From Eternamente -- Heya, thanks so far for the incredible interest in this story! I truly am overwhelmed; I didn't expect that many reviews for the first chapter. It's very appreciated. Also, thank you for your patience for this next chapter. I don't update nearly as often as many of my favourite authors, but that's mainly because I'm too busy reading their stories! hehe... Sometimes I have more fun reading than writing, but still.

In thinking over this story, it will probably be somewhat short (but not TOO short, of course), but still enjoyable. This chapter reveals quite a bit about the story as a whole, and really sets up the plot. Foreshadowing is a word I keep throwing pack and forth with a friend... and this chapter truly does just that, in some respect.

Enough from me. Enjoy!

Disclaimer -- I think by now we all know that Kingdom Hearts belongs to Disney and Square, yes? So why do I keep writing this?

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Chapter Two -- Secrets

"So, you're staying at a hotel?" Riku inquired as he and Sora approached the Twilight Towers Hotel. It was approaching five in the morning, but Riku had insisted he drive Sora back home once the boy confessed he was staying about a five minutes' walk away from the club.

"Well, yeah. I haven't really found a place yet, but this does just fine I guess," Sora smiled sweetly as Riku leaned in.

"Sion, I… I don't want this night to be over," Riku murmured as he leaned in for a brief kiss. "You have no idea what it's been like to just look out on to the dance floor for the past few months, seeing you, and just not being able to get close enough to you."

A light tear escaped Sora, and his heart felt as if it would explode. How Sora wished he could just tell Riku the truth in it's entirety, but doing so now… it was the wrong time. "I've felt the same way, Riku," he finally admitted. "I never really expected Axel to hire me. I guess I owe him one," he said with a smile.

"Would you like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night... well, tonight?" Riku inquired hopefully. "It's Sunday… so, we're both off."

"I'd love to," Sora replied. "Pick me up around… say… 4pm?" He then leaned up to place a light kiss on Riku's cheek before turning away to enter the hotel.

"Can I…" Riku blushed lightly. "Can I come up?"

Sora hesitated a moment, and despite wanting the DJ to, but he had to be up early… "No, not tonight. Tomorrow, sure… I need to get some rest, though," he offered with a smile before exiting the car. "Good night, Riku."

"Good night, Sion," came the reply before Sora hoisted himself into the night air, his clothing jingling ever-so-lightly before closing the car door. Riku watched the object of his affection enter the building, and felt a sense of longing for the raver's presence growing stronger.

------

Sora numbly made his way to the elevators, ignoring the awkward stares people would give him. He was used to them by now; every club night for the past three months he had come back to the hotel in what the hotel manager had dubbed 'glow stick armor.' Throughout the night random people would happily attach glow sticks to the boy, and the patterns they created oftentimes nearly encased his whole body in neon lights. By the end of the night he was more often than naught a walking dimly lit neon suit of armor. He entered the elevator once it arrived, and was relieved to see that it was empty and inviting. He thumbed the 13th floor, and slumped to the ground once the doors shut.

"Why did this have to happen," he moaned to the emptiness as he clutched his legs close to his body. "Why did I have to fall in love? Why now? I can't tell him the truth, not yet…" He sniffled and tried to formulate a plan. A plan to be with Riku, and get out of the situation he was in.

The doors suddenly opened, and he quickly scampered down the hallway and into his room. Shutting the door behind him, he quickly plopped onto the bed and fell asleep in tears.

------

Riku arrived back at his apartment shortly after dropping Sora off at his hotel. His heart was racing; he finally met the boy of his dreams, and better yet, he was in love. It wasn't just a feeling of lust or anything. He had finally said the right thing at the right time, and he was truly in love. He wanted to know everything about Sion. He wanted to touch him, to hold him, to feel him writhing beneath him in total bliss… well, that last part would come later, Riku assured himself. But more importantly, he wanted to know Sion for more than what he was at first glance. Riku obviously surmised that Sion was a friendly type, and a very extroverted type (how else could he possibly attract that large a crowd to watch him dance?). But there was a deeper sense of him as well. Riku couldn't place his finger on it, but he knew there was more to know about Sion than just the obvious facts.

