Hayner nodded, "Rox, I'm sure he'll call you soon to set something up."
"I hope so..." Roxas said, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment. The two were walking across campus as they had their next class in the same building, and Roxas was just telling Hayner how he hadn't heard anything from Axel since their date on Wednesday and it was now Friday. "Do you think he's waiting for me to call him?"
Hayner rolled his eyes. "If you're that worried, just call him already!"
"I don't want to seem clingy!" Roxas said angrily.
Hayner threw his hands up in the air. "Well then, don't complain about it!"
"Hayner, I no longer have any doubts as to why you are still single." Roxas said matter-of-factly.
Hayner punched his arm. "We can't all run around all glowy with a new relationship like you."
Roxas grinned. "You're just jealous 'cause my boyfriend is so hot."
"Sure, Rox. That's it exactly. Except, you know, I don't like guys and I've never met him. Totally." Hayner replied sarcastically.
Roxas stuck his tongue out at his friend and was about to retort when his cell started ringing in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out and squealed when the display read that it was Axel.
"It's him! I'll see you later! Hey, Axel." Roxas said, answering the phone and walking away from Hayner, a huge grin on his face.
Hayner stared after him a moment, shaking his head, when as he turned to continue heading to his next class, he spotted a familiar looking blonde. 'Ah hah! I was wondering when he'd show up!' He thought, making his way over to Seifer.
Seifer wasn't paying any attention and hadn't noticed him yet. He was grumbling something about how much cars sucked as beds as he checked his cell phone to make sure he hadn't missed anything overnight. He'd grabbed a change of clothes once Cloud and Leon had vacated the apartment (he hadn't gone far to hide) and then slept in the college parking lot overnight.
He considered sending Leon a text asking if it would be safe to come home tonight (because he really didn't want to repeat the night before) but decided against it, instead just shoving his phone into his pocket and deciding that he would worry about it after class.
Hayner made his way over to him. "Well, well. I can't say I'm surprised to see you today, Seifer. What are you doing here?"
Seifer glanced over and resisted the urge to groan or smack the kid, instead gesturing behind him to the classroom he was standing in front of, "Class. Accounting. You?" he raised an eyebrow.
Hayner frowned. "I have class here, too. Medieval history. Why do you look like you slept in your car?"
"Probably because I slept in my car." Seifer shrugged.
"Why would you do something like that?" Hayner gasped suddenly. "Don't tell me you were parked outside my house!"
Seifer groaned, about to snap at the kid when he had a better idea. "Caught me. Sorry." he smirked, "Guess you should've checked." he winked, "Well, gotta get to class. I'll see you around." He quickly slipped into his classroom before Hayner had a chance to react.
Hayner stood there for a second, mouth gaping, before checking his watch to see that he had three minutes before class started and darting into the room after him, making a beeline for his desk. Ignoring the curious glances he was getting, he glared at Seifer. "Please, please tell me you were kidding. Otherwise, I need your last name so I can get a restraining order."
"Of course I was kidding. I slept in the school parking lot." Seifer rolled his eyes, "Now get out of here, people are staring. I'll see you next time we happen to be in the same place at the same time."
Hayner relaxed, but then frowned again, crossing his arms. "But you still didn't tell me why you slept in your car."
"I would rather sleep in my car than get killed by my roommate." Seifer said, "Why are you still here?"
Hayner blushed slightly and started to stutter out a response, when he changed his mind, turning and fleeing the classroom, his heart pounding in his chest. Realizing he was about to be late to his own class, he had no time to analyze his reaction as he raced into the nearby classroom, barely making it.
Seifer just rolled his eyes as the younger boy left and settled back into his chair to listen (or try to at least) to his teacher.
XXXX
The next morning, Leon opened his door, only to immediately need to stop so that he wouldn't step on Cloud, who had fallen asleep right outside. He snatched the man's keys off the table next to his door and stepped over Cloud, silently shutting his bedroom door behind him. He walked down the hall to the bathroom.
Cloud groaned and slowly sat up, wincing at the pain making itself known in his back. He glanced around and noticed the bathroom door was closed, so he figured Leon was in there. Standing up, he opened the door to the brunette's bedroom, suspicions confirmed when the door opened easily to reveal the empty room. He looked around for his keys, searching the table and the dresser top, but not finding them and not willing to dig deeper through Leon's things. Rubbing a hand over his face, he headed out into the living room to wait for Leon.
