Love Love Contest! Fight!
Disclaimer: Don't own KH characters or rights.
Warning: shonen-ai (boy x boy romance), crude humor, language, SoraRiku below.
Chapter ten: Believe in yourself
Previously…
"I wanted to test. I wanted to see if that person had the quality to be my lover in the future. I wanted someone who would stand up to me when I was completely wrong. I needed somebody like that to keep me sane."
----
Sora hustled in the kitchen, walking back and forth with his hands all busy. His infamous goofy smile was plastered on his face as he stirred the cake mix inside the bowl. Kairi beside him was trying to keep up with his pace but he just seemed unbeatable. Quickly the pan was in the oven and came out golden-colored. With detailed care and delicacy Sora applied icing and frosting on the dessert.
"I bet that's for Riku." Kairi sighed enviously.
"Actually, no." Sora grinned. "It's Tidus' birthday."
"Really?! Why didn't you tell me?" Kairi squealed. "Wait, I'll give him my cake, and then you can give Riku yours!"
Sora protested but Kairi decided on the matter. Upon finalizing the decision someone told them something smelled funny. Kairi turned back and screamed.
"My cake!" She yanked the oven open but it was obviously too late. Her cake looked… black.
"Well, I guess we're giving mine to Tidus after all." Sora laughed as his friend glared unhappily at him.
----
Axel had his arms crossed across his chest, shadows were strewn across his refined features. Roxas stood next to him, eyes anxious as they looked at the silver-haired boy before him.
"It's time to sort this all out." Axel said. Riku looked away into the silver clouds. "You know who's winning the contest. There's no point in continuing this."
"I want to finish what I started," said Riku.
"Why bother? You'll get Sora and he'll have to leave you alone anyway." The redhead asked, almost reproaching. "The President told me one of the girls isn't very stable."
"There were several observations made by the club officers." Roxas added. "I have a feeling that if you don't stop this now it'll end more disastrously."
"That's just your gut feeling." Shifting; shadows crossing. "I'll end this the way it is supposed to. The way it started."
And Riku was gone with dissipating footsteps. Axel sighed and lowered his arms. Roxas bit his lower lip and leaned on his boyfriend.
----
The whole class conspired behind Kairi's plot. Tidus was locked out of the classroom, and Sora was to present him the cake. The blond first yelled and kicked at the classroom door, trying to get inside for the school day wasn't over and his stuff was in there. Sora, with a goofy grin, sneaked up beside him, cake in hand.
"Sora!" Tidus exclaimed, "These guys locked us ou-"
Sora giggled, "Happy Birthday Tidus!"
"Happy Birthday!!" The windows of the classroom were shoved open; laughing faces filled the frame.
"You guys!" Realizing what happened, Tidus began to laugh. Sora walked up and gestured the cake to the boy. A candle burned in the center quietly, waiting to be blown out before the shower of congratulated spirits.
----
Riku stopped in the hallway. A streak of light was thrown upon him. The rest of the school seemed unusually dark. His eyes burned into those of the man before him, and followed the smirk that ran on his face.
"You seem to have a hell lot of time to walk around here," said Ansem. "Shouldn't you be putting a watch on that little lover of yours?"
"I'm not a stalker." Riku said.
"Is that so? Well, too bad. You'd miss out on what he's doing with that blond friend of his," Ansem said darkly. "What was his name again…? Oh yes, Tidus. Heard he's got a thing for little Sora, too."
"What are you saying?"
"You know what I'm saying," Ansem smiled. "They must be having some real fun."
"You're disgusting." Riku said, and walked straight past Ansem. Two junctions down and one turn, however, led him to a noisy corridor.
"Happy Birthday!"
Something struck Riku's heart when he saw the words of Ansem come true. Sora was laughing, giggling, smiling and even teasing next to Tidus. There was a pounding in Riku's chest. Fierce, uncultured. When Tidus leaned closer to blow out the candles, it felt like a rope was smothering around Riku's neck.
----
"It will all be over soon, Riku. You'll be saved from that wicked prick. I will save you… He holds no true heart to you! I… I have a true heart for you. I know… he just wants to take revenge, revenge on someone else. And he is using you. I will not let him do that! I will not allow him to use you. No one can ever hurt you, my precious Riku… There has to be an end to this. She has taken control over you before, and now he is taking her place. I cannot allow anyone to manipulate you any longer. Just wait, my Prince Riku… I'll be there for you. I'll die for you."
