A.N. Between my house undergoing some major renovations and my main writing time pretty much eliminated for the past month, I haven't gotten much done in terms of fanfiction lately, as many of you probably have noticed. Just wanted to let you guys know that I am still among the living and haven't disappeared from the face of the Earth (yet).

Anyway, I've been reading this book on witchcraft lately (I honestly thought I was a bonnafied witch when I was twelve, I kid you not) and since then my old Charmed obsession has been acting up again. Yes, Charmed. My Supernatural loving best friend mocks me for this but I just tell him to shut up. Hey, he has his trigger-happy boy toys, let me have my hot demon-ass kicking girls, alright? Anyway, this one-shot is inspired by said TV show and some spells I found in my book, Witchin' by Fiona Horne. The title is a play on Guns & Roses.

+Cinnamon & Vanilla+

Spells & Roses

Sticking his head out of the attic door, Sora listened intently, wanting to make absolutely sure that everyone else was where they should be and he wouldn't be disturbed. He heard the distant sound of water running on the ground floor that was his mother doing the dishes. Music and spirited footfalls down the hall meant that Kairi was still practicing for her dance recital, the scritch-scratch of Namine's pencil on her sketch pad almost inaudible over the base.

Sora grinned. Perfect.

Locking the door behind him, the brunette drew open the curtains before situating himself before the small table in the middle of the room that served as the family altar. He did a quick check of everything he would need. A small blue candle made of lavender oil, a pin, a sugar cube, the Book of Shadows for any last minute references just in case, and the most important item of all, a beautiful white rose in a vase. Certain he had everything, Sora cast Circle and got to work. Holding his hands out over the table, he chanted a few quick words of purification. "I cleanse these objects of negativity, with light that's pure and positive. I empower these objects to work my will, for the Good of all with harm to none."

It was a pretty simple spell after that. With the pin, he carefully traced the name of the spell's intended recipient, Roxas, into the candle, being careful to make each letter as neat and even as he could. That done, Sora licked his thumb, tracing over the letters of the name then lit the candle. As the smoky fumes began to waft into the air, he delicately dribbled just one drop of the melted oil onto the sugar cube, the scent of lavender mixing with smoke and rose as he murmured the first line of the spell, "For love and friendship, pure and sweet…"

As he spoke, Sora began to feel his power, his magic, manifest into the cube. Dropping the sugar into the vase, he chanted, "Universe, I ask Roxas to be blessed. He fills my life with happiness; Return to him three times three, the pleasure he has given me."

He watched as magic stirred the liquid in the vase, dissolving the sugar into the water before being absorbed into the rose, saturating it. Sora chanted the last line, "This I ask for the good of all, so that harm may come to none, So Mote It Be, My Will be done."

The magic continued to build in the rose until it peaked and settled, fully solidifying the bloom with his magic and blessing.

'There,' he thought, picking up the vase, 'that wasn't so hard.'

It really was a pretty simple spell, to bless and bring good fortune, and required none of the secrecy he'd been so adamant about having. All the Hikari's were witches, even if Sora was the only male. It was only because of who the spell was for that he didn't want the rest of his family knowing, namely his sisters. Kairi already teased him to high heaven for having a crush on the new boy that just moved in down the block, Sora didn't even want to imagine what he'd have to endure from her if she found out the brunette was casting magic in Roxas' sake.

Satisfied with his work, Sora snuffed the candle and closed up his Circle, intent on getting the flower downstairs into his room and out of sight before anyone could-

The sanctity (and privacy) of the attic was suddenly disrupted by an excited voice squealing out, "So you do like Roxas!"

Startled, Sora jumped, dropping the vase and only freezing it mere inches away from smashing on the floor. Plucking from where it hung suspended in midair, the brunette whipped around to find both his sisters standing in the now open doorway. Namine observed him with her usual quiet but polite curiosity, but Kairi was practically bursting at the seams. "I knew you liked him, I knew it!"

"I-" Sora tried to defend himself, but like always when he was embarrassed, the words got stuck somewhere in his throat and refused to come out. She probably used her telekinesis to pick open the lock, the nosey, snooping little… snoop.