Leon came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, noting that Cloud was gone from the hallway. He had to be at work in twenty minutes and hadn't planned on eating before he left or anything, meaning that he had about five minutes left before he had to leave. He yawned, quickly changing and heading into the living room.
Cloud stood up and glared at Leon, extending his hand for his keys.
Leon rolled his eyes and dropped the keys in Cloud's hand, "You didn't have to sleep outside my door. I would've left your keys on the counter."
The blonde's jaw visibly clenched before he bit out: "How was I to know that, when seconds before slamming your door in my face, you took something I wasn't willing or ready to give? Thanks for letting me stay, I promise you, it won't happen again." Cloud whirled around and stalked towards the front door.
"Cloud!" Leon called, surprised, "Look, I didn't mean it like that-it was the only way I could think of to make you stop long enough for me to actually close my door. I'm sorry."
"So it was just a convenient method of getting what you want! Let me set something straight right now; I'm not looking for a one night stand or a fuckbuddy. I'm also not looking for an asshole who thinks because he gets to call me his boyfriend, he can take whatever he wants from me." Cloud said, crossing his arms as he turned to face Leon.
"I never intended for you to think that was what I wanted." Leon said, "With how pissed you were last night, if you had gotten on that bike of yours, you would have been ten times more likely to get in a crash."
Cloud studied Leon for a moment, before some of his tension faded. Jerking a shoulder, he muttered, "Yeah, I know. I just didn't want to stay here when I was so twisted up."
"I said yesterday that the apartment's open if you ever need a place to stay, and I do mean that." Leon said.
Cloud jerked his shoulder again in a half-shrug. "I don't like having people around when I get that pissed and upset. I worked myself into that state, so I can calm myself down afterwards - no need to bother anyone else. But... thanks."
Leon nodded, "Feel free to stick around as long as you want. I have to get to work, though."
Cloud sighed, finally relaxing as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I should go home and sort everything out. So I'll walk out with you."
Leon nodded and the pair left the apartment, Leon locking up behind him. The two made their way to where they had parked yesterday. Cloud picked up his helmet and Leon reached for his car door, when Cloud's voice stopped him.
"Leon?" The blonde said, stepping close. Leon turned around but before he could say anything, Cloud gently pressed their lips together. He sighed, letting his eyes slip shut as he moved his lips against the brunette's, before pulling back and blinking at him, a slight blush on his face. "I just wanted to know what it'd really be like..." Cloud whispered.
Leon smirked, pulling the blonde back in for another kiss before grabbing his car door, "I've got ten seconds. Have your phone on hand?"
Cloud blinked, mind a little fuzzy from the unexpected second kiss. "Um. Yeah." He dug his cell out of his pocket with his free hand, handing it to Leon, curious as to why he wanted it.
Leon quickly put his number into the phone and handed it back to him, "Gimme a call. I've really got to go, though, or I'll be late for work."
Cloud smiled, pocketing his phone. "Maybe I will." Laughing a little, the blonde winked at Leon before pulling his helmet on and straddling his bike, turning it on. Sending the brunette a small wave, Cloud maneuvered his bike out from its position next to Leon's car and left, heading home.
Leon chuckled and headed for work.
XXXX
Riku sighed as he put his clunker of a car into park. He had just under an hour before he had to go back to the Box Depot, and since he couldn't get Sora out of his mind and he knew the brunette didn't have classes today, he figured he might as well try to talk to him. Slowly, he got out of his car and walked up the walkway to the front door. Taking a deep breath and only hesitating briefly, he forced himself to knock.
Sora looked up from the TV as he heard a knock and jumped up, walking over to the door and opening it. "Riku, hey." he said, proud of himself for keeping the awkward tone out of his voice.
"Can I come in, Sora? We need to talk." Riku said firmly, determined to finally have this conversation.
"Sure." Sora said, stepping back so Riku could walk in, "But my mom's asleep upstairs, so we just need to be quiet."
Riku nodded, heading into the living room and taking a seat, waiting for Sora to do the same. "First off, I have to ask - are you still confused about what happened last time I was here?"
Sora had a feeling there was no right answer to this question. "Yes?"
