January 27, 2012
A/N: I seriously have nothing of value to say. Enjoy?

Cinderfella

Chapter 10 – The Pain of a Fallen Sky

"Oh my gosh! Watch out for that!—Pineapple."

"OW! What the heck are pineapples doing flying anyway?"

"That would be Jerry's fault."

"I WILL USE THE PINEAPPLE LAUNCHER TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD AND ACHIEVE MY GOAL—FREE MUFFINS!"

"...That's stupid."

"I know! Awesome plan, huh?"

Sora slowly blinked his eyes open to morning sunlight. He must have fallen asleep watching television. The image of random blurs bouncing about the television confused him.

Just what the hell was he watching? His vision became clearer, and saw several cartoon-drawn people running around in random hysteria. Pineapples? Muffins? Just what channel was this even on?

There was a blue bar across the bottom of the screen though that caught his attention. It was definitely something you rarely saw before the winter season: school and any other business cancellations. "Lambs of God Preschool – Canceled." Then it switched to, "Landcedar High School – Canceled."

Well, Riku's wish had come true. No school today... and since it was Friday, it would be a long weekend. Sora smiled for a moment—until the stupefying television show caught his attention once more.

Where was a movie when you needed it?

His gaze turned to the DVD case set in the corner of the room.

He popped up from the couch and scuttled over to shuffle through them. They were all action movies. No, he was in the mood for comedy…

He knew what he wanted to watch the moment he saw it. "Groundhog Day! Gosh, it's been so long since I've watched this!" He popped the DVD in the player and used a separate remote to get the movie playing.

"Where'd your brother go?" said a startling voice from the doorway. It took Sora a moment to figure out what he was talking about.

"Sephiroth... you're awake..."

"Questions usually require answers...?"

"I don't know. There's your answer." He shifted awkwardly in his spot on the couch. For God's sake, this couldn't be happening...

"I see you're watching Groundhog Day. Have you seen it before?"

"Yeah, a couple of years ago."

Sephiroth walked in the room and sat next to Sora. Oh no, Sora thought, shifting again. "You know... you're pretty cute."

For a moment, he was startled. But then he remembered what Riku had told him… I'm in trouble, aren't I?

"That doesn't bother you?"

"I'm a little embarrassed, if you want to know the truth," he snorted, pretending to be actually watching the movie instead of mentally freaking out.

"Hm. So you're not a homophobe?"

"No, of course not." Of course, Sora wouldn't tell him that he was reading a book about gay men, but...

He felt as if he should have been more bothered by Sephiroth than he really was.

A big hand that wrapped around his shoulders now began his official freak-out mode. His eyes felt like they became twice their normal size, and he couldn't help but take meet with Sephiroth's stare.

"Soo... are you gay?" Sephiroth asked shamelessly.

"What? N-no!" He squirmed in Sephiroth's grip, but it was firmer than he had first thought.

"Bisexual?"

"God, no!" But somehow, the stronghold of the older man made him feel warm… and... No! What iswrong with me? I don't like guys… I don't like guys…

"You're sure about that? Still in the closet?"

"N-no...!" Sephiroth's face came closer to his, and Sora could practically feel his breath on his neck. He flushed beyond a healthy shade of red. "St-stop that..."

"Hmm? Want me to stop teasing you? Okay, let's—"

"Sephiroth! What the hell are you doing to Sora?" Both of them glanced to the door to see Riku storming into the room. His face looked as if he had just risen from the dead.

"Baby brother... shouldn't you be in bed?"

Riku's blank expression quickly became into a deep glare. "Shouldn't you be seducing men your age?"

"Hmph." Sora inhaled a deep breath as the weight on his shoulders disappeared. "You just love ruining my fun."

"Because it's fun to hit on my friends, who is nowhere close to your age?" Riku shot back.

Sephiroth only gave another "humph," as he left the room.

"Didn't I tell you not to be alone with him?" Riku reprimanded as he replaced Sephiroth's place on that couch.

"I was just watching the movie when he walked in on me. What was I supposed to tell him, 'You scare me, go away?'"

"Precisely."

"But that's rude!"

"And smothering you with unwanted affection isn't?"

Riku did have a point. But why was he getting so upset about it? Sora couldn't help feeling… relieved that Riku was defending him. That meant he must mean something to Riku, right? "Feeling better?" Sora asked, changing the subject.

"I was feeling better, and then Sephiroth made me feel sick," he growled. "Sorry, Sora. When Cloud returns, I'm sure he'll take you home... I'm just so sorry you got stuck here."

"What? Don't be! I mean, except for your brother, it wasn't so bad! Kind of fun... like a sleepover!" In truth, Sora was trying to be optimistic. While he did have a pleasant time at Riku's, he knew he would have to pay for it extensively when he returned home.

"A sleepover?" Riku chuckled. "More like a 'take care of Riku while avoiding his molesting brother' than a sleepover."

Sora joined in with his laughter. "Well, it's the closest to a sleepover than I've ever had."

"Are you serious?" Riku ogled at Sora in confusion, and his laughter became silent. Sora could feel his cheeks light on fire from embarrassment. "You've never had an actual sleepover?"

"Nope. Why, is that bad?"

"Not bad, sad. That's really depressing. Didn't your friends like you or something?"

No, my dad's just a bastard... Sora thought. But he replied instead with, "Oh, no, it's not that. We just really never planned any together. That's all."

"Well, I guess you'll have to come over to my house when I'm not sick and my parents are here instead of my brother. Then we can actually do something fun, as friends."

Friends... so we're finally... officially friends The very thought gave him butterflies in his stomach. No, no—why was he so excited? "That would be cool," he replied. "I mean, this is a nice change—you're so quiet at school."

It was so strange, thinking that Riku could be this social and… well, sort of smooth, in a way. It was like Riku had the potential to be a social creature, but instead shied away from the rest of the world.

With his cool, down to Earth attitude, Riku should be able to connect with others, even have a great amount of popularity. So what made him shut out the world? Was he naturally shy? Or was there something else?

"Haha, yeah... sorry about that," Riku said with a sincere, nervous smirk. "I'm not very good with people anymore..."

"Anymore?"

"Well, I mean—that is..." In that moment Riku lost the cool that Sora so admired before putting on a stony mask and muttered, "...oh, forget I said anything. It's not important anymore."

Somehow, the conversation dropped and both boys just watched the movie in silence.

It was just about the end when Sephiroth walked in, making sure to keep a good distance away to avoid Riku. How funny, he's scared of his little brother, joked Sora to himself.

"Your ride's here."

Both boys glanced at each other before knowing what that meant. "Then... I guess I'll see you Monday," Sora said, standing up.

"Mm. Oh, Sora, don't forget to ask Kairi, okay?"

"Ask Kairi... what?" Sora spun and gave Riku a perplexed look, until realization dawned upon him. "Ohh... right... don't worry, I won't forget." Sora winked to show that he understood before leaving the house.

"Cloud didn't come near the front door, did he?" Riku asked.

"Nope, just pulled the car up and honked."

"It's your fault, isn't it?"

"Maybe not completely."

"In other words, yes. Dear god, can't you keep your hands off anyone?" Riku dramatically rolled his eyes.

"Touchy touchy. Perhaps that's because you have eyes for Sora?" Sephiroth gave Riku a smug look. There was only a hint of a blush on Riku's face.

"We went over this. I'm not gay."

"You sure? You were staring at that kid like he was hotter than a frying pan on fire."

There was a short silence. "If there's one favor you can do for the world, never, ever become a writer. That was the worst metaphor I've ever heard in my life."

"So you're not denying it."

"God, Sephiroth, no! Just because you're gay doesn't mean the world is! Get out of the room before I seriously make attempts to kill you!"

"Kill me? That's pretty funny."

"I mean it. Get. Out."

"Ri-Ri, can't we—"

"I will assure that your death is slow and painful if you don't get the hell out." The younger boy got onto his feet and walked towards the brother, grabbing a seemingly useless umbrella along the way. "See this? I can use it like a sword, or a sword."

"You said sword twice," Sephiroth pointed out.

"I'm talking two different kinds. Now get out before I smack you with it and then shove it up your—" And the man was gone in a heartbeat.

Riku smirked, keeping the umbrella at his side like a weapon. It made him feel better just knowing he got Sephiroth to leave him alone for five minutes... though he was hoping for at least ten, if he was lucky. He wondered how long it would take him this time to realize that Sephiroth was actually the stronger of the two...

Cinderfella – The Pain of a Fallen Sky

"Where did you go last night?"

"Leon's."

'Why?"

"Don't want to talk about it." Cloud tapped the wheel nervously as he made his way back to their house.

"You should have said something."

"If you were worried, you could have called me." Good point on Cloud's part.

