Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters do not belong to me! (but you already know that) Now, have fun!
------
The ice rink was pretty big from the changing room's windows. There were many people skating and Sora doubted there would be enough place for them.
" Sora, come put your ice skates on ! "
Sora turned back and ran towards Roxas. Riku just finished to put his on, and the brunette was the last one. He sat on a bench and took his ice skates. Once he was done, he stood up and tried to walk. It felt strange at first but he quickly got used to it.
" Axel, this way ! " the blonde said as he waved. The red-haired boy was followed by five of his friends. There was one girl with them. Roxas and Riku seemed to know them, so Sora felt left out until Axel said :
" Guys, the shrimp there is Sora ! Got it ? " There he goes again, calling him 'shrimp' !
" Hi boy, the name's Larxene. " the girl said. She had strange locks of hair that made her look like an insect.
" Nice to meet you, I'm Marluxia. " a boy, with hair that was alsmot pink, said.
" I'm Xigbar. " one of the boys added. He didn't look really pleasant, and his looks weren't helping at all.
" I'm Zexion. " a blue-haired boy said. He looked so calm ! The last one looked at Sora before holding out his hand.
" Xaldin. " That was quick but still polite. Sora shook hands with him and the other guy smiled a bit.
" Okay, now that introductions are done, let's go ! " Axel exclaimed, a fist in the air. They all followed him on the ice and many of them began to skate. They were so fast ! Sora tried to move slowly, grabbing the barrier that was surrounding the ice. After a while, he wanted to skate without any help, but he soon fell on his back.
" Are you okay ? " Riku asked, coming to Sora. He hold out his hand to help him stand up and noticed that the blue-eyed boy wasn't wearing gloves. " You didn't brought them ? " he asked.
" Brought what ? " the brunette asked.
" I see. " Riku replied, as he took off his own gloves to hand them over to his friend. " Take mine ". The brown-haired teen did what he was told to do.
" Riku, you have such big hands ! Your gloves are too big for me ! " he said, smiling.
" It's better than nothing. " the platinum-haired boy replied. " Okay, let's begin the lesson ! " he said, standing next to Sora.
------
On the way back to the dorms, the group was laughing loudly, except for Zexion, that is. Sora assumed he wasn't the talkative type, as all he heard him say was his name. It bugged him and he tried many times to talk to him, but only recieved glances as replies. Xaldin tried to help Sora by answering and asking things to the blue-haired boy too, but to no avail. After a while, the brunette gave up. Once they arrived at the dorms, they split up and the two cousins went to their room.
" That was great, don't you think ? " Roxas asked.
" Hell, yeah ! Now, I can skate thanks to Riku ! " Sora answered.
" It's good to see how you two get along ! The first time I saw him, he didn't talk to me at all. " The blonde then whispered, though it was just them in the room. " To tell you the truth, it's Axel who introduced me to him. " Then, he winked and grinned.
" Is that so.. " Sora trailed off, finding the wall pretty interesting all of a sudden.
" Sora, could it be you're blushing ? You're so cute ! " the blonde said, ruffling his relative's hair.
" Hey, don't call me 'cute' ! " the brunette said, his face turning a deep red.
Meanwhile, Riku was lying on his bed, looking at the window. He was lost in his thoughts but Axel snapped him back into reality.
" Hello ? Are you listening, buddy ? " he said, an annoyed tone in his voice.
" Huh ? What ? " Riku asked, blinking a few times before lifting his head up. His roommate sighed.
" I was saying that I had a lot of fun tonight ! " His eyes narrowed as he spoke.
" I noticed that. You kept on glancing at Roxas' bu… "
" Don't you dare finish that sentence ! And I wasn't ! I just… made sure he didn't fall. "
" If you keep on being like that, you'll scare the poor little boy. " Riku answered, looking at the window again.
" Are you saying that I'm an old pervert ?! " the red head said, his voice raising a little.
