Unseen Emotions

Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts characters, but I do own all locations, the storyline, and the original characters.

For Warnings, Spoilers, and Plot see earlier chapters! Thanks!

Pairings: Axel:x:Riku, (slight) Riku:x:Sora, Roxas:x:Sora (not related), and Zack:x:Cloud

A.N. This is the song that never ends! And it goes on and on my friend! Some people started singing it not knowing what is was, and they will keep on singing it because because because...!

...(sweatdrop)...

Don't ask, lol. ONWARDS! TO DAS CHAPPIE DU LA DOUZE! Er...twelve that is. (whispers) And thanks for those reviews guys! (winks and gives a thumbs up) Good job!


Chapter Twelve: Listless

Tasogare stood alone at the gate in the forest, wind tossing the high branches of the trees back and forth, an eerie sound drifting in on the winds. Something was happening…

-x-x-x-

Naminé watched in horror as the wolf approached her, the soft voice in her mind mixing with the fear inside her. What was this? Why was it here? This wasn't right, this couldn't be right… The gentle voice whispering from the ghost-boy failed to reach her panicking mind, so the boy decided to take a more direct approach. Shiloh padded forward slowly, but with each step he took Naminé seemed to squirm further and further back into the wall. The black and white checkers kept moving behind her until she was melding into the walls; sinking into the broken fragments of her mind, back into chaos.

The ghost-boy gasped, morphing back into his child-like appearance as quickly as he could, the magic here binding him so the transformation was slow and painful. He had to stop her before she was absorbed into the mirror and they had to search for her all over again. There might not come another time when they would be able to find her. Gritting his fangs the wolf pleaded wordlessly for her not to be scared, not to run away; gold shining in his eyes. Shiloh knew where her friends were, where her brothers and parents were on the other side! Why wouldn't she listen to him? She was too far gone in her own delusion...

The small albino girl began to loose her color completely, the light pink of her eyes fading until she herself was turning black and white. As the ghost finally changed back into a child and Naminé began to snap out of her panic, she screamed and reached out her hand; the chaos trying to pull her in and make her one with the library. "Chaos" Taso and Shiloh called it; the errors, the blanks in your mind, the endless sea of black and white checkers than seemed to creep into everything when you'd been unconscious for too long. It was a sea that tried to drown you no matter how far you swam. Shiloh reached out, grabbing hold of Naminé's hand and pulling her with all his might. She could touch him like Taso never could, her broken mind able to intertwine with his, but it was also able to drain him of his scarce remaining strength. Unsure of what the outcome would be the boy simply held on to the girl's disappearing form, trying to pull her back from the darkness.

--xxxo0:O:0oxxx--

Roxas waited outside Sora's house, foot tapping the ground in worried agitation. The blonde had walked the boy to his house, the brunette disappearing inside once they had reached their destination to see if his father was at home. It hadn't been two minutes yet and already Roxas was getting nervous about the situation. The last time Sora had attempted to let the blonde come over his father had been rather wasted, and the brunette had gotten a firm slap across the face for his apparent "smart-ass" attitude in thinking he was allowed to bring over company unexpected. Roxas sighed, the warm autumn air passing through the color-changing trees lazily; several half-green, half-orange and red leaves falling to the lawn below. The streets were silent save for the occasional vehicle passing by, Roxas wishing more than anything that he had the money to buy his own car so they didn't have to choose between walking and riding the bus every day. He had been saving but it still wasn't quite enough. He could ask his parents for the money, but that would just give them something else to hold over him the next time they had a confrontation. Sighing, he thought back on the promise he had made to himself; he was going to do this on his own.

Shifting from one foot to the other then leaning back against the side of the house again, Roxas listened intently for any hint of movement inside, eyes willing the front door to open again and let him know his boyfriend was all right. "Come on Sora, where are you..."

The door remained shut, fueling Roxas' worry, until suddenly the blonde's cell phone chimed and the boy pulled the device from his pocket. He had a new instant-message from Sora.

// Sora:: I'm sry Rox, I can't go back out. //

The blonde's eyes narrowed, anger burning hot in his veins as his heart started pounding.

