A/N: Sorry about the wait guys, it's just been a very crazy week or so and it is not over yet. Alright here we go. Chapter eight.


That evening supper at the Highwind house hold went uneventfully. For that matter the whole weekend pasted without an incident. Roxas made sure to get stronger, as the days went by. Come Sunday he found he didn't need to take a nap so he opted to stay awake that afternoon. He sat in the living room watching cartoons with Riku and Sora. That night he did go to bed early though.

And so Monday morning came, with it's usual hustle and bustle, with one exception. "Cloud! Sora!" Vincent called up the stairs. "Make your own breakfast this morning. I have to go in early to get Roxas registered." With that said he left the had woken at the first yelling. He got up with a grin as he grabbed his black bathrobe on and went down to make breakfast.

Cloud came into the kitchen not long after him, looking up sleepily. "What are you doing shorty?" Cloud asked with a yawn as he saw Roxas standing on a chair and reaching for something that still out of his reach.

"Trying to get your cereal down." Roxas huffed crossing his arms over his chest and pouting as he turned to look at Cloud.

"You look like a little girl." Cloud laughed picking Roxas up off the chair and putting him on the floor. "I'll get it. You go get ready for school, I'm pretty sure you're not going in that."

Roxas blushed deeply at how easily Cloud had moved him, he really was just skin and bones; no weight to him at all. "But Cloud, I wanted to make breakfast!" He whined at his older much taller brother.

"Roxas...it's nice to know you can still be a kid, but right now isn't the time." Cloud frowned down at his 'little' brother, but smiled when an idea came to mind. "After you've gotten ready, you can help make pancakes for Sora."

"Yay! Thanks Cloud." Roxas jumped up and hung from cCoud's neck as he hugged him, before running out of the room.

Cloud chuckled and shook his head at his younger brother's actions. He set to work gathering the ingredient together for the pancakes before sitting to his own bowl of cereal. He was half way through his cereal when Roxas came into the kitchen door way. He looked up at Roxas, blinked a couple times, seeing Roxas shifting nervously in the door way. "Well don't you look cute. Stuffs on the counter ready for you." He returned to his cereal after that.

Roxas looked up at Cloud, "Your okay with this?" He was wearing a pair of flared legged bell bottom jeans with a bright blue blouse. He had his hair pulled back and up into a high pony tail. It seemed he had gotten his hands on some make up too.

"What is there to a problem with?" Cloud said between spoonfuls. "You met Seph; Vincent doesn't know how 'close' he really is to Leon and I."

"Cloud!" Gasping softly at the statement. "How close is he?" Roxas had become suddenly serous, and a little suspicious.

Cloud laughed, "Let just say without Sephiroth, Leon and I would not still be together."

"Oh..." Roxas shrugged and walked over to the counter. He went to work making the pancakes, "Cloud can you get me the cinnamon?"

Cloud got up putting his empty bowl in the sink. Looking into the mixing bowl, "When did you learn to make pancakes?" He reached blindly for the spice.

"I've been watching Vincent make pancakes every morning." Roxas answered taking the cinnamon from Cloud.

"Ok I'll buy that much, but I know Vincent doesn't put cinnamon in them." Cloud leaned against the counter, and smirked at Roxas. "So, now out with the truth."

Roxas looked up at Cloud shifting slightly. "I lied to father about taking shop." He shifted again, "I took home-ec instead."

"Riku is in home-ec. Sora is hopeless in the kitchen." Cloud shrugged. "You'll probably be in History first today. Sora and Riku have Vincent first and he was going to try and get you into class with one or the other of them."

Roxas looked up at Cloud a little scared, "Cloud... This isn't the girl-est out fit I bought."

Cloud laughed again before bending to hug Roxas. "Don't worry about it. Vincent won't care. Cid actually got him in a dress for their wedding."

"Really?" Roxas smiled hugging Cloud back tightly.

"Yes." Cloud nodded and looked at the clock. "You better finish up those pancakes, Sora should be up soon."