" You said it. " the silver-haired boy told him. He heard Axel mutter and saw him put his blankets on him. It was getting late and Riku was exhausted. As he closed his eyes, he thought about all the things that happened in the evening. Axel was right : it was really amusing.
------
A few weeks had passed since Sora entered college. He was now getting along pretty well with his classmates and made a few friends amongst people from the dorms. Every Sunday, his mother would call him to make sure everything was alright.
" By the way, who is that Riku ? " Misaki – who is Sora's mother – asked. So, it was Sunday and school break was close now.
" One of Roxas' acquaintances. " Sora said.
" Someone you must like a lot. You're always talking about Riku. " his mother said. She didn't spoke for a few seconds, which was really weird, and Sora almost thought she hung up.
" Hello ? " he said.
" Sorry, I was just thinking. "
" About what ? " Another moment of silence.
" Say, Sora, and I want you to be honest ! Are there… cute girls at school ? " She couldn't see her son but she knew he was blushing.And she was right. Since he didn't answer, she continued. " Please, don't fool around, okay ? Mommy's still too young to have grand-children. And you're not responsible enough ! How come ?! What did I do wrong ? " she said, almost crying on the phone. She had such vivid imagination. Sora panicked and even his father, who was probably listening to their conversation, seemed worried when he said " what did he do ? What happened ? "
" Hey, hey ! Don't rush it, will you ! I did nothing…like that, okay ? " the brunette said, lowering his voice, so that nobody could hear him. Misaki was still perplexed, so he tried to reassure her. " Don't worry mom, there aren't that many girls in the dorms anyway. The only one I know is Kairi and.. "
" What ? There's also Kairi ? " she interrupted. What did she mean by 'also' ? Wait…
" Er… Mom, Riku is a boy. " Sora said. What would he say if he knew he had been mistaken for a girl ? He surely would be angry. The brunette laughed at the thought.
" Phew, you scared me there ! Since you were like 'Riku this, Riku that, and Riku told me that..', I always thought you were talking about your girlfriend ! " She giggled. " Anyway, we can't wait to see you during vacation ! And you know what ? We're celebrating New Year's Eve at your father's friend's house ! He's working at the same place and we helped him to move out. So, he invited us to thank us for our help. Isn't he nice ? "
" That's good. " Sora simply said. He wasn't that happy to go to a stranger's house. He'll have to bear with it. He felt someone taping on his shoulder and gave a quick glance behind him. " I have to go ! It was nice talking with you ! I'll call you next week ! "
" Silly boy ! You're coming back next Friday ! " Misaki replied.
" Really ? Woa, time goes fast ! Well, see you next week then ! " He hung up and turned back, fully smiling. " Hey Kairi ! "
" Hello Sora ! Sorry that I interrupted you ! " the girl said, winking.
" It's okay, we were finished anyway. " Sora lied. " Is something wrong ? "
" Nope. Just wanted to ask you to go outside for a walk ! "
" I'll go get my jacket ! Wait for me ! " The brunette said, as he rushed to his room to take his scarf too. Then, he went out and searched for Kairi : she was waiting next to a street lamp. They walked in the campus' garden but it wasn't that big. So, they decided to go to a park nearby. It was gorgeous and wide. The perfect place for walks ! In the middle of the park was a big lake with a fountain in its center. Some ducks were swimming.
" How can they swim when it's so cold out there ?! " Kairi exclaimed. She grabbed Sora's arm and stood close to him. " Do you mind ? I'm freezing ! " The boy nodded. His cheeks were rosy, just like hers. She leaned her head against the brunette's shoulder and giggled. He didn't like that. After all, they weren't going out. And what if her boyfriend was to see them like that ? He'd beat the crap out of Sora and it would be the end of an almost peaceful life. He was too young to die ! Sora knew, at that moment, where his vivid imagination came from… They had been walking for an hour and their feet began to hurt, so they sat down on the grass. At first, Sora thought it'd be wet but it was just a bit cold.
