Standard Disclaimer: Disney and Squeenix…not me…never me…
Notes: Go me! Updated in less than a month!:small victory dance:So…I've decided that I'm gonna stop saying what will happen next chapter because it never does, and I feel bad lying to you guys…even thought, I'm sure you don't really care.
Warnings: Gratuitous use of Disney and Square characters, language, at least one homosexual relationship, bigoted ass-holes, semi non-con encounters, made-up culture and language, lots of Blitzball, and general teen awkwardness. Enjoy!
-:-finem-:-
Life on the Blitz
Chapter 8:
Moments and Conversations
"So what? You actually are a stalker or something?" Meg swung around, hair flying dangerously in her fury.
Sora cringed a little but didn't back down. It had taken most of his time that morning to first track down Yuffie, get her to tell him where to find Meg and then proceed to check her several probable locations until he found the one that she actually occupied. Now that he had, he really wanted to get some answers. "I wasn't stalking," he explained to her in calm tones. I was there visiting someone when I saw you. I just want to know what you were doing there with Bickson; why he was there at all."
"And why do you think I'll tell you that?" Meg sneered down at him haughtily.
"Because you've been completely straight with me from the beginning, Meg," he pressed. "You didn't have to tell me about Bickson; didn't have to warn me away, but you did. All I'm asking is for a few more answers. With everything that's happened, don't you think I deserve at least that?"
Meg paused glaring down at him in some small disgust that somehow seemed to have a touch of admiration. "You play the guilt card well my friend, I'll give you that," she said sighing. "Fine. I'll meet you at the east garden at the beginning of lunch. I won't be waiting around for long either, so be there or be out of luck, got it cutie?"
Sora nodded his thanks as the first bell of the day rang, and began to turn away.
"You should really bottle that cuteness kid," Meg said with a smirk just as he was about to leave. "Makes people want to do whatever you want them to. You'd make millions." She laughed at the dubious look Sora gave her then turned away to head towards her own classes.
Sora's gaze followed her in confusion for a moment before he shrugged and headed off to first period. Tidus, Hayner and Roxas were all already there and seeing them reminded him of his discussion with the others at lunch the day before.
"So, how'd it go?" Roxas asked before Sora could open his mouth to say anything. He'd talked to both Roxas and Naminé the night before about his visit with his mom and his Bickson sighting. The visit with his mother hadn't been as encouraging as others, but they had talked long about the possibilities of Bickson's presence and all agreed that it would be best for Sora to just ask Meg as he had been planning to from the beginning.
"I've got a lunch meeting," Sora told him, being careful to keep things vague. "I'll let you know how it goes."
"Rrrriiight," Hayner said, eyeing both of them suspiciously. "So you guys gonna clue us in on the super secret spy meetings or what?"
"It's nothing important—"
"I'm just talking to Meg—"
Both Sora and Roxas had begun speaking at the same time freezing mid-sentence as they looked at each other awkwardly.
"Umm…I wanted to ask Meg about her connection with Bickson since she seems to know so much about him," Sora said into the awkwardness that had descended. Hayner was still shooting Roxas a scrutinizing look, but Tidus raised an eyebrow at Sora and Roxas both.
"I thought that would be obvious," he said. "They were together for like, half of last year." Three sets of eyes focused on Tidus as the bell rang and Ms. Gainsborough started class.
Sora was practically choking on his questions but remembered to breathe when he was struck with a small coughing fit that sent small jolts through his still healing ribs. That served as a proper reminder that he was still not completely well and just who he had to blame for that. Lunch would hopefully be very educational, and maybe the whole situation would make a bit more sense after he spoke to Meg.
-:- -:- -:-
"So did she say anything at all this morning when you talked to her?" Roxas asked as he traded books from his locker.
"Not really," Sora said, going over to investigate his own locker. He hadn't done so the day before, and was curious to see if there was anything interesting within. "She did seem pretty defensive when I asked what they were doing there, though. With what Tidus said this morning, I guess it makes more sense. Maybe she had a relative there and Bickson was just along for emotional supp--holy crap!!" Sora was forced to stop speaking as a veritably mountain of paper poured into his arms from his locker. Roxas was at his side laughing his little blond spikes off, apparently at Sora's distress.
"Guess I should have warned you," he said helping Sora collect the cards. "The Blitz Fanclub also coordinates a get well drive for injured players. They've probably been slipping you cards since you went absent."
"Sheesh," Sora wowed at the variety and creativity displayed in his "fan's" well wishes for him. "You think if they knew about my mom they'd spread the love?"
"What about your, mom?" Hayner asked appearing suddenly from behind them. Sora started so bad he sent cards flying everywhere.
"Dude!" Sora said turning to look at his friend with wide eyes, clutching his now complaining ribs. "Heart attack! Way to give me one!"
"Jeeze, Sora. Jumpy much," Hayner sent back, raising a bemused eyebrow. "So what's up with your mom? She sick or something?"
"Uh…yeah," Sora said, shooting a quick look at Roxas as he collected his cards and shoved them back into his locker. "Something like that. It's nothing to worry about though. You guys ready to go?" He caught the look that Hayner was giving him and Roxas both, but just smiled brightly, willing Hayner to drop it. He did, but it was clear that he didn't really want to, which left Sora feeling like the worst friend in the world. He'd said he would tell more people, yeah, but Roxas knew, and Axel knew and Kairi knew everything, and even Riku knew that he lived alone. The idea of such personal information spreading to so many others who had nothing to do with the situation just didn't sit well with Sora no matter how much Leon said it would be good for him. He'd think about telling Hayner later…but here was definitely not the time or place.
He plastered on his best smile as he led the way to the food lines.
-:- -:- -:-
"Right, kids. So you've all been paying your dues for the past few weeks and it's finally almost time for you to start reaping some of the benefits!" Sora sat in the auditorium next to Pence as, Kuzco, their lead dance instructor stood on the stage detailing plans for the camping trip that would be coming up the following weekend. Sora was actually really excited about the trip. He hadn't been camping since before his father died, and the fact that he would be going with his friends and getting hands on experience with Paopuan cultural practices made the whole experience seem all the better.
"That's right!" Kuzco continued, gesturing largely. "A week from today, you will all have the chance to break free of the bonds of this un-holy institution to answer ze call of nature. You will also, for the first time have the chance to see all of your dance companions together, in one place," he held up a finger, "at the same time," he brought his other hand up to line up his other pointer with the first. "Capisce?" he pointed both fingers in a dual sort of gun gesture, raising an eyebrow, waiting for the class' response.
"Wahala" the class intoned together, answering, as always in Paopuan as they had been told to during their Paopuan History lessons.
"I love you crazy kids," Kuzco told them, wiping a tear from his eye before continuing on to the list of supplies they would need for the trip.
"I hear we get divided depending on what section we chose to participate in," Pence whispered to Sora as the class chuckled at Kuzco's antics on stage. "That means that you, me, Roxas, Hayner, and Tidus will all be together since we're all doing the fire dance."
"Yeah," Sora replied keeping his voice low as well. "We might even end up in the same camp sites even once they break us up."
"This trip is gonna be awesome," Pence said. Sora smiled and nodded his agreement.
