"Stop!"

Riku came into view. "So, you've finally made it." A mocking smile crossed his face. It looked strange, like the muscles in his face were being pulled the wrong way. "About time. I've been waiting for you." He didn't move any closer, and the distance felt strange, new. Like they were used to being in each other's space. "We've always been rivals, haven't we? You've always pushed me, so I always pushed you."

"Riku…" His voice sounded so young.

Riku ignored him, continuing his speech. "But it all ends here. There can't be two Keyblade Masters."

Sora shifted forward. "What are you talking about?" He shouted – his voice almost cracking.

"Let the Keyblade choose its true master!" He held his hand up.

Sora felt his arms tugging forward, something trying to escape his grip, to go to Riku's hand. As hard as he held on, it disappeared in flashes of light.

It appeared in Riku's hand. A large key with a big bulky yellow handle…

Sora jolted awake, sitting up. Roxas was standing over the bed, clearly about to wake him up. "… Good morning."

"Morning, Ven." He slid his feet out of the bed. "Have I got time for breakfast!" His last syllable dropped out in a shout, as the bed he was in tipped him out.

It occurred to him where he was. Cloud had locked and bolted the house before he left, and they'd slept on the back deck. Roxas had won the thumb wrestle for the outdoor couch, but Sora got the warm blanket and the hammock.

"Is there anything clean on the line?" Sora asked hopefully.

Roxas tossed a small bundle of clothes. "Not much. You'll have to wear your school shirt. We can buy some clothes – Mom sent us munny."

"Where are we going to live, Roxas?"

"We're hanging out with our friends today. If we can't stay with one of them… Well, Mom has offered to pay for a hotel room in Neminem."

He nodded and dressed. It wasn't warm enough for winter time, but it was a warm enough day.

They decided to go next door and ask Riku if he minded taking them early. Sora knocked on the door and waited for him to answer.

What he didn't expect was Lea, wearing a pair of plaid pyjama pants and a shirt that had a number eight on it. He stared as he spotted them. He wasn't wearing eyeliner for the first time – his eyelashes were a pale ginger, hair loose in a curled mess.

Roxas cleared his throat. "Is Riku up?"

"… Making breakfast." He gestured them in and strode off deeper into the house. "Dawn! Your boyfriend is here!"

Sora followed him to the kitchen, his other following silently behind.

Lea walked back out of the kitchen, his footsteps going up the stairs. A moment later, the shower turned on.

"Morning Sora. Roxas. What's up?"

"Morning Riku!" He eagerly chatted to him about his night and morning as he finished making breakfast scramble. Lea reappeared just as he was serving up, dressed for work and eye makeup expertly applied.

"So, why are you here?" Lea asked between mouthfuls.

"We were going to ask if you were going into the station any earlier," Sora said carefully. "We have some extra shopping to do before we go to the beach."

Riku raised his eyebrows slightly. "Oh. Well. I can take you when I drive Lea to work, if you'd like."

"Actually, can we go early?" Lea asked, pushing away his cleared plate. "Keyblade Masters IV is out and I wanted to grab a copy before I started prep for the day."

Sora's chest gave a strange twist. "Key… Keyblade Masters…?"

"Oh man, there's a new game out?" Roxas asked, sounding uncharacteristically excited.

"… Yeah?" Lea didn't seem to know how to react to his sudden enthusiasm.

"It's my favourite game. Last Summer, Sora and I did a speedrun and finished KM3's Duet-Mode in 36 hours."

Sora's ears rang shrilly, but then it came back to him in waves. He and Roxas loved Keyblade Masters. Sometimes he even had weird dreams about it.

That explained his dream this morning, about Riku. …Right? It had to.

"Seems we're all avid players, then." There was something odd in Riku's tone of voice. Like he didn't know what they were talking about – even though his words made it obvious he did. He shook his head. "Yeah. Let me get ready, and I'll drive. Lea, wash the dishes. I don't want to come back on Monday and find out you've hidden them somewhere to get out of it."

Lea waved his hand in an elegant sort of gesture Sora noticed his other follow with his eyes. "It was one time."

"Six."

Lea grinned. "Fine. I'll do them, Go get ready."

Riku did and only when he was well out of hearing range did Lea move to pick up the dishes.

"Do you need a hand?" Sora asked tentatively, as he began to run the left sink with soapy water.

He glanced back at Sora over his shoulders, eyes carefully avoiding Roxas' direction. "No thanks," he said, his voice curling in amusement, "I've already got two."