Riku frowned slightly, but really, he hadn't expected a different answer. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Look, there's no... there's no easy way to say this."
Sora raised an eyebrow, "What's up?"
Taking a breath, he said: "I'm gay."
"I know that." Sora said, "You told me ages ago." he sat down on the couch, "So, that's not news. What's going on?"
"Sora, you're my best friend. And I really... like you." Riku said, studying the brunette's face intently.
"Okay... I'd hope so, since you're my best friend too." Sora said, "I'm still confused."
"I love you Sora." Riku blurted out, his eyes widening as he realized that he had just blurted out what he had tried to delicately explain.
Sora stammered for a minute before blurting out the only thing he could think of, "I have no idea how to respond to that! I mean... I... uhhh..."
"I'm sorry! That just came out! What I meant to say was that I really really like you - you're so nice and funny and adorable. God, Sora, you drive me crazy sometimes! I'm so attracted to you and we're already best friends and know each other so well and I love you, so will you go out with me?" Riku said in a rush before holding his breath, blushing slightly as he awaited his answer.
Sora stared at him for a minute, with no idea what to say. "I... uhhh..."
"I know you've never dated a guy before but I really do love you and I know you love me too and I think it could work and we could be happy. Please, Sora. Please say you'll go out with me. Please say you'll be my boyfriend." Riku pleaded, eyes shining with emotion.
"Riku, I..." Sora shook his head to try and clear some of the shock, "I'm not gay, you know that."
"But, I... I love you." Riku whispered, staring down into his lap, his fingernails digging into his palms as he squeezed his hands tightly.
Sora didn't get a chance to answer, as he heard his mother's footsteps on the stairs. She walked into the room, rubbing her eyes, "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine, Mom. Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you up." Sora said.
"No worries. Riku, I haven't seen you in forever." she smiled at him.
"I... I'm sorry, I have to go!" Riku said, tears streaming down his face as he ran to the door, down the walkway, and into his car. His fingers fumbled with the keys and he could barely see what he was doing, but he knew he needed to not be here anymore, not when his heart was crushed on their living room floor. Finally he got the car started and in gear, it for once not giving him any problems, and he quickly took off down the street.
"Oh no... did I say something?" Sora's mom asked her son, still looking tired and like she wasn't quite sure what had just happened.
"No, it was me." Sora sighed.
"Well, fix it." His mom said, "Riku's your best friend, you can't have him running out of your house like that."
"It's more complicated than that, Mom." Sora rolled his eyes.
XXXX
Riku cut the engine, laying his head on the steering wheel and letting the sobs wrack his body. He knew there was a chance Sora would reject him, but he really didn't think it would happen - and now that it had, it felt like there was a gaping hole in his chest where his heart used to be. Taking rasping breaths, he lifted his head, finally noticing when he had ended up. Stumbling out of the car, he made his way to the door of his sister's apartment, only sure it was the right door as he knew it was the end one since he couldn't read the number through his water-logged eyes. He knocked, wiping his nose on the back of his hand, trying to remember if Aerith even had off from work today when the door opened and he burst into a renewed round of tears.
When Aerith opened the door, the last thing she expected was to see her youngest brother in tears outside of it. "Riku!" she shouted, surprised, "Oh gosh, what's wrong?" she asked, leading him into the apartment and shutting the door behind him.
"He... he... he... doesn't love m-me." Riku managed to say between sobs. He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with the force of his cries.
"Oh, Riku..." Aerith frowned, pulling him into a hug as she lowered herself onto the couch, pulling him down with her.
"I... I t-told him I loved him... I told him... And he said... he said he's not g-gay. I... I... oh god, what am I g-gonna d-d-do?" Riku cried, leaning into his sister, his tears soaking into her shirt.
Aerith just continued to hug him, waiting for him to cry himself dry.
"A-Aerith. I-I don't... I don't know wh-what to do. Pl-please, tell me wh-what to do. Why doesn't he l-love m-m-me? I... I..." Riku's words choked off as his grief poured through him. Every breath he took hurt. His chest was on fire, and his mind was running in circles. But his heart... his heart was completely broken.
"It's gonna be okay. He was just surprised. He'll come around, I promise." Aerith told her brother in a comforting voice.