"Alright lovelies, that's about it and you'd better not forget," Kuzco told them once he had finished the business at hand. "So now that that's out of the way," he spun in place before striking a pose.
"Let's groove!"
-:- -:- -:-
Sora waved goodbye to his friends from Paopuan History and stumbled slightly out of the gym. Even the very small exertion required for the dance that he had practiced that day had left him sore and winded. It was more irritating than anything, but it did serve as a solid reminder of his meeting with Meg. The school's auditorium was on the east side of the school, directly adjacent to the east garden, so Sora was at the front of the garden waiting when Meg arrived.
"A little eager there aren't you, shorty?" she said throwing him an amused smile.
"Well," he said blushing lightly, "you said I should be prompt." He gave a weak smile and she rolled her eyes at him.
"C'mon kitten," she said heading down the garden's main path. "I'm hoping to actually get something to eat after this little chat."
The school had two botanical gardens situated on its eastern and western back corners. Each garden was tended by the upperclassmen as part of their Paopuan heritage training. It was cool in the shadows and sound was muted by the lush vegetation surrounding the trails. Suffice it to say, if you wanted to have a private conversation, wandering the paths of one of the gardens was a really great way to do it.
"So," Meg began conversationally, "what do you know about Way to Dawn?"
"Uh…not a whole lot," Sora lied, "I just, uh, go to visit…a friend there every now and again. It really was just a random twist of fate that we happened to be there at the same time."
"Mmhmm, right," Meg stopped and looked at Sora very serious now. "Listen up, kitten. Here are the rules. If you expect me to be straight with you, you gotta be straight with me. I'm not revealing anybodies deep dark secrets if you're not willing to return the favor."
Sora sighed, dropping his head and kicking himself for even trying to lie in a situation like this. "I know, I'm sorry," he told her. "It's just not exactly an easy subject, and I've barely told my friends so…y'know?"
"I forgive you," she said continuing down the path. "So, let's try again. What do you know about Way to Dawn?"
"My mom lives there," he said, keeping his tone light even as his pulse began to steadily increase. "Has for the past six years almost. She had a breakdown after my dad died and hasn't really come back from it yet." Swallowing thickly, he waited for Meg's response. Silence fell between them for a time before she began in an equally light tone.
"Trav's mom lives there too. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis a few years back and moved in about 3 years ago."
"And you go with him because you used to date?" Sora asked remembering his latest tidbit of information from Tidus.
"So the kitten had been digging for information elsewhere I see," Meg said smiling down at him. "Yeah, Trav and I were together for a while last year. He really isn't that bad of a guy if you can get him away from all the things that piss him off."
"Like what?" Sora asked.
"Why do you care?" Meg sent back at him.
This took Sora a bit by surprise causing him to pause in his walking. "Um…I don't know. I guess I just want to understand what it is about me that pisses him off so much…or something."
Meg paused beside him eyeing him thoughtfully for a moment. "So if your dad's gone and your mom's sick, who takes care of you?" she asked pushing him to get him walking again.
Sora hadn't been expecting this question and blinked several times before answering. "Um, I do. I take care of myself. I'm independent now."
She gave a low whistle at that, nodding and raising an impresses eyebrow. "You're what, barely 15, and living on your own? Not bad. If only Trav could have that luxury." Sora stayed quiet waiting for her to continue. "So I'm guessing you know about Trav's dad by now. There's no way he could have gotten off so easily for what happened if his father wasn't who he is. The man is…the devil, for lack of a less appropriate word. He has his fingers in everything and a heart made of granite. What is it that pisses Trav off? It's his father and anything that has to do with him.
"Back before his mom got sick, things were almost normal for him. His dad was always a hard ass, pushing him really hard yes, but his mother was always there to calm the man down and cuddle a smile out of Trav."
Sora gaped at this causing Meg to chuckle at him. "You heard me. Trav and cuddles in the same sentence. Hard to believe, right? Well like I said. He isn't always a bad guy. Just…lost, and hurt. But he's a typical male. Refuses to acknowledge his feelings and instead starts beating up on cute innocent little kids. Oh, you know what I mean," she said in response to the not-amused glare Sora sent her way.
"So wait," Sora said as they rounded a corner to circle the garden again. "If both Bickson and his dad are still at home, why is his mom in a care facility?"
"Like I said," Meg said dryly, "Heart of granite. The diagnosis was made about six years ago. Early stages weren't so bad, but she just kept getting worse. Eventually, Trav's dad just had her moved from their home to Way to Dawn. Didn't talk to either of them about it. Trav just came home one day and his mom was gone. Took us weeks to track down where he'd sent her.
"That was the turning point. Trav's personality went south after that. Without his mom there to run interference with his dad, there was just a constant onslaught of verbal abuse, pressure for him to do better, always be the best. I mean, I lived down the street for all my life so I was familiar with the Bickson family psychotics, but things just…got so wrong. Trav loves his mom, Sora. You've gotta understand that. Without her in his life, he's just been consumed by his hatred of his father; the man who pretty much took her away from him."
"I can relate," Sora murmured, "at least to the part about his mom." Truthfully, there had been a point when Sora was irrationally angry at his father for leaving them and also at his mother for picking her husband over her son, but it had faded with time. He too had just been really hurt and angry and confused.
"Why doesn't he just leave then?" he asked. "I've done the paperwork, it's not that hard to become emancipated."
"If only," she sighed massaging her temples. "Trav's dad is a lawyer remember. He won't allow it. Said he'd stop paying for his mom's treatment if Trav ever even tried to leave. I swear if it weren't for me and Jase, Trav would have gone off the deep end years ago, and I'm not sure that we'll be able to stop it for much longer, but there's nothing we can do. The man's not stupid enough to get physical, but there's just…. They were both destroyed on some level when Keila got sick. That's his mom. She is about the sweetest woman in the world, and had the both of them wrapped around her little finger. Now they both just stew in their anger and resentment towards each other and…" she heaveded a sigh. "I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this. This is Travs business, he'd strangle me if he knew I was telling you of all people any of this."
They lapsed into silence for a while just walking and thinking. There was a very tight fist squeezing Sora's heart as he thought about everything he'd just learned about Bickson's home life. He couldn't imagine having a father like that; living with that level of hatred on a daily basis. Things like that poisoned your soul. No wonder the guy was such a lose cannon.
"And then on top of it all the he's homophobic," Sora hadn't even realized he'd spoken aloud until he heard the bitter laugh issue from Meg.
"Homophobic? The man actually tried to pass a piece of legislation requiring that students who identified as queer be put in separate classes in school so they wouldn't 'taint' the 'normal' students." Meg's voice was dripping with anger now. "Do you realize how sick that is?!" she sighed shaking her head again as she kept talking. "Trav and I tried, but it only proved my suspicions, and I'm pretty sure he's beginning to accept it, too. I doubt there will be any other females in his romantic future."
Sora just nodded at this, the fist clenching even tighter around his heart. Not only denied love in the home, but also denied the opportunity to pursue love elsewhere. Sora was shocked that Bickson was as stable as he seemed to be, but while all of this did explain Bickson's asshole behavior, it left one very important question unanswered.
