A/N: In case it wasn't obvious yet-

Italicized words – mainly theinternal dialog / thoughts of the person. This is actually a clue to understand whose PoV is used in a certain part.

Usually, my line breakers (xXx) indicate a change in PoV or a change in scene.

It wasn't that anyone was asking or someone said that they were confused about it. I just wanted to be clear. XD

xXx

The Morning After

xXx

The smell of something burning woke Riku up with a start. He immediately kicked off the covers and began looking around, eyes instantaneously searching the room for the source. However, another quick whiff made him realize that the house wasn't really on fire- it was actually just the stench of burnt toast.

Riku heaved a sigh of relief as he slowly lied back down. He had moved too quickly and now, as a consequence, the headache originally caused by the hang-over had doubled.

He could do with some aspirins.

I think I still have some on the dresser.

He reached for the bedside dresser only to be faced with a dresser-less bedside.

He blinked, hoping that it was only his mind playing tricks on him, preventing him from seeing the said furniture. But then, it hit him. Looking around (while carefully trying not to aggravate his headache), he was able to notice a few… differences.

His room had a bookcase lined with books and trophies. This place had shelves with only trophies (none of which he was familiar with since he was pretty sure he had never joined any dancing contests along with… were those pageant trophies?!).

His room smelled faintly of alcohol, but other than the lingering smell of burnt food, the room he was in smelled completely normal- if you considered the smell of dirty laundry 'normal'.

His computer had dozens of post-it notes stuck on the monitor and his computer table had papers and pens scattered all over. However, this place had a lonely laptop that was left open with no stationery supplies to be found.

He preferred keeping his blinds closed (Riku didn't like the sunlight glaring at his face so early in the morning), but here, the curtains were swept to the side, letting the soft sunlight flood in through the bare window.

And after realizing that he did not own a blanket with dog-like patterns, Riku could finally conclude that this wasn't his room… Nor were these his clothes- oh wait, no- those were his pants. But the large t-shirt definitely wasn't his!

Certainly, his situation begged the question of where on earth he was.

"Where on earth am I?" he asked out loud for good measure. He tried conjuring up possible locations where he could've ended up. Obviously, this place wasn't his room in his apartment. It wasn't his room in his parent's house, either. It also definitely wasn't Sena's room. Nor could it be some random hotel room... Just where was he?

"Riku! You're awake!" A head popped in from the door- it looked like Riku's former senior in high school- Kamiya Taiga. "You don't look so well- your head hurt or something? You want some headache medicine? I think I have a couple around here somewhere- Ah, but d'ya need other things? Haha, I really don't know how to deal with hangovers, so if you need anything, just ask 'kay? Wait, are you hungry? The toast got burnt but I managed to save the eggs and bacon, you fine with that?"

Taiga continued on talking and talking but none of his words managed to reach Riku. The younger boy was still staring at the dog-like-patterns on the blanket, wondering and debating over the design about whether they looked more like wolves than dogs.

They must be Siberian huskies.

The boy hated to admit it, but his thought process was a bit different than normal (as he usually put it) the morning after getting completely drunk.

And, unfortunately, such was the case today.

He slowly sat up straight. "Nngh… Taiga-senpai?" He should really ask Taiga about…He paused. What was he supposed to ask again?

"…Huh? Ah! Yeah? What is it, Riku?" The taller boy took a few seconds before he responded.

He looked like he just got snapped out from something. He seemed like he was just staring at him, though, Riku thought. Riku also noticed a slight blush on Taiga's face, but the smaller boy couldn't fathom why.

Maybe… it was because of the heat? Taiga was cooking food a while ago... Or maybe he's embarrassed of the apron he's wearing?... He shouldn't be. It looks kinda good on him…

Speaking of aprons, I don't remember owning an apron like that. Did mom buy me another one? Did the old one get burned again? I tried not to leave any burnt marks on that last apron... Wait. That's not the point. She shouldn't have gone out of her way to buy me another apron! I told her that I could take care of myself- I'm old enough.