// Roxas:: What'd he do now? //

// Sora:: I'm ok. //

// Roxas:: That doesn't answer question. //

There was a pause in response, Roxas backing away from the house and walking around to the side, looking for any un-curtained windows. He peeked inside the living room through a small part between two blinds, eyes glancing from the flickering television to the beer bottles lining the table and spilt across the floor. If that drunk bastard had hit Sora again... Cell clutched in his hand he continued further down the house, reaching the back door and hiding in the shadows between the side of the house and a large pine tree nearby while he sent the younger boy another message.

// Roxas: Come 2 the bk door. //

He could hear movement inside almost immediately, Sora saying something and getting a pissed-off shout for a response, then the back door opened and the brunette stepped out with a trash bag in hand. He met eyes with Roxas then looked over his shoulder and shut the door carefully, stepping out and setting the trash in a pile before tiptoeing over to where Roxas was hidden in the shadows. "Rox, you can't be here right now, I'm sorry that I-"

"Tell me what he did to you." Roxas said sternly, eyes gentle but voice cold. Sora looked away, knowing the blonde was mad at him for taking the abuse instead of standing up to the man, lifting up the arm of his shirt to reveal his latest injury. There were several cuts there, blood dripping down his arm slowly. "Jesus Sora..." the boy whispered, eyes turning from anger to concern as he reached up to one of the deeper cuts and pulled out something shiny. "Glass?"

"He threw a broken bottle at me, said I was interrupting him." The brunette murmured. "I was trying to ask him how his day was...forgot there's a game today."

The blonde searched Sora's expressions desperately. "What can I do?"

Rasping out a laugh that hinted an edge of tears, he whispered, "Nothing..." The younger boy looked over at him with a small smile. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Sora." Roxas said; his heart breaking for the small, delicate creature before him. How could parents ever grow to abuse their own flesh and blood? How could someone's love for another human being change so drastically just from being intoxicated, and turn from affection to hate? Tears welling in his eyes Roxas pulled the other boy to him gently; avoiding his shoulder and kissing his cheek.

What could he do? There had to be something he could do, Sora's father couldn't just keep doing this! And yet, there really was nothing Roxas could do; if he called the police the brunette would just be hauled off to a group home, his mother wouldn't take him in. Sora had told him once that he would rather remain in his father's keep, beaten and unloved, than have to move away from Roxas and loose everything all over again. Frustration bubbling inside him like boiling water he growled, aquamarine irises darkening in anger. No, there was something he could do.

"Come on, we're leaving."

Blinking, a tear falling down his cheek, Sora asked in confusion, "W-what?"

Roxas took hold of the younger boy's good arm, pulling him along the side of the house, walking towards the street. "You're not staying here anymore, you shouldn't have to put up with this bullshit!"

"B-but I can't just leave! Some of my school books are still here, and my clothes!" Sora whispered frantically, following the blonde's example and ducking past the living room window, the brunette catching a glimpse of his father pacing inside with a beer in hand as he watched his precious game.

When they reached the front of the house Roxas stopped Sora, pushing him gently back against the face of the house, searching his sapphire eyes, tears falling unhindered down his rosy cheeks. "You do not deserve this, Sora. You're coming with me to talk to my parents, we'll sort this out once and for all."

"Your parents?" Sora asked softly, "But I thought you said they would never..."

"When my mother sees you bleeding and bruised from head to toe I'm pretty sure she'll change her mind." The blonde replied. "She's a materialistic stuck-up snob most of the time, but she's not a cold-hearted bitch. She won't call the cops and she won't bother to try and find your father to tell him where you are." He let his words sink in, watching the changing expressions crossing his lover's face. Confusion, fear, uncertainty; but beneath all else a trust so fierce it could conquer the mightiest inner turmoil. Sora knew with his whole heart Roxas would never let anything happen to him, would never lie to him, and loved him no matter what. The blonde waited, the brunette thinking and turning everything over and over in his mind again, his free hand clenched over his heart as if he were hurting.

Finally, fear in his eyes, Sora asked, "What happens if he comes looking for me?"

Roxas looked him dead in the eye, held his gaze, and replied, "I'll beat the shit out of him."