" It's such a pretty view, isn't it ? " Kairi asked, tilting her head on he side.
" Yes, it is.. " Sora trailed off. She was a really pretty girl, and he couldn't think of anything else when she was around him. He didn't know if it was what people used to call 'love' though. He stopped thinking when he noticed that Kairi was acting strangely.
" Is something wrong ? " Sora asked. The girl had her face turned to the young boy's, her eyes closed. It looked like she was waiting for something. She opened her eyes and blinked two times. " Could it be he's that dense ? " she thought. She looked at the lake again, letting a small sigh pass her lips. The brunette didn't pay attention to it and looked at his watch. It was almost 16 o'clock and he had to go back. He and Roxas were going to Axel's room to play a video game he just bought. He stood up and excused himself, leaving Kairi alone.
" That boy is so stupid. " she said when he was gone.
------
" You're late ! "Axel said when Sora went in his and Riku's room. Roxas was already there.
" I'm so sorry ! Something came up and I didn't know it was already this late ! " the brunette said, looking at the boys while scratching the back of his neck.
" Don't be so down, I was just joking ! " Axel said. Sora closed the door before taking off his jacket and tossing it on a chair. He sat on the red-haired boy's bed, next to Roxas who was lying on his tummy. " Rpg " Sora thought as he looked at the tv screen. " a futurist one it seems. " He looked on the side and saw Riku sitting on his own bed.
" What are you reading ? " he asked. Riku looked up at Sora and sighed.
" An insomniac's dream. " he replied.
" Once again, he's doing his homeworks late. We had two months to read this book. " Roxas added.
" Why don't you help him, then ? " the brown-haired teen asked his cousin.
" Because if I do, he'll never learn from his mistakes ! "
" And it works so well ! " Axel exclaimed, " This time, he has two days left instead of an evening ! " He didn't add anything else, as his boyfriend was glaring at him. Sora stood up and sat on Riku's bed. He took the book from his hands and told him to take paper and a pen.
" You'll never be able to finish it in two days, so I'll give you a summary, okay ? You'll do everything else alone. " he added.
" You read it ? " Riku asked, arching an eyebrow.
" Yes, and it's a shame you didn't, if you want my opinion. "
" Come on, Sora ! That book is plain boredom ! " the blonde said.
" You just don't understand its meaning. I bet you thought it was dealing with some guy unable to sleep, as the title says. " the brunette answered.
" It doesn't ? " the three asked.
" My, my. You guys should thank Riku for being a procrastinator. " Sora simply said. " At the beginning, there are hints that show the main character is on the verge of dying, and he is remembering the best moments of his life. " The three took paper and pens and listened carefully to Sora's explanations. An hour later, their work was finished.
" To think I was totally wrong ! " Axel said, smacking his forehead with the palm of his hand.
" You'll always surprise me ! In a way, you're scary… " the blonde said to tease Sora, who only stuck his tongue out as a response.
" You helped me twice already. What can I do to thank you ? " Riku asked.
" Saying 'thank you' is enough. " Sora said, smiling at him.
" It's not fair ! You're only nice to Riku. " Roxas said.
" You noticed too ? " the red head added. " He never smiled at me the way he does with him. " Sora felt his cheeks becoming hot and, all of a sudden, he remembered his mother's words about Riku being his 'girlfriend'. His face was so red and hot that tears formed on the corner of his eyes.
" Stupid mother ! " he said, hiding his face in his hands. The other boys looked at one another.
" What did auntie say this time ? "
" She… " Sora looked at Roxas, a tear caused by the blush rolling down his cheek. " She thought she was going to have grand-children. " He didn't want to say more than that. Silence filled the room before the blonde laughed out loud.
" And with who did she think you were going to have a baby ? " he asked, still laughing.