The smaller boy wasn't aware that he had been staring off into space the whole time he was having his internal monologue. His lips were slightly parted, he had bed hair, he sported a dazed look, and with the somewhat larger shirt… Taiga had to look away so that he wouldn't start staring… again.

"Riku?" Taiga called out after five minutes had passed with the smaller boy still not talking.

The boy blinked, snapping out of his reverie. "Huh?... Ah, Taiga-senpai," more blinking, and then, "Hey. Where did you get the apron?"

"Aha-ha… t-this?! It's nothing, it's nothing! It was just something lying around the house! I swear- I mean, there wasn't anything else, so yeah, and uh… that's it, really!"

As Taiga looked flustered while quickly taking off the said piece of clothing, Riku could only deduce that the other really was blushing because he thought that the apron looked silly- And that his mother did get him a new apron. He reminded himself to at least thank his parent before reminding her not to bother next time.

"You didn't have to cook for me," Riku said as he stood up from the bed. He then dragged his feet as he headed towards his kitchen-slash-dining room… That is, if he could remember the way there. He was pretty sure that he only had to turn left, and it would be the door to his right, but… Really, now. He doesn't recall having the place renovated! How could he have forgotten the way to his own dining room?!

"Ah, Riku, the dining room's this way," Taiga said as he motioned for Riku to follow him.

How did Taiga know the way around Riku's house when he, himself, didn't? And what was the other boy doing here in the first place, anyway? It's very unusual to see Taiga at his apartment. In fact, this should be the first time.

Riku should be surprised to see the older boy, he really should. But he was currently problematic of the fact that he couldn't find the way to his dining room. Everything was just a mess inside his mind, it wouldn't do for him to keep going like this the whole day. He should really try to straighten things out.

He stopped walking.

Wait- That's right! This isn't my house! So… this place is… Taiga's? What am I saying- of course it is… I knew that...

It was then that he was able to piece things together.

He was inside Taiga's house- no, he needed to be more accurate. He slept at Taiga's house inside Taiga's room on Taiga's own bed while wearing Taiga's shirt.

There weren't enough emphases in that previous sentence that would fully convey how Riku felt at the moment. Nor will he be able to find the right words to express the emotions that were currently jumbled up inside him.

He clutched at the shirt he was wearing, making wrinkles form around the hem. Just the mere thought of his current position, and already, his mind felt like it was too preoccupied to think up of anything else- not the fact that he had been drunk the night before which was what lead him to asking his senior to let him spend the night over; not the fact that he had made himself so severely intoxicated that he forgot about getting intoxicated in the first place; and certainly not the fact that he it was heartbreak that lead him to his inebriation.

The gravity of the situation felt too much, too heavy to bear, but even with that, there was still one thing that his body allowed him to do.

He smiled as he tried catching up to Taiga.

xXx

The dining room was silent save for the scraping sounds of metal against porcelain. Taiga fidgeted as he idly tapped his fork on his empty plate. He felt awkward as he tried his best to only focus on the objects on the table before him and not at the slightly-more-awake-but-still-looking-half-asleep Riku and the way the smaller boy would take a bite of bread before eating the already sliced sunny-side-up egg, and how he would always lick his lips after drinking some juice, and how it looked like he always carefully chewed his food before swallowing...

…Focus on the food, Kamiya Taiga. The food, not at Riku and his eating habits- the food!

"I'm done. Thanks for the meal," Riku said as he stood up, gathering his plates as well as Taiga's.

"Wait, wait- you don't have to do that, Riku! You're the guest, right, so I'll clean up," Taiga immediately protested, taking the plates from Riku.

It was a short-lived tugging war as the smaller boy forcefully took the items away from his reach. He would have fought more, but when Riku gave him this smirk, Taiga was effectively stopped from trying anything again.

Damn, he was acting like he was whipped.

Taiga sighed as he combed his hand through his hair, his face not without an amused yet beaten smile. He tried busying himself with wiping the table, but every now and then, he couldn't help but stare at the figure washing the dishes with an anxious look.

