Yeah, you have the right to kill me for the long wait. My main focus has been Innovation and now Ardor. This is a side project. It's dark and I don't constantly feel like writing dark and yeah. Soo yeah. But thank heavens I still remember the entire plot to this. The length? Not that long, but not short either. I say ten to fifteen chapters. Perhaps less. Who knows. So let's get on with the show, shall we?

Warning: Dark Themes, Language, Mention of Molestation/Rape, and the whole crazy thing.

Bereave

Sora had been reduced to shivering in the corner. It wasn't like this was any more degrading than crawling around, but now he was /forced/ into a corner, from fear. Riku had hissed at him to hide, and Sora figured the corner was the best place. He would have scampered into the mysterious woman's room, but Sora was uncertain if the man who kept him captive would look for him in there. A shudder slipped down Sora's spine as he hugged his knees tight to his chest. Once done, Sora lay his head sleepily on his bruised kneecaps, teeth chattering together. Was it night? Or was it day? Was Kairi and the others worried? Did they try to get in contact with him? Did they even notice?

Sora let out a strangled whimper, icy tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. Such a brilliant blue was now reduced to a dull, barely alive shade of azul. No excitement or spunk shown in Sora's eyes. All that lay was sadness and desperation. It was cruel. Everything about this place. He had no idea /why/ they wanted him/where/ he was, or /what/ they were going to do with him. Or who /they/ were. Sora whimpered again, his stomach twisting in knots due to fear.

"Sora?"

Sora cracked open a heavy eye to stare in the dim darkness. A faint light was drawing near. That lantern. Sora flinched and buried his head into his knees in a pathetic attempt to hide. He was broken. He was tired and done with these games. The whole kidnapping was getting old and he just wanted to get the hell out. Tears fell from the brunette's face as the figure drew nearer. Within seconds the well-built form of the silver-haired Riku came in view.

A frown was present on the male's handsome features. Riku scuffled next to Sora, eying him with uncertainty. "Are you… okay?" the stranger dared. Emerald eyes stared with the slightest concern at the brunette.

"Leave me alone," Sora sniveled, fearing that he was going to be hit or kicked. Eyes fastened shut. Though he couldn't deny that being close to another human being gave him warmth (as did the lantern).

"I want to talk," Riku answered in a monotone.

Sora wished that the other would return to his human, slightly seducing voice he had used in the taxi. Not this drained, killing voice that Sora was beginning to loathe. A strangled sob exited Sora before he dared to look over at Riku. "I'm listening," Sora slurred, his breathing erratic.

"It's not my fault," Riku said in an empty voice.

"How is it not your fault!?" Sora demanded, his voice cracking due to terror. "/You/ brought me here! How is this not your fault?! You're going to kill me and-!" Sora started to cry again, the tears freely falling. He didn't want to die. No one did.

"I /had/ to," Riku snapped in vexation, emerald eyes narrowing at the sobbing brunette. "Do you really think I get a kick out of watching people die?" Riku snapped, his breathing heavy. Something different entered his voice then. Something real. Both noticed it. Riku turned away, staring at the light the lantern provided. Sora, on the other hand, continued to stare at Riku with fascination and a bit of horror.

"Then why, Riku," Sora whispered. "Why…"

"…I have to."

"Why?!" Sora demanded, his voice raising again. This time Riku silenced him by sliding his hand onto his moist lips. Sora frowned against the foreign hand. He would have bitten the offending limb but he figured Riku might have some sort of disease or something. Besides, that hand could have been anywhere. Sora shivered and closed his eyes, his body trembling again when he reminded himself of his situation.

"Don't talk too loud," Riku explained, his voice slipping back into that emotionless state. "I'm not supposed to even be talking to you." Riku lowered his hand, giving Sora room to speak.

"That's reassuring," Sora said in an almost inaudible voice.

"…Do you want answers or not?" Riku inquired, eyebrows lifting.

"And you're expecting me to believe you?" Sora asked, back pressed firmly against the cold wall. His knees remained tucked close to his body. The smaller his body was, the more the heat would centralize.

"My answers are better than nothing," Riku suggested and then shrugged.

"But why?… If you brought me here I don't think you-" Sora began in an apprehensive voice.