"Kairi, leave your brother alone," their mother chided gently, coming up behind her daughters on the stairs.

"Mom, he's sneaking around casting spells for some boy-" the redhead tried to argue, but Aerith would have none of it.

"And why do you think Sora was trying to keep this from you?" she asked, staring her eldest child in the eye. "He knew you would tease him so."

Back at the altar, the sole male of the room hid a sigh of relief to see his sister get a proper talking to. He loved Kairi dearly but she could be a little much sometimes, especially when it came to magic and her younger-by-all-of-mere-minutes siblings. They were triplets after all, she wasn't that much older.

So while it was good to finally have his fiery haired and tempered sister off his back (for the moment), Sora did make a mental note to apologize to her later. He could practically see Kairi deflate a little at their mother's gentle but firm tone. He had never heard his mother yell or be harsh, but a few choice, chastising words from her had all the power of thunder storms. And that was without any magical assistance at all.

Having disciplined her eldest daughter, Aerith proceeded to her middle child and only son, coming into the attic properly to stand beside him. "What spell are you casting, Sora?" she asked, peering over him to see the items that decorated the table before them.

Sora bit his lip. As a mother of three magically gifted children and a witch herself, Aerith took their magical studies and upbringing very seriously. As such, he had never cast a new spell on his own before without his mother at least supervising him, teaching him not only the spell itself but the responsible way to use it. Would she see this as a violation of her trust?

"It's the Unconditional Love spell," he mumbled, showing her the page in the Book of Shadows that he'd been working from. Aerith looked over the Book, noting the flower and vase still clutched in his hands and the used candle on the table and the name written on it.

"Roxas is the boy from down the street? The blond boy?" she asked, picking up the small wax cylinder.

Sora nodded. "He moved in last month, remember?"

"Figures," Kairi mumbled, still sulking a little. "He's the first boy in family in seven generations and he's gay."

Sora sighed. Down but never out. Yup, that was Kairi alright.

"He is special," Namine agreed quietly, speaking up for the first time. "There's… something about him."

"You keep saying that," Kairi said, facing her sister. "But as far as any of us can tell, he's nothing but an ordinary human. What's up? Did you have a premonition about him or something?"

"Well, no…" the blonde admitted, "but still, there's just something different about him…"

"You're not getting a crush on him, too, are you? Sora's got it bad enough as is."

While the sisters began to mildly argue, Aerith turned to her son. "It is good work," she complimented quietly and Sora smiled in relief, happy that she wasn't mad at him for utilizing his magic and the Book of Shadows without permission.

"But it isn't finished," his mother continued. "You much give Roxas the rose for the spell to be complete."

Sora's face dropped. "I do?"

Aerith smiled at the look on her son's face, like he'd rather do anything in the world other than giving the boy he liked a flower. She had figured he hadn't accounted for that, and showed him the page in the Book. Sora read the rest of the passage at the bottom that he'd overlooked before. Sure enough, the intended recipient had to accept the rose or the magic would be unable to take effect. Blessings can't be forced after all.

"Aw, crud…"

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Two hours later found Sora sitting on his front porch, staring forlornly at the rose he held in his hand. He'd meant his blessing to be a private gesture, a means of conveying his affection for Roxas without the blond having to find out about it. Time and again though he'd been reminded, by his mother, by his sisters, by the Book of Shadows itself, that there was more to magic than candles, gestures, and rhyming words, and yet the lesson he thought he understood so well never seemed to tire of finding new and inventive ways of turning around and biting him in the ass. Now it looked like Sora pretty much had to confront the other boy whether he was ready to or not.

Dejected, Sora went through his mental list of options again. Not giving Roxas the rose was out for the reason that since Sora had started the spell and had gone so far with it, he had to complete it or there could consequences. Summoning up all that magic and energy but then giving it nowhere to go could be dangerous. But also, the brunette just couldn't bear to back out on his feelings. He'd never let himself live it down if he chickened out because he was too scared to admit to a guy, who'd become very important to him over the last couple of weeks, that he liked him.

But then, giving the rose to Roxas' face was also out for the reason that Sora just didn't have the guts to do it. He was still way too uncertain about his feelings.