" …Well, she… she thought R-Riku was a girl… " As he stopped talking, Sora hid under the blankets. They understood why Sora reacted this way when they teased him a few minutes ago. It finished Roxas who couldn't stop laughing for the entire evening, because of Misaki's misunderstanding but also, and mostly, because of Riku's expression at that time.
------
Sora was the first one to enter the classroom. He didn't like empty places and hoped someone would come in soon. It didn't take too long before a man entered. Recognizing him, Sora ran to the boy.
" Hey, Cloud ! " The blonde glanced at him and took his stuff out of his bag. He wasn't acting like he usually used to, and it confused the brunette. He was going back to his seat when Cloud called him.
" Could you come here for a minute ? I need to talk to you. "
" I was there a few minutes ago and you ignored me ! " Sora said. " I'm not moving from here. " He folded his arms to his chest as he spoke.
" Fine. Then, I will be coming over." As the blonde man came up, the blue-eyed teen felt his heart beating faster and faster. What was going on ? Cloud sat down next to his young relative and looked at the table. " Seems like you made your mother worry. " After a short moment of silence, he continued. " Anyway, there is something I want to ask you. " Was he also thinking Sora was fooling around with girls ? Why couldn't they trust him ? It was not like him at all !
" Listen Cloud, I have no…"
" I heard rumors about Roxas. " Sora blinked a few times before he realized what his cousin just told him. He looked at the blonde, who was also looking at him now. It felt awkward. " Do you know someone named Axel ? "
" Crap ! So, he knows about it ! " the teen thought. He was about to look at his feet but he knew that if he did as such, he'd blow up everything. Roxas asked him to keep it a secret, and he didn't want to break his promise. He tried hard not to look away and, still looking at Cloud, he replied :
" Axel, you say ? Let me see… " Taping his chin with his index finger, he acted as if he was in deep thought. " Nope, I don't know anyone named like that. " he concluded.
" Really ? " Cloud asked, arching an eyebrow. If things were to go on like this, Sora wouldn't be able to hold his tongue for long. Suddenly, he heard someone open the class' door.
" Hey, daddy ! Mommy's here ! " Roxas said, pointing to Riku. The blonde man stood up and walked towards his desk, leaving a sighing Sora. That was pretty close.
------
Cloud didn't mention it at all after that and once classes were over, the brunette made sure he was alone with his younger cousin in their room.
" Hey, what's wrong Sora ? You look funny today ! " the blonde teen asked.
" Now's not the time for jokes ! Cloud knows about you and Axel. " Roxas became pale all of a sudden. He sat, or most likely 'fell' on his bed.
" It's not true… How could he know about it ? Unless…you told him ? "
" Idiot, of course I didn't ! It looks like he heard people's gossips. He even asked me if I knew Axel. I managed to lie to him once, but it won't work twice. " Sora said, looking at his feet. Silence filled the room until Roxas stood up. " Where are you going ? " the brunette asked. The blonde looked really serious and it kind of made him worry.
" I need to tell Axel about this. " He faced Sora before continuing. " I knew from the beginning that we wouldn't be able to hide it from him for too long. It's just that… I didn't think he'd find out so soon. " He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. " I'm scared to death. What will he do when he finds out ? " He was close to crying. Sora approached the blonde and put a hand on his shoulder.
" Looks like I'll have to stand up for you again. " he said as he gave a gentle smile. Roxas smiled back and walked towards the door. How surprised was he to find Axel behind it, about to knock. The blonde boy couldn't help but cry when he saw him.
" Roxas ? What's wrong ? " the red-haired boy anxiously asked. It was the first time he saw his lover cry and he wished he never did. " There, it's okay now. I'm here. " he said. He gently kissed Roxas before hugging him. Axel was about to quickly wave at Sora, when he noticed the brunette's horrified expression. Was he that much disgusted by a little kiss ?
" Don't you think you're over-doing it ? " the red head asked angrily.
" Now, I have my answer. " someone said behind the couple. It was Cloud.
