Disclaimer: Not mine. Though I plan on abducting Riku and making him my bitch. Watch out, Sora…

Thanks for all the reviews guys! It looks like this story is gaining a little more popularity! Either that or more people are finally deciding to review, which is awesome. We've broken two hundred and I plan on dancing! dances like mad
Oh, and I'm glad everyone took so well to Cloud's little masochistic problem. I just couldn't help it, 'cause the idea of Cloud all tied up and tortured gets me way too hot for words.

I had such a fun time coming up with the name for the last chapter. I knew a girl who thought there was something wrong with her because she got a thrill whenever she would cut herself shaving. I said, "Don't worry, babe, it's not a disorder, it's a kink."

Oh, and the fucking shift key broke off my laptop so I had to edit it using the other one, which is a bitch. I'm getting it repaired tomorrow but it sure is annoying.

Enjoy!

Chapter 11

Nothing but the Truth

"Babe, you totally suck at surfing."

Sora crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. "It's not my fault we can't all be flawless like the incredible Riku."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Riku smirked. "You think I'm flawless."

"Shut up," Sora said, but he was smiling nonetheless. He hesitated a moment, before slowly sidling up and putting his arms around the silver-haired boy. Riku was filled with the barely suppressible urge to jump on him.

There was, however, a slight problem in the form of a skinny girl in a blue bathing suit. Kairi's presence was the only reason he didn't have his tongue in Sora's mouth.

Kairi wrinkled her nose. "Are you guys gonna start groping? 'Cause I can go somewhere else."

Riku opened his mouth to tell her he was in support of this decision, but Sora spoke first.

"You don't have to do that, Kai. We're not gonna grope. Sex in water would be weird."

The three of them had spent the afternoon down on Riku's family's private beach. Sora had thoroughly failed at grasping the concept of surfing, despite both Kairi and Riku demonstrating over and over again. Part of it could have done with the fact that Riku couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself. The little brunette was just so cute, half-naked in those red swim-trunks of his. How could he teach Sora the proper way to mount the surf board, when really he was thinking of mounting something else?

Regardless, they had given up around six o'clock, trooping back up to Riku's backyard. They were now chilling in the shallow end of his swimming pool.

"Actually," Riku said, pulling Sora closer and off the sunken built into the side of pool. "Sex in water is nice. Especially hot water. I have a Jacuzzi," he whispered in Sora's ear.

The brunette reaction was predictable by this time. He went very red and struggled in Riku's grasp, giggling like a dumbass. Kairi just rolled her eyes and tossed a couple of the water rings toward the deep end. She dove in after them, slinking silently under the water in a blur of blue swimsuit and red hair.

"Good, she's gone," Riku muttered with mock-exasperation, nibbling Sora on the neck playfully. The brunette pressed himself closer to his chest, but made no move to reciprocate, though he didn't pull away as the silver haired boy sucked and licked down the curve of his shoulder.

"I wanna make out," he said, speaking into the warm, damp skin.

"Won't your parents see?" Sora asked hastily, moving away from Riku as he tried to kiss him.

The other boy sighed, letting go of Sora's arms reluctantly. "I fucking hate them. My one day off work and I can't even maul my boyfriend."

Sora's eyes were on the surface of the water when he asked quietly, "Boyfriend?"

Riku grinned. "Hell yes. Didn't you get the idea when I sucked you off in a hallway?"

Sora blushed like crazy again, making a squeaking noise and sinking down under the water. Kairi took this opportunity to resurface, five colorful pool rings clutched in her hands. She brushed her hair back out of her eyes. "What the fuck did you do to Sora? Why's he trying to drown himself?"

Riku shrugged. "I don't know."

"Better save him, prince charming," Kairi said, giving him a little grin and pulling herself out of the pool.

Riku sighed and hauled Sora up by the armpits. The boy had his face screwed up and his hair was slicked down, though there wasn't a single doubt that it would be as spiky as ever when it dried. Once again, he avoided Riku's eyes, instead choosing to become very interested in the hemp bracelet around one skinny wrist.

"Sora, why won't you look at me?"