Shrugging off all thoughts of what to make of Sion, he exited his car, entered his apartment, and was immediately met with a delightful surprise. Inside was a young blond curled up on his couch, fast asleep. The dishes were done, the place was spotless, and after entering his bedroom he could see that the laundry was done.

"Well, now he is something else," Riku mused as he headed over to the hall closet to produce a blanket. He unfolded it as he made his way back to the couch, and draped it over the blond. "Sleep tight, Roxas," he concluded before heading back into his bedroom and preparing for bed. He had a date tomorrow with the boy of his dreams; he'd be wide awake for it.

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An alarm clock irritatingly rang out from Sora's nightstand. Groaning he lifted his face from the mattress to glance at the clock. 8:23 am.

"Ugh…" Sora rolled over, completely forgetting what he was wearing. A light crunch from his back reminded him that he was still wearing the glow stick armor, and that he should probably remove it before trying to do anything else. Groggily, he sat himself up and began disassembling the intricate pattern of glow sticks, glow rings, and any other rave toy the crowd had been able to attach to him. Finally he was stripped down to just his shirt, pants, and shoes, and a rather large pile of neon plastic sat on the bed next to him. "Hope the cleaning lady doesn't mind yet another pile of these things…" he thought aloud as he began to strip himself of his clothing. "I honestly had no idea I'd be so popular," he mused as he lifted his shirt over his head before depositing it to the ground. "I just really wanted to dance," he laughed as he removed his shoes and pants before setting them next to the shirt.

Sora entered the bathroom wearing nothing more than his necklace and a pair of plain white boxers. Setting the necklace on the sink counter, and finally removing the last article of clothing that clung to his lithe body, the boy entered the shower and began to wash away the prior night's partying.

"Honestly, who the hell gets up at 8:30 on a Sunday to go in to work?" he seethed as he lathered his damp hair. "I've been doing nothing BUT working for the past… oy, three months? I need a break. I need a way out of this already… this is insane."

After a few minutes of cursing his life he exited the shower and tried to find some clothes that didn't scream party kid. Moments later he was fully dressed in a plain white t-shirt, and some somewhat-plain wide-legged jeans. A large picture of some kind of robot and some Japanese lettering dominated the back of the right leg. Satisfied with looking as professional as he possibly could with the clothes he had on hand, he snagged his necklace and placed it around his neck before making sure his hair was alright. His hair naturally spiked up, and always managed to defy gravity. It was just how his hair was created, he supposed. After a few more 'morning things,' he grabbed his keys and such and left the hotel room. He then ambled his way over to the elevator, exited the hotel, and entered the parking lot. After finding his own car, he stopped at a nearby Starbucks for a quick fix, and then took the ten-minute drive down to the police station.

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"Hey, good morning, Roxas," Riku sang as he busied himself in the kitchen preparing a breakfast big enough for the two of them.

"Mmm… what time is it?" the bleary-eyed blond moaned from the couch as the morning sun beckoned him awake.

"Nine," came the response. "Wake up, I'm making us some breakfast."

Cautiously, Roxas sniffed the air and took in the delicious aromas that were seeping around the apartment. "Smells like… French toast, eggs, and bacon?"

"Yep," Riku hummed as he placed two plates on a nearby table and ushered the boy to him. "Look, I know you're hiding and all, but that doesn't mean you should starve yourself."

Roxas pushed the blanket away without questioning where it came from, padded across the living room into the kitchen, and took a seat across from his host. "Thanks, Riku."

"No problem. Axel's my best friend… I'd do anything for him, you know," the silver-haired male explained before helping himself to some of his own handiwork. "Eat up."

The blond helped himself to a portion of the eggs and sighed before cupping his face in his hands. "I can't believe everything that's happened, though." A tear fell from his eyes, and Riku offered him a napkin to wipe away any others. "Why couldn't they just understand? I didn't ask to be like this," he growled.

