All Right! We have a little shower room conflict here, a little bitch slapping there, and a fluffy little cheek-kiss at the end of the chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: If anyone sues me, I will laugh at you, for I own nothing but the plot line of this story. And the school. I own that.
Chap 4: Old and New Love
Tidus stayed home the next morning, while Wakka, Sora and Roxas went to school. All three of them were worried about Tidus, but with new friends and new reasons to go, they headed off without fuss.
Axel and Riku met them halfway to school. Roxas squealed and threw himself upon the red-head. Wakka snapped a quick picture and locked it within six seconds. Sora smiled at Riku and started explaining about his brother.
"Sorry he's not feeling well. Sounds like he's got enough people to take care of him, though." The silver-haired boy shifted his backpack, watching Roxas snuggle Axel's arm as they walked.
"We've always been tight. After our dad-" Sora stopped himself. Roxas had heard the word 'dad' and got really quiet. "Well, we've always been that way..."
Riku eyed the boy. "What about your dad? You guys always talk about your mom, but not him. What, they divorced or something? No big thing, mine are." Sora didn't answer, so Riku went on. "Aww, come on, it can't be that bad."
Sora glanced at him before saying in a whisper, "He's dead."
Riku swallowed. "Oh, um...sorry..." He fell silent, wishing he hadn't said anything at all.
"It's okay. It happened when I was twelve."
Riku blinked, shocked at how recent that seemed. "I wouldn't have said anything if I knew..."
Sora chuckled softly. "I know. Don't worry, it happens a lot." He stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face. Riku caught his arm.
"Watch where you're going, ya?" Wakka grabbed Sora's other arm and helped Riku hoist him back to his feet.
Sora blushed. "Sorry." He fiddled with a thin necklace around his neck. It was simple: a little silver chain with a four pointed star on it. His twin had one as well, but the chain was thicker and the medallion heavier and bigger. Riku noticed the necklace.
"Nice. Where'd you get that?"
Sora stopped toying with it, tucking it back under his shirt. "Seifer gave it to me."
Roxas slowed his pace to walk beside them, Axel wrapped around his shoulders. "Yeah, I remember when he gave that to you." He ran a finger absently down the thick, silver links of his own necklace.
Sora smiled. "Yeah. Didn't Cloud give you yours?" Roxas blushed, looking ashamed.
"It was an experiment." The blonde pouted, "It wasn't that I liked older guys..."
"Yeah, but you liked Cloud, and he was, what, five years older then you?" Sora said, raising an eyebrow. Roxas's face flushed a little more, and he bowed his head.
"You know, he broke up with me." Roxas said softly, "Not...what everyone else was saying..." Wakka and Sora stopped, looking at him.
"He did? I always thought-"
"That I did it, yeah. But I didn't." Roxas murmured, cutting off Sora. "He said he was sorry, but there was someone else he liked and he just couldn't feel that way about me. Load of bullshit..." The blonde kicked at the sidewalk half-heartedly. Wakka placed a hand on his shoulder.
"He was way too old for you anyway, ya. Besides, he probably thought that you weren't going to have sex with him and he-"
Sora burst out laughing. Roxas frowned, but also started to chuckle.
"That probably was what he thought." Roxas admitted.
Axel fingered the chain on Roxas's neck. "Then, riddle me this; if he hurt you, why do you still wear the necklace he gave you?" It was a question of jealousy. Roxas didn't know that.
"He was special, I guess. He was always good to me. Unlike those other idiots with their heads between their legs." Roxas traced the four-point star with a finger thoughtfully. "I just sorta miss him, I guess..." He looked at Sora. "Which is why Sora wears his still, too."
Sora nodded. He then grinned. "I won't miss him for long. Mom said he come whenever I get the tickets set up for his flight." He started walking again, the others in tow. Riku sighed wearily. He wished Seifer wasn't such a supposed Prince Charming; if he wasn't, the silver-haired boy would have a shot at taking Sora for himself. The way Sora just went on and on about Seifer, though, it seemed the boy had no faults to speak of, to Riku's disappointment.
Sora started chattering about nothing in particular, Roxas joining in as well as Axel. The two other boys just eyed each other and shook their heads.
Later on in the day, during gym class, Riku had other things to concentrate on. Like the ball that was going to pummel his face. He whacked it out of the way with another foam ball, tossing his into the belly of an opposing player. Dodge-ball was really the only thing worth playing in their gym class. Everything else was boring and not very challenging.