Roxas laughed and nodded, "Yeah I just have to add the egg and milk. Then you can fry them."
"Sure thing." Cloud started putting away the dry ingredients, while Roxas mixed. A few minutes later found Roxas drinking a glass of orange juice while Cloud was frying the cinnamon chocolate chip pancakes.

Sora came into the room and frowned seeing Cloud flipping his pancakes onto a plate. "Where's Vincent?"

"Already gone." Cloud answered holding the plate out to Sora.

"You didn't make these did you?" Sora asked looking a little frightened.

"So what if I did, you never complained before." Cloud commented.

"I wasn't talking at all." Sora shot back at him. "Your cooking isn't nearly as good as Vincent's"

"I don't need to be the best cook with Seph and Leon around." Cloud smirked, "And it's a good thing Riku is around or you'd starve when you move out."

Sora turned beet red at that comment. "We're just friends." He sputtered.

Roxas laughed at this point unable to hold it in any longer. "Not the way he looks at you."

Sora turned and looked at Roxas stunned, "What do you mean?"

Roxas was still giggling, "I mean, he looked at you with lust in his eyes."

"Do you really think so?" Sora asked hopefully.

"I know so. He dreams about you, Sora." Cloud smirked remembering the first night they had spent over to Seph's. "He has woke me up a couple of times. Seph told me it was normal for him and to go back to sleep."

Sora seemed to be to giddy to eat. "I was kinda hoping he liked me." He grinned as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Yeah, well, you're the only one who can't tell, why don't you pay attention to him today?" Cloud smirked, "Sephy says Riku was going for you since you two met. Says Riku wouldn't have healed without you."

"Oh...What does that mean?" Sora asked almost more clueless the Roxas when he first woke up.

Roxas frowned, "Does it have to do with why Riku is living with Seph and not their parents?"

"Yes, but I'm not tell you anymore. Riku will tell you when he is ready to talk about it." Cloud looked at the time again, another plate of pancakes in hand. "Sora, you need to eat; you too shorty. I'm going to finish getting ready." He sat the second plate in front of Roxas before he left the room.

Twenty silent minutes later they were in Cloud's car headed to the school. Cloud pulled into the school yard and stopped to drop them off. "Have fun guys." He called to them as he pulled away, leaving Sora and Roxas there. Sora now lead Roxas to the office to pick up his papers.

They were looking over said papers when Riku came up behind them and hugged Sora. "Who's the..." He started before seeing Roxas' face. "Hey Roxas. So what do you got first?"

"Hi Riku." Roxas answered still looking down, "History with you guys."

"Mr. Highwind is going to have a kitten when he sees you." Riku commented.

"But Cloud was okay," Roxas whimpered softly suddenly scared about his decision again.

"He is sleeping with Leon and Seph, why would he have a problem with it." Riku laughed smiling.

Sora coughed at that, "Riku..." He pulled out of the sliver haired teens arms.

"Yes, babe?" Riku answered naturally.

Roxas poked Sora in the ribs and winked at him. He knew Sora would need a push so... "Hey Riku, what kind of dreams do you have when Cloud's over? He said you've woke him up." Roxas asked with coy innocents.

Riku blushed deeply at that. "None of your business." Sora turned away from Riku as he blushed to. Only a few seconds later Sora bolted down the hallway. "What... Sora!" Riku frowned and ran after the brunette.

Roxas sighed, "Great! Now what do I do?" He turned around at the sound of gigging behind him. He came face to face with a pair of girls. One with bright red hair and one with platinum blonde. "Can I help you?" He asked unsure what they were laughing at.

"It's about time someone told Sora." The red hair one grinned at him, "I'm Kairi, and this is my cuddle bug, Namine." Roxas nodded now understanding the full impact behind be compared to her, he have to talk to Sora about it later because the girl had no fashion sense. "You must be Roxas, if Sora talks around you."

"We can show you to history. Riku usually only goes when there is a test anyway." Namine giggled as she nuzzled against Kairi.