Riku couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the youth. Roxas was only seventeen, but after his parents learned of his orientation and how harshly they began treating him he simply ran away. He ran away from a posh lifestyle, his family owning the Twilight Towers hotel chain as well as several casinos in the area, and would have been living on the streets had he not known Axel for a period of time. The redhead had taken a liking to Roxas, who had began coming to his club with a fake ID. The two began talking, and became good friends. Axel had a soft spot for the teen, and allowed him to come to his club to help him come to terms with himself and have a place to be himself despite the legal matters. All good things must come to an end, though, and it wasn't long before Axel found Roxas at his front door huddled against the night wind in a hooded sweatshirt to disguise himself and begging for a place to stay.

It was only recently that a problem arose; Axel realized how tightly linked to the disappearance he was, and he had to find a different place for Roxas to stay. And so, he asked Riku for perhaps the largest favor he could possibly ask a friend. However, given that Axel was able to rope Sion into working at the club… well, tit for tat. And so Roxas now resided with Riku, and the DJ was determined to at least try and help the boy find comfort despite his situation.

"I know it's hard, but maybe running away wasn't the best idea?" Riku offered hopefully. He was never really good at cheering someone up, though. Riku was always more of the silent observer, taking in everything and surmising a solution at the last moment. This was entirely new territory for him.

Roxas pounded his fist on the table, causing his plate to bounce slightly. "Who the hell cares who I want to fuck? I'm not some whore. That's what they called me, Riku, just because I like guys. Shit, I don't even know if I do completely." He tried to stifle his emotions, but it was just too hard on Roxas McAllister. For years he had lived in the shadow of his parent's business, and they never gave him much attention until they found him a few months ago in his bedroom with a male schoolmate, sprawled together in a very compromising position. "I just… I was only seeing if I liked it, and I do. I wanted to tell them, but they barged into that secret of mine and treated me like shit afterwards. Why couldn't they just try and understand?"

"Maybe it's because they're all rich and famous and expected their ideas of perfection upon you?" the DJ suggested as he nibbled on a strip of bacon. "I mean, high profile families expect flawless perfection from their children, and you broke that mold. You're right, though, they should have accepted you and tried to understand what you're going through."

"Did your parents ever treat you like this?" the blond asked as he finally took a bite of his breakfast.

"They never knew," he replied. "They died in a car accident just a few months after I had left for college."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Roxas said, his fierce expression suddenly softening. "It must have been hard for you."

"It was eight years ago," the silver-haired male dismissed. "I've come to terms with it. Anyway, you wanna do something today? I have a date tonight, but Axel'll probably be by in a little while. Maybe we can get you some new clothes and such."

"I'd like that," Roxas smiled in gratitude. "Who's the date?"

Riku chuckled. "Some kid I've had my eye on for a while. He's been going to the club for about three months now, and Axel offered him a job. Amazing dancer, beautiful eyes. Great guy all around… I'm sure you'll meet him soon."

"Sounds nice. What's his name?"

"Sion."

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"Sora."

The brunet tried to stifle a yawn as he shifted papers around on his desk, obviously not quite hearing his own name called during his sort-of-yawn.

"Detective?"

Suddenly Sora perked up as he realized he was being addressed. "Yes, sorry, yes Kairi?"

"Detective Sora Tsukada, this is Luxord and Larxene McAllister… Roxas' parents?" the comely redhead stated as she introduced the two. "They're here for information regarding the investigation of their son's whereabouts?"

"Yeah, please have a seat," Sora gestured to two empty chairs in front of his desk as he began to pull up the appropriate file on his computer.

"Thank you for seeing us on such short notice, Detective," Luxord began as he tried to get comfortable on the chair. "I understand you must be incredibly busy, what with all of the clubbing and now actually working for the prime suspect." One might say Sora isn't incredibly swift, but he catches onto sarcasm quite easily.

"Yes, well, I feel that there is no better way to solve a case than to get closer to the accused," Sora began but was immediately cut off by the woman across from him.

"Listen, you little shit," Larxene seethed. "I want to know where the hell my son is. You've been on this damned case for three months now, and you haven't found him. I want you to search Axel's apartment and find him!"

"Ma'am, I understand your concerns, but we do not have sufficient evidence to search his home at this time," Sora tried to reason. "Believe me, I'm doing everything in my power to find him."

"You're staying at our hotel for your cover story," Luxord calmly began. "You're using our money to outfit yourself in appropriate clothing so you can be at that club every weekend night. And now you're working for them. You have got to be the most unprofessional detective I have ever heard of."