Riku grabbed another ball, and, seeing a flash of color out of the corner of his eye, let it fly. To his dismay, the person he had hit was Sora, who growled, walking off the court and sitting on the bleachers. 'Nice one, Riku; real smooth.' His brain scolded. He was just about to grab another squishy, brightly colored ball when one sailed out of no where and smacked him right square in the chest. He looked to see who had hit him.
Sora grinned, mouthing 'Serves you right'. Evidently, some one on Sora's team had caught a ball hurled at them and let their team back into the game. Riku turned, tossing the ball over his shoulder. Figured that he had been hit by Sora.
Axel got knocked down by some tenth-grader, and he came to sit by Riku and cheer for someone to catch 'A Goddamn Ball!'.
A shrill whistle blew, making everyone groan. Time to go. Riku and Axel stood up, shaking their heads and muttering about not having enough game time because of the stupid running drill. They perked up, though; tomorrow was Blitzball Day.
Roxas and Sora slapped high-fives and wandered into the boy's locker room to change.
"You smacked Riku! I saw it! Nice shot!" Roxas was happy because he'd hit out at least fourteen players.
"Yep. He was asking for it, though. He hit me first!" Sora giggled to himself. Roxas started to sing "The Captain Loved the Ladies", causing the entire boy's locker room to start in, too.
Axel started belting out "Where'd You Go?" by Lincoln Park, and the boys joined in that one. Riku saw Sora grab his clothes and run into the showers, laughing at Roxas, who was pretending to hold an imaginary microphone and singing "Feel The Rain On Your Skin".
Axel saw the door to the showers swing shut slowly and grinned evilly. "Hey, Riku." He pointed to the door, nodding. "Eh, eh?" Riku grinned back, running over and slipping in just before the door closed all the way.
Sora was undressing at the moment. Riku caught his breath. 'Thank-you, Lord.' He watched as Sora slipped on his regular shirt. Now for the gym shorts to come off.
Riku was just going to watch and then leave, but he leaned against the still shutting door, causing it to slam shut. The other boys, thinking he had Sora pinned to it, started jeering. Sora turned around.
"Eek!"
Riku blushed furiously and gulped. Lovely.
Sora blushed as well. "How long were you in here?" He squeaked.
"Err, um, just a little bit, you see, eh, um..." Riku bit his lip, knowing that every word was digging him a deeper grave.
Sora just rolled his eyes. "You scared me. I hate it when people sneak up on me like that." He turned back and started to take off his shorts.
"So...you're not mad that I'm in here?"
Sora snorted. "We're both guys. It's no big deal."
"Yes, but we also both happen to like guys, too. That doesn't bother you at all?" Riku asked.
"No, not really." Sora said simply. He kicked the shorts into a corner, grabbing the jeans laid on a towel bar.
He felt someone wrap their arms around his waist.
Sora felt Riku's breath on his neck. "R-Riku?"
Said Riku kept silent. He just swayed with the younger boy.
"Riku, w-what are you doing?"
Riku sighed. "You said you didn't mind." He began placing little kisses on Sora's neck.
"That's n-not what I meant!" Sora tilted his head so that Riku couldn't kiss the side of his neck anymore. Riku just switched sides, kissing and gently biting the other side. Sora whimpered, struggling against him.
"What?"
"I told you already, Riku, I've got someone! Leave me alone!" Sora turned himself around to push Riku away but was stopped.
By a pair of lips.
Sora turned to putty. He stopped struggling. He felt calm all of a sudden, like nothing had happened. Riku deepened the kiss, chuckling at how much Sora liked it. He left his mouth for a moment to look at the younger boy through half-lidded eyes.
"You like that, don't you?"
Sora snapped out of his trance. He grabbed his pants and yanked them on, flushed. He snatched his gym clothes from the floor, hurrying to the door.
A hand fell upon the door, keeping it shut. Sora whirled around, looking wearily up at Riku.
"Riku, I said I'd been your friend, but nothing else. You had your kiss, all right? I love someone else!"
Riku leaned in, face brushing Sora's. "Really? Why do you like it so much when I kiss you? Is it because Prince Charming isn't what he seems?" He whispered. He brushed lips with Sora's again. Sora jumped.
There was a loud knock on the door. "Sora, Riku, it's nearly time for lunch, so hurry up!"
Sora's stomach growled. Riku ignored it, waiting for the feet to go away. When they did, he turned back to Sora.
"You didn't answer my question." He said, softly.
Sora hugged his clothes closer, chin and mouth hidden in them. It was terribly cute. "I-I...I don't know...but it's not because of you!" He stammered.