They were nearing the front of the garden again when he stopped, looking up at Meg solemnly. "Thank you for telling me all of this. You didn't have to, and I really appreciate it, but I do have one last question, then we can both go try to eat something."
"Like I have an appetite after this conversation," Meg drawled back at him saucily.
Sora smiled for her but went back to his question. "Still," he said, "I was just wondering if you knew why he's targeted me. I mean…what did I ever do to the guy?"
"Honestly, Sora, even I haven't figured that one out," she looked truly distressed as she said this. "If I did, I'd tell you so that you'd stop and he'd leave you alone. The best I can figure is it's like I said before. Maybe he's into you, maybe he's pissed because you're good at the game and in your first week of school, got more attention from two of the guys I think he has a thing for than he has after years of harassment. Maybe he somehow knows you're on your own and just decided to take all of his aggression out on you. I really don't know Sora, but I know for sure that you should stay away from him. I'm doing what I can, and Jase too—"
"Who's Jase?" Sora asked after this mystery friend had been mentioned for a second time as if he should know the guy.
"Jason Raudy, our lead goalkeep, kitten," she said giving him a questioning look, "You haven't been off the team that long have you?"
"Hey, excuse me for not knowing everyone's full history and background, ok?" he pouted.
"Oh you are just too cute!" Meg said bending over to pinch both of his cheeks and shake his head a little in the process. Thankfully, she stopped before Sora was forced to bat her hands away. "And I want this cute, innocent, adorable little face of yours to stay in one piece, alright?" she told him seriously. "Stay away from Trav."
Sora nodded once, showing his understanding. Meg gave him a wink and a gentle slap to his cheek before turning to exit the garden leaving Sora alone with his thoughts. The conversation played over and over in his head as he headed back to join his friends for the last ten minutes of lunch. It just all seemed so unreal. He couldn't believe that families that screwed up really existed and he really couldn't believe that any one person could survive at all in such living conditions. He just couldn't imagine what he would do in the same situation. Couldn't imagine not having the love of his father, having his mother taken away from him without his knowledge. The very idea of it sent a cold chill shuddering through his entire body.
He was actually really looking forward to talking to Roxas about what he had learned, looking up to the group's tree hoping he'd be able to catch the other boy's attention and get him away from the others. What he saw instead, however, pretty much chased all thoughts of Bickson from his mind. In fact, everything went sort of blank as he tried to take in the scene in front of him.
There were several more people than usual around their tree, most of whom Sora didn't know. Sora did note that they were still keeping a fair distance, and his usual group were all sitting in their usual places with the exception of Selphie, who, instead of bouncing around driving everyone nuts, was sitting quite stationary. She was entertaining herself, humming happily as she plaited layered silver locks, and attached to those locks—impossible as it seemed in Sora's head—was Riku, looking vaguely awkward but still managing to carry a steady conversation with Kairi.
Cue the theme from the Twilight Zone…
"Sora!" Selphie suddenly squealed catching sight of Sora's shocked figure. "Look what we found! Can we keep him?!"
Riku's head had jerked in Sora's direction as soon as Selphie had shouted…directly into his hear, and he was now on his feet, dusting himself off and offering a somewhat bemused smile and quick apology to Kairi as he hurried to meet Sora where he stood.
"Uh, hey," he said as Sora continued staring at him in confusion. Silence stretched between them even as lunch time noises surrounded them. "You ok?" he asked when Sora didn't offer a response and this served to snap the brunet back to the here and now.
"You were eating lunch with my friends." It was a statement and not a question, stated uselessly. Likely an after effect of his shock. "Why were you eating lunch with my friends?"
"Oh, right! See, uh…" Riku seemed suddenly extremely uncomfortable as he began averting his eyes and shifting on his feet. He tried to run his hand through his hair but it got caught in one of the many braids that now decorated it. "Dammit!" he swore angrily, trying to free his hand. Oddly enough, the moment broke Sora out of his stupor and he couldn't help snorting a little at the sight of Riku fighting to free his hand from his own hair.
"You find this amusing?!" Riku snapped at him.
Sora just rolled his eyes and reached up to take Riku's wrist in his hand. "I find this hysterical actually," he said laughing a little now. "Hold still so I can see what it's caught on." He struggled for a good ten seconds before dragging Riku to a nearby bench and shoving him into a sitting position.
"Freakishly tall people," he grumbled under his breath.
"Hey, don't take your short-people complexes out on me, munchkin," Riku said smartly, earning himself a tug on his hair for the trouble.
"Ow, gentle!" he cried, other hand shooting up to his scalp. "Gentle! Do you have any clue how much this hair cost?" Sora smirked where the other boy couldn't see him, studying the hand and its multiple rings for a silent beat before responding.
"So that's what's with all the silver hair in your family," he said as if solving a great mystery. "You guys just bought the implants. Hey, maybe you could hook me up. I think I'd look pretty hot with silver spikes." To Sora's delight, Riku snorted a laugh at this.
"You're an idiot, Holani, did you know that?"
Sora smiled down at him smugly as he disentangled a few strands from a silver ring with a wing design on Riku's index finger and gave the older boy his hand back. "Well this idiot just saved your very expensive hair implants from your own hand. I wouldn't be so quick to toss the insults."
Riku sent a pouting glare his way and Sora could just imagine a 6-year-old Riku with the exact same expression, pouting over someone telling him just how adorable he was. He had to resist the urge to pinch one flawless cheek.
Riku turned his head again waving a hand vaguely. "Take out the rest while you're back there," he commanded airily, and settled more comfortably where he was.
Sora stared at his back flatly for a moment, but when he realized that Riku wasn't moving, shrugged, rolled his eyes settled onto the bench behind him and set to work. If Riku really wanted him playing in his long silky salon perfect hair, Sora thought he might be able to find the energy somewhere to answer the request.
"So why are you over here again?" he asked, feeling far more comfortable after Riku's little mishap than he had at the beginning. It seemed that the same was true for Riku because he didn't stutter over his response this time.
"Demyx sent me to give you details for that thing," he said simply. "They wanna do it after the blitz game tonight if you don't have plans."
"Oh," Sora said distractedly, running his fingers through cool strands as he freed them from their braid. It was amazing how at the bottom, the hair was cool to the touch, almost like it was wet, but as he ran his fingers closer to the scalp, the heat from Riku's head kept the hair there soothingly warm. He smiled a little in wonder at the sensation. It had been years since he'd played with anyone's hair, the last person being his mother's before she'd gotten sick.
"Hellooo?" Riku called back, snapping Sora out of his daze.
"Right, that should be fine," he said, working more efficiently on the next braid. "Just let me ask the people I want to invite. Should only take a second."
The bell chose that moment to ring.
"Crap!" Sora cried as he watched his friends gather their things and prepare to disperse. Without warning, he leapt to his feet to catch them before they left, causing Riku who had been leaning into his touch to let out a startled yelp then fall off the bench backwards onto the grass. Sora looked back, confused, for a second, but hurried on to catch the others.
Funny…when had Riku started leaning into his touch?
-:- -:- -:-
Roxas snickered loudly as he watched Riku flail gracelessly to the ground after losing Sora's contact. Things were working out surprisingly well considering how apparently inept Riku was at real social interaction.