"But you have heard of me," Sora tried to joke, but was met with a pair of very irate stone-faced parents. "Okay, wrong audience. Listen, I know what you're going through. I also know what Roxas is going through. Right now he's scared, probably staying with a friend. It's not easy going through the sort of thing he went through, and quite frankly you two didn't make it any easier on him."

"Yes, we realize we made a mistake in treating him how we did," Luxord glowered. "If I could take it back, I would, but right now I just want my son back home."

"I am trying," Sora replied. "I'm sorry this is taking longer than any of us wish it to take, but rest assured I'll find him. Why don't you two go home, have a nice dinner, and clear your heads. I'm sure wherever Roxas is, he's safe," the young detective assured the two. "You said yourself he's a level-headed kid, and he knows how to take care of himself. He's probably at a friend's somewhere, but his friends are covering for him."

"Just update us more often with any information you get," Luxord responded curtly as he and his wife stood to leave.

"I will, don't worry," Sora responded. "Trust me, my methods might be a bit weird, but I know I'm getting closer to finding him. I'm Axel's employee now, so I have a better position to question him without him catching on."

"Fine," Larxene replied as the two left.

Moments later Kairi sat herself down in front of Sora, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "You're hiding something," she pointed out.

"I am not," Sora replied as he typed away at his computer.

"There's a reason this investigation has been dragging on for so long, isn't there," she smirked. "You're having too much fun."

"Kairi, there is nothing fun about investigating a missing person's case," he mumbled before taking a long sip of his coffee. French vanilla is the only flavor that could please his palette.

"Well, from the way I see it, you get to spend every weekend wearing cool clothes, dancing away at a club, and it's all paid for by the McAllister's and the city," the intrusive redhead continued to observe. "If I were in your position, I'd be having the time of my life."

"Yeah, and I get to work with the cutest guy ever! His name is Riku, and he's the DJ, and he's just gorgeous… tall, toned, and just wow." Sora nearly squealed out the rest before realizing his slip.

"AH HA!" Kairi clapped her hands together gleefully. "You're dragging this out so you can get closer to the DJ! I knew it had something to do with a guy."

Sora sighed dejectedly. "Kairi, he's not even interested in me. He likes my alias, that's all. Sure, he probably thinks I'm cute, but… Kairi, if I don't solve this case, I'll never get to tell Riku the truth. And even then, if I solve the case… he'd hate me for using him for the case or something."

Kairi nodded understandingly. The two had been co-workers for a few years now, and they immediately became friends. Sora often found him confiding in her with his personal life; he was often given the weirdest cases and they were quite taxing on him at times. Especially the one about a half year ago where he had to go undercover as a male hooker to investigate a possible drug cartel. Too bad he was so believable for the part; he spent more time fining and jailing more people for trying to hire a prostitute than he spent time on the case.

"Sora, you have to find Roxas, though," she responded with a shrug.

"But, his parents are so…" he couldn't quite find the right word… "schmucky."

With this, Kairi laughed. "I know, but it's our job to do it. Have you found any clues?"

"Well, yeah, I know Axel and Roxas were close friends," Sora replied. "Probably too close, though Axel doesn't seem stupid enough to do anything with a minor. Anyway, Roxas would go to Club Enigma and Axel allowed it. They became friends, and once he ran away from home he most likely ran to Axel. Thing is, we can't prove that he did without evidence. So, I have to find it."

"And?" Kairi inquired. "So you think actually working for Axel will help you find him."

Sora nodded. "I'll be part of their in-crowd, so to speak, and he'll probably tell me. I already have a feeling he knows where Roxas is and wants me to meet him."

"Well, just be careful," Kairi responded. "And get some sleep."

"I've only had three hours of sleep, Kai," he mumbled. "I was at the club until five."

"Don't kill yourself, Sora," Kairi warned. "Hopefully in the end you can find a way to keep Riku."

"In the meantime, I have a date with him tonight," Sora muttered halfheartedly. "Well, Sion does anyway."

"Sora," Kairi smiled as she stood up to get back to her own duties. "Just be yourself, even though it's an alias. Show him the real you, and when everything does have to end… he'll probably overlook it all because you were as true to him as you possibly could."