Despite how normal Riku looked at the moment, after what Taiga had witnessed last night, it was obvious that he viewed the boy differently now.

Last night, Riku had looked so helpless, so weak, that for a couple of seconds, Taiga wanted to confirm whether or not it was the same cool, confident kid that he knew from high school.

Then again, it wasn't the first time that Taiga felt like he was facing a different person.

One could say that he was pleasantly surprised when, after five years, he had managed to see Riku again- that cute, little, feisty freshman who instantly caught his eye when he and his friend were signing up for the track team where he was captain. Taiga thought the chances of meeting each other again after he had graduated would be pretty low, but here they were- having breakfast inside his house, eating the food he cooked.

Well, it did take five years before their reunion, but the point is, he could swear it was fate when he was given another chance to have a glimpse of that adorable face.

What more was that, during that particular reunion, Riku was actually the one who started talking to him, and the boy seemed to really remember him, too! Taiga could swear he was grinning from ear to ear when Riku told him that it was fine to call him by his first name. He was so happy that he knew he could keep saying the other's given name the whole day and not get tired- he really was going to do it, too, but the way Riku's face looked as he said it made Taiga think twice. He didn't have any basis for it, but Riku's smile… it looked tired, or sad, or… or forced. That's it. It looked forced.

Taiga frowned.

He didn't like that kind of smile coming from Riku. When he saw it, he felt like he wanted to make things better somehow; he felt like he wanted to get Riku to smile like he used to; he felt like he wanted Riku to look genuinely happy to see him. He felt like…like he wanted to get back the 'Riku' that he knew from high school.

xXx

He had something new to aim for, a new target that he wasn't willing to lose sight of- not a chance. He was prepared to do anything, but the problem was, he didn't even know where to begin.

What did he know about Riku? Not much, apparently. The only knowledge Taiga had of the other boy were those that he got when they were last together… and that was five years ago. Would knowing something about a person dating back to five whole years help him?

Riku was the type who could evolve in such a short amount of time, Taiga had once concluded since way back then. The person he is now was probably very different from the one he knew five years ago, Taiga just knew- he didn't have proof, but he just knew that that was the case.

So, it only meant he had to do a little digging here and there- something a bit (just a bit!) hard to do since he didn't want to look like some stalker. But while he always did enjoy a challenge (after all it was an opportunity to show off his amazing skills), there were times when he simply wanted things to work out for him.

It was annoying how his objective was presented right in front of him but he wasn't allowed to just reach out and take it. It was a delicate situation in which he had to carefully plan out his steps. He needed to identify points in which he's to make his moves. He can't expect Riku to just come to him… in his dreams, maybe… and what awesome dreams those would've been.

"Kamiya-senpai? Fancy seeing you here!"

…I must be dreamin'…

Here was Riku sitting next to him on the train, casually asking for his phone number (he looked pretty cool while doing it, too, Taiga had to say). It was a very welcome coincidence that Taiga should've used to start his plan with, but he had been too wrapped in trying to make Riku laugh at his jokes (and he was proud to say that he was successful!) that he almost didn't notice his stop.

He was trying to get his breath back at the train platform, when he face-palmed as he realized his mistake. An opportunity like that doesn't come often, how stupid of him to let it go to waste!

"Taiga-senpai – can I call you Taiga-senpai? Anyway, Taiga-senpai, what are you doing here? Buying some shoes? I think you're going to need help, good thing I'm here, right?"

The long-legged boy was dumbfounded the whole time he got dragged by Riku from store to store. Just when Taiga was thinking how this whole thing would be so hard to accomplish because he didn't know a way to get closer to Riku, the said boy would present himself. How lucky.

And as if the previous occurrences weren't enough to prove his good fortune, fate decided that those wouldn't be the only times that they would 'accidentally' meet each other. Riku kept saying that every meeting was purely coincidental, and Taiga wanted to believe him, too, but the arrogant side of him kept thinking that the younger boy was really going out of his way to meet Taiga.