Riku didn't answer; he just continued to cry, feeling so incredibly hurt. Finally, it seemed as though he had cried out all his tears. His body stopped shaking and his eyes burned. Pulling out of the embrace, he rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. "You didn't see his face, Aerith. He was so confused when I told him, but then I could see that he was trying to think how to tell me no without being mean. I tried to convince him, I told him I loved him, but he just looked so... so appalled when he said he wasn't gay and that I should know that." Riku sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back against the couch, exhausted and in incredible pain.
Aerith frowned, "Just give him some time to think. It'll be fine."
Riku opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of a clock on the wall. "Shit. I should've been back at work by now. I don't think I can go in now..."
"You've missed work plenty of times, I don't think one more will hurt." Aerith said, "I'll call and explain, though. You rest." she stood up to grab a phone from the kitchen.
"You're right. I should go home, though. I don't want to completely ruin your day off. Thanks for everything, Aerith." Riku said, attempting a small smile.
Aerith frowned, "Are you sure? I don't mind you staying here for a little while."
Riku stood up. "Yeah. I'm sure. Thanks, Aerith." He gave her a hug before heading to the door.
"Be careful driving!" Aerith called after him, "If you need me, feel free to call or come by, okay?"
"I will." Riku said, leaving the apartment and making his way to his car, sighing as he got in before starting the car. It was only a few blocks to his own apartment, thankfully. With the fierce order of 'don't think about it', Riku pulled out and headed home.
Aerith watched him leave before grabbing the phone and dialing Reno's number, knowing he had days off since he worked at night. He picked up on the second ring.
"Yo, Aerith. What's up?"
"Riku just came over to my apartment incredibly distressed. He's on his way home. Try and cheer him up, or at least get him to forget about it, okay?" Aerith asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.
"Oh geez. Alright, I will. Thanks for warning me."
"No problem. Thank you, Reno."
"No prob. Talk to you later." There was a click as Reno hung up and Aerith did the same before calling the Box Depot to see if she could get Riku out of work.
XXXX
Demyx leaned his head on his hands, ignoring the glare that Yuffie was sending his way. They'd made up the day before, but Yuffie was still mad at him for not telling her what was going on, and wasn't taking 'I really don't want to talk about it' for an answer. Even though Demyx really didn't want to talk about it.
"So does everyone understand the aufbau method? Be sure you do, as you will have a quiz on it tomorrow." Zexion said, scanning the faces of the students, searching for any confusion.
The class mostly nodded, and Demyx snapped out of his trance long enough to murmur a yes even though he hadn't listened to a word that Zexion had said. Yuffie kicked him under the lab table to try and get him to look at her, but he ignored it.
Zexion nodded. "Good. Please hand in last night's homework on your way out; it will be graded, as promised. Class dismissed."
Demyx grabbed his homework out of his notebook and packed his notebook away, taking his time and sort of hoping that Yuffie would leave without him. No such luck, though, as as soon as Zexion had dismissed the class, she had started talking to him immediately about her party, which he didn't really care about. He got up and handed the homework to Zexion, while assuring Yuffie that yes, he was listening.
Zexion frowned as the blonde handed in his work, clearly seeing his want to stay behind warring with his obligation to his friend. Making a quick decision, Zexion pretended disappointment as he shook his head and said: "Demyx, this is not the homework I had assigned. Would you please stay for a few minutes to get the correct assignment and for us to discuss the impact this will have on your grade?"
Demyx turned around, surprised. He knew he'd done the right homework; his homework was the only thing he'd had with him to do the night before.
Yuffie frowned, "Oh, tough luck, Dem..."
"I'll catch up." he told her, before glancing at Zexion.
"Yes, I'm afraid you'll have to, as I can't discuss Demyx's grades with you present. It's school policy." Zexion said, motioning Yuffie to the door.
Yuffie just rolled her eyes and left the classroom, the door banging shut behind her.
"I know I did the right homework." Demyx said, frowning.
Zexion smiled. "I know you did. But it looked like you wanted to stay behind, so I just gave you the excuse. Is everything... all right?"
Demyx sighed, leaning against the desk, "No? Yes? No."
Zexion hesitated, frowning, before carefully saying: "You could tell Yuffie you have to stay after school today to complete the correct assignment so that your grade is not affected. We could go get coffee or ice cream or just stay here, and we could talk. If you want. As long as you don't have to go home right after school."