Sora nodded once again. "Thanks, Kai."

"Not a problem," she waved as she went back to her own desk.

------

"So, his name is Riku, right?" Kairi peered over at her friend and co-worker as they sat down in the food court of the nearby Twilight Mall. The two took off from work and decided to go to lunch together, opting for a quick meal of cheap Chinese buffet. What they didn't know was that Sora's afternoon was about to get a little weird.

"Yeah, he's so cute, and charming, and a great guy," Sora beamed as he leaned back in his chair.

"Good to know you speak so highly of me while I'm not around," a familiar voice rang out, causing Sora such a shock that he nearly tumbled to the floor.

"R…Riku, what are you doing here?" Sora stammered out as Riku pulled his lithe form close to him.

"I was about to ask you the same, Sion," Riku smiled as he plopped his plate next to the brunet. Kairi glanced at Sora with widened eyes; fortunately she was swift enough and good enough at her job to pick up on the situation immediately. "My friends and I thought we'd come here for lunch. Do a little shopping. The usual."

"Yeah, Sion and I were just here chatting about his new job," Kairi piped up with a smile. Sora breathed an internal sigh of relief; his cover wouldn't be blown, not by a detective as surprisingly sharp as Kairi.

"Yeah, I hired him," Axel smiled as he and a familiar-looking blond sauntered over. The blond sat next to Kairi and offered a smile as she scooted over, and the club owner grabbed a nearby chair and placed himself on the end of the table. "He's a sexy little kid, and a damned good dancer."

Kairi laughed. "Yeah, he's been dancing for ages."

"How'd you learn how to do those moves, anyway?" Axel inquired with a devious grin.

"Oh, you know," Sora giggled nervously. "Just natural at it…"

"You sure you never worked at a strip club or anything?" Axel further egged.

Riku rolled his eyes. "Axel, that's enough."

The fiery-haired man held his hands up in defense. "I'm kidding. Besides, even if you used to do that, it's all in the past, right?" He winked at Sora, who smiled in return.

"So, who are you all, anyway?" Kairi inquired, although she had a sneaking suspicion she already knew the redhead's name. "I'm Kairi. I'm a friend of Sion's."

"I'm Riku Aikou," the platinum-haired male smiled. "I'm a DJ at Club Enigma." He then gestured to Axel. "And this is Axel Kasai. He's the owner of the club." His hand then fell upon the blond's direction. "And this is Roxas."

"Roxas…" Sora drew out the name, taking note of the boy. Same blond hair, about the same size, about the right look... "You wouldn't happen to be Roxas McAllister, would you?"

"Yeah," the blond replied nervously. "Axel and Riku told me about you, Sion" he continued softly. "They said you were a great guy, and you might be able to help me."

Sora's immediate instinct to declare custody shattered to the floor like a fine piece of China cast astray. "Help you?" Sora was somewhat surprised to find himself asking. Of course he had to ask; if he just brought Roxas in, then everything was pointless. He wouldn't have Riku, he wouldn't experience this change of lifestyle, and he wouldn't be able to solve anything. No, he had to play along and solve the whole case; not just skip ahead to the end.

"They said you kinda went through the same thing I went through," Roxas replied as Sora's heart softened. The detective already knew where this was going, and it was true. Sora knew exactly what Roxas was going through, only Sora's version was a private small-scale matter. Roxas' version was surrounded by the media and a pair of very powerful parents.

"This is the kid I wanted you to meet," Axel cut in. "I was hoping you could talk with him… kind of as a favor for being hired."

Sora shook his head; this wasn't protocol! But Kairi sat across from him and offered a simple nod letting him know that this was the right thing to do, protocol or not. "Sure," he eventually replied with a grin that could brighten a thunderstorm. "I'll help you." What Sora didn't quite realize yet was that he was going to be helping himself in turn.

Hope you enjoyed it! I was a little stuck on how to end the chapter, but Katraa and I were chatting and an idea for the final bits of this chapter came to mind... and so, here it is. Oh, and glow stick armor? That happened to a friend a while back at a club, though... he did it himself lol. Very cool-looking, and I'll be damned if I remember how we got them all on him! Reviews are lovely!