"And how did our little prince do for himself?" Axel asked stepping up behind Roxas where he stood in one of the breezeways.
"Well, considering that Sora is now over there scrambling to get people together, I think the information was delivered." Roxas saw Sora looking around frantically before spotting him and hurrying over.
"How about Spikey. Think he'll be able to handle himself alright?" Axel asked watching Sora with a smirk and a glint in his eyes.
"You just worry about Riku," Roxas hissed quietly as Sora came nearer. "I'll handle Sora."
-:- -:- -:-
Friday, after school—a time Sora looked upon with equal joy and trepidation. On the one hand, it meant the weekend had come again, that Sora had made it through two days of school without relapsing in his illness, and also that he was finally at his final dose of antibiotics and theoretically on the path to full recovery. On the other hand, it meant Friday night Blitz, which Sora would be sitting out, facing the fact that he was well enough now to actually have to focus on all of the missed assignments he'd have to make up, and also facing the fact the a he no longer really had a reason to be imposing himself on Roxas' family anymore. Come Saturday, life would have to go back to normal…well, what passed as normal for Sora anyway.
And then there was the dinner after the game. Just hanging out with some of his friends and some of Riku's friends…and Riku himself of course. Nothing to worry about, right? Right.
In the end, the Sora side of invitees turned out to be Roxas and Naminé, Kairi and Hayner, and then of course, Sora. He'd invited Tidus as well, but apparently the blond had plans with Yuna already. Sora wasn't really surprised. The request had come with rather short notice. He wasn't even really sure where they were going. He just figured he'd get more details after the games were done or at some point in between.
The thing that Sora found his mind staying on most as he watched the JV team warm up sitting in the stands with a few other early arrivals, was his return to the figurative grind. The past week had been…wonderful. He still felt like a complete loser for allowing himself to be so sickly in his friend's home, but never once had any of them complained. Mr. Weis had been nothing but kind in a paternal way that hurt so good, reminding Sora of a childhood that was long gone and could never return. He'd never had siblings before, but Roxas and Naminé both treated him like part of the fold. Luxord too, who visited frequently as he lived just on the other side of town, had taken to being the irritating but cool older brother that Sora had never had.
It was family…real family, and there was a part of Sora that ached desperately to prolong his illness just so that he could make it all last. But then there was the other part of him that berated him for even thinking such thoughts. He had a family. It wasn't perfect, and it would take a bit of work still on his part to get things back to good, but he did still have a family, and he wasn't going to give up on it so easily.
His visit with his mother the previous day had not been encouraging, but Sora was beginning to pick up on a pattern. Things had always been very tame when Rinoa had taken him to visit his mother. They would sit and Rinoa would speak in quiet even tones, smiling gently, and his mom would go right along existing in whatever other space her mind occupied, only occasionally coming out to acknowledge the outside world. The biggest response he'd gotten so far had come from his own tears the day she had included him in her painting. He'd gotten similar though smaller responses on days when he came to her very excited or very frustrated. It seemed that good days were associated with strong emotion, so if he could just keep reaching for her, at the heart level, he knew deep inside that he'd be able to bring her back.
He knew that in her heart, she didn't mean to leave him alone. There was just so much grief blocking her from herself, she wasn't aware of what she was doing. If he could just get through to her…make her truly see him, she'd come back, and they could have their family again. It would hurt, but together—supporting each other—maybe they'd both finally be able to heal.
"Deep thoughts I see."
Sora started, looking up to see who it was who had pulled him from his musings. "Oh, hey Kai," he said as she settled beside him on the bench. "Didn't hear you coming."
"I know," she said smiling softly and tucking hair behind her ear. "You had your deep contemplation face on. What've you got bumping around up there today?"
"What haven't I got bumping around?" Sora sighed. "Has life always been this complicated? Things seemed so much easier before this year began."
"Yeah, well, I can't imagine why that would be, Sora," she said settling back to lean against the seats behind her. "It's not like any major changes have happened in you life lately."
"Ha ha," Sora said flatly. "I guess I just hadn't expected things to get so…intense."
"Intense," Kairi echoed, brows raised as a small smirk pulled at her lips. "This sudden intensity wouldn't have anything to do with a certain silver-haired rich boy whose tresses you were playing with at lunch would it?"
"I wasn't playing with his tresses," Sora defended haughtily. "I was rescuing them from Riku's stupidity and then forced, against my will, to remove the mess that Selphie put there as well." Kairi giggled as he hoped she would and he settled back, leaning against the seat behind him too.
"Yeah," he said, dropping the humor though still smiling softly. "Riku is part of the intensity. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what is going on with him. I honestly only wanted to get to know him a little in the beginning…."
"But now?" Kairi prompted when he lapsed into silence.
"Now, I don't know," Sora sighed. "I seriously don't know what to think. Half the time we don't know what to do around each other, the other half it's almost like we can actually be friends…but we keep bouncing back and forth. And then he just gets so weird sometimes, like he doesn't want to be around me or something, but then he does stuff like today and actually comes seeking me out."
"I don't know, Sora," Kairi said bouncing her feet lightly. "Sounds to me like somebody has a cruuush," she sang the last word teasingly.
"I do not!" Sora protested immediately. He could feel his face heating alarmingly as Kairi fell into a fit of giggles at his side.
"I would say that you're protesting a little much for it not to be true, but I'm actually not talking about you."
"Oh," Sora said feeling a little stupid for jumping to conclusions, but then her words actually sank in. "Wait, what?!? You think Riku has a crush on me?!"
"Sora, you're so cute when you're being clueless," she said shaking her head fondly, "it's almost a shame that it won't last through the end of the year. Yes, silly. Haven't you ever crushed on someone?"
"Yeah…" he said blushing as he thought back to his passing fantasy of having Kairi as more than just a friend back in Middle School. It had been passing, and he had never actually acted on it, but he did remember the awkwardness he had felt around her for that short period of time. The idea had the ring of logic, but still…
"Kairi, this is Riku we're talking about," he pressed. "He's a major ass most of the time, but he can charm the pants off of anyone if he wanted to. If he were into me, he'd just flash that smile of his and turn me into a puddle of goo on the locker room floor."
"I won't point out the obvious implications of what you just said," Kairi smirked at him, "but I do want to point out a few flaws in your logic. I mean, think about it Sora. Riku is drop dead gorgeous. Half the population of this island is drooling over him, but in all the time he's been here, how many romantic relationships has he had? Heck, how many flings has he had?"
Sora blinked at her blankly.
"None," she supplied. "I don't know why I thought you would have known that. Riku's become like some kind of idol to most people, Sora. It's like everyone's forgotten that he's really just another sixteen year old kid. I was guilty of it too until he sat with us today and that's when I figured something out."
"Yeah?" Sora asked curiously, eyes moving to the tank where the team was still practicing. He sought out the silver turned blue by the water hair, focusing on the smooth glide of Riku's athletic form through the pool. "What's that?"