"I had no choice," Riku seethed, eyes turning back to glare at Sora. That reality sunk deep into Riku's voice. His voice was so lovely and velvety and seductive when it was real and not fake. When it was laced with an emotion. Sora trembled, banishing the thought away. "You don't understand anything."

"Then tell me," Sora suggested himself, eyes cautiously meeting green.

"…" Riku looked to the ground, as if wavering his options. "If you speak one word of this to him, I'll kill you myself. That is, if I'm not already dead," Riku mumbled, eyes trained on the ground.

Then why risk your own life on me?… "First off, who's he?" Sora questioned, watching in marvel at the fact that Riku was going to actually open up. Without even realizing it, Sora's body had somehow ended up scooted close against Riku's. Their shoulders touched as they sat there, side-by-side.

"My dad," Riku whispered, regret stinging his voice.

"…I see…" Sora trailed off. The next question came at once, "Who's… that… woman?"

"Woman?" Riku's eyes lifted as he stared at Sora. "…Oh," Riku glanced down. "…Wait." Riku paused again. "You … saw her? She's…somewhere in here?" Riku's voice turned desperate and real again. "She's…I have to see her! I…"

"Riku?…" Sora asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I," Riku tripped as he scrambled to get on his feet. Sora blinked in surprise, seeing the man so quickly rise. Sora pulled in pursuit, regardless of how weak he was feeling. It took the pair no more than ten seconds to reach the wall that Sora had found the door at. The brunette motioned to Riku to get on his knees alongside the brunette. Riku hastily nodded, regretting the fact that he hadn't brought the lantern over here. There was barely enough light to see one another as it was.

"There's a door here," Sora explained as his hand pressed onto the wall, doing exactly as he had done the day before.

Riku rushed forth the moment the entrance was made. Sora scrambled on all fours in after Riku. The brunette made it a point to close the entryway behind him. When he turned to the interior of the room, he noticed that Riku had pulled out a lighter. He lit and maneuvered around the room. It only took the silver-haired teenager a moment to find a candle. He lit and at once his gaze softened.

"M-mom…" Riku stammered, his voice turning from emotionless to unstable. Eyes made contact with the woman on the bed. Riku fell back down onto his knees as he scooted over to the bedside.

"His mom," Sora whispered to himself, biting back the urge to comment on the irony. Then again, it made sense. Somewhat…

"Mom, I'm sorry," Riku murmured, his voice heavy as he clasped their hands together. The woman gave the silver-haired male a sympathetic look. "He… He didn't tell me where you were! He… He just said you were here and that I had to …"

"I know, Riku," the woman said in a quieting voice. The stranger hushed the hysteric Riku as her free hand began to rake through his hair. "I know."

"I want to leave," Riku whimpered, completely forgetting that Sora, his captive, was still in the room listening. "I want to leave so fucking badly."

"Then do it," the woman reasoned, lowering her hand to rest on Riku's face. "I'm not going to live forever, Riku. You will live far longer than me. Especially at this rate. Get out and live a decent life," the woman suggested, a dull sparkle in her friendly eyes.

"I can't leave you here to die!" Riku argued, his voice quavering. "He…"

"Leave and take that kind young boy with you," the woman continued, her gaze shifting across the room to rest on Sora. "Let the Kayaki boy go with you."

"…." Riku stared quizzically at her. "He?…" He blinked again. "Mom! You… You can't honestly expect me to!"

"It isn't his fault," the woman reassured Riku, her gaze fixated on Sora. "He's done nothing wrong. Your father doesn't see it that way, I presume, but /I/ do. Take the boy with you and get as far away from here as you can."

"I'm not leaving you!" Riku said stubbornly, his grip tightening.

"Don't be difficult," the woman tried to argue but coughed towards the end, making her attempt to quarrel weaker.

"…" Riku's gaze fell back down to the ground. He let go of his mother's hand and scampered away from the bed. "I'll come back tomorrow, okay, mom?"

"Okay, Riku," his mother sighed with a bit of remorse, knowing that she couldn't change his mind.

Riku's gaze turned towards Sora, some sort of newly spawned hate in his eyes. The silver-haired male made his way back out the entrance and into the small room. Sora shivered, uncertain if he should be terrified or not. Blue eyes filled with tears again. He wanted nothing more than to stay in this room with this stranger. She was nice and compassionate and comforted him.