Demyx sighed, "Thanks, but... I probably should just go home. I think my dad's expecting me."
"Oh. Well, at least promise me you'll call me. Since you just admitted everything is not all right and wanted to stay to talk just now, I'm assuming you actually do want to talk to me about it. I promise I won't be judgmental - I know what it's like to be perceived incorrectly. You can trust me; I just want to help." Zexion said, staring into the blonde's eyes, waiting for a reaction.
Demyx smiled, "Thank you. I'll give you a call, I promise."
Zexion returned his smile. "Good. Any time is fine; my cell is always on. You should hurry so you're not late to your next class. I'll talk to you later."
Demyx smiled and left.
XXXX
Riku sighed in relief as he parked at his apartment complex. Quickly turning off and locking his car, he made his way to his apartment, opening and closing the door behind him, walking over to the couch in the living and plopping down onto it, leaning his head back and pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes.
"Hi there." Reno said, leaning over the couch to get a good look at Riku.
Riku jumped. "Shit, I forgot you were home. Look, Reno, I've just experienced the worst day of my life and I'd appreciate it if you, for once, could not add to it."
"Luckily for you, I have no intention of adding to it." Reno promised, "Want a drink?"
"God, yes." Riku said, letting his hands slip down into his lap and repeating his internal mantra of 'don't think about it'.
Reno tossed him a beer (he had clearly been prepared) and plopped into a chair. "I've taken the liberty of checking to see what movies are on tonight, only to come to the conclusion that nothing good is on, so instead we're just gonna get drunk as hell."
Riku didn't say anything, not really caring as long he wasn't required to think about anything. He took a large sip of his beer, lowering the bottle and realizing it was the brand Sora preferred. 'Sora... God, no, don't think about it. Shit, I wonder what he's doing? Probably out partying with Kairi... Fuck, Namine! I should call her...' "Fuck" he whispered out loud, feeling tears prick his aching eyes, his grip tightening on the bottle and his gaze on his lap.
"Fuck what?" Reno asked, "What is it?"
Riku gulped down another huge mouthful of beer, hoping to stave off the tears he felt burning in the back of his throat. "Namine. I gotta call her and tell her... Fuck this, this day so completely sucks. I don't want to talk about it, I want to forget, dammit!"
"Then don't." Reno said, "Gimme your phone. I'll call Namine, you get drunk." he said, holding his hand out.
Draining the bottle, Riku placed it on the table, eyeing his half-brother. "Why are you being so nice?" He asked as he passed over his phone.
"I'm your brother, dude." Reno rolled his eyes, "Kind of my job." he handed over the beer he hadn't started drinking yet, "Be back in a few." he said, walking into the kitchen to call Namine.
Riku sighed, taking a sip. He stood up quickly but had to pause for a moment as all the beer and blood rushed to his head. He headed towards his room, shouting out to Reno as he passed the kitchen: "I'll be in my room - just wanna be alone for a bit, okay?" Not waiting for an answer, he closed his bedroom door behind him, hesitating only for a second before flipping the lock. He crossed to his bed and laid down, staring at the ceiling and taking another long sip of beer, hoping it would allow him to blissfully forget.
Reno called an acknowledgment back to his brother, but was pretty sure he hadn't stuck around to hear it. Flipping his half-brother's phone open, he surfed through the contacts until he found Namine's number and dialed it, waiting for her to pick up.
"Riku? Did you talk to him yet? Because if you haven't, hang up with me and go talk to him right now." Namine said by way of greeting when she answered her cell phone.
"He talked to him, alright. It's Reno, Riku's brother." Reno said, "Kid's crushed. And I mean crushed. Aerith didn't give me details, but he showed up at her apartment a complete mess. I'm in the process of getting him drunk, but he wanted to let you know and didn't want to talk about it."
"Oh god. You don't know anything about what happened? Maybe Sora was just being his usual idiotic self?"
"No idea." Reno said, "But whatever he did, Riku didn't like it."
"This is my fault. I told Riku to talk to him, but I didn't fully realize how much of an ass Sora can be. I'm coming over there. I need to talk to him."
"Sounds good. I think he locked himself in his room." Reno said.