"He's a little on the side of clueless too, Sor." She giggled again when Sora snapped his head over to stare at her wide eyed. "I don't think he has much experience with actually making friends on his own, or being himself in front of others, or doing most of the things we view as normal," she continued. "It's like...like all of those other faces we get to see of him are these elaborate masks he's constructed throughout his life to fit all of the roles he's supposed to play, but take all of the masks away, and he's not even sure what is left underneath. Maybe, he wants to be real with you Sora, and hasn't quite figured out how that's supposed to work."
Sora continued staring at her in mild awe. "You got all of that from one ten minute conversation with the guy?"
"You've forgotten how brilliant I am haven't you?"
"More like I've blocked the trauma of your insanity from my memory," Sora teased. She smacked him lightly on the arm and they proceeded to fall into lighter conversation, just hanging out and talking together like they used to before Sora's life got so complicated. He missed spending time with Kairi. It was great that he had new friends now, but Kairi held a special place in his heart. She had been there for him through everything—after his father had died, when his mother got sick, when he first moved in with Rinoa, all of it. Kairi was the single person on the planet who fully understood the extent of the madness that was his life. He told her things that he hadn't even shared with Rinoa. It was a very sobering thought to realize how small a part of his life she encompassed now.
"It's really lame how much things have changed between us, Kai," he said as they watched the JV team leave the tank and head back into the locker room. The other team had arrived, the Titans from Destiny Pacific High.
"Oh, things haven't changed that much between us, Sora," she said smiling lightly at him. "We can still talk to each other and we'll always be there for one another. I'm just not everything anymore. That's a good thing."
Sora smiled at her sadly. "Things were so much simpler when there was only you though."
"Yeah, but you weren't nearly as happy either," she told him. "I know things feel crazy, but that emptiness that always seemed to float just behind your eyes has faded. I might miss being the center of your universe just a little, but I'm glad to see that you're finally finding a place for yourself in the world. As long as you can find a few minutes for me every now and again, I'll be happy."
"Always, Kairi," he told her earnestly. "I can't imagine not having you as a part of my life."
She smiled brightly at him, but the conversation ended there as more people began coming, filling the stands. Naminé, Pence and Olette showed up carrying snacks, and soon afterwards, Axel, Zexion, Demyx and several other members of the Varsity team came to sit around them, some of the blitzers Sora hadn't seen recently offering him friendly words to his secret delight.
He noticed Bickson sitting high in the stands alone, all of his friends getting ready to play and felt a pang of sympathy for the older boy. True, it was Bickson's fault that he wasn't able to play right now, but at least Sora had other friends. From what he could tell after speaking to Meg, there probably weren't many people who gave a damn about the guy and even if he was an asshole, everyone needed a friend. It crossed his mind to invite the guy to sit with them, but then he remembered Meg's warning and Leon's second to it. Sora felt bad for the other player, but there was nothing he could do to fix the problem's in Bickson's life.
He turned away to focus on his friends and the game that was about to start.
-:- -:- -:-
Coach was pissed.
Roxas filed back into the locker room with the rest of the JV Blades, passing several members of the Varsity team as they headed out to start warming up. There were a few looks of sympathy exchanged between the teams, but pretty soon, the Varsity players were gone and JV were left in the central meeting area alone with their furious coach.
"And what, gentlemen and ladies, do you call what happened out there this afternoon?" Coach Clayton ground out through clenched teeth. The room remained silent aside from the squeak of rubber as some players shifted awkwardly in their suits.
"Well?!" Clayton barked expectantly. "Have you nothing to say?!"
"Coach, we played a good game," Wakka said speaking up boldly. "The Titans are a tough team, ya? And we're down a player and still breaking in a new one. I'm proud that we still managed to give them a run for their money, right guys?" He turned to the rest of the team, nodding firmly at them, and the other players gave some small smiles and nods of their own.
"Is that what you think, Captain Pelekai?" Clayton asked dangerously.
Wakka hesitated a moment, but nodded, "Yeah, coach," he said, standing his ground. "That's what I think. The team did good. I think we learned a lot from this game. One loss isn't gonna hurt us."
"I agree," Riku said stepping up to stand beside Wakka, and Roxas nodded in approval at the show of solidarity between their two Captains. "We've got a couple of weeks before the next game. By then Meg will have more experience with the team, Holani will be back in rotation, and we'll have had a chance to put into practice what we learned here tonight. So we lost. It happens. We'll do better next time."
Silence fell over the locker room as the rest of the team anxiously watched Coach Clayton for his reaction. The tension in the air seemed to build with every passing moment until Clayton finally spoke.
"Since it seems that the two of you are in agreement on this point," he began, "I now see that I have been ignoring a grievous error."
"What?" Tidus suddenly spoke up, "Coach, you can't!"
Roxas reached up to hold his friend back, shooting a look at Hayner as a sinking feeling settled in his gut.
"A team is only as strong as its leadership," Clayton pressed on, and more voices raised in protest as the other players began realizing what was about to happen. "Silence!" He snarled and was instantly obeyed though the air was still filled with rage.
"The events of these past weeks have shown me that this team is in need of stronger leadership. As of next week, Mr. Khuloa and Mr. Raudy will be taking over as Captain and Vice-Captain of this team. Perhaps in the hands of more experience players, this team will become something actually worth coaching."
With that, Clayton made his exit, vanishing in the ringing silence left behind in the wake of his last statement. There was shock on the faces of everyone in the room including the two new captains.
"Graav is our new captain?!" Hayner said suddenly, effectively breaking the spell of silence in the room, and that opened the floodgates for all the bitching to begin.
"No fucking way," Roxas was startled by the voice that had spoken, turning quickly to find Axel, Sora, Kairi and Naminé all standing behind him and the others. Axel was the one who had spoken and moved quickly over to where Riku and Wakka were still standing, completely shell shocked. Roxas joined the others in following after him, fighting past the rest of the team who were all clamoring their protests at the two boys they still viewed as their captains.
"Guys, shut up!" Tidus finally screamed into the chaos, and silence fell again. "He…he can't do this!" Tidus said struggling to contain his anger.
"Yeah, well he just did," Riku snapped before shoving his way through the crowd. Everyone just stared after him, not sure how to respond to the sudden outburst. Roxas looked to Axel but noted that the redhead was actually watching Sora. He gave a small smirk when the brunet looked around to the rest of the team, then gave a frustrated sigh before quickly heading in the same direction that Riku had vanished, the team parting for him to pass. Only then did Axel turn his eyes back to Roxas, raising his eyebrows knowingly. Roxas rolled his eyes in return, focusing back on Tidus who was now talking urgently to Wakka.
"I'll talk to Auron," he was saying, "I'll talk to my dad, hell I'll take this up with Principal Xemnas if I have to! Wakka, you worked your ass off for this position! Gave up a spot on Varsity! He can't just take this away from you!"
"Well, as Riku said," Wakka finally spoke, voice flat, void of the confidence and strength that they were accustomed to hearing from their captain, "he just did. Now if you'll all excuse me," he headed off towards his locker in the boy's section of the locker room. Tidus followed after him, but the rest of the team just stayed put.
"I can't believe any of this," Hayner stated flatly, flopping down onto one of the benches in the room. "It's like a bad dream."
"Well I think it's about time this team finally got some captains who know what the hell they're doing," Bickson's voice suddenly called out. All heads angrily snapped in his direction where he was comfortably standing with Graav, Abus, Raudy and Meg, who was also shooting him warning looks.