'No,' he amended, gazing down at the rose he's so meticulously chosen from his mother's flower shop. White, Roxas' favorite color. Sora was absolutely certain about his feelings. He just had no idea what Roxas' feelings for him or if he was even into guys at all. What would his reaction be? Horror? Hatred? Disgust? Would Roxas punch him and tell the brunette to never speak to him again?

Or would he be alright with it, maybe even return the sentiment?

'Don't I wish…,' the boy thought glumly. Make no mistake, he'd desperately wanted Roxas to return his affections, he just couldn't convince himself it'd actually happen. Love was a powerful thing that not even magic could control. Sora briefly toyed with the idea of using magic to help somehow, but that's what got him into this mess in the first place, so that was out, too.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, this is ridiculous!" he said aloud, suddenly getting to his feet. He was starting to sound like a girl, going around in mental circles that were getting him nowhere.

Dusting off his jeans, he shouted a quick goodbye and that he was going for a walk into the house for his mother to hear, then set off down the block for Roxas' house. If he couldn't avoid this, then he might as well go and get it over with rather than just sitting on his butt and worrying.

Of course, that didn't mean he was any less nervous about it, Sora admitted to himself five minutes later as he observed his crush's house from the tentative safety of the other side of the street. They may have gone to different schools, but every time Sora saw Roxas, even if it was only for a few3 minutes as they crossed paths on the sidewalk, 

the brunette felt something stir deep within his heart. It felt like he had known the other boy since long ago but had forgotten and was only just starting to remember. If Sora lost that now, it would hurt like nothing else ever had before in his life. But he had to do this.

Swallowing his nerves, Sora crossed the lane, ascended the steps to Roxas' front door and knocked, having no idea what he was going to say, but it was now or never.

As the seconds lengthened and he waited for an answer, Sora frowned. Was nobody home? He hadn't considered that. He'd been so preoccupied with what to say to his crush, he hadn't even thought that Roxas might not be around to hear it. Should he wait for the blond? But what if he was out all night?

Out of options and more than a little frustrated, Sora conceded that he would have to just leave the rose and hope Roxas would get it. It was his house after all, and Sora knew for a fact that the blond's parents weren't around very often. Digging around in his pockets he found half a broken pencil, scribbled "For Roxas" on a scrap piece of paper and poked the rose through it. Gazing at it for a last long moment, Sora breathed in its fresh scent then carefully threaded the flower through the knocker on the door. Roxas would find it there.

"Well that's that, then," he said, turning to go and feeling like he was leaving a bit of himself behind.

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As Sora headed off down the street back to his home, he was completely unaware of the young blond boy watching him go from the very porch he had just vacated. In his hands was a pure white rose.

They shouldn't be doing this, Roxas knew. It was forbidden for his kind and Sora's to fall in love. But as he watched the other's retreating back, Roxas knew that he had. To Roxas, Sora was…

Just the merest thought of the boy consumed his heart utterly with light and warmth. He never thought he'd ever find anything that could ever compare to his love of being a Whitelighter, to the sheer joy he'd felt that first moment after he'd died and discovered that it had been his destiny all along to be a guardian and a healer.

But now with Sora…

Love between Whitelighters and the witches they protected was forbidden. Roxas knew this. But he couldn't help it. And to make it even more difficult to resist the little brunette was the knowledge that Sora felt the exact same way about him. Roxas had felt the magic in the rose the moment he touched it and though a magical being himself, was almost overwhelmed by the spell as it wrapped itself around him. The strength of such spells was directly tied to the strength of the caster's feelings behind them. And for Sora's spell to be as strong as it was…

Roxas shivered, having to physically restrain himself from running after the boy, gather him in his arms, and claim him as his own forever, so fervently did his heart call out for Sora's.

But he knew it could not be.

Instead, Roxas placed a feather light kiss on the rose he held, wishing the soft petals could've been lips of his heart's desire.

"I love you, too, Sora," he said and disappeared from the porch as a million tiny little orbs of light.

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A.N. I seem to be on a paranormal kick lately. First vampires, now witches. And guess what's next? Mm hmm, ghosts. But that one'll be in DSotM, so stay tuned.

Reviews are love. 333