A/N: Whew this chapter felt kind of heavy while writing. Ah well. I see some people are reading, but it'd be great if you could also drop me a short review or PM to let me know how you're enjoying the fic! Am I doing crazy things? Were you surprised by anything? I don't even know! Waaahhhhh! Anyway. Enjoy the latest chapter!

Matters of Pride
Chapter 4: Coming to Terms

"Hallucinating?" Riku repeated.

Sora took in a deep breath and then let it out, easing his nerves. "Yes, hallucinating. Unless you can turn into a big, white lion."

Riku planted his hands on the floor, his gaze steady on Sora. "Is that unusual?"

Sora narrowed his eyes in a glare. "What do you think? Of course it is!"

Riku hummed. "So, you thought you saw a lion when I came in? Is that what scared you?"

Sora stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned against the door. "Yeah." Then, "Well, no, not exactly."

Riku quirked an eyebrow. "No?"

"I love animals—it's why I want to be a vet—and I'm not afraid of them. I can't be. It's just, I've been having these weird dreams lately, and there's a giant lion in them." Sora stretched a hand above his head to indicate the height. "Huge, all white. And these yellow eyes that look right through me. It's not even like I'm looking into the face of an animal, but a killer, you know? And he's after me." He scratched the back of his neck, feeling the hairs there rising at just the thought.

Riku stared at him. "Yellow eyes, you say?"

"Mm, yeah." Sora bit his lip. "And, last night, in my dream, you were a lion, too."

Riku cocked his head to the side. "And did I scare you, too?"

Sora shook his head. "No. It was a little weird, but no. When I saw your eyes, I knew you wouldn't hurt me." He shrugged. "So when I came home and I saw—well, I thought I saw—a white lion coming at me, I thought it was the yellow-eyed one. But it had your eyes, and," Sora let out a self-deprecating laugh and rose to his feet. "Well, I was just daydreaming." He gathered up his bag of first aid supplies, and shook the bag at Riku. "You owe me for these, by the way. I used up almost everything patching you up. How are your stitches holding up, any—oh."

Riku's crouching figure shimmered until the white lion replaced him. Sora's mouth fell open as the lion stepped into him, rubbing against him like an affectionate housecat. It was different from the yellow-eyed one, Sora realized. Smaller, with an adolescent's mane, and when his hands settled on the creature's back, slid through the fur, he could feel ridges on its hide. Parting the tufts of white over one such ridge revealed a line of healing stitches.

"I haven't thanked you properly for that." Riku's voice came in his ear, and the fur under Sora's hands was skin. A warm hand cupped Sora'schin. "What would you like, Sora?"

Sora blinked, his mind trying to play catch-up for the second time. "Are you really a lion?"

Riku smirked, his face still close, so that it was a little out of focus. "What do you think? Do you really believe the world is only one thing?"

"I'm…not sure." He felt his face heating up at the closeness, and let his hand slip out from under Riku's borrowed shirt.

"I don't believe you." Riku leaned into Sora's neck, breathing him in. "But I think I know how to thank you." And the closeness got closer, until Riku's lips were pressing against Sora's in a lingering kiss. Sora could feel his heart racing, and Riku's chest vibrated in a hum as he pulled away, licking his lips. "That was…" He leaned down and rubbed his cheek against Sora's. "Thank you, Sora."

"Hey!" Sora panted, face flushed, "don't change the subject!"

Riku chuckled. "What?"

Sora pulled away and dropped his bag on the kitchen counter. "Are you a lion?"

Riku's lips spread in a wicked grin. "I wouldn't be a-lyin' if I said I was."

Sora sputtered. "Did you just-did you just make a fucking lion pun?" He propped his hands on his hips. "No, no, that's just another distraction. Or it's a yes."

"Yes." There was a mischievous glint in Riku's eyes, and this time Sora wasn't afraid of the white mass closing the distance between them. Even when he was knocked off his feet and pinned, those steady aqua eyes reassured him.

"Okay then. You're a lion—were-lion?"

Riku's form shifted again, but this time Sora saw the ghost of the lion shape lingering. "Don't be silly. Were-lions don't exist. I'm something else."

"Right. Okay. Heavy is what you are. Can you let me up?" Sora shifted, trying to sit up, but Riku put a hand on his chest, smirking.

"You'll have to make me."

Sora gave him a wry look. "You're injured. It wouldn't be fair."

"I think it makes us even."

"You're just playing with me, aren't you?" Riku's smirk widened. "Yeah, no, I'm not going to rough house with an injured lion." Sora crossed his arms behind his head. "Oh, but that makes sense! If your brother is a lion, then of course if he attacked you it would be claw marks!"

"Terra. Yes." Riku lowered his head, fixing Sora with a dark look. "There was a hint of his scent on you when you got back."