"We could dry the dishes for you," Sora insisted.

"I've got it covered. Don't worry about it. You just sit there and look pretty until your boyfriend comes back."

"He's not my boyfriend," Sora sulked, slumping down in his seat.

"Coulda fooled me," Lea deadpanned. Roxas let out an amused snort, and Sora watched the redhead's shoulders tense. "I give it a week."

He washed the dishes silently, and Sora realised why he didn't need a hand. After he'd scrubbed them clean, he rinsed them with scalding hot water. They steamed dry as they sat in the dish rack.

"Doesn't that hurt your hands?" Roxas asked, his voice unusually soft and tentative.

"I hand-char skewers for a living and you ask if washing some dishes hurt," Lea replied mockingly.

"You're not wearing those gloves…"

Though the dishes were all finished, Lea still stood at the sink, his hands under the hot tap. "Why should I feel anything, Roxas? What was it you called me again? You remember. On Thursday afternoon, when you hid next to me in the gym." Sora watched Roxas' hands under the table as they clenched into white-knuckled fists – his face as impassive as ever. "Go on."

Roxas' face and voice were bland, uncaring. "A heartless bastard."

"That's right. If I don't have a heart, then I can't feel anything. What's a little heat gonna do?"

Sora gave his other a stern look.

Roxas shifted guiltily. "I'm sorry I said that, Axel," he said, in the same soft voice as before. "I don't think you're heartless."

"Don't worry about me or my feelings, Roxas. Heat doesn't bother me." He turned towards the doorway just as Riku reappeared. "We ready to go now?"

The game store was surprisingly empty for the launch of a new game. Lea walked right up to the shelf and grabbed himself a copy. He stood reading the box, ignoring everyone.

Sora wandered over to the display, picking up one of the decorative keyblades. It was a silvery one, with a blue-and-yellow star at the end. The placecard said 'Oathkeeper'. The weight felt familiar in his hand.

"You're Skye then."

Sora turned around at the sound of Riku's voice behind him. He half-expected Riku to fight him for it, remembering his dream that morning.

But he didn't. Riku was watching him with a soft smile, something like pride shining in his eyes.

Sora opened his mouth to say something, but didn't get to. A familiar soft voice spoke behind them: "Riku."

They both turned. The blonde girl from the art store was there, standing with another girl.

"Naminé," Riku greeted, smiling. "Sorry, this is Sora Strife," he introduced. "Sora, this is Naminé and Kairi."

"Hi!"

The other twin, the one with darker hair was looking at Sora, admiring him. "Hey. You play Keyblade Masters too?" She asked.

"Yeah. It's my favourite," Sora answered with a smile.

"Maybe sometime we can hang out and play together?" She suggested.

Sora grinned. "Yeah! We're usually too busy on the weekends, but maybe sometime during the holiday."

Sora had meant Roxas, but the two girls looked at Riku. Kairi's expression was disappointed – But there was something almost disapproving in Naminé's look. Sora remembered the strange conversation with her in the art shop and shivered. She'd warned Sora off Riku – was it because she wanted him for herself? He guessed so, but he couldn't help but feel there was something else going on.

Riku cleared his throat uncomfortably, sliding his glasses on. "I'm sure Roxas wouldn't mind if you asked, Sora…"

"Well, if you change your mind," Kairi said softly. "Naminé works at the art shop…"

Sora smiled and nodded.

"Will we see you at the Winter Ball?" Naminé asked, looking at Sora intently.

"Uh. I guess so. Everyone in school seems to be going…"

"Dawn!" Lea's voice called from the door, "I've gotta go! You coming or what?"

Riku looked almost relieved by the interruption. "Excuse me, ladies. Gotta go."

"It was nice to meet you!" Sora said, and hurried to catch him.

"Sora!" Kairi called before he left the store. He turned back to look at her, confused. "Your keyblade," she said, pointing.

"Huh?" He glanced down, and startled when he saw Oblivion still in his hand. It had been so familiar, he'd forgotten it was there. He awkwardly placed it on the counter and hurried out after his friends.

"We've gotta get some shopping done," Roxas was saying to the other two. "Then we'll probably head down to the beach to meet the Hayner and our friends."

Riku nodded. "Okay. I'll be at Flamin' in the afternoon. Stop by after, let me know if you need a lift." He turned to Sora and gave a gentle smile. "Have a good afternoon, Sora."

"Later," Lea said, obnoxiously loud and left them all behind. Riku rolled his eyes and headed after him with a final wave.