----
Sora didn't know how it began, but a feeling of being followed crept up behind his back ever since school ended. Tilting his head musingly he arrived at his locker. However there was a note on there, taped to his locker's door.
"Meet me at the school's garden."
The note was not signed. Wondering who it could have been, Sora began to make his way to the school garden. Students were scarce now, most of them heading towards the front gate. Sora took a secluded narrow path to the left and arrived at the garden.
There was something lying on the only bench made of red maple wood in the school. With frowning eyebrows the brunet picked it up, only to tremble in horror when he recognized the picture in his hands.
It was him, sleeping half-naked next to Ansem. He did not remember this picture being taken. He turned it over and it read: You still haven't told him about us yet?
The brunet stifled a whimper and crumbled the photo in his hands.
Suddenly his shoulder was tapped.
"Ah!" He exclaimed. He was met with green eyes. "Riku?"
Without a word said boy stepped up to hold Sora in his arms. The pressure applied increased until Sora felt a little crushed and difficult to breathe.
"R-Riku… you're crushing me…"
"What were you doing with him?"
"Him?" Sora froze. Riku couldn't have seen the picture, could he?
"Tidus." Riku said. "What were you doing with him?"
Tidus..? Sora widened his eyes when he remembered. "Oh! It's his birthday today!"
"And nothing else?" Riku pulled away.
"What else can there be?" Sora looked at him confusedly. What was in Riku's eyes? Confusion? No. Distaste? No… Insecurity..?
"I don't know, Sora." Riku said, frowning. "I'm feeling strange these days. It's like I'm not myself anymore. When I see you and Tidus together… When I see you around people…" He sighed, and pulled Sora into him once again. "It's like I just want to hold you, forever, like this."
Something blossomed in Sora's heart. Tears were ringing up his eyes.
"I love you, Sora. I love you." Riku cried. "God, my heart hurts so much."
There was a crack in Sora's voice, and then he sobbed. It was up 'til that point that they both realized love was not something sweet; but something bitter. Love was not something pleasant, but something that made their hearts throb with pain. However romantic that might have been, the tears were with pain.
Their moment was shattered with distinct, crisp claps. The couple pulled away from each other, turning to the man entering the scene.
"How romantic," Ansem said. "Classic."
"What do you want?" Riku narrowed his eyes at the man, naturally becoming protective. Ansem laughed scornfully.
"Why don't you ask your beautiful doll over there?"
"Sora? Do you know him?" Riku turned to his brunet.
Sora didn't say anything.
"Bah, playing silent, are we?" Ansem mocked, and smirked wider when Sora balled up his fist at the photo in his hand. "Very well. If you won't be honest, I'll be."
He pulled out a thin piece of paper from his pocket. Sora's eyes widened in terror and he wanted to snatch the paper from Ansem. However, it would do him no good since Riku would demand to know anyway. The silver-haired boy took the paper from Ansem.
Riku began to shudder. Sora began to weep.
"I've been trying to tell you, Riku," said Ansem. "He joined the contest for other purposes. He wanted get back on me-"
"That's not true…"
"I keep telling you, didn't I? He's just using you…"
"That's not true!" Sora yelled. "Riku, don't trust him. I love you, I really do…"
"Is this picture real?" Riku's voice trembled horribly. Sora squeaked, and nodded silently.
"And you continued in the contest knowing that he was the one I made the bet with?"
Another nod.
"Hah!" Ansem laughed triumphantly. "I told you so! Well, now what, Riku? Even your most prominent candidate is down. You've got no one else to choose but me."
"Shut up." Riku said. He looked numb. "Shut up. Shut up. Shut up."
He turned to leave, and without him Sora collapsed onto the floor. Ansem spat disdainfully before leaving the brunet alone.
----
Somehow the sky had gone gray when Sora was willing to pick himself up. He shuffled slowly away from the garden and back towards the school front. He went back to the lockers, where he left his schoolbag.
When he turned to head home, his eyes spied something. It was… a shoe or something, right behind a row of lockers.
He stalked up to study what it was.
He screamed.
It was number 4, the girl from the science competition, lying on the ground.
In blood.