"Sora," the woman said in a quiet voice. "Don't let Riku do anything stupid." Sora bit his bottom lip, as if to silently argue. "I know he may be a stubborn child, but he's got a good heart. I'm saddened that he's stuck around here, playing puppet for his father. It's sickening."

"He wants to save you," Sora said, uncertain why he was sticking up for Riku.

"I know," the woman said sadly. "But I'm beyond saving. You aren't. Make him see that, okay, Sora?"

x x x

"Riku?"

Sora was sitting next to Riku once again, terrified that he was going to be beaten or something of the sort. Emerald eyes flickered over to Sora, taking in the brunette's appearance briefly. Riku's lips parted as a sigh elicited. "I guess you know why I'm here then, huh?" Riku's voice contained a bit of bitterness. The silver-haired male's eyes contained sadness, that Sora was certain of.

"You want to help your mom," Sora said with understanding. "But why can't you both leave?…"

"You wouldn't understand," Riku grumbled. "Then again, if anyone would understand, it'd be you," Riku corrected, eyes focusing on Sora. "You or your family," Riku added on in resentment, just making a point.

"I didn't do anything," Sora whimpered.

Riku paused, his anger slipping. Sora had begun to cry again. Now in the light, Riku noticed how many gauges and slashes and cuts were on the brunette's body. He noticed how badly the brunette was trembling. But more importantly, he was realized that Sora wasn't the cause of his anger. And he realized that Sora had lead Riku to his mother. Riku chewed the inside of his bottom lip, silently deliberating. Seconds later he draped an arm slowly around Sora's shoulders, tugging the brunette up against his chest.

Sora gladly accepted. "I want to go home," Sora cried. His eyes were shut tightly as the tears leaked at the corners. Bruised hands rolled up into knuckles as they pulled at Riku's shirt in a desperate attempt to vent. "I want to go home," Sora repeated in a mantra, his voice becoming weaker and more desperate each time.

"Thank you for showing me where my mom was," Riku whispered down into Sora's ear, a hand timidly running through Sora's hair. "I haven't seen in her in a few months. My father relocated her from upstairs into there. He said that if I knew where she was I'd be a threat to his plans," Riku grumbled.

Sora moved his face from Riku's tear-stained shirt. Blue eyes gazed up into slowly familiarizing green eyes. "You want to leave as much as I do, don't you?" asked Sora in a whisper.

"I do," agreed Riku, being lulled by his constant movements through Sora's hair.

"I'll help you if you help me?" Sora suggested weakly.

Riku seemed to be weighing his options. "If my dad finds out he'll have us both slaughtered. He wants me to torture you…to rape you… he told me so." Riku looked down, staring at the floorboards. "But I could never do that to anyone. I…"

"You're just trapped in a battle between your parents," Sora said almost inaudibly. Blue eyes continued to stare at the silver-haired teenager. Sora had to admit, Riku was downright gorgeous. Though, the idea of Riku being told to rape him wasn't really that settling.

"Yeah…" the teen trailed off. "I haven't seen anyone outside of my dad for three years now. That's when… this all started. That trip down to pick you up in the taxi was my first time out of here… I spent three hours trying to find you. I was lucky I was the one to pick you up at the point I did," Riku explained in a quiet voice. "My dad said if I brought you here he'd think about letting me and my mom go… but you see how far that got me."

Sora blinked and slowly nodded, trying to absorb the information. "So I was an exchange for you and your mom's freedom?"

"If you put it that way, then yeah," Riku said with a sigh. "Dad said that if I didn't return, with or without you, he'd kill mom. If I returned with you he'd set us free. If I returned alone, I would be severely punished…" Riku sighed again and clenched his fists.

"I'm sorry, Riku…" Sora whispered, frowning.

"Then he said if I toyed with you and hurt you he'd set her free. But I know he's lying. And I can't hurt you…"

"He's already done that," Sora murmured.

Riku frowned. "I know. You know, this place used to be beautiful. This house, I mean. Now it's run-down. Years of decay and weathering, I suppose." Sora found it hard to imagine that this could be anything more than a torture chamber. Where he probably would end up dying at the hands of fate. "I used to be happy."