The brunette put his head in his hands and sat back down on the submerged bench. When he finally looked up Riku felt it like a blow to the stomach. His eyes were just so fucking blue. And his lips were so…lippy.

Lippy? Fuck, I've got it bad. It takes a lot to make me mentally incoherent.

"I was kind of hoping that whole birthday thing was a dream."

Riku opened his mouth, and closed it. Now there was a blow to his ego if there ever was one.

"Was it that bad?"

Sora's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously. "No!" He reddened further. "No, it wasn't bad…"

Riku put a hand on his hip and flicked a damp clump of hair out of his eyes. "What's the problem then?"

He should have dropped it—discussing it was obviously causing Sora discomfort. But he'd never been overburdened with common sense.

Sora scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's just…you left without saying anything. I thought maybe…"

"Maybe…?" Riku prompted.

Sora was mumbling by now, talking to the surface of the water. "Maybe I didn't taste good…or something…"

Riku couldn't help it. He laughed. A lot. "Christ, Sora." He brushed his fingers over the brunette's shoulder. "Cum isn't supposed to taste good. Pussy tastes even worse," he added as an afterthought.

Sora made a face. "Okay, I so did not need to know that."

Riku kept laughing. "It's true. Come on, let's go sit with Kairi. She's moping."

He glanced over to the table at the side of the patio. It was made of opaque glass and had a huge red sun umbrella over it, and a bored-looking Kairi was sitting in one of the chairs, towel wrapped around her waist. The boys clambered out of the pool and dripped a trail of chlorine treated water over the warm concrete on the way.

"I was wondering when you guys would join me," Kairi said, frowning. "For a rich kid, you sure are a crappy host, Riku."

He knew she meant it as a joke, but his eye twitched anyway. "I don't think Sora would agree with you, would you, babe?" He grabbed his boyfriend around the waist, pulling him against his chest and kissing him on the back of the neck.

"Riku, your parents!" he hissed.

Riku huffed. "I doubt they've got their noses pressed to the window. I'm not really sure they're even here…" He spun Sora around and kissed him on the mouth.

"Besides," Kairi added, "You can always just say he tripped and fell on your lips."

"Fuck you," Riku chirped, dropping down into one of the deck chairs and pulling Sora on top of him. He struggled for a few seconds, before giving up and sinking into his embrace.

"You're all clammy and wet," he complained.

"So are you," Riku said, "Like a jellyfish."

"A cute jellyfish," Sora corrected.

"The jellyfish of love," Kairi crooned, clasping her hands dreamily.

"Don't make fun of me," Sora said. "Bitch, I will fuck you up." He snapped three times in a Z formation.

"That was really gay," Riku whispered in his ear.

Sora giggled. "At least I'm staying true to character."

"Want a beer?"

Cloud looked up from the lumpy couch. Leon had covered it with a faded pink sheet; it was a warm night and he doubted he would need more than that. The blonde looked oddly vulnerable, sitting there all curled up with a blue pillow in his lap.

"Sure."

Leon paced into the kitchen, opening his fridge and snorting at its contents, which now consisted of ketchup, Heineken, and a takeout box full of half eaten pancakes. Why anyone would want to eat leftover pancakes was beyond him, but Cloud had insisted on bringing them back. He grabbed two beers, retracing his steps to the living room and handing one of the opaque green bottles to his guest. He muttered his thanks, popping the cap without the aid of a bottle opener.

Strong hands, Leon couldn't help thinking as he set his beer down on the end table. He put a shoulder to the one window looking down over the parking lot, grunting softly as it unstuck. It wasn't much better with the window open, but at least there was some semblance of a breeze. A horribly humid breeze. It occurred to Leon that he hadn't been down to the beach at all this summer. He wondered if Cloud surfed—he kind of looked like the type.

"Thanks," Cloud said again.

Leon turned from the window. His guest's eyes were glued to the carpet, a small blush coloring his cheeks.

"Thanks for…you know. Listening about my…problem."

Leon sat down on the threadbare armchair across from him, putting his feet up on the coffee table. "I told you, it's not a 'problem', it's a—."

"A kink. I heard you before," Cloud mumbled, looking slightly horrified by the thought.