He'd never think to say it out loud in front of the younger boy, though. If he did, the other might stop, and who would want that to happen?

xXx

Things were definitely going well. Too well that Taiga could just imagine Kid saying something about this being a bad premonition… or something like that. Anyway, it's not like Taiga believed in things like that.

"Hey, Riku! Over here!" Taiga called out when he saw the said boy entering the bus he was riding. He stopped himself from grinning too much as he recalled how this was the seventh time (in just the past two weeks) that Riku rode the same bus as him.

Every day, Taiga had to be careful to arrive at the right time at his stop. He had to wake up extra early just to be sure, but it was worth it if he got to spend half an hour with Riku inside a half-empty bus. It made his mornings so much brighter.

It was just a shame, though, that they didn't get off at the same time- then they could've walked together, too.

Oh well, guess I can't have everything.

"Say, Riku, you still take university classes, right?" Taiga asked that one particular morning. If one cared enough to pay attention to the long-legged boy, they would notice that he had a certain determined air that day. They might also notice the scheming look which was only slightly masked by the excited gleam in his eyes.

"Yeah. Sena and I go to the same school," Riku replied with a smile that Taiga had come to recognize as a particular expression that he always used when Sena came into the topic. Taiga half-pouted.

"Sena, huh? It's been pretty long since I last saw him," Taiga mused. "Anyway," he continued, trying to steer the conversation back to the original track he was trying to go on. He could be really determined when he chose to. Not to mention focused as he always tended to have a one-track mind-set. "You must be busy all the time with studying and stuff, right?"

"Nah, not really. University's not that hard," Riku half-bragged.

Taiga chuckled. "Riku must be really smart then, ne? Don't you go to that famous school?" he teased.

"Like I said- it's not that hard," Riku smirked. "I even have time to do sports."

"Hey, hey! Don't be too bigheaded!" Taiga had Riku in a head-lock as he ruffled the younger boy's hair. "But that's great, though! Riku's really great. I was right when I chose you as the next team captain back then!"

"You did? I thought it was the coach's decision," Riku said, disbelief on his face. He didn't bother taking off Taiga's arms- something that Taiga smiled about on the inside.

"It was. Kid had a part in it too since he was captain, but I did most of the convincing. Coach didn't want a second year being captain, but I said I got to be captain even when I was just a second year, so why can't you? Maybe he got tired of me bothering him," Taiga laughed. A few seconds later, Riku joined in on the mirth.

When they were calming down, Riku uttered out a quick 'thank you'. Taiga noted how cute Riku looked when he was pleased.

"It's nothin'," Taiga said with a smile. He took off the arm encircled around Riku and instead used that hand to comb through his hair. "So, anyway, since you're not that busy, does that mean you still have time to go out and party or other stuff like that?"

"Yeah, most of the time my friends and I get to eat out at those restaurants and bars near our school, especially now that we don't have any exams and papers due any time soon."

"Really, that's great! Does that mean you can… I mean, since you're not busy and all, maybe you can… with me, and uh," Taiga couldn't look straight at Riku. He kept averting his eyes, staring at everything else aside from the younger boy- the other passengers, the bus driver, the people going down the bus, the students walking outside, the familiar looking school- he was wondering why they weren't moving yet when there wasn't any traffic, but then the bus softly budged forward so he didn't bother dwelling any more about it-

Wait…

"Riku! That was your stop!"

"What?!" Riku quickly stood up, giving Taiga a wave before he dashing towards the front of the bus to ask the driver to stop.

Taiga heaved a sigh as he watched Riku safely go down the bus.

…Just when I was gonna ask him to eat out with me.

Another sigh escaped his mouth as he finally tore his gaze off the now empty spot beside him and instead focused on the blurry scenery made even hazier by the glazed glass.

It was disappointing, Taiga had to admit, but that didn't stop him from grinning as he stared out the window. He wasn't the least disheartened by the situation, as in fact, a positive thought danced around his mind as he watched cars, buildings and people whizz by-

Not being able to ask now only meant that he could just accidentally meet up with Riku later.

xXx