"I'll be there in less than ten minutes. Thanks for the call, Reno." Namine said, hanging up and making her way across campus to the parking lot. She quickly sent a text to Kairi explaining things before heading to Riku's.
XXXX
Reno pulled a couple more beers out of the fridge and headed to Riku's door, knocking, "Hey, it's me!" he called.
Riku rolled over, the empty beer bottle falling off the bed with a small thunk. "Go away, Reno." He mumbled, curling into a ball.
Reno frowned, "Come on, dude, open up!"
"Just go away!" Riku yelled, wrapping his arms around himself, as more tears slowly poured out of his eyes.
Reno frowned, and was about to say something when there was a hurried knock at the door. He walked out of the hallway, leaving the beers on the table and opened the door.
"Reno. Where is he?" Namine asked, entering the apartment.
"In his room." Reno said, "Won't open the door for me."
Namine frowned, starting to get really worried. She walked over to Riku's bedroom door, knocking softly. "Riku? It's Namine. Please open the door."
"Nami? What are you doing here?" Riku asked, squeezing his eyes shut and otherwise not moving.
"I came to talk to you. Please, just let me in." Namine pleaded.
"G-go away. I just wanna be alone." Riku mumbled.
"Riku? What happened?" Namine persisted.
"I told Sora, that's what happened!" Riku yelled, voice trembling. "He doesn't l-love me! Just... just go away!"
"You're welcome to hang around until he feels up to talking." Reno said, putting a hand on Namine's shoulder. "Might be awhile, but you're more than welcome."
Namine sighed, but nodded. "Riku? I'm going to stay for a bit. I'll be here, when you want to talk." When she got no reply, she turned her full attention to Reno. "You really don't know any more about what happened?"
"No, but you can call and talk to Aerith, if you want. She probably knows more." he grabbed his phone, offering it to her.
"Wouldn't that be a bit strange, though? I've never really talked to her before. You, at least, I've seen around whenever I come over." Namine said, indecisive.
"She's really nice, I don't think she'll mind. She pretty much gets along with everyone." Reno said. "If you want, I can ask to make sure it's okay first."
"I'd really appreciate that. Thanks." Namine said, offering a small smile.
Reno smiled, "Make yourself comfortable." he said, "Want a drink?"
"Sure. Thanks. Ah, nothing alcoholic, though, since I don't know how long I'll be staying." Namine said, trailing after Reno as he entered the kitchen, glancing back at the solidly closed door to Riku's bedroom.
"We've got water and soda." Reno said, "Help yourself, they're in the fridge. I'll call Ri."
"Thanks!" Namine said, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge and twisting off the cap, taking a small sip as she leaned against the counter, watching Reno call his sister.
Reno dialed his sister's number, hopping up to sit on the counter. She picked up a couple of rings in. "Hello?"
"Hey, Ri. It's Reno." Reno said, "So, Riku locked himself in his room, and his friend Namine is here, and she was wondering if she could talk to you. She's curious about what Riku told you, since Riku doesn't want to tell us anything."
Aerith was quiet, as if thinking for a minute, before she spoke. "Sure, I'll tell her. She there now?"
"Yep. One sec." Reno offered the phone to Namine.
"Hello? Aerith?" Namine said tentatively.
"Hello, Namine. It's nice to meet you... figuratively, of course. RIku's told me a lot about you."
"Oh. Well, I've heard a lot about you, too." Namine said, slightly flustered. "Reno said that Riku went to your place earlier? Did he tell you what happened?"
"Well, he was sobbing, so it was a little hard to understand him, but as far as I could tell, he went over to talk to Sora, and told him everything, and Sora... told him he wasn't gay. Essentially broke Riku's heart."
Namine closed her eyes, her heart aching for her friend. "No wonder he's so upset. This is all my fault, Aerith. I'm the one who convinced Riku he needed to tell Sora. I honestly didn't think Sora'd reject him."
"I told him to as well, so it's not just your fault." Aerith sighed, "Do you think it would help if someone talked to Sora?"
"My sister is close friends with him and has been not-so-subtly hinting at him that Riku would make a good boyfriend, but if you know Sora at all, you know he can be a bit... dense. I've already told her what happened - she'll try talking to him." Namine explained.
"Alright. Tell Reno that he can call me if he needs anything and to keep me posted."