"I think it's hot," Leon said, then immediately regretted it. Cloud's face went even redder, and he appeared to be trying to bury himself in the couch. He looked emotionally exauhsted, really, like everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours had worn him down to the nub.

"Sorry," Leon said, though he wasn't exactly sure what he was apologizing for. "I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. I'll try to keep the homosexual to a minimum."

"No, you don't have to…" Cloud passed his untouched beer from hand to hand. "It's not…I mean…It doesn't bother me or anything…"

Well, he fails at lying, at any rate, Leon thought gloomily.

"So what are going to do about Aeris?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

Cloud shrugged. He seemed to have a problem with looking Leon in the eye, and the brunette wondered whether it was him in particular or if Cloud was this introverted with everyone.

"I'm not sure. I should probably call her, break up with her properly, but…I just don't want to deal with it." He smiled guiltily at his lap. "I guess I'm just in the 'take the easy way out' frame of mind."

"Nothing wrong with that," Leon said, chugging the last of his beer.

Cloud looked up, blue eyes wide and confused. It was almost laughable, how easy he was to read. Leon was sure, if he had the inclination, he could name every single emotion that flashed through that gaze.

Maybe he knows he's fucking awful at hiding things. Maybe that's why he'll never look at me.

"What do you mean, 'nothing wrong with that'?" he demanded. "I'm fucking everything up! How can you just—."

"Goddamn, you really are a masochist, aren't you?" Leon suddenly found the situation grotesquely amusing. "Do you enjoy the mental abuse as much as the physical? If you're looking for someone to tell you what a shithead you are, you're with the wrong guy. Now, if you want someone to mention what a fucking drama queen you act like…"

He wasn't sure why he was so mad. Something about the way Cloud was just sitting there, feeling sorry for himself pissed him off. He was talking like it was the end of the world, like getting in a fight with his little girlfriend had just ruined his life.

"Sorry," Cloud muttered, looking back down at the floor.

Leon sighed, unclenching his arms and settling back into the couch. "Don't apologize. Just try to calm down a little, alright? So you like pain. Do you know how sexy some people find that?" He almost added I know I do, but stopped himself at the last minute.

The blonde just shrugged.

"And it's convenient too. You know, when you break your arm or something I can play a few holes of golf before bringing you to the hospital."

Cloud smiled a little, but it was forced. Leon didn't blame him. It had been a pretty lousy attempt at levity.

"I guess I'm just tired," he said a few seconds later. "I think I'll…just go to sleep."

"Sure," Leon said, standing up. "You take my bed, I'll take the couch." When Cloud started to protest, he held up a hand. "Don't argue. You're tired and kind of fucked up. It doesn't bother me, I can sleep anywhere."

"Thanks," Cloud said quietly. He gave a little guarded smile and padded back into the dark bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

"I'll be out here if you need anything."

Like a blowjob, he added mentally.

Sighing mournfully, he sank down on the couch into the warm spot Cloud had vacated, cursing fortune's cruel hand. Why did the hot guy staying with him have to be angsty and depressed. Not to mention straight.

Fuck that, said a little voice in Leon's head as he toed off his shoes and pulled his shirt over his head, Nobody that whiny can be straight. He's in denial.

Either that or you're in denial, said the meaner, snippier voice.

"Both of you shut up," Leon snarled.

He'd only just gotten his pants off when the phone rang. He grumbled, falling onto the couch and reaching for the receiver.

"Yeah?" he said gruffly.

"Hello, is this Squall Leonhart?"

Leon sat up. "Yeah."

"My name's Aeris Gainsborough. Sorry to bother you this late at night—." Leon glanced at his watch. It was barely ten. "—But I was told you signed Cloud Strife out this afternoon. From North Street Hospital. Is that true?"

"Yeah," Leon said for the third time. The moment he had heard Aeris' name, he'd made up his mind to be even colder than usual. It didn't help that the woman on the other line's tone was wooden and formal, almost condescending.

"Now, I'm aware you are Cloud's boss, Mr. Leonhart, but that doesn't justify what you did. Cloud is a very sick man, he needs help, help that I can't give him, help that you can't—."