"Are you still here," Rikku growled out, flipping her mess of blonde braids over her shoulder as she huffed into a seat as well.
"You're not even a part of this team anymore, asshole," Yuffie bit out. "This is none of your business."
"Oh, I'll be back," Bickson said, sneering a cruel smile at her, "and when I am, there are going to be some big changes around here. That's a promise."
Rikku jumped to her feet, anger clear in her posture, but Paine placed a restraining hand on her shoulder, shaking her head.
"Let's get out of here, ladies," she said looking over at Yuna, Yuffie, and Mulan as well. "There's a little too much testosterone in the air for my taste."
With that, the females on the team exited to their part of the locker room, Meg sending one last irritated glare at Bickson before following the other girls out.
"I've gotta get changed for work," David sighed, walking away, running his hands through his still damp hair. This left Roxas, Hayner, Axel and Naminé alone with the other four players, who still stood around congratulating each other.
"C'mon," Roxas said nudging Hayner, "Let's get changed. We'll see you guys in the stands," he said speaking to his twin and Axel.
"This gonna be alright, Roxas?" Axel asked, eyeing the other guys critically,
"Guess we won't find out until next week," Roxas sighed in response. Naminé came over and pulled him into an embrace, ignoring his still wet hair and the damp towel around his shoulders, then stepped back to do the same for Hayner.
"I'm sure you guys are worrying over nothing," she said with a soft smile, stepping back to stand with Axel again. "Things will work out. I know it."
"I sure as hell hope so, Nami," Hayner said with a sigh, "because I'm afraid that I'm about to start hating this team."
-:- -:- -:-
Riku sat outside on the roof of the P.E. building watching the sky as the sun sank into the ocean beyond. He was still in his game suit though it was peeled half off his chest allowing his upper body to dry. It was a bit chilly now in the evening air, but he didn't care much. The slight breeze felt nice against his skin and the view of the sky and the sea from the roof was soothing. Plus, there was no one else up there. He really didn't feel much up to being around many people at the moment.
That had…really sucked. He hadn't expected for it to hurt as much as it did to have his vice-captaincy taken away. He'd never exactly made huge effort to gain the position, but it was something he'd held with pride. He'd taken the role very seriously especially if it meant that he could be there to support one of the few people he considered real friends in his life. But then Wakka…
Wakka was a born leader. There was a reason he'd earned the position after only one year of playing. He was meant for the job. The team loved him, even the older players. He never treated anyone like a subordinate, but did manage to still bring out the best in all of them. And Wakka loved the team in return. He spent most of his time looking for ways to improve everyone's game, figure out how they could better work as a team. The team was everything to him. He must have been crushed. Riku knew that he should have been there with him now making sure he was alright, but where was he instead? Sitting alone on the roof pouting like a five year old. What a pathetic excuse for a friend.
He growled in irritation when he heard the roof access door open, and turned to glare whoever it was away. Unfortunately, his glare was intercepted by a projectile of some kind…something of the soft and fluffy variety.
"Y'know, you'll get sick sitting up here half naked like that," a very familiar voice said, and Riku pulled the towel that had landed on his face away to find Sora strolling casually towards him. His glare softened to more of a scowl, but there wasn't really anything behind it.
"What are you doing up here anyway, Holani?" he grumbled. "I don't remember asking for company."
"Well, lucky you," Sora said settling beside him on the tarmac, "I'm psychic enough to offer it without you asking."
Riku just shook his head, looking back out to the steadily darkening sky. "Why do you even bother with me?" he asked bitterly. "You should be back at the game with your other friends. Believe me, I'm not worth the time."
Sora gusted a small laugh. "I never pegged you for the angsty-emo type, Riku," he said with a smile, "That always seemed more Paine's thing."
Riku chose to ignore the comment and allowed silence to fall between them. He hadn't asked for company and despite what Sora thought he knew, Riku didn't particularly want any either. If Sora was gonna sit there, that was his choice. It was a free rooftop. That didn't mean that Riku had to entertain him.
"So that kind sucked what happened back there," Sora said at length, squirming a little in his seat.
"Ya think?" Riku responded dully. It kinda made him feel like a bigger ass that he was being so rude when really, the kid was just trying to help, but he really just didn't feel up to being sociable.
"Well…" Sora tried again, "I just wanted to make sure you were ok, is all. I mean, yeah you weren't as vocal and open with the team as Wakka, but I know that you took the job really seriously. I mean, you always spoke up for us, helped me when you didn't have to, and I know you wouldn't have done that if you didn't really care."
"For all the good it did you in the end," Riku grumbled still not looking at Sora, yet Sora laughed a little at the comment and this did bring Riku's attention away from the sky.
"Yeah," Sora said smiling softly, looking out towards the horizon. There was a strange peace about him considering the subject they were discussing, and Riku couldn't help but wonder at it. "It's funny though," Sora continued. "Despite the amazing amounts of pain the whole mess with Bickson brought, a lot of really good things came out of it."
"How do you mean?" Riku asked raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're that happy to have gotten out of school for a week."
"No," Sora said cocking his head a little, "but I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you right now if things hadn't happened the way they did would I?" Sora turned his head to look at him and Riku was caught off guard by those amazing eyes of his. Riku didn't know how he had missed them before, but ever since that day in the tank when he had watched the light and life fade from Sora's eyes, Riku found that meeting Sora's azure gaze sparked something in him that hadn't been there before that fateful day.
In the fading light of sunset, Sora's eyes seemed to glow with a light all their own. His expression was open, honest, reminding Riku of the innocence and optimism that had irritated him so when he had first met the brunet. He'd been so sure that Sora was just ignorant and sheltered and completely unaware of just how cruel life could be. Perhaps it was a touch of jealousy that had sparked those emotions. Riku himself had been through so much in his short life; had lost his hope and innocence in the wake of the wasting illness that had taken his mother from him in the end. Yet, Sora, even when he was clearly being harassed and abused had just gone on like nothing had happened. Riku had convinced himself that that was due to plain ignorance and stupidity, but then Sora had shown him another side, and learning a little about the boy had changed his opinion of Sora entirely.
Now…Riku was just confused. Clearly, Sora was struggling with money, he apparently lived alone and had to take care of himself, he lived with daily harassment, had almost died, gotten sick because of it, yet and still, he managed to sit there with that contented smile, light shining from those eyes as if everything in his life was ok. Riku just couldn't understand how anyone could come out of such shitty circumstances and still find some good in the situation. And here he was pouting because he'd been stripped of a title. At least he could still play, at least he hadn't almost lost his life for the ability to do so.
Riku couldn't stand to look into those eyes anymore. In them, he could see all of his flaws reflected in painful relief, but that wasn't what bothered him. What Riku found most disturbing was the way sitting there with Sora made him want to not only acknowledge those flaws, but to fix them. It was like in the depths of Sora's eyes, Riku could see the key to taking himself apart and putting himself back together better than he currently was, and Riku really wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"Y'know," Sora spoke again into the not quite awkward silence between them. "I don't think I ever thanked you…y'know, for saving my life."