"I will. Thank you, Aerith." Namine said, hanging up the phone and handing it back to Reno. "She asked me to tell you to call if you need anything and to make sure you keep her updated."
"Okay, sounds good." Reno said, taking his phone from her, "She tell you anything useful?"
"Apparently Riku was too distraught earlier to really tell her anything. All she got out of him was that he told Sora how he felt, and Sora's response was a declaration that he's not gay." Namine said, sighing.
"Well, what does that matter?" Reno asked, "It's Riku."
"Sora can be an ass." Namine said matter-of-factly. "I knew he was... uncertain about his sexuality, but I honestly didn't think he'd reject Riku so harshly. Doesn't he realize that with the amount of time they spend together and the things they do, they were practically a couple already?"
"Obviously not." Reno sighed, "Hopefully he'll come to his senses."
Namine nodded in agreement. "Since it looks like I'll be here for a while, would you mind if I watched TV?"
"Go for it." Reno said, "In fact, I think I'll join you." he smiled, leading her into the living room.
She followed, grabbing her water and taking it with her. Once in the living room, Namine sat down on the couch and placed her water on the nearby table, glancing at Riku's still-closed door again and sighing.
Reno plopped into a chair, passing the remote to Namine as he got comfortable.
Taking the remote, she quickly flipped through the channels before shaking her head and tossing it back to Reno. "I don't see anything particularly good on, so it doesn't matter what we watch. You pick."
Reno hit a random number button, the TV flipping to something random. "Looks like some comedy show." he said, "Sound okay?"
Namine shrugged. "Sure." She settled back against the couch, idly watching the show. "So, Reno. Besides Riku being upset, how was your day?"
Reno shrugged, "Not bad. I only woke up an hour or so before Aerith called me. I work at night, so the mornings are when I sleep." he explained. "What about yours?"
"Pretty boring. I have my least favorite classes on Friday. So while the circumstances were horrible, I'm glad to not be on campus right now." Namine answered.
Reno nodded, "I completely understand. I'm so glad I'm not in college anymore."
Namine sighed. "I don't know - I say I don't like some classes, but I'm a psych major. There's no guarantee I'll be able to find a job in my field once I graduate. So... I like being in college. At least I know what to do and what's expected of me." She glanced at the TV and rolled her eyes at the comedian's antics.
Reno glanced over at her and away from the television, "Yeah... Well, if you don't find a job right away, don't worry about it. Just be persistent and you'll find one eventually."
Namine smiled. "Thanks." She returned her attention to the TV, but it had not magically gotten any more entertaining and she stifled a yawn.
Reno smiled back, but didn't say anything, refocusing on what they were watching.
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Reno startled awake as his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He groaned, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes and pulled it out, realizing it was the alarm he'd set on his phone to go off when he had to leave for work. He glanced over at the couch to see that Namine had fallen asleep as well, and grabbed a blanket from the closet, quietly draping it over her. He walked into the kitchen, scribbling a note down for her and left it on the table next to her drink.
A peek by his half-brother's room as he walked down the hall towards his confirmed that Riku's door was still locked-Riku most likely hadn't left since he'd entered. Reno sighed and walked into his room, changing into clothes for work and grabbing his car keys, heading for work.
Namine awoke when the front door clicked closed. Confused, she borrowed deeper under the blanket before she started remembering the day's events. She sat up, blinking the sleep front her eyes and looking around for Reno, not seeing him. She glanced at Riku's door, disappointed to see it still firmly shut. She reached for her water, noticing the piece of paper next to it. It read:
Hey, Namine. Had to run to work, but feel free to stick around as long as you want. Food's in the fridge, if Riku (or you) gets hungry, and my cell number's on the counter somewhere. -Reno
Namine sighed, replacing the note onto the table and taking a drink of water before reaching for the remote and flipping through the channels, resolving herself for a long night. She pulled out her cell once she settled on a show and sent a quick text to Kairi letting her know she would be staying here until Riku came out or Reno got home from work.
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THIS CHAPTER'S REALLY LONG.
Cami here. I think we might have longer chapters coming. XD
Poor Riku. :( I feel bad. Anyway, I'm technically out of town right now, so I won't see you, but Jasmine will see you guys in a week.
Uploader note from Jasmine: Technically, neither of us will 'see' you. :D But we do appreciate your thoughts, so please review!