"Just wait a second, lady," Leon hissed. He had to keep his voice low, however. Not because he had any qualms about yelling at this woman, but because Cloud would be trying to sleep in the next room. "It's illegal for a hospital to hold someone against their will in a psychiatric ward if they haven't been declared legally insane. I took psych 101 in college, and Cloud is definitely not crazy."
There was a moment of silence in which Leon heard nothing but crickets and the clunking sounds of a washing machine one floor up. When Aeris finally spoke again it sounded like she was trying to stop herself from breaking down.

"Cloud could hurt himself."

"Really?" Leon said, not bothering at all to keep the sardonic edge out of his voice. "Is that so? So could I. I could fall down the fucking steps on my way out tomorrow."

"That's not what I meant, Mr. Leonhart."

"I know that's not what you meant, Miss Gainsborough, I just can't find it in my heart to care. I don't know you, but I do know Strife." A little. "And from what I've seen the only problem he has is a controlling bitch of a girlfriend."

Oh snap, said one of the voices in his head.

You idiot, said the other.

Aeris was breathing shallowly and her voice was choked with tears. Some deep, dark, sadistic part of Leon smirked in satisfaction.

"Where is Cloud?" she demanded.

Leon knew it was a bad idea, but he couldn't help it. "Sleeping in my bed," he answered, and promptly hung up.

Okay, it wasn't necessarily a lie. Cloud really was sleeping in his bed, just not in the capacity he was yearning for.

"Come on Tifa, open up."

There was a thud, something that sounded suspiciously like a stuffed animal hitting the door. Possibly the giant, googly-eyed tiger Axel had won her last year at the fair.

"Fuck off."

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair in agitation. "Look, Tifa, I'm really sorry. I wanted to be there last night…"

Footsteps stomped closer, and the door slammed open, almost catching Axel on the side of the face. His eyes widened. Tifa was a mess. Her hair was tangled and unwashed, her face was blotchy, and her eyes were red and puffy.

"We both know that's not true," she accused spitefully. "If you'd wanted to be there, you would have been." She sniffed, wiping the back of her hand over her nose. "You're such an insensitive bastard. I know you've been cheating on me, Axel. I'm not an idiot."

All of Axel's rehearsed and pre-written words of apology fell from his tongue, water slipping through his fingers.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

"Who is it, huh Axel? Who's the little slut?" Tifa's fists were clenched and she was shaking. It was almost frightening.

"Calm down," Axel said. It was meant to sound soothing, but it just came out pissed. "You're acting crazy."

Tifa moved so fast she was like a blur. A moment later, Axel was reeling backwards, toppling into the wall, one hand clutching his cheek in shock.

"Jesus Christ! Do you wanna kill me? Wait, don't answer that," he said, as Tifa bared her teeth and raised her hand again.

"Come on, Axel," she challenged. "You afraid of a little girl?" She was crying down, tears rolling down her cheeks and dripping off her chin onto the snowy white carpet.

"Calm down," he said again, practically pushing her back into her room and sitting her down on the bed. It was neatly made, the dark blue bedspread tucked in at all four corners and the pillows stacked into little lacy piles. Axel was almost positive Tifa hadn't done it herself; that's what maids were for. The plush rug on the floor was utterly bare of anything, anything at all that might have suggested a teenager lived there. There weren't even posters on the wall, for Christ's sake. Axel had spent plenty of time in this room (though most of that time had been in the dark with his clothes off) but it had always seemed like a bit of an alien landscape to him. Tifa had poured absolutely nothing of herself into it. It was depressing, almost.

Wait, maybe that's the residual depression I'm experiencing from being kicked out of my house less than half an hour ago.

Tifa sat down on the top of the bedspread, still refusing to look at Axel. Her mood seemed to have changed from 'homicidal killer bitch' to 'I'm going to ignore you bitch'. Axel wasn't sure which one he preferred.

"Listen, Tif," he said, running his fingers through his hair again and making it stand up even more. "Yeah, you're right. I've been cheating on you."