Riku chuckled again. "That's not what your lips said." He brushed a another kiss onto Sora's lips. "I really like you. Sooner or later, you're going to have to come clean about what you really feel about me, too. The way you act, I can tell you like me back."
Sora flushed again. "I do not! You're just full of yourself! If you think you can win over anyone you want by kissing them, then you're dead wrong!" Sora pushed Riku's arm out of the way and slipped through the shower door. Riku hesitated, then followed him.
"Oh, Axel..."
Riku froze. Sora was at the end of one row of lockers, mouth open in shock. Riku wandered over to him and they looked at Roxas and Axel.
Axel had Roxas pressed up against one of the lockers, propping the blonde's feet on the bench in front of said locker. The red-head was between Roxas's legs as well. As Axel ran kisses down Roxas's neck, the blonde moaned, grabbing the spiky red hair.
Sora cleared his throat. "A-hem."
Roxas and Axel looked surprised. They blushed.
"Um...We can explain?" Axel tried.
Riku grabbed his backpack, shaking his head. "You're one sick man, Axel."
Sora gave Roxas a look that said 'What-in-God's-name-were-you-thinking!'. Roxas sweat-dropped.
"Sorry. We thought you two were...busy." Sora blushed at Roxas's statement.
"Well, we weren't. Let's go." The brunette stuffed his gym clothes into his locker and walked out, looking extremely disturbed. Roxas had a nagging suspicion that his twin was going to spill it in front of Wakka, later, so the blonde hurried to catch up with Sora.
Riku stuffed his shorts into his locker, frowning. Axel noticed.
"So? How'd it go?"
"Like shit, Axel. Don't ask." He held up a hand to stop the questions from pouring out of the red-head. "Let's just say it didn't go well."
Axel shrugged. "I'll ask anyway. Why'd it go like shit?"
The two friends walked out to stand with the rest of the class at the gym doors. Riku made sure no one was listening before answering.
"Sora doesn't like me. Period. And I think he thought that I was gonna rape him..." He frowned again.
Axel sighed. "God dammit, Riku. Do what I do."
"Make a total ass of myself?"
"No." Axel gave Riku a whack. "Be outward, idiot. If you want him to like you, then do everything you can. I mean, you think he'll pass you up if you're all over him?"
Riku knew for a fact that this didn't work worth a baker's damn, but he nodded. Axel didn't like to argue. "Yeah, sure."
Roxas burst from the gym, blue eyes combing the hallway in front of him for any sign of his twin. He growled. Sora had pulled a vanishing act. Not good. Roxas needed to threaten Sora into not telling Wakka about his little 'escapade'. Not good at all.
The blonde pushed his way through the crowds of students. "Mf, move it! Get out of the-ow!" He shoved his way into the Mall area, the meeting place when the bell rang for all students. He searched. "SORAAAAA!" The Mall quieted. Roxas blinked, blushing. "Oops...sorry..."
He wandered around, looking for the brunette. He sniffed the air. 'Sora, you fathead, you'd better come out; I'm hungry!' He stopped, slapping his forehead. "Of course!" He dashed into the Cafeteria.
He scanned the room. 'Not here, either? Sora, where are you?' He sighed, slumping. Turning, he went to the stairs in the Mall. Maybe Sora would run by.
Roxas took two steps and gaped. Sora was sitting there already. Roxas fell over, anime style. 'God Damn you, Sora!'
The blonde stomped over, crossing his arms and tapping his foot when he got to his brother. Sora looked up through half-lidded eyes. Roxas stopped his tapping. Something was wrong with his brother.
"Hey. Kinda took off a little fast, huh?" Roxas sat beside the other.
Sora shrugged. "I didn't mean it."
Roxas watched his twin's expression. "What's wrong, Sora?" He asked softly.
Sora said nothing, at first. He sat there with his legs up and his head on them.
"Riku...went in the showers after me."
"So?" Roxas cocked his head. He wasn't being rude; it was how he and Sora said "What else happened?".
"He, um..." Sora fidgeted. He eyed Roxas. "He was kissing all over me, and I really didn't like it. He held me up when I was trying to get out." He petered off.
"Oh, I thought he raped you, for a second, there." Roxas sighed, relieved. "So, you didn't like that?"
"Not really. I told him to get off and he didn't listen." Sora said.
Roxas blinked. "Wait, you told him to stop?"
"Yeah, so?"
"So why the hell didn't he listen?" Roxas growled. He balled his fists. "If you told him to get his fucking hands off then he should've listened." Roxas stopped, seeing said Riku with Axel over Sora's shoulder. "Mother Fucker..."