A smile and a broken laugh accompanied with a nod were all the signs the blonde needed. Taking Sora's hand in his own he took off running, the brunette following after him, Roxas' heart pounding so hard he thought it might explode. He was sure Sora's heart must have been doing the same. Their shoes clapped hard against the concrete as they crossed the road, dodging cars and passing through people's backyards as they tried to put as much distance between themselves and Sora's father as possible. Block after block they ran, until Roxas' lungs thought they were going to burst, the two boys reaching a sheltered grove of trees between two apartment complexes and collapsing to the cool grass beneath the towering branches.

The blonde boy, lying on his back and looking up at the dark leaves above him, looked over to Sora who was panting face-down into the damp grass below him. "I...don't think...I've ever...run that fast..." The younger boy said between deep gasps of air, turning his head to met eyes with Roxas, a huge smile across his face. "I can't believe we just did that…"

The blonde's eyes sparkling with affection, Roxas reached over and brushed messy russet spikes away from Sora's forehead. "I can't believe we didn't do it sooner."

Sapphire shining into aquamarine, Sora lifted himself up onto his arms and leaned over Roxas, kissing the older boy gently. Roxas, surprised, reached up and cupped the boy's cheek, kissing him back softly. Sora rarely initiated actions when it came to personal displays of affection; he allowed Roxas to sneak a kiss every now and then but other than that the boys had rarely done anything more than holding hands. Blonde eyelashes closing low over lightly blushing cheeks, he laid back and let the younger take control, Sora pressing against him a bit harder as the kiss deepened. After a moment the brunette pulled away, searching misty blue eyes with his own, Roxas smiling up at him dreamily. "What?" Sora asked; blush creeping up into his cheeks at the dazed look his boyfriend was giving him.

"Nothing, you're just so amazing." Roxas said softly, sitting up on his elbows and giving the younger a soft kiss before pushing himself to his feet. "I think that's the first time you've ever kissed me like that."

"R-really?" Sora asked nervously.

Chuckling affectionately Roxas took the boy's hand and pulled him up to his side, pressing their foreheads together. "I love you Sora."

Eyes shimmering, said boy replied, "I love you too, Rox."

Roxas smiled as they began walking again, saying as they left the grove of trees and headed for the street, "Now then, let's head home before that starts to get infected."

Sora looked down at his shoulder; the cuts had finally started to clot but the middle one looked deeper than the others and might require stitches. The brunette's heart fluttered as he followed after the boy ahead of him. This would be a new beginning for him, and a whole new level in their relationship with one another. Sora couldn't wait to happily be a part of them both.

--xxxo0:O:0oxx--

The library was dusty, a golden haze passing in front of the light coming in through the windows, Kurei walking through the cloudy beams and looking around in wonder. Tasogare was here somewhere, he knew it, he could sense it like someone hiding around the corner while playing hide and seek. Wandering around the first floor, sunlight making the blue highlights in his purple hair shine brightly, Kurei searched the rows of bookshelves for Tasogare. He knew she was here somewhere, he just didn't know where. After searching the second story for her usual hide-away he had come back downstairs and begun wandering the back sections of the library. He pulled his cell from his pocket to check the service; no signal. Maybe she was somewhere further back. Sighing, he shoved the phone back in his jeans, stepping around a ladder and book cart then walking down an aisle of old fiction novels. Then a sudden thought came to his mind. If Taso was here, then did that mean Kairi was at her house alone?

-x-x-x-

Walking around a house, no matter how slow one did so, when there were broken ribs involved took entirely too much time and effort. Not to mention it was making her pain killers wear off, and no matter how guilty Kairi felt she took back ten fold what she had said about deserving to be in pain. It was unbearable. Slumped on the couch clutching her side she breathed deep but slow, trying to stop the throbbing in her side that was leading up her spine to the throbbing in her head. She ached all over; why hadn't she just stayed in bed and slept some more! "Stupid, stupid, stupid…" she cursed lightly, eyes squeezed shut, tears gathered in her dark eyelashes.

A jingle-bell sounded through the house, echoing through the kitchen and into the living room, Nyao meowing and jumping onto the couch beside the girl to try and get some attention. The kitten padded up to Kairi's face and nuzzled her cheek against the human's forehead, purring loudly, the bell on her collar chiming with her movements. Kairi half-opened one indigo eye, the calico no more than a few centimeters from her face, staring down at her with big yellow-green eyes begging for play time. Despite her irritated mood the girl couldn't help but let out a broken chuckle, reaching up to wipe her eyes and pet the small cat. The kitten mewed happily, rubbing her head into Kairi's hand, then pawed at the girl's magenta locks playfully.

Sniffing, Kairi slowly sat up, Nyao crawling into her lap and looking up at her with a meow. "What is it?" The girl asked softly, petting Nyao's ears and scratching her under her chin. She wasn't usually much of a cat person but this little kitty was a new addition to Tasogare's family since the last time she had visited. There was something about her big yellow eyes than made her smile, and her black, orange, and white patched fur was gorgeous. Looking around the room she spotted Tailo asleep as usual, the big yellow tomcat flicking his tail lightly in his sleep. Turning to look over her shoulder towards the open windows Kairi noticed some incense burning, the smell of lilac filtering in through the house on the afternoon gale. A wispy trail of smoke was drifting from the tip of the stick, dissipating once it hit the wind. Miki was sitting on the windowsill batting at the long, waving curtains as they moved back and forth. Taso had always loved cats; gentle, poised, affectionate, eloquent creatures that were completely capable of taking care of themselves. Independent. Maybe that was why Kairi wasn't as fond of them as her cousin; Tasogare had always been the more independent one.

Kairi was trapped with her parents in Hishimo, unable to move because of her age, unable to escape because she didn't have the money to do so. She hated it there, she had always felt closer to her cousin than she had to her parents; the older girl understood her in a way her mother and father had never been able to, or ever bothered trying. Sighing, Kairi relaxed into the sofa cushions, petting Nyao absently and letting her eyes wander the room until they settled on the television. She could see herself sitting in the reflection on black glass, a mirror image of herself…but for some reason her mind she didn't recognize her own face. Who was this pale, thin, bandaged girl with clothes and pink hair in disarray? She felt as if she had been someone completely different a mere twenty-four hours before. Her mind reeled back to the drive from Hishimo to Dashilaw; saying goodbye to her parents, packing for favorite outfits for her trip, how excited she had been to be spending her break with her favorite cousin. Now all those thoughts seemed hollow, meaningless. She should have just stayed home and been miserable by herself; at least then she wouldn't be sitting here regretting her ability to breathe without a machine, beating herself up over everything, and having a major guilt trip added to her being miserable. Not to mention the pain

Hissing at the fact that she could feel her heartbeat pounding in her ribs, Kairi made herself get to her feet to search the house for her pain meds, knowing Tasogare would have them lying out on a tabletop somewhere or another. They were probably in the kitchen. Moving slow and remembering not to breathe too deep (she had inhaled earlier to the point where she was pretty sure her ribs had popped) she made her way through the living room and towards the adjacent kitchen. Nyao was following her around, jingling at her feet as the girl crossed over from carpet to linoleum and glanced around at the counters for anything resembling a prescription bottle. Salt and pepper shakers, a box of matches, school books and papers strewn across the kitchen table…no medicine to be seen. Maybe it was still in a bag somewhere? They had gone by the pharmacy when they had left the hospital…

Kairi didn't know where her pills were, all she knew was while she was up she was going to raid the fridge and search through the medicine cabinet then crawl back to a cushiony surface and go back to sleep. Her head and side were pounding; there should definitely be a large glass of OJ and then some Advil, Aleve, or Tylenol involved. Where was it that Taso kept her medicine? The magenta-haired girl looked up to the cabinets above the sink, walking over and opening one; nothing but dishes. Furrowing her brow she shut the doors and turned to look at the other closed doors she knew held dishes, herbs, and spices. She knew there was a medicine cabinet somewhere! Then she realized the only cabinet she wasn't entirely sure what the contents were happened to be high above the refrigerator. Kairi groaned, putting a hand on her hip and looking up at the two small doors just out of her reach. She was going to need a chair.

-x-x-x-

Kurei searched and searched the library, sighing agitatedly when his attempts to find his friend failed after another trip upstairs and back down again. She was here somewhere, he just couldn't find her. The thought of Kairi still lingering in his mind, he decided to leave Taso to her secrets with the resolve that she would contact him later, and walked back towards the entrance doors. Kairi by herself at Taso's with the guilt of the tragedy that had recently occurred, alone and in pain… Kurei sighed, a soft smile on his lips. It had been a long time since he had seen the girl, he might as well go keep her company until Tasogare decided to come back. He pushed opened the large glass doors and stepped out onto the sidewalk, waiting for the traffic to clear so he could cross the street and go to his car.

-x-x-x-

Kairi, gritting her teeth as pain shot down her side, pulled one of the kitchen chairs to stand before the fridge as slow as she possible could. Letting out a grunt of exertion the girl released the wooden chair and clutched at her side, squeezing her eyes shut and tapping her foot to try and distract herself. It would all be better soon, she just needed to get the medicine and go back to sleep. Forget food, she'd eat painkillers as long as it would make her head and ribs stop throbbing. Indigo eyes narrowed she glared up at the little doors above the refrigerator. Who was Taso hiding her medicine from putting it way up there? It wasn't as if her cousin was that tall herself! She must have had to climb a chair to reach it as well...

Thinking to herself that putting something so high you couldn't reach it even though you lived by yourself was rather silly, Kairi hoisted herself up onto the chair and straightened up slowly, standing onto her feet wobbly and looking up at the cabinet. It was still almost out of reach. Carefully she stood to her tippy-toes, reaching up a hand to open one of the doors, barely able to touch the handle. Leaning forward and pushing herself up as high as she could she managed to swing open the little wooden door and reached inside, trying to grasp at anything that might have been a prescription bottle of some sort. A twinge coursed up her body from the tip of her toes through her legs and zapped the back of her spine before racing to settle in her ribs, the girl gasping in pain and teetering backwards off the chair. She tensed her whole body, closing her eyes, waiting to feel her back slam against the kitchen floor.

-x-x-x-

Kurei drove out of town, turning onto a small road that lead out into the country and making his way towards Taso's house. The radio playing softly, he allowed his eyes to wander the road and flicker across the passing trees, the light glinting across the blacktop, the clouds floating lazily high in the sky. It was beautiful out here; no wonder Tasogare had never moved into town. Something along the side of the road catching his attention, Kurei looked over to see a large piece of ground where the earth had been tossed up and disheveled. That must be where Kairi and Naminé got into their wreck... He thought to himself, sighing as he remembered the little blonde girl's smile when they had met the day before. It was unreal to think that the same girl was now lying in a hospital bed comatose. He drove the rest of the way in silence, thinking about how Kairi must be feeling right about now.

He pulled into Taso's driveway and turned off the engine, sitting there a moment to take a deep breath and settle himself. Thinking about the past would do nothing to help the current situation. All he could do was try to comfort Kairi and keep her company to the best of his ability. He got out of his car, walking up the steps to the house and turning the doorknob to let himself inside. For all he knew she might be sleeping, he better not wake her by knocking. Stepping inside and closing the door behind him he slid out of his boots and looked around the empty living room. Maybe she was asleep after all. He stepped onto the carpet, intent on peeking his head into the bedroom to see if she was all right, when something moved out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw Kairi perched atop a chair in front of the refrigerator, standing on her toes and reaching for two small cabinets above the fridge. She gasped, pulling back and teetering on the chair, her feet coming out from under her as she began to fall.

Kurei darted to her, throwing his arms out and catching her before she hit the linoleum, turning so that he hit the kitchen floor first and padded her impact. The air knocked out of him, the boy lay there a moment, Kairi moving on top of him to look down at him in surprise. "Kurei!" she exclaimed, "What are you doing here?" Realizing he had just saved her in mid-air, she asked while looking down at him, "Are you okay?"

"Fine!" he wheezed, sitting up as the magenta-haired girl crawled off of him, her arms wrapped around her bandaged ribs as she tried to still her racing heart. "What were you doing up there?" Kurei asked, looking the girl over for any sign of trauma, rubbing the back of his head where it had slapped back against the tile.

"I was trying to get some medicine, I don't know where Taso put my pain meds." She replied, looking over at him apologetically. "Thank you so much for catching me, I don't know what would have happened if I had hit my ribs when I fell..."

Kurei nodded, getting to his feet and offering her a hand. "It's okay, I'm glad I decided to come see you. That could have ended badly."
She took his hand, standing up slowly and tilting her head to look at the tall boy. "I haven't seen you in forever; have you gotten taller?"

"I could say the same about you," the boy replied with a teasing smile, "when did you fill out?"

Blushing, Kairi swatted his arm, rolling her eyes and looking above the refrigerator again. "Could you get me some Tylenol or something? My ribs are killing me..."

"First off," the dark-haired boy replied, "that is not where Taso keeps her medicine." He reached up and closed the small door, walking past Kairi and motioning for her to follow. "She keeps everything behind the mirror in the bathroom; I'll help you look for your meds while you hobble over."

"Har har..." Kairi said, sarcasm heavy in her tone, smiling over at the boy as she did just that.

While Kairi took her sweet time creeping across the carpet and towards the bathroom, Kurei searching the house for any sign of a new prescription bottle or a white medicine bag from the pharmacy. Frowning when he was unsuccessful, he walked back across the living-room to Kairi (who had almost reached the bathroom) and peeked his head inside the room she was headed towards. "There it is," he said, stepping inside and picking up the small white bag sitting on the counter by the sink, "she must have thought you'd be able to get to the bathroom and find them yourself."

"Slowly but surely." Kairi replied, sighing in relief when she reached the doorframe and leaned back against it to rest. "I am capable of moving, I just feel like the tortoise racing the hare watching you walk around so easily!"

Chuckling lightly he opened the bag, pulling out a small pill-bottle and reading the warning label on the side. "May cause drowsiness, do not operate machinery, blah blah..." He turned to face the girl who was watching him, continuing to read, "...take two pills every eight hours, not to exceed six pills in a twenty-four hour period...nausea may occur, take with food and drink..."

"Oh, please don't make me walk back to the kitchen," Kairi said with a slight whimper in her voice, clasping her hands together in a pleading manner, "You might end up having to carry me back to bed."

"I'll make you a deal," Kurei replied, handing her the prescription bottle, "If you can manage to get to the couch I'll take care of the food and drink, okay?" Smiling, he walked past her and towards the kitchen, calling, "Anything sound good to eat?"

Kairi, blinking, turned and began walking back towards the couch, "I don't know, what's she got in the fridge?"

Kurei, socks sliding lightly across the linoleum, moved the chair back to the table and opened the refrigerator, saying as he scanned its contents, "Looks like tuna salad, turkey, cheese, spaghetti, left-over pizza, spinach dip, banana pudding...man Taso needs to come cook for me sometime..."

"She's always been like that," Kairi said, laughing, "I can't cook at all but she could cook a four course meal every night for a week and not repeat a dish once." Sighing affectionately, she sat down on the couch, drawing her feet up to rest on the pillows beside her. "She's so perfect."

"She'll make some lucky man really fat someday." Kurei replied teasingly, Kairi laughing, the boy grabbing a bottle of orange juice and setting it out on the counter. "Want anything? You want me to check to see if she has any soup in the pantry?"

"Soup does sound kind of good, tomato soup and grilled cheese..." Kairi said thoughtfully, stomach rumbling as she let her mind wander. She laughed, embarrassed, and rubbed her tummy. "Is that okay? I don't want you to go through too much trouble on my behalf..."

"Grilled cheese is one thing I do actually know how to cook for myself," Kurei replied, "I'll get right on it, can you find the remote?"

"Yeah," she replied, reaching over to the other end of the couch where the small device was half-buried under a pillow. She turned the television on, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the dark glass before the lights flickered on to reveal Comedy Central. For some reason she thought to herself she looked happier than before, a light blush crossing her cheeks. Kurei was so sweet, funny, and easy to get along with; she was so glad he had popped in to check on her. One of her greatest fears was being alone.

The boy turned on the stove-top, retrieving bread, butter, and cheese, then poured a glass of OJ and took it to Kairi. He offered it to her, saying, "Take your pills now so they'll start to kick in, I'll bring you your food once it's done."

"T-Thank you..." Kairi said softly, blushing a bit deeper than before. Why was she suddenly feeling self conscious, this was Kurei! She's known him since she was little. She admitted she hadn't seen him in a while, and he did seem to have grown...how old was he now, nineteen? Glancing over to the kitchen and watching the boy walk back and forth, his purple-blue bangs half-hiding his golden eyes, she found her heart was pumping faster. She turned away, taking a drink, opening her pills and popping two in her mouth, then swallowing them down quickly. There was no way she was crushing on her cousin's best friend, no way...but then… Was that throbbing sensation the pain in her ribs? Or her fluttering heart?

--xxxo0:O:0oxxx--

Zack pulled the edge of Cloud's boxers down slowly, the blonde boy blushing as he tried to relax, the older boy smiling down at him and chuckling softly. The younger boy's muscles flexed against Zack's fingertips as they trailed down his abdomen and hip, trying not to breathe hard at the thought of what was about to occur. Just as those amethyst eyes caught his and Zack's hand dipped lower a knock sounded at the front door, halting the boy's actions. Blushing furiously, Cloud searched Zack's eyes, wondering if he was going to answer the door or ignore them and continue. The older boy searched Cloud's in turn, leaning in and kissing his lips lightly, acting as if he were going to keep going until the knock sounded again. Growling in frustration the older boy got off the bed, looking back at the blonde and holding his pointer finger up, telling him to give him a moment and he'd return. Letting out a sigh Cloud let his head fall back, staring up at the ceiling, trying not to be too embarrassed at the obvious bulge in his jeans. He'd never been so turned on in his life.

-x-x-x-

Opening the door, Zack met eyes with Yazoo, the blue-eyed silver-haired keyboardist of One Winged Angel. Smiling at him apologetically, Yazoo asked, "I'm sorry to bother you, but did Seph come by earlier?"

Blinking, Zack replied, "Yeah, what's wrong?"

Yazoo shifted his weight from one foot to the other, eyes flitting away from the dark-headed boy as he contemplated what he was about to say. "Sephiroth and Kadaj got into a fight earlier this afternoon and now we can't get a hold of him on his cell and don't know where he's gone." He looked back to Zack, searching his purple eyes. "He mentioned he had gone to see you somewhere amongst all the shouting, I didn't know if maybe you would know where he had gone..."

Zack thought a moment, crossing his arms across his chest. "Knowing Seph he's probably running around town; somehow screaming fan-girls makes him feel better about himself when he's upset."

Yazoo nodded slowly, the musician's eyes softened, and he said, "I'm sorry...about what happened between you two."

The dark-haired boy smiled, searching Yazoo's eyes. "It's not your fault. Tell Loz and Kadaj I said 'hi'."

Yazoo turned and walked off, waving, and made his way back to his car. Zack watched him go, letting out a heavy sigh, then shut the door and returned to Cloud.

-x-x-x-

Cloud looked up when he heard the front door shut, Zack walking into the bedroom and smiling down at him as he crawled back onto the bed. "Did you miss me?" The older boy said teasingly, leaning in and nuzzling the boy beneath him, Cloud giggling and wrapping his arms around Zack's neck.

"Yes," the blonde replied, pouting, "Who was it that interrupted us?"

"Yazoo," he replied, amethyst eyes glinting with a mix of amusement at Cloud and frustration at his ex-lover, "he was looking for Sephiroth."

Cloud blinked, confusion knitting his brow. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Zack said, rolling his eyes, "Seph's having a temper tantrum about what happened between us earlier this morning, and I'm fairly sure he has a gig tonight. His band-mates think he's dissa-"

Another series of knocks started at the front door, this time louder and angrier than before. Zack's eyes narrowed, an exasperated sigh gusting loud from deep in his throat as he got up off of Cloud and walked into the living room to deal with the distraction. The blonde boy sat up, sighing lightly, standing up from the bