him. There was obviously more to his story.

Riku pressed his body into the shadows of the mansion. He couldn't seem to pry himself away from their conversation. He immediately identified the distress in Sora's words.

"I didn't mean…" Kairi didn't know how to finish so she just allowed the words to trail off into the dead of the night. Thankfully Sora was so lost in thought that he just continued without being encouraged.

"I know its just for three months but it feels a little nice to have a home even though I'm the footstool and will probably have to be subjected to Ansem's ridicule. He really doesn't like me, huh?"

Kairi let a smile slip. She suddenly found him very endearing. "Who cares if a weirdo like him likes you? And next time he ridicules you, I'll stick up for you."

Sora's head popped up in surprised. "Why would you stick up for me?"

Riku gritted his teeth waiting for the answer. He didn't like the way this Kairi chick was looking at Sora. His Sora. Kairi's eyes lingered for a moment at Sora's face and then stared out into the expanse of land that was their backyard. From his view, Riku couldn't tell the extent of that stare. Even worse, he couldn't distinguish the look Sora was giving Kairi.

"You're like a teddy bear Sora," Kairi said the words with a stern look on her face.

Sora wasn't sure how to react to that. "Er—Thanks?"

She smiled at him again and ruffled his shaggy hair. She said something inaudible from where Riku stood. It made Sora laugh.

Riku contemplated ending the conversation permanently. He could saunter towards them, pretending he was taking a walk, and grab Sora before Kairi could react. He'd head for the open field and then hold Sora captive until he finally succumbed to his feelings for Riku. Riku realized that was probably too extreme. He wasn't a masked caper. He had to be reasonable. Riku considered interrupting them kindly to ask Sora if they could speak privately. Then, with him alone, he could divulge his true feelings for him.

Riku slammed his body to the wall, sinking further into the shadows. No, he couldn't do that. Not after telling Sora that he never wanted to speak to him again. He peeked over at Sora again and was astonished to see his smiling face—the face he remembered and sometimes dreamed about.

They spoke for a few more minutes, mostly making fun of Ansem's clothes. Kairi finally stretched her arms and headed inside. Sora raced after her. Riku watched them glumly leave before heading inside. He trudged up the stairs like his feet were made of lead. He passed by Leon and Cloud's room. Their door was closed. Riku strode by without a second thought.

Room 525

"Hold still and don't move," Cloud demanded. He watched Leon sigh in exasperation.

"It was bound to happen," Leon replied. Though he was acting stubborn, he complied with Cloud's order. His back to him, Leon swiveled his head slightly to glance at him from the corner of his eye. Cloud approached him and leaned forward on the bed where Leon sat.

"It'll only take a second." Cloud reached for Leon's shoulder.

"What's taking you so long, then?" Leon mocked him. He turned his head to face him. Cloud's liquid blue eyes melted under Leon's obtrusive stare.

"I told you not to move." Cloud was suddenly aware of their closeness. He trembled from anticipation.

Leon watched him bend over him. Cloud's hair grazed his neck ever so slightly. The unexpected touch gave him goose bumps. He sat perfectly still and took in his scent as it danced across his nose in temptation.

"There." Cloud pulled his body away and smiled smugly to himself. He hovered over Leon, blocking out most of the lamplight resonating from behind him. Cloud opened his hand and revealed a brown spider a little bigger than his thumbnail.

Leon stared at it, trying to hide his disgust. He wouldn't openly admit it but he was a trifle afraid of its beady black eyes and long furry gangly legs that stretched onto Cloud's palm like string.

Cloud walked to the balcony door and gently set it on the railing. He watched it scurry away before leaving himself. Leon had moved from the bed to the closet when he returned. He looked into his duffel bag deep in concentration.

Cloud had lounged around downstairs long enough to watch everyone retreat back to their rooms. He knew that he had to go up himself eventually; he was just hoping to prolong the inevitable. The thought of being with Leon excited him and scared him simultaneously.

Cloud thought maybe he might just hang out with his brother a bit, thankful he at least had Sora for companionship, but he felt awful for intruding on his conversation with the Kairi girl. He was glad to see that his brother was well adjusted. Then again, it was in Sora's nature to make friends so easily. Cloud, on the other hand, found that more of a challenge. Even as a child, his appearance was intimidating. His gorgeous good looks and physical perfection came at a consequence. The attention he received from both sexes was an upside. But he never seemed to get close enough to anyone to really find a friend.

Cloud sighed. A memory lapsed through his mind, so cold it was piercing. Staring at Leon now, a face he thought he had forgotten flashed before his eyes. Zack.

"You look a little pale."

Cloud dropped to the bed after his knees gave way. He forced a serene smile on his face—the mask he wore so well. Leon's eyes narrowed to examine Cloud's emotion. "Just thinking about how dumb this is."

Leon shrugged, "Its money. People do dumb things because of money."

Cloud stared at himself in the mirror facing the bed and nodded. Yeah, he was definitely dumb. Not only was he subjecting himself to ridicule, he was forcing the same fate onto Sora. And Sora was hanging in there so well for someone who was given the least respect from their insufferable landlord. Thinking about Ansem made Cloud's blood boil. The nerve of him to treat Sora that way! But Cloud had nobody to blame but himself. It wasn't Sora's choice to follow him. He was coaxed into it though he didn't need much to convince Sora to follow him. The only reason he would object to anything Cloud wished would be if it were immoral and inhuman. And at the time, this job didn't seem like he had broken either of those conditions. But he'd only really find out in time.

"Which bed do you want?" Cloud asked. He waited for Leon to answer and then he spied him holding his underwear. The color in Cloud's face changed.

Leon didn't seem to notice. He was still unpacking his belongings. "I don't care. You pick."

Cloud couldn't believe he was blushing. He used to have so much control over his emotions. He could mask his pain with a smile so easily. So what if he saw Leon's underwear? He wore underwear. Everyone wears underwear…even devilishly beautiful men with steely grey eyes…

He forced himself to focus. Leon, by this time, had already finished unpacking. His underwear was safely out of sight. But not out of mind. Leon stared at Cloud with curious eyes.

"So, which is it?" he asked. From the tone of his voice, Cloud assumed that he probably already asked him once and now Cloud had forced him to ask it again.

"Uh—"

Leon rolled his eyes. Though he appeared annoyed, his mind was all smiles. Cloud had the most ridiculous grin on his adorable face.

"The bed," Leon repeated, he hoped for the very last time.

Bed? Had he asked him to...no he couldn't! They were moving much too fast. The flush was crawling back onto his porcelain face.

"Cloud, which bed do you want?"

Cloud ran his fingers through his long mass of spiky hair. Nice and smooth. He bounced once on the bed he sat on to claim it, "This one, I guess."

Cloud suddenly thought of Sora and the one King sized bed he had to share with Riku. He was a little angry that 1) Sora didn't have a bed of his own 2) If Sora hadn't shown up, that Riku kid would have had the luxury of his own bed. The girls had to share a three-bed room. It didn't make any sense. And 3) If anyone should have to share one bed, it should have been himself and Mr. Mysterious.

Leon leaped onto his bed and stretched his long legs. He lied perfectly still and then he closed his eyes. Cloud had never seen anyone as beautiful as him. He was picturesque. A model for models. Cloud's bed was just a foot a few feet away, separated by a lampshade and bedside table. He was so near he could touch him. Lie next to him.

Cloud leaned in, eager to take a closer look. Leon's breathing was slow and steady and from the movement of his lashes, Cloud was positive he had fallen asleep. Cloud's eyes traced the contours of his lips, which were slightly parted. Cloud was so close now that he could feel Leon's warm breath oh his face. He lifted his hand and it lingered over Leon's face for a few seconds before Cloud finally funneled the courage to allow it to descend. He swept Leon's wild hair away from his eyes. His fingers delicately touched Leon's fair skin. It was soft despite his perfectly chiseled jaw.

Propelled by a mixture of lust and curiosity, Cloud pressed his lips against Leon's unsuspecting ones. It was soft, gentle, and quick. He tasted as good as he smelled. Leon didn't move. He remained at peace; his eyelashes still fluttering, and his breath still rhythmic. Cloud touched his lips and leaped back onto his bed. He lay on his side, his body facing Leon. It took him longer to finally close his eyes but the wait was worth it. He dreamed of Leon.

Room 598

Sora opened the door ajar. He slid his head into the room and peaked inside. The room was empty. The coast was clear.Sora opened the door fully and took in the state of the room. While the little things he had were still tucked nicely in his bag, Riku had strewn his belongings across "his side" of the room. Sora remembered that Riku was a messy guy. He strode across the room and sat on the bed. He tried not to sit on any of Riku's things but that was a challenge.

He strummed his fingers on the bed, anxious about Riku's unavoidable entrance. His fingers glided onto the bed and he stared down at the t-shirt that suddenly caught his attention. The figure on the shirt was familiar and it should be because it was Sora! They had gotten it at a festival when they were kids and thought it was hilarious. Sora had one with Riku on it as well. The only time they wore it was that day at the festival. Sora assumed Riku had thrown his away. He clutched it to make sure it was real. Why had Riku brought it here? Why did Riku keep it after all these years?

The door opened then and Riku stepped inside. Sora froze at the sight of Riku at the door. He looked at Sora holding the t-shirt and he nearly fainted. His heart drummed so hard inside his chest, it felt like it might just erupt. He stamped towards him and ripped the shirt from his delicate grasp.

"What are you doing with my stuff?" Riku could hardly contain himself. He was seconds from lifting a hand to Sora's bewildered face.

"I…I…" Sora stammered, suddenly forgetting how to breathe. The rage glowing in Riku's eyes was frightening.

"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?!" Riku screamed.

Sora was surprised by Riku's voice. Sora could not remember a single moment in the vast years of their friendship that Riku had raised his voice to him. Even at his clumsiest, Riku combated his foolishness with a dose of laughter. Sora didn't know the Riku in front of him.

Riku threw the shirt violently into the trashcan and it toppled over from the impact. Sora stared at it lying crumpled on the floor. Riku was literally throwing away their friendship.

Riku bit his lip and shook his head. He blew up again. All the frustration and anger had brought him to his breaking point. Riku watched Sora quietly walk out of the room. Riku didn't bother to go after him. He was sure Sora would just sleep in his brother's room. It wasn't after Sora closed the door that he finally calmed down and realized how vile his actions were. Sora must think he was a monster. He was a monster. But seeing him holding that shirt drove him insane. He didn't want to let him know that maybe his presence meant more to him than he led on. And that even after years of disconnect, he still loved him.

Riku walked over to the trashcan and picked up the t-shirt. He held it up and stared into Sora's blue eyes, which by now had faded. Half the blue in the right eye was gone, disappeared because of age. He remembered everything that happened that day at the festival. Every memory with Sora was vivid. Though he was sure Sora had thrown his shirt with Riku's face on it, Riku never had the heart to discard his. It was the only tangible remembrance he had of Sora and after he left, it became Riku's security blanket. Riku haphazardly folded it and stuffed it into his duffel bag.

He sighed and threw his body onto the bed. The mattress was unbelievably soft and he was tired but his body continued to fight against sleep. He leaned over the edge of the bed and dug into his duffel bag. She stared at the weathered t-shirt and stared at the unbelievably cute boy printed on front. Riku pulled it into his body and snuggled up against it. He closed his eyes and forced himself to dream only of Sora.

End

A/N: I know…I know…I'm a horrible…horrible person…I haven't updated in longer than forever. But remember it takes time to make great things…I just hope you guys enjoyed it…

I need love…REVIEW!