Riku was startled back into looking at the other boy again, and he caught the soft smile on his lips, the sincerity in his expression. Riku returned the smile with a small one of his own, intrigued by how the air somehow felt lighter now just from their few minutes of talking.
"Only you, Holani, would have a psycho attack you, end up bedridden for a week and still manage to remember 'thank you's after it all," Riku said chuckling lightly. Sora joined him, laughing very quietly but still flinching a little telling Riku that his ribs were still a bit tender.
"Well, y'know," Sora continued, smiling still but expression leaning more towards an awkward that Riku found…rather endearing, "it's kind of a big deal…, and seeing as you did save my life and everything, I'd hope we could at least be at first-name standing."
Riku blinked at this, replaying his last statement in his head. Was he still calling Sora by his family name? That seemed so strange to him because he could have sworn that he at least thought of the other boy as 'Sora' rather than 'Holani'….
"Uh…right," Riku nodded, mildly confused now, but letting that fall away as he threw Sora a quizzical expression. "What was your name again?" he asked and that earned him smack against the back of his head. He laughed out loud at the unimpressed look Sora gave him at that, and fell backwards to lay down, staring up at the sky still smiling. Silence fell between them again and it was distinctly more comfortable than Riku had felt alone with Sora…pretty much ever. Their relationship was odd to say the least, but Riku was beginning to feel that he might be adding another name to his admittedly short list of real friends. Sora was really starting to grow on him.
"So, y'know…" Sora began after a while and the sky had grown almost completely dark, "even if you don't mind getting sick out here, I'd really rather not since I'm technically still recovering, so…"
Riku shot Sora a startled look taking in the other boy's shorts, flip-flops, and tank top. The island was warm, but it was getting deeper into fall and evening temperatures were dropping. Every mother hen instinct in Riku suddenly awakened as he drew an irritated breath between his teeth.
"God, Sora! You really are an idiot!" He snatched the towel from around his own shoulders and draped it over Sora's, pulling him to a standing position and dragging him back down into the warmth of the P.E. building.
"Jeez Riku," Sora laughed as he was dragged along, "if I didn't know any better I'd think you actually cared."
Riku shot him a scathing glare before shoving him through the rooftop door.
-:- -:- -:-
So Sora's 'We're glad you're not dead' party turned into Wakka and Riku's 'We'll murder Clayton in his sleep if you want us to' party, and the small gathering of friends that it was going to be at first turned into almost the entire population of blitzers in the school with the exception of a few special individuals. Sora found that he didn't mind one bit. He hadn't been too thrilled about the evening being about him to begin with, and now that he had considerably fewer issues to stress over, he was actually able to just sit back and enjoy the company of friends and teammates.
They had ended up at a restaurant named Paopu Island, incidentally owned by Wakka's family and the place where David worked. Nani hadn't heard about what happened because she left the game early to cover a shift for their mom, but apparently David had informed her of all that had gone down because as soon as the team entered the place, she fell upon them like a mother bear.
"Where is he?" She snapped into the crowd. "Wakka!" spotting her brother she shoved her way to him almost snarling in her fury. "I'm gonna slice off that bastard's chinchi, sauté it in palene sauce and shove it up his ass. Maybe that'll teach him to mess with my otoe!"
"Woah, nihe, calm down," Wakka said, looking at his sister a little nervously. She actually was clutching a carving knife in her hand. The others laughed as he steered her away, speaking with her in quiet tones while the rest of them took over several booths in the establishment. With two kids on the blitz team, Wakka and Nani's parents made sure to have space reserved for the team after games every Friday. They were loud and obnoxious, but they were island kids. A lot of the tourist who happened to be in when the team was there really got a kick out of seeing the mass of teens together. Things tended to be interesting when blitzers congregated.
"I don't know," David shouted over the voices of the others as he set a tray of water down on one of the tables, "I think Nani has a good idea. Clayton's gone too far this time."
"Yeah, but then someone would have to see the guy naked!" Larxene called out, "Much as I love Wacky and Reeks, I'd like to keep my eye sight, thanks. Nobody needs to see that shit!"
"Oh, c'mon Larx!" Axel called back to her, lounging comfortably in the booth next to the one where she was sitting, "I thought you were into kinks. This'll fit perfectly in one of your little bondage fantasies."
"Eat me flamer!" Larxene called back putting a particular finger on display for Axel to see.
"In front of all these people? Didn't know exhibitionism was on your list!"
Sora sat amongst the chaos, just taking it all in. They sat in one of those booths with one really long seat wrapped around a table, and around him sat Roxas, Kairi, Axel, Naminé, Riku, and an empty seat reserved for Wakka. Tidus, Hayner, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine were at the table across from them, and all around, there was Blitzball madness. Voices shouting, reliving some of the better moments from the JV game, others praising Varsity for their victory. It was crazy…but somehow, it was great too. Unlike the last time Sora had been surrounded with all of these people, things were going really well in his life. This time around he could really just revel in being surrounded by friends, new and old, and compounded with the knowledge that such moments would be few and far between in his near future, it just made everything perfect.
"Riku!!" Sora was startled when he heard a distinctly younger voice in amongst the sounds of shouting teens and looked over just in time to see a small girl of about 5 or 6 years launch herself into Riku's lap, Riku smiling as he returned the girls embrace.
"How's it goin' Li-li?" he asked, ruffling her hair as she shifted to sit next to him into Wakka's seat.
"It's Lilo ya big meanie," she pouted punching him in the arm. Sora snickered when Riku flinched rubbing at his arm where the girl had struck. Riku caught the sound and shot him a playful glare from across the table before returning his attention to the small girl. "You didn't come over after Paopu School on Saturday," she pouted, "I waited and waited, but then I felt the house shaking and I thought it had to be giant mutant sea turtles attacking, so I hid in my secret bunker in my room until Nani told me it was time for dinner. We had spaghetti," Sora blinked, trying to figure out exactly what the girl had been talking about, but he only had a moment to wonder at her words before Axel was leaning over to talk to him.
"That's Nani and Wakka's kid sister Lilo," he explained, smirking as he watched the two interact. "She's got Ricky wrapped around her little finger." Sora snorted again as this point was demonstrated, Riku now attempting to bribe the girl with milkshakes to gain her forgiveness. Lilo was stubbornly shaking her head refusing to look at Riku like and angry lover.
"C'mon Li, peanut butter-banana-coconut-lime, it's your favorite," Riku said in his most cajoling voice. "I'll even toss in some pineapple for free."
"No deal!," Lilo told him, shaking her head firmly. "I want a puppy!"
"A puppy?!" Riku repeated, face falling in shock.
"That's right!" she persisted "A puppy or I'm never talking to you again!"
Sora smiled seeing how comfortable Riku was with the little girl. He'd never thought Riku of all people would be good with kids. The guy really was just full of surprises, speaking of which…
"Riku goes to Paopu School?" he asked Axel as Lilo continued being stubborn and Riku continued to try to persuade.
Axel raised an eyebrow at him and snorted. "Yeah, that's kinda how we met."
Sora blinked at him. "You go to Paopu School?"