Sora wasn't sure what suddenly overcame him. The brunette had always tried to appease others and make them happy, regardless of the outcomes for himself. And when Riku said that he used to be happy, the brunette was just spurred into action. Shyly, Sora leaned over and pressed a delicate kiss to Riku's left cheek. His lips lingered there, waiting for the other to pull away. When he didn't, Sora kissed the cheek again, this time with a bit more pressure.

"Neh…" Riku sighed with pleasure, eyes slipping shut. "See…that kind of feeling… you can't get that from rape," Riku mumbled, his body aching for more.

Sora blushed and pressed another kiss, though this one was more at Riku's jaw. "Feeling a bit happier?" Sora asked in a mumble, his lips pressing slowly along the male's jaw. It actually felt nice. Knowing that Riku wasn't out to hurt him. Knowing that Riku was doing this for his mom (Sora would do the same for his, certainly). And knowing that Riku was going to help him and that the other was opening up and sounding human.

"Yeah," said Riku honestly, flesh turning to fire where Sora's lips were. "Do… you want to know… anything else?…"

"Why am I here?" Sora requested, lips against Riku's jaw.

"I honestly… don't know," Riku said in a slur when Sora's lips had timidly kissed the male's pale neck. "Ngh… Sora…"

Sora flushed and quickly stopped, shifting. "I'm sorry," Sora slurred. "I… just don't like to see people sad and… you liked it and.. I figured….I…I don't know you that well and I…"

"It's okay. I enjoyed it," Riku said in a hushed tone as their eyes met. "My full name's Riku Jay Karada. I used to be into playing the piano. I was pretty good, actually. My mom's a wonderful pianist herself. Dad hated the thing. …I also used to love fireworks."

Sora blinked at the sudden gush of information. He then felt the need to answer with his own information. "I'm Sora Kayaki, though I bet you already knew that one." A silent laugh came from Riku. "I… I'm … completely gay," Sora murmured, blushing at the fact that he was openly discussing his orientation with someone other than Kairi. "I… like tacos and I used to work at a café."

Riku noticed Sora's awkwardness. "So am I." Sora smiled faintly at that. "I…" Riku began but was cut short when he heard a thudding noise nearing. "Fuck," Riku seethed under his breath. Without warning, Riku pulled Sora tightly to him, eyes shutting. The silver-haired male leaned his head down and whispered into Sora's ear, "He's coming."

Sora shivered and tightly held onto the friendly stranger. Small, bruised hands dug at Riku's shirt. Cracked nails clung tightly to the material as Sora bit back the urge to start crying once again. A shaky hand soon after began to rake through Sora's hair in a pathetic attempt to comfort the brunette.

"Riku."

Sora flinched when he heard the footsteps nearing them. The first thing that went through the youth's mind was that Riku was going to get in trouble for holding him like this - for protecting him. Riku's father seemed like a twisted and malicious man … and Sora didn't want to think what he could do to further torment Riku. Silence prevailed and Sora tightened his hold, feeling that Riku was his last strand of safety and reassurance. That thread was torn from the brunette within seconds.

Sora's small body was yanked from Riku's. The tired boy slumped against the floor, his limbs folding beneath his stomach as he lay face down. Sora winced, his knees digging into the cold ground. A groan from Riku was heard. Sora's eyes snapped open and watched in terror as Riku was yanked by his hair away from the shivering Sora.

"You've disappointed me, boy. Getting cozy with the enemy," hissed the man as he kicked Riku in the gut towards the side.

The silver-haired male was quick, and managed to move quickly so that the impact of the kick didn't knock him out. Riku coughed, breathing heavy. Emerald eyes watched in horror as the man grabbed Sora by his collar, yanking the boy up to eye-level in the musky darkness. Sora shivered as he tried not to look in the glowing orange eyes

"Let go of him, Xemnas!" Riku spat, body weakly moving towards Sora. The teen's hand flew out and pulled on Sora's pant leg, jerking Sora's body out of Xemnas' grasps. Sora whimpered as his stomach slammed against the ground, seeing Xemnas was the only thing supporting his body.

Xemnas paused, still in a crouching position. Eyes traveled from his son back to Sora, who was badly bleeding. Not enough to kill him. Not yet, anyways. "If you're so close to him, enough to betray your own father, then…" Xemnas frowned at Sora, disgust appearing on his face.