"Well, I figured you weren't going to abandon me there..." Sora exhaled loudly. "It just seems that it would have been considerate to tell me."

"Sorry. I wasn't thinking when I left. Actually, I'm still not thinking, now that I think about it." Cloud tried to block the memory out. He probably should have said something…

"How can you think about it if you're still not thinking?"

"Smart ass." For a second, Sora thought he had pissed off Cloud, but the smile Cloud shot him indicated otherwise.

"Hey, the roads look a lot better."

"And that's why now's a good time to go home."

"Haha, very funny." The two laughed before they each concentrated on their own little thing: Cloud on his driving, and Sora on his social problems.

There was a guilty weight in Sora's stomach from this morning's short fiasco— he actually hadn't been too unwilling to the older man until Riku showed up. Then Sora would have gladly been with Riku. His heart practically fluttered when Riku addressed him or talked to him—even more so when they talked about spending more time together.

But... he just couldn't be...

He couldn't get Riku off his mind. Even when Riku was no way related to the situation, Sora thought of Riku in some way. All the signs pointed in one direction.

Sora really liked Riku.

As in, really liked Riku.

Oh, god. That was... embarrassing, frightening, and... lonely. If there was one secret he had to keep from Cloud, it was that. Er, besides the whole "being the secret housemaid" idea... but his new found (gay) crush was second on the list.

"We're home," Cloud declared, breaking Sora from his trance. Sora peered up to see the house in sight. And then fear crept into his heart.

His father was going to kill him.

Nonchalantly, Cloud exited the car and grabbed his backpack in the back seat. Sora followed suit in a more nervous manner, forcing himself to be slower than usual, just to hold fate back for a few more seconds.

"Tired?" Cloud asked, observing Sora's unusual "not-in-a-hurry" mood.

"A little."

Together, they walked up the driveway, down the small brick path, and entered the front door. "Dad!" the blonde called. "We're home!"

It took less than a heartbeat before Ansem entered the entrance hallway. The first person his eyes laid on was Sora. The look he gave him dug through his eyes and right into his soul.

I am dead.

"I got your message," he explained, finally tearing his eyes away from Sora. "I'm just glad to see you two boys okay. Why don't you put your bags in your rooms, hmm?" He grinned, but Sora recognized its complete fakeness. Whether or not Cloud could tell was a mystery—it was his birthfather, so either Ansem had pretended to smile all his life, or Cloud had pretended to see it as a real smile... Sora wasn't sure which one it was.

His guess was… probably both.

Once Sora made it up the stairs, he dragged his backpack along the floor and tossed it a few feet in his bedroom. For a moment, he just stood there to observe the room, because it may be the last time he could enjoy it.

Sora hadn't actually done anything in the past, not one, but two nights, so he might lose his head. Which was something vital he needed to live. Farewell bedroom! Farewell head!

He forced himself away from the bedroom to face the hell that awaited him downstairs. Sora could hear Cloud's voice from the study. Sora peeked into the room—Ansem was seated at the desk, and Cloud leaned on the other side.

"Have you seen the bruises on him? I saw one on his stomach the other day..."

The bruises? He did remember seeing one on his stomach a few days back from Ansem's kick, but how had he found out?

"When did you see his stomach?"

"His shirt was pulled up when he was asleep."

Dammit! You're getting me into more trouble instead of helping me!

"And a few weeks back there was one on his arm, and another on his shin before that. Where do you think it's coming from?"

"Hmm." Ansem propped an elbow and rubbed his chin in thought, or, at least as he pretended to think. The thought made Sora scowl. "I wonder if someone's bullying him at school. Why don't you talk to him about it?"

You would leave me with the dirty work, wouldn't you, you bastard...

"I'm just afraid to address it to him."

"You two are very close as brothers, closer than most. Why, I was barely close to your uncle at all."

"You mean Uncle Xe—"

"Yes. I think it would be best if you talked to Sora. Maybe it would be easier for him to talk about it then trying to keep it inside."

It would be a lot easier to tell him about your abuse than some stupid lie about some bully at school... then we'd have to go through all of the questions like "who is it?" and "how long" blah blah blah...

Now that I think about it, what am I going to tell Cloud?

"Yeah, you're right." Cloud nodded. "Thanks, Dad. I'll go talk to him now."

Oops! I'm out! Sora scurried quietly away and into the kitchen, remembering that he probably should make some kind of lunch... it was nearing eleven in the morning, and he doubted his father knew how to feed himself anymore. He tore through cupboards and pulled out food, just enough for cold cut sandwiches. Sora knew he was already doomed, so might as well push his luck a little further.

"Sora?" Cloud blinked as he entered, watching Sora work in a frenzy. Setting pots on the warm stove and dumping bowls of cold soup in, piecing together sandwiches by meat, cheese and bread. Cloud wondered why in the hell Sora ever bothered at all.

Maybe it was because of his problem... Sora was always like this. Working harder than a maid, but never paid like one, period. So where did the root of his problem lie? From what Cloud gathered through the years, it wasn't in his half brother's personality. Why do it then? What was the underlying reason? Why?

It was clearly obvious that either Sora had ignored him or hadn't heard him after two minutes of continuing what he was doing. "Sora?" Cloud readdressed in the same tone, but louder. This time Sora had heard him, darting his head about to face the older quickly. "Can I talk to you?"

"After lunch," was his curt reply, and then as if nothing had happened, he went back to work.

"Sora... why?"

"Because I'm hungry, so I figure, 'Might as well make lunch,' and it's hard to talk while I'm concentrating on not burning the soup, so—"

"No, I mean, why do you bother busying yourself all the time?" Sora froze with his right hand hovering over the slices of turkey breast. "Why do you try so hard? You're always stressing yourself out over it. Something's wrong, something's been wrong."

"I don't want to talk about it right now," he replied quietly. He needed to time to think—this wasn't a lie he could come up with on the spot. He had to plan everything out so it fit correctly. He couldn't let Cloud find out, or Sora was doomed.

"Then after lunch?" Cloud offered, surprisingly. "Promise?"

"I... I promise." There was an awkward silence that filled the room, until Sora held his breath and dove right back into his pattern with a slightly slower pace.

"God... Sora, let me help you." He marched up beside the brunet and spread his arms out across so Sora couldn't reach past, grabbed bread, slapped cheese and turkey in-between and chucked it carelessly onto the plate. "You don't need any more sandwiches. You've got five for three people."

"Let me at least—"

But before Sora could even finish his sentence, Cloud grabbed a ladle from the drawer and dipped it into the chicken soup. He tasted it as Sora tried to convince him that he could take care of it. "It's all done. Call Dad in, okay?"

"But it all—"

"I will take care of it."

Cloud wasn't this stubborn... not usually. Convinced he was better off just listening to his brother, he ran from the room, leaving Cloud to set the table and anything else that needed taken care of.

Cinderfella – The Pain of a Fallen Sky

"You promised. Dad's downstairs, so it's just us. So, why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Cloud sat on his bed, and Sora was sitting down beside.

Sora couldn't think of anything. For once, his clever lies were all... not clever. He hadn't even come up with something lame, except for Ansem's offered "bully" excuse. But that would raise too many complications. Actually, anything that involved another person would make things complicated.

The light bulb turned on in his head.

"Sora?"

"I..."

But hold the phone. Could he really tell Cloud such a pitiful lie? Well, what else could he tell his brother? Nothing... but... what to do?

"Cloud. I..."

"It's okay. No matter what you say, I won't turn against you, promise. We'll sort this out together, I won't take charge."

You just don't understand. We can't sort this out together. I can't tell you the truth. I can't... Before he could stop himself, tears started to spill. This startled Cloud.

"Sora? Hey... it's all right." He took a thumb and wiped away the tears that started to stream down his face. "Just take a deep breath."

And Sora did, almost gasping as he did so. It didn't calm him down at all.

I can't tell you that all this time, our father, your father, has treated me like a slave, not his son—not even like a person. I can't tell you how much I even love you, how much you mean to me... that you're the reason I even try anymore. I can't tell you now I… I think that I've fallen for a guy, and not just any guy—Riku, because I don't know if you'd hate me or what. I can't tell you how many times I just wished that everything would just stop…

He couldn't choke the sobs the wracked his body. He looked at Cloud's scarlet bed sheets to hide his face, which twisted as he fought with his mind.

"Cloud... the reason why... I do it... is to forget..."

But it doesn't make me forget. It makes me remember my status.

"To forget... that I'm a lie..."

I'm a big, fat lie. Half of the things I've probably told you are lies, just to escape the fate that I struggle to run from.

"That I don't deserve it. I don't deserve this happiness..."

Why don't I deserve to be happy? What did I ever do?

"I'm a big burden. I should have died with my parents..."

I should have died. Then I wouldn't know this pain. This sadness... unaccepted by the only family that could take me in.

"I do everything I can to make up for the fact that I'm pathetic. I do it all to make up for putting up with me, with your burden..."

I do everything so I don't become a burden to him and become a dog on the street.

"I do it... because I don't... I don't..." He ran out of things to say, weeping with his face in his two hands. Arms pulled him closer to a warm body.

"Whatever in the world made you think of such a thing, Sora? You're not worthless. You're not pathetic. You're not a burden—you're making a burden upon yourself. You're the best brother in the whole world. Why would you ever think that?"

I want to tell you—I need to tell you... but I need to keep it a secret. I can't lose you.

"I don't deserve to even be your brother..."

"Sora!" The grip around him tightened slightly. "You deserve more than what you've got! You're not worthless! I love you, god, and if I ever lost you, I think I'd kill myself!"

This is what Sora needed to hear. The words of need... he wasn't a service; he was a friend... a companion...

Cloud buried his face into Sora's shoulder, and before Sora realized it his sleeve was becoming soaked with tears.

He... was crying? He made Cloud cry? Maybe he was a terrible person after all...

"Don't do this to yourself, Sora. I can't stand to see you like this."

Sora really didn't deserve Cloud's pity. Sora had lied to Cloud so many times, even though it wasn't his fault. He hoped his half-assed confession (though it was also half true, in a way) would raise Cloud's suspicion and he would find out the truth, someday, but for now Sora was stuck.

But the older brother trusted him too much for such things. It was far from happening. But he was allowed to dream, to pray for a way out, right?

Another tear escaped as the thought bored through his head.

And while they remained there in silence, they failed to notice the figure by the bedroom doorway.

Cinderfella – The Pain of a Fallen Sky

"You sound like you're crying..."

"I was not crying!"

"Don't blow a gasket, geez. Why did you call me anyway?"

"Oh, right about that. Um... you remember the costume party, riiiight?"

"What about it?"

"Well, um, I need you to do me a super-important-favor."

"Which would be?..."

"Don't laugh at me."

"I won't. I can't until you tell me what it is."

"Well, err—I need you to make me Dora again for a... date with Riku."

Sora could imagine from the silence that Kairi was trying to comply to his request.

"Kairi? You there?" Sora had to pull the receiver away from his ear as laughter erupted from the other side of the line. "Goddammit, Riku wouldn't shut up about it! Please just help me!"

"You're doing it because you likehim, Sora."

"Shut it and help me cross-dress! When does it suit you?"

"Why don't I just help you with the wig and put you in your own clothes? I don't hear you denying that you like him..."

"Just do it... for me."

There was an awkward pause. "Sora, you really do like him, don't you?"

"Please don't tell anyone. Please, to god, don't tell a soul."

"I kinda already had it figured out... I just had to double-check."

"If you're talking about how you found us, I swear that was a total—"

"Sora. I saw you reading Wild Daisies. I read that book a few months back... did you get to Chapter Thirty-Five yet?"

"No, just to thirty. Why?"

"...never mind. Look, how about tomorrow night? It's Saturday. That should work, shouldn't it?"

"I can check with Riku on that. Oh, man, what if he recognizes me?"

"Then... the jig's up?"She sighed as he heard Sora retort with an annoyed groan. "You dug yourself into the hole, Sora. Sorry. But it'll get you closer to Riku if he doesn't find out... or if he doesn't care."

"Or it could completely drive him away, you know, if he notices what's under the skirt. His brother's gay, and he doesn't quite like it..."

"Aaand? What's his brother like?"

"To quote him, 'border-line psycho.'"

"You ever consider that'sthe reason why?"

"Yes, but I mean... there's always a chance—"

"Either way, you happened to just dig yourself into a deeper hole. So you're going on that date. Oh, gosh, I can't wait to make you ky-uuuuute again! Call me when you're talking to Riku. Good luck!"

The line was disconnected before he could even open his mouth to respond. He pushed the power button on the phone harder than necessary. There were rare occasions where Kairi was the most useful, yet annoying girl on the planet. This was one of those times.

And suddenly, he joked to himself, maybe she made him gay...

A/N: Damn you chapter! I could really go for soup and a sandwich right about now. But we have almost nothing for sandwiches in the apartment. :I BAWWW. Maybe I'll make a grilled PB&J? OMG I LOVED GRILLED PB&Js MMMMMM but it doesn't really go with beef and veggie soup. Meh.

REVIEW DAMMIT. Next chapter comin' up!