Sora and Roxas weren't always so close. At the beginning, they were really only friends because of Riku; Sor and Ri had been friends since they were little, and Riku and Roxas went to school together.
This little exchange was referenced in the snow chapter. At this point, Sora and Roxas had known each other almost a year, but their friendship wasn't exactly a close one. The fact that Roxas isn't exactly the most tactful person did not help matters.
Enjoy!
Roxas 16, Sora 14
Roxas' phone started ringing. He looked at the caller ID, and, seeing that it was Sora, he answered.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Hey, um, Riku just sent me a message and said something came up, so he's busy today."
"So are we not hanging out, then?" Roxas rarely ever hung out with just Sora. Sora and Roxas were friends, but Sora was Riku's friend more than he was Roxas'.
"We still can, if you want."
Roxas thought about it for a second. "Okay, sounds good. We were going to meet at Riku's, though. Do you want to meet at your house or mine, instead?"
"Um... yours."
"Mmkay. You're free to come over whenever."
"Alright. I'll be over soon, then."
"See you." Roxas hung up.
Fifteen minutes later, Sora showed up.
"Hey. What's up?"
Sora walked into Roxas' room. "Not much. My dad said he's coming to get me at like six or something."
"Okay. That works." They had about four hours.
Sora nodded. There was an uncomfortable silence.
"So. What do you want to do?" Roxas asked. He didn't really know what to do with the brunette.
"I dunno. It's your house."
"Hmm... I don't really care."
"We could watch TV?" Sora proposed.
"That works."
"Okay."
"To the living room?" Roxas asked.
"Yep."
They walked to the living room, and Roxas flipped through stations. "Stop me if you see anything you like."
"You can pick." Sora didn't get to watch much TV, so he had no idea what good shows or movies would be on.
"Hmm..." Roxas eventually settled on a horror flick. "You okay with this?"
"Yeah, sure."
After a while, Roxas flipped the TV off. "I have a question for you."
Sora looked at him. "What?"
"Are you gay?" Roxas asked, unabashedly. He knew that it probably seemed like it was coming out of nowhere for Sora, but it had been niggling at him for a few months.
"What?" Sora looked shocked.
"Well, are you?"
"Of course not. Why would you even ask that?"
Roxas raised an eyebrow. "Because I think you are. Why else?"
"Why?"
"Because you act like you are."
"I don't act like anything."
"Yes you do," Roxas said.
"Do not."
"I've never heard you say one single thing about a girl looking cute or whatever, but you're constantly saying them about guys. Sometimes I think you're hitting on Riku."
"What? I don't say things about guys." Sora wasn't stupid. People could overhear those kinds of comments, and he didn't want that.
Roxas sighed. "Okay, so maybe it's not really direct, but the way you say them... I'm not an idiot, Sora."
"I don't say anything, Roxas."
"I repeat, I'm not an idiot."
"Yeah, you apparently are."
"How come you never show any interest in girls, then?" Roxas stared pointedly at Sora.
"Because I'm only 14, and my parents say I'm too young to date."
Roxas shook his head. "You don't LOOK at them, Sora. Dating and showing interest are two different things. Besides, that's bullshit. 14 is not too young to date."
"Why show interest if nothing is allowed to come of it?" Sora asked. "I'm saving myself in the long run. And it's not. My parents are old-fashioned and controlling. To them, 14 is too young."
"Hormones don't work that way, kid. You can't just turn them on and off."
"I didn't say I'm not interested. I'm just not outwardly showing it."
Roxas raised an eyebrow. "Bullshit."
"No it's not."
"It is and you know it."
Sora shook his head.
"You don't look at them, Sora. I get not outwardly showing getting flustered or like... ogling them, or anything, but it always looks like they don't even exist to you. Your gaze glosses over them." That was the thing that tipped Roxas off most. Sora was always more energetic around Riku. That could just be Sora's personality, though, or the fact that he and Riku were best friends. The fact that girls did not even seem to pop up on his radar? That either meant Sora hadn't hit puberty yet or he didn't care to look.
"You're seeing things that aren't there, Rox."
"Why are you in denial?"
"I'm not!"
"There's nothing wrong with being gay," Roxas said reasonably.
"I know."
"Then why are you so scared that you won't even admit you are? It's not the end of the world."
"Because I'm not..." Sora said, starting to look frustrated.
"Sure."
"Roxas..."
"Yes?"
"Stop, please."
"Why?" Roxas asked flatly.
"Because I'm asking you to."
"Why?" Roxas repeated.
"Because."
"Because I'm right?"
Looking down, Sora shook his head.
"Then why, Sora?"
"Because I want you to stop." Sora's voice was getting quieter and quieter.
'You're going to have to admit it sooner or later."
"There's nothing for me to admit."
"Bullshit."
"Roxas, stop."
Roxas crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Give me one good reason to stop."
"Because you're upsetting me."
"If it's that upsetting, there has to be some amount of truth to it."
Sora shook his head.
"Either that or you're incredibly homophobic." Roxas thought that was less likely, considering Sora just said he knew there was nothing wrong with being gay.
"I'm not homophobic. That would be my father."
"So you're scared of your dad finding out?"
"There's nothing for him to find out."
Roxas rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Sora."
"I'm serious."
"Me too."
"What will it take for me to convince you?" Sora asked tiredly.
"What do you think will prove it?"
"I'm asking you."
Roxas shrugged. "There isn't much you can do to convince me."
"But there's something?"
"Nothing I can come up with. This one's on you."
Sora shrugged, and Roxas nodded. "Then until you can prove otherwise, you're in the closet."
Sora frowned, muttering something under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"Tell me."
"Nothing," Sora repeated.
Roxas rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Sora."
"I said..." Sora sighed. "I said that closets are safe and comfortable."
"But they're also cramped and dark."
"Not walk-in ones."
"Based on the fact that you refused to admit it even when I directly confronted you tells me you're way too deep into the closet for it to be comfortable or happy."
"I'm fine."
"I doubt that."
"I really am," Sora insisted.
"At least you finally owned up to it."
"Because you don't know how to leave well enough alone."
Roxas nodded. "Nope. I've always had that problem. I don't let people lie to themselves."
"I was never lying to myself. Just everyone else."
"I'm not crazy about letting people do that, either."
"It's not your life."
"Now you have someone you can be yourself around, though," Roxas pointed out. "It's not like I'm going to tell anyone or anything. I won't even tell Riku." Roxas couldn't think of this as anything but a good thing.
"Good. I'm going to go wait outside for my dad now, it's almost six."
Roxas sighed. "You have another ten minutes. There's no point in waiting outside."
"I'm waiting outside."
"You're being ridiculous." Roxas could understand Sora being a bit uncomfortable, but he didn't see why it was THAT big of a deal...
"Screw you." Sora got up from the couch.
Roxas sighed. "Riku's going to ask sooner or later why you hate me so much. What are you going to tell him?"
"That you're an ass."
"He already knows that. Hell, you already knew that."
"Then I'll tell him that it finally got to me."
"Whatever. You'll get over it," Roxas said, his tone lacking any sympathy for the smaller brunette.
Sora shrugged as he walked out of the room." Bye, Roxas."
Roxas sighed, but despite Sora's anger, he felt justified.
He had gotten the boy to admit the truth, and that was a step in the right direction.