"Well I guess that would be okay." Roxas shifted nervously. He frowned, knowing all his friends had moved on, and he needed to make new ones. He looked the two girls over before speaking again, "You know if you wore a black belt with that dress it would accentuate your figure, and more then likely drive Kairi crazy."

Namine smirked, "Thanks for the tip, you don't look half bad yourself for a guy."

"Hey Nami! Don't you go hitting on him. I ain't sharing you." Kairi huffed clinging tightly to her girlfriend's arm.

Roxas laughed at this point, "Don't worry. I'm not interested."

Namine and Kairi shared a confused look then both spoke at once. "Aren't you a bit young to know what your interested in?"

"You grow up fast when your peers are four years older then you." He smirked as he turned away from them and started walking down the hall. His hips swaying from side to side as both girls couldn't help but stare at his overly feminine backside.

They hurried to catch up to him one coming on either side of him. "Wow, Roxas, you're like totally a mix of your brothers." Kairi giggled looping her arm with his while Namine did the same on the other side as they steered him toward a classroom.

"Thanks I guess." He said nervously looking between the two girls. "Can you let go of me?"

"Yeah sure." They let go of him and entered a classroom just as the bell sounded. They lead the way to the table they usually shared with Riku and Sora. Vincent came in a moment latter glancing to where Sora usually sat.

Vincent scrunched up his face then growled softly. "Class turn to page 63 and start reading, I'll be back." He left the room going to find his two boys.

"Wow, that's the fastest he has ever gotten mad." Kairi murmured.

"Nu uh." One of the older students in the room spoke up. "You should have seen him fly across the room when your brother tried to molest Cloud." The guy started laughing, he had a front row seat to that show.

"Shut up, Seifer!" A younger kid snapped at him.

"Aw, is poor little Hayner upset." Seifer mocked sympathy.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Vincent stormed into the guys bathroom on the second floor to find Sora sitting on the floor crying. His expression softened at the sight. "Sora..." He said softly forgetting all about that he was angry.

Sora looked up at Vincent wide eyed. "I didn't mean to make him cry." He whispered.

Vincent crouched down taking Sora in his arms. "Who cry? Where is Roxas? I didn't see him in class."

"Riku." Sora chocked out as he sobbed. "I don't know where either of them are."

"Okay lets get you cleaned up and back to class." Vincent said softly helping Sora up.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

"So who's the new chick?" A really hyper girl spun around in her seat to look at Roxas. She froze as she looked more closely at him. "Wait a second, your not a chick."

Roxas giggled at Yuffie's reaction. "Are you still trying to prove you're a great ninja?" He smirked at her.

"Roxas!" Yuffie grinned from ear to ear as she leapt across the table that was separating them to hug him.

"Hi Yuffie." He chocked out, "Can't breath."

Yuffie backed away from him letting go but still grinning. "I can't believe it. Roxy you look so different."

"Yuffie, it's me." Roxas smiled at her before the door opened and Vincent came in followed by the moping Sora everyone had become used to seeing. "Yuffie in your seat. I see how productive you all have been." Vincent still did not seem to pleased. "If you see Riku tell him I want to speak to him, Kairi."

"Yes sir, Mr. Highwind." Kairi piped up.

Sora came back to the table and sat beside Roxas. Roxas frowned at Sora before leaning over and hugging him. "It'll be okay." He whispered softly.

Vincent frowned now at himself for not having recognizing the boy the first time he was in the room. "That is not your work. Two pages of notes on this chapter to be passed in by the end of class." He snapped at the rest of the class that was staring at Sora and Roxas. He grabbed a spare textbook off his desk taking it back to Roxas while the class groaned but got to work. He put the textbook down in front of Roxas. "Roxas, I need you to stay after class."


End Note:

Why is Seifer still in school?

How does Yuffie know Roxas?

What 'did' Sora do to make Riku cry?

What does Vincent want to talk to Roxas about?

What is up with Kairi and Namine mauling each other in the hallway?

These question and more answered next time in Starting Over!


PS: Sorry about the no Axel this time. Don't worry next chapter is all him. More review means faster up dates.