Tifa just squeezed her eyes shut. Axel expected to see a few more tears escape down her cheeks, but when she looked at him a moment later, her gaze was surprisingly level.

"I knew that already. I just want to know with who."

Axel sat down next to her. "Name's Roxas."

Tifa's pout turned into a sneer. "Roxas? What the fuck kind of name is Roxas? She sounds like a real fucking good catch."

Axel drew a deep breath and forced himself to look at his girlfriend. "Roxas is a he."

Tifa looked nonplussed. "What?"

"He. A boy. A male. A short, blonde dude, a—."

But before he could continue his babble, Tifa let out a shout of near-hysterical laughter. "You're a fag?"

Axel shrugged. "I guess I am."

The two of them sat there in silence for a few moments, just looking at each other.

Then Tifa said, "That's disgusting, Axel."

Axel didn't respond, just looked down at the carpet. He'd been afraid of this. "Well, that's your goddamn opinion."

"I can't believe you!" Tifa's voice had risen to a shriek, and she was suddenly on her feet. "You're telling me you've been fucking some guy, and then coming here and sticking your dick in me? You asshole! I could have goddamn AIDS or something! We both could!"

"Roxas doesn't have AIDS," Axel said, anger flickering through him. "He got tested a couple'a months ago."

"Gay guys always get AIDS!" Tifa maintained, her volume still much too high for comfort. "I mean, look at Freddie Mercury!"

"Freddie Mercury wasn't gay, he was bi, and he probably screwed about five people a night. He was a goddamn rock star, dumbass."

Tifa slapped him across the face, yet again. "Don't you dare insult me, you fucking queer. Get out of my house!" With that, she flung herself onto her bed and buried her head in her pillow, refusing to say another word.

"You know, I thought she'd never leave," Riku said, dropping the curtain and turning back to his dark bedroom. The sound of Kairi's retreating car faded slowly away, leaving them in serenity broken only by the muted whir of the overhead fan.

"I think she got the idea you wanted her gone when you practically shoved her through the door," Sora laughed, stretching out on Riku's bed. His hair was still damp and stuck up oddly in the back, making him look vaguely reminiscent of a toucan.

Sexiest toucan I've ever seen, Riku thought with a smile.

When he sat down next to him, Riku was expecting Sora to shy away, maybe bury his face in his hands to hide a furious blush. But he just reached for him, making a needy sound in his throat. Riku didn't even waste time to give him a flippant smirk, just pounced, sending them both horizontal.

Sora attacked his mouth viciously, threading his hair through that shiny hair, pulling him close against his body. Hot blood rushed through Riku's veins as he returned the kiss with a vengeance, pushing his tongue into Sora's mouth. He was just reaching for the button on his shorts, when his cell phone rang.

"Holy shit," he muttered, giving Sora one last kiss before dragging himself over the bed to his night table. If it wasn't for that motherfucker Leon he would have just ignored it. His director had once nearly shit a brick when he hadn't answered a couple of weeks ago, when Leon had called up to inform him of some schedule changes.

"Hello?" he said, unable to keep the annoyance out of his tone.

"Hey, Riku?" The voice on the line was very familiar. It pissed Riku off just to hear it.

"Axel? What the fuck do you want?" From somewhere behind him he heard Sora sit up, making an interested noise.

Axel hesitated, no doubt turned off by Riku's tone. Riku rolled his eyes.

Fuckin' lightweight.

He tried to force himself to be civil. "Seriously, Axel, what's wrong? It's like eleven."

"It's Saturday, smart shit. And it's summer."

"I have worked tomorrow." Riku sat down on the bed, hitting the speaker button and placing the phone down between him and Sora. It was a little hard to hear, but it worked.

There was a moment of crackly static, before Axel asked, "Are you guys doing anything?"

Riku and Sora glanced at each other. The brunette's eyebrows had shot up all the way into his spiky hair.

"No," he answered, and Riku rolled his eyes. Bullshit they weren't doing anything. They were kissing, possibly about to have sex. If that wasn't something, he didn't know what was.

"Do ya guys maybe wanna go get something to eat or…something? I kind of need to talk to somebody like…you guys."

"Like us?" Riku repeated. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Sora shot him a dirty look. "Where do you want to meet, Axel?" he asked, dropping his eyes to the phone, as if he might be able to interpret a facial expression through it.

"I dunno…Rita's maybe? Ya know where that is?"

Sora glanced up at Riku. He snorted in annoyance, but nodded yes.

"Yeah, we do," Sora answered. "We'll see you in half an hour?"

There was another moment of silence. "Okay, yeah." The phone clicked off. Riku picked his cell back up, snapping it shut.

"What's Rita's?" Sora asked as he got to his feet.

"Ice Cream place," he said. "Why the hell did you say we'd go?"

"Why the hell did you have to be such a dick?" Sora countered, stepping in front of Riku's mirror and attempting to straighten his messy hair. "

Riku laughed. "A dick? Me? Sora, Axel is a complete asshole. He's never said a kind word to me in my life, and now he wants to hang out? Sound like another of his little pranks."

Sora was now slipping his shirt back over his head, which just served to agitate Riku even further. Just a few seconds ago the brunette had been all hot and bothered and ready to go. Now he was acting like they hadn't just been necking in a dark bedroom. All because some jerk had sounded like he needed help. Sora really was much too kind for his own good. And much too trusting.

"What if he's in trouble?" Sora maintained, eyes wide and innocent. "What if he's like…suicidal or something?"

"Sora, if he was suicidal he wouldn't be calling us. He'd be hanging himself from a balcony or taking a shitload of pills."

"Let's just go," Sora said, leading the way.

Rita's was crowded, despite the fact that it was almost midnight when they got there. It stayed open late during summer, and did a roaring trade, mostly to High School kids and tourists looking to get a taste of Destiny Island. Rita herself was a woman in her late fifties, friendly and sweet, but with a bad case of short-term memory loss. You'd be halfway through giving her your order and she'd suddenly turn around and start folding the waffle cones. Because of this, several other workers had been hired, upping the customer service rating quite a bit. When Riku and Sora arrived that night, there was a pretty girl with bubblegum pink hair behind the counter, calling orders to two rather flustered-looking twin boys.

"That's a neat gimmick," Riku commented as they slid into a booth. "Come to Rita's and be serviced by two identical boys with identical talents'!"

"You make it sound like it's a brothel," Sora giggled, sneaking a glance over his shoulder.

Riku made an appreciative sound in his throat as one of the twins bent down to retrieve a dropped sugar cone. "They both got one hell of a nice ass."

Sora giggled even more, blushing and kicking him under the table.

"Aw, don't worry, Sora," the silver haired boy laughed, not without affection. "You've got the only ass I want."

Sora buried his face in his arms, collapsing down on the tabletop, his giggles continuing silently. "But you know…" Riku said, his voice dropping in volume as he leaned down, warm breath caressing the brunette's ear. "It wouldn't exactly be cheating, if there was one for both of us…"

Sora squeaked. "Riku!"

"Or," Riku continued, running his fingers through thick dark hair that still smelled strongly of chlorine, "Or…they could go at it and we could just watch."

Sora raised his head at this, looking thoroughly violated and completely embarrassed. "Riku!"

"Don't Riku me. You're tellin' me that idea doesn't turn you at all?"

"Of course it doesn't! That's gross, Riku," he stuttered, but the rosy little blush high on his cheeks told a different story.

Riku settled back into the cushiony booth with a satisfied smile, lacing his fingers behind his head. "See? And besides, that stuff's in porn all the time. Twincest is en vogue right now or some shit ."

Sora muttered something into his shirt front.

"What's that?"

Sora became fidgeted with his bracelet as he said, "I've never seen porn."

Riku's eyebrows shot up. "Are you serious? Not even, like, vanilla hetero porn? Dammit, what kind of teenage boy are you?"

Sora shrugged unhappily and he instantly regretted saying it.

"Sorry, babe. I didn't mean to sound like an asshole. Or a perv," he added as an afterthought.

"It's okay. I know I'm a little naïve and all." He glanced up toward the counter. "I really want some ice cream. Let's not wait for Axel."