Riku groaned in slight pain as his hand made contact with a splinted piece of wood. The teen hissed as his emerald-hued gaze turned to Sora who was barely breathing at this moment.

"Then take advantage of your power like I've been telling you," Xemnas seethed, something sick and perverted and distorted flashing in his eyes.

Sora shivered at the idea. The chilling feel of blood running down his neck kept him focused that he was still alive and that he needed to stay awake and alert. Blue eyes looked weakly to his side to Riku who he could barely make out in the darkness.

"Will you… spare him, if I do?" Riku whispered, remorse and resentment in his voice. Eyes focused dimly on his father, pure hatred flashing in his eyes. But in that hate was a thread of loyalty. That thread was spawned by fear and abuse, no doubt.

"I will," came the empty promise in a low voice. "I won't kill him." But he could do so much worse. "Now, amuse me, boy."

Riku felt exhausted and appalled and emotionless all of a sudden. Emerald eyes turned to the brunette. "Sora?…" Riku breathed, slowly making his way back over to the laying teenager. A shaking hand extended and rested on Sora's shoulder. The brunette exhaustedly looked up in the dim darkness at the silvery strands of hair that were glowing. Sleep overcame Sora but he desperately tried to remain awake.

"I'll get you out of here," Riku whispered soothingly as he motioned for Sora to sit up. Sora did as he was instructed, fear telling him that if he defied he would be beaten. The brunette stared, terrified, at the face of someone he wasn't sure if he could trust or fear. "My mom told me to, and I've never broken a promise to her yet," Riku reassured Sora, leaning over to press his lips against Sora's neck. Riku flinched at the oh-so familiar taste of blood on the skin.

"I barely know you, and I'm risking my life and hers to save us three," Riku continued in an undetectable whisper so only he and Sora could hear. "So I need you to trust me," Riku went on, lips lapping at the skin. A quiet mew escaped Sora's lips, terror slowly subsiding. It would never be fully gone, but it was getting better to deal with.

"Don't leave me," Sora whimpered, bowing his head so that he could speak into Riku's ear. "Don't leave me to die, Riku… Don't hurt me…"

"I won't," Riku answered, nose brushing against Sora's pale columns of his neck (and Sora might have been imaging it, but the action was a bit affectionate). The male's lips continued up Sora's neck until they trailed along the boy's jaw. "I won't hurt you," he confirmed as he kissed the brunette's chin. Shudders flew through both their bodies, temporarily forgetting that they were both being watched. Riku made sure his lips strayed from Sora's as he lead them towards Sora's cheek.

"Why am I here…" Sora murmured desperately, hands frozen by his side as Riku began softly biting at his neck. Oddly, a surge of pleasure coursed through Sora as he sat there, arching his neck away from the touches in a silent offering. "Riku…"

Xemnas was, to say the least, not pleased at all to see that Sora wasn't resisting or screaming or trying to break away. The dark man yanked Riku away. Riku's back at once made contact with the wall that was within feet. A groan passed Riku's lips as he watched his father stare down Sora.

"You're going to pay for the trouble you've caused me, Kayaki." A punch made contact with Sora's jaw, making the brunette whimper in pain.

"Sora!" Riku yelled almost silently.

"Tomorrow you'll start seeing things my way," Xemnas promised Sora as his fingers dug at Sora's soft cheeks before he pulled away together and stormed towards the door. "And as for you, Riku… I'm disappointed that you've sided with a complete stranger." Xemnas left after that, slamming the door to the room shut. A faint locking noise ensued.

"I'm sorry," Sora whispered, tears falling from his eyes, intermingling with blood. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's not your fault," Riku said quietly, his body aching for relief and relaxation.

"Because of me you're trapped in here," Sora cried, the pain driving him insane. His cheek stung from where he had been punched, and he was certain that the pain wouldn't go away until a few more hours.

"It was bound to end up like this," Riku reassured Sora before his strong arms reached out into the darkness. Wordlessly, Riku encircled Sora in a tight hug, pulling the bleeding boy's body to his form. Sora at once latched onto the older male, crying and whimpering against his chest once again. "You've got me on your side now… Sora…" Riku breathed down into Sora's ear.

And for some reason, Sora didn't know why he believed him.