Sora tried to grab his twin and pull him back, but said twin just knocked his hand away and stomped over to Riku.
"You."
Riku turned away from Axel to face a bad-mood Roxas. Bad-Mood Roxas was never a good thing to look at.
"Hey Roxas." Axel purred. Roxas ignored him.
"Look here, ass-hole." The blonde poked a finger in Riku's chest, "Why the fuck didn't you take your fucking hands off my brother? Because it's puzzling the Hell out of me."
Riku looked at Sora over Roxas's shoulder. Sora wasn't looking this way. Riku looked back at the angry blonde in front of him.
"Look, I don't know what the problem is, Roxas, but I haven't done anything." He said gently.
"Bullshit!" Roxas spat, "You know exactly what the fucking problem is! So let me make this clear for you." He reached up, smacking Riku's face with every word.
"Don't...touch...my...brother...when...he...says...NO!" He gave Riku an extra hard slap with the loud no at the end. He glared. "Because if you do," He cracked his knuckles, "My family will stomp your gray-haired ass." With that, Roxas walked away, nose in the air.
Riku touched his cheek, watching after the twin. He didn't look Axel in the face.
"What in the Hell did you do?" Axel whispered.
"Stepped over the line." Riku glared at Sora, who was still not looking at him. "Forget it. If he wants to run and cry to his brother then fuck him." He turned on heel and marched outside, glaring at those who dared whisper at him.
Roxas was feeling good after that. He looked down at his brother. "Huh?"
Sora was glaring at him. "You're a real jerk, Roxas." The brunette got up and ran off after Riku.
Roxas stared, mouth open. "What the fuck?" He asked weakly. He sat down on the steps. Sighing, he placed his chin on his fists. "Like a girl on her period..." He muttered.
He started when he felt a light touch on his shoulder. His blue eyes caught a flash of red hair as Axel sat next to him.
"Hey. Sorry about ignoring you."
Axel shrugged. "Eh, we all get pissy once and a while. No worries." He put an arm around Roxas's shoulders. "What'd Sora run off for?"
Roxas groaned, dropping his head on the other boy's shoulder. "I don't know. I think he's mad 'cause I embarrassed Riku. I don't know what the fuck is up with him." He nuzzled Axel's arm. "He's been so weird since we moved..."
Axel stroked Roxas's hair. "Well, some people take it harder, I guess."
Sora followed Riku's head of silver hair until the older boy darted outside. The younger one swallowed. He knew he should've stepped in, but he just hadn't been into it. Now Riku probably hated him. This just wasn't his week. First the thing with Roxas, then Tidus getting sick; he didn't need one of the only people being nice to him to turn him away.
Riku leaned against the door, sighing. He rubbed his cheek. Goddamn Roxas.
"R-Riku?"
Said Riku closed his eyes, praying for patience. "Fuck off."
Sora bit his lip, coming out of the door all the way and leaning against it. "I didn't want Roxas to do that. I just told him what happened."
"Oh, so you told him I was practically molesting you in the showers?" Riku growled coldly.
"N-No. I didn't."
Riku turned to him. "Really? Because that's what I just heard." He grabbed the handle of the door to go back inside. A hand slammed it shut.
Riku glared daggers at Sora. "Let me go."
Sora shrank, stepping in front of the doors, shaking his head.
Riku growled. "You let me in or I swear I'll beat the shit out of you."
Sora recoiled again, but shook his head. "I don't want you to be mad at me. I didn't want that to happen, Riku." He gulped, but went on, "I shouldn't have told Roxas anyway; he's been like that ever since I can remember."
Riku grabbed the front of Sora's hair. "You should've thought about that earlier. You know I can get expelled for what he said?"
Sora's eyes were watering. Part of it was pain, the other from the hurt of realizing Riku was so pissed at him. "No, I didn't."
Riku let go. They were both quiet for a while.
"I'm...sorry." Riku said quietly. Sora looked at him. His eyes were looking down and away.
"...It's okay. I shouldn't have said anything to Roxas. Um...you're not really mad, are you?" Sora fiddled with his necklace.
Riku thought for a moment. "Nah. It wasn't your fault. And Roxas is your brother, he deserves to know." He hesitated. "I won't do that again. I promise."
They stood there for a while longer.
"We'd better go back." Riku said softly.
"Yeah." Sora fidgeted a little. "Thanks."
The younger boy leaned up, pressing a little kiss to Riku's cheek.
"Don't tell." The brunette whispered.
Riku smiled. "I won't, don't worry."
They smiled at each other and walked back inside.