"Good plan," Riku agreed, allowing the topic to slip away for the moment. But only for the moment. There would be porn in the future, oh yes.

Riku got a small twisty cone with rainbow sprinkles ('they just suit me so well', he'd said with a grin) and Sora ordered a massive hot fudge sundae which he proceeded to dig into with the enthusiasm of a wolf devouring a fresh kill.

"I can't believe you aren't fat," Riku said, licking his pitiful-in-comparison ice cream cone.

"Shut up," Sora said. "You're just—,"

"Hi guys," someone interrupted.

It was Axel, hands in his pockets and rather apologetic look on his face.

"Hi, Axel!" Sora greeted him. Riku didn't do anything but glare, which was probably why Axel slid in beside the brunette.

"Do you want some of my ice cream?" he offered.

"No thanks. I'm not that hungry."

Actually, he looked rather queasy, like he'd just disembarked a particularly wild roller coaster. There were dark marks around his eyes from lack of sleep and he didn't smell too hot either, like he hadn't taken a shower in a couple of days.

"Axel…you don't look so good. Are you okay?"

He shrugged. "I'll be fine. I just…I just didn't know who else to come to."

Riku was starting to get interested now, and it was pissing him off. He didn't want to give a shit about this son of bitch.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he prompted, urging him to explain but insulting him at the same time. Good tactic.

Axel didn't answer all at once. Instead he let his eyes wander over to the counter, slowly taking in the ice cream machine and the three kids behind it. His gaze moved over the patrons slowly, one by one. He had the look of a man about to go to his death at the executioner's block, a man saying goodbye to everything he knew. Riku really wanted to say something scathing, but there was something in Sora's glare that stopped him.

"I…I'm gay," he said after another moment.

Silence greeted his words, before Riku began to laugh. He only got a few guffaws out, however, before Sora kicked him in the shins.

"Ow! Son of a bitch," he muttered, rubbing his leg gingerly.

Sora just gave him a winning smile and turned back to Axel. "You're gay? Don't worry about it, we're gay too!"

Axel scratched his head awkwardly. "Heh. Yeah, I…uh, picked up on that."

"Is this the big problem you have?" Riku demanded. "Because if it is, you're pretty sad. Who the fuck cares if you're gay?"

"Tifa did. I've been cheating on her."

Sora winced. "Oh. That sucks." He swatted Axel on the arm. "You're a jerk."

"With who?" Riku wanted to know. He didn't feel an ounce of sympathy for Tifa. She was an evil bitch and deserved whatever she got.

Axel glanced at the clock over the door. "He'll be here in a few minutes."

Riku and Sora glanced at each other.

"So…" Sora said slowly, glancing back at Axel rather ragged appearance. "Is everything else…okay?"

Axel snorted. "Okay? Yeah, sure. If you call 'getting kicked out of your house for admitting you were liked boys' okay."

"Harsh," Sora muttered.

"Why did you tell your parents?" Riku wanted to know, giving his ice cream a particularly violent lick. "That just sounds like asking for trouble."

Axel shrugged. "I thought they would understand…maybe. My dad's usually pretty good with heavy shit like this. Guess not." Suddenly, his eye lit up and he made frantic waving motions with his hands. "Finally. Fucking took you long enough."

"Sorry," the boy approaching their table said. He was small, blonde, and smiling shyly. "Couldn't get away from—."

"Roxas?" Sora whispered the word so quietly it was almost impossible to hear over the chatter of the crowd. "Roxas. Fuck, is that you?"

Roxas just stared for a moment.

"Shit," he said, before turning tail and running back through the door, out onto the dark street beyond.

So Sora knows Roxas. Hahahah! Bet no one saw that one coming! But yeah, in all honesty, this was a pretty awesome chapter for me. It's about to get even better however, as I am going to introduce a new character soon, who's gonna make this thing even sexier than it already is.

I have a livejournal now, so if ya wanna befriend me, go for it. Oh, and anybody who knows some good sites for layouts, let me know. I hate the boring, standard ones. I can't code worth shit, but if anyone wanted to make me a layout, I would reward you with delicious, custom-made smut of their choosing!

Please review, guys! It means so much to me!

Till next time!