Sora chewed his lip. "I did see a man with hair like yours. And—those yellow eyes, like in my dreams." He shuddered at the memory. "It was while I was waiting for the bus."

Riku shifted off of Sora to sit on the ground next to him, all humor draining away. "Something happened to him." His mouth tightened. "I need to figure out how to fix it." Riku moved to stand, but Sora grabbed his arm.

"Hey, you're not leaving, are you?"

Riku sat silent for a long moment. "I have somewhere to be, Sora. Let go."

Sora tightened his grip. "Riku, please. At least rest one more day. Maybe your cuts aren't deep, but you still lost a lot of blood."

"I'm fine."

Sora's face screwed up in a pout. "You keep saying that. But you came to me for help, so let me help."

"That was something different," Riku muttered, pulling out of his grasp and standing. "This has nothing to do with you."

Sora lurched to his feet, crossing his arms. "Yeah, well neither did your injuries, but that didn't stop you from involving me. Now I'm involved, and now I'm helping. So deal with it." Riku's eyes widened. "Anyway, it's too cold to go out without a coat," Sora added.

Riku cast a glance to the kitchen where he'd hung his parka, the fabric still damp and evidence of his wounds staining the front of it. "…Fine. I'll take one more day of rest." He strode over and folded himself into the armchair, staring at Sora. "I'm hungry."

"Of course you are." A smile flitted over Sora's lips as he turned to the kitchen. He thought he was starting to understand Riku a little better. He was simultaneously demanding and adamant about his independence. Not so unlike a cat, he realized. Well, if that were the case…Sora glanced at Riku from where he was fixing lunch for the both of them. Riku was all ease and grace, affecting a look of disinterest, but Sora caught his eyes flickering towards the kitchen. Perhaps Riku already liked him more than he was letting on.

This certainly wasn't what he'd had in mind when he'd first considered befriending the beautiful man on the train but…Sora flushed at the memory of Riku's thank you kiss. He genuinely wanted to help, but he couldn't deny that he wanted to get closer to…whatever it was Riku was. And the adorable, eager look on Riku's face when Sora presented him with lunch was something he could get used to. If he stuck around.

A companionable silence fell between them, broken only when Riku asked to use Sora's laptop. He stared intently at the screen, tapping the keys now and then, and a glance over his shoulder showed a website that looked like a digital archive. Leaving him to it, Sora donned his reading glasses and curled up on the couch.

He was perusing a textbook, pen in hand, when Riku startled him, joining him on the couch, his back pressed against Sora's side. The tightness had returned to his mouth and his eyes were distant. Sora closed his book and turned his attention to Riku. "You said something happened to your brother," he murmured tentatively. "Do you know what?"

Riku didn't answer.

Sora sighed. "Riku…"

"Someone's controlling him." Riku's voice sounded weary when he said it.

"How do you know?"

"Because he tried to control me, too."

Sora bit his lip. "When you say control, you mean…like mind control?"

"Something like that."

"But you're not being controlled now. Right? So there has to be a way to fight it. How did you…?"

Riku shrugged. "I'm not sure. Anyway, what worked for me might not work for him. There's someone who might be able to help, though. If he'll see me."

"Hm. Why don't I go with you? I'm really good with people. Or I can just be moral support, you know?"

Riku seemed to consider this, and gave a slow nod. "I don't think it would hurt."

"Good! It's settled then. We'll go tomorrow."

Riku tilted his head back to look at Sora, studying him. "…Yeah. Okay." His lips turned up in a small smile.

Sora returned his smile and, satisfied that the matter was settled, reopened his textbook. Riku seemed content where he was, his eyes drifting shut in sleep. A catnap? Sora wondered. At least he was following his doctor's orders. Watching the rise and fall of his chest, and the peaceful expression on his face, Sora wanted nothing more than to do anything in his power to help and protect him. Never mind the fact that Riku was likely much stronger than him and, as he'd claimed, perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

Unable to stop himself, Sora reached a hand out and stroked Riku's silver hair, brushing it back from his forehead. It was as silky as it looked, and he continued petting it, until he was rewarded by a low rumble in Riku's chest.

"You really are like a cat," Sora murmured, smiling.

One of Riku's eyes cracked open, and he leaned into Sora's hand. "I'm a lion. Not a cat."

Sora chuckled. "A lion is type of cat. Just bigger."

Riku let out an indignant huff, but his eye slid shut again.

As the afternoon slipped quietly into evening, Sora vaguely wondered if he could keep Riku. Although it might be a little strange, a blurryline between 'pet' and 'boyfriend,' he didn't really mind, so long as he was with the intriguing Riku.

Well, even before that, he had to help Riku with whatever or whoever was controlling his brother.

Feeling comfortable and warm with Riku's shared body heat, Sora's found his eyes sliding shut in sleep, too.

Once again, Sora dreamed.