"Don't act so surprised," Axel said, acting affronted, "I've got plenty of cultural sensitivity, in't dat right Rocky?" Sora didn't catch Roxas' quiet reply, lost in his own thoughts as he processed this new information. Paopuan National was the school that Island kids went to officially as a place for education both fundamental and cultural, but there was also an optional Cultural School that students could attend if they wanted to study their heritage more in-depth. The school didn't have many students, and those who attended usually were hoping to stay on and continue passing on the details of their culture to teach future generations…and both Axel and Riku and apparently Wakka were attending.
Sora was knocked out of his thoughts quite literally when Axel suddenly lunged at Roxas, falling over Sora who was sitting between the two. It was a good thing the table was bolted to the floor and they hadn't made food orders yet because the move definitely would have turned the table over and wasted a lot of their money. Instead of that, it just landed an evilly chuckling Axel across Sora's lap apparently attempting to tickle Roxas in retaliation for something the other boy said, Roxas yelling at Axel to not touch him, and Kairi and Naminé both giggling madly as they refused to allow Roxas out of the booth.
Axel had clearly forgotten about Sora and his still somewhat delicate state, and Sora found himself attempting to be heard over the madness as he tried to get Axel off of him. It was a useless endeavor, so seeing as he had no other choice, Sora set to squirming trying to slide himself from under Axel and trade seats with the skinny redhead. The fact that they were both so slim should have made it easy, but Axel kept squirming and Roxas was almost convulsing in his attempt to keep from giving into his giggles. Then Sora felt a hand reaching under his arm pulling to try to help him out and there was laughter everywhere as the rest of the room apparently watched the spectacle that their table was making and then Sora found himself pulled free, falling forward and landing on something warm and firm.
He inhaled a scent that was very familiar and sent a pleasant hum through his nerves even as his brain registered what the warm/firm thing he landed on must have been and his face began heating as he tried to scramble off. Riku's hand was still on his arm, however, and Sora's body was still twisted awkwardly under him and he groaned in pain as his ribs protested his attempt to rise. Riku's hands were there again, and Sora squeezed his eyes shut, accepting the aid as he tried to convince himself that no, he had not face planted into Riku's crotch, no, it had not happened in front of every Blitzball player in the school, and no, he had not kind of liked it…ok, so maybe not so strongly to that last one….
By the time Sora was sitting properly again, his face was still red, Riku was pressing his palm to his forehead, leaning forward so that his face was hidden by silver layers of hair. Axel was lounging smugly as if nothing had happened, an arm tossed casually on the cushioning behind Roxas' head, Roxas was glaring at Axel looking mussed and grumpy, and Kairi and Naminé both where whispering secretively to each other. The rest of the players were now distracted as food orders were being made and Sora just tried to steady the very noticeable pounding of his heart.
He felt a sudden poke on his shoulder and looked up to find Lilo standing on the seat leaning towards him over Riku's back. She pointed a chubby finger in his face pouting firmly at him.
"Riku said you're the reason he didn't visit last week," she told him with all the indignation that her 5 or 6 years could offer. "That means you owe me a puppy!" And then with a final glare, she hopped down and stomped away.
The absurdity of the situation was…flabbergasting. Sora just sat staring after the girl for a few seconds, but then he noticed the muffled sounds coming from Riku as well as the other boy's shaking shoulders and it was all just too much. Despite the still present ache in his side, Sora allowed himself to fall against Riku's back as he too crumbled into laughter.
-:- -:- -:-
The rest of the evening went by a bit tamer but no less hilarious. Wakka had come over eventually with a wry smile and joined their table, and Nani and David, acting as their servers even managed to spend a great deal of their time with the teams. Sora didn't have much money to spend and only ordered a small order of fries, yet somehow, everyone at their table ordered a little too much food and they all ended up sharing. It made Sora feel vaguely pathetic, but he was still not stupid enough to turn food away out of nothing more than stubborn pride.
The night was winding down, most of the other players gone until there were only a few of them left and the restaurant was nearing closing time. Sora had ended up beside Riku for the rest of the evening, and despite the fact that he was pretty sure it had been a set up, he didn't mind one bit. He decided that more time with Riku was definitely not a bad thing. He was beginning to understand what Kairi had meant about the other boy. There was definitely something…different in him when he was surrounded by people he trusted, and Sora couldn't help the warm tightening in his chest when he realized that he fell amongst those that the silver-haired boy held in his trust.
"Hey, guys," Wakka said after a lull in their already slow conversation, "you ready for the bill?" Sora looked around confused as the other people around all suddenly perked up and seemed a bit more awake.
"Definitely," Demyx declared from the booth behind them. Axel and Roxas had joined him and Zexion there after everyone else had cleared from the booth. Yuffie had joined Hayner, Tidus, and Yuna at their table, and Kairi and Naminé still sat with Sora Riku and Wakka in their booth. Smiling, Wakka raised a hand signaling his sister and then Nani vanished through a pair of wooden saloon style doors only to appear a few moments later carrying a small cake with tall sparking candles. The group around him began singing the Paopuan song of birth celebration, some singing the words perfectly, others stumbling over them, and Sora just stared on in confusion as the cake was put in front of him and everyone watched him expectantly once they had finished singing.
"I-I don't get it," Sora stammered looking around at his friends over the candles. "My birthday was like, two weeks ago…you guys were all there. Wha—what-whu…?" Sora gestured at the cake not even bothering to voice the question properly.
"It was Riku's idea," Zexion said smoothly.
"Since, someone ruined your party for you," Demyx continued, thumping the back of Riku's head with a flicked finger.
"You didn't even get any of your cake," Kairi added smiling.
Sora was overwhelmed. He really didn't think that anyone had cared. He'd been resigned to forget that day had ever happened and figured everyone else had as well, but here he was, sitting with friends who wanted to make sure that he had some happy memories to associate with the anniversary of his 15th year on the planet.
Riku was watching him warily, but gave a small smile as he gestured at the cake. "Consider it do-overs," he said. The smile became more self-deprecating, "That day kinda marked the beginning of my recovery from chronic assholeism."
Sora couldn't even laugh. It felt like he was going to choke on all of the emotions swelling in his chest. Looking first at all of the people around him then turning back to his cake, he closed his eyes and made a wish; one that seemed a lot less impossible to attain in that moment than it ever had before.
He took a deep breath and blew out all of his candles.
-:- -:- -:-
A/N:
Dekimashita! Dude…this chapter…I wasn't expecting like, half the stuff that happened. Never before have I felt more like just a vehicle to the telling of a tale rather than the one making it up. Seriously I was shocked by half the stuff I found out when writing this. Anyway…
Things of note this chapter:
Kuzco from The Emporor's New Groove; Lilo from Lilo and Stitch "…mutant sea turtles" quote c/o my beautiful beta Lokotei; Bickson's back-story revealed! Meg's involvement comes out! RiSo goodness; Kairi came back; more hints of AkuRoku, and more rising action. Yays! Also…
Paopuan Terminology:
Wahala- wah-HA-lah – I understand
Otoe – o-thO-eh – younger brother (it's a really soft 'th' sound)
Nihe – NEE-heh –sis; sister
Chinchi – CHIN-chee – use your imagination
Palene –pah-LEH-neh –and extremely hot pepper that grows on the island
Review and let me know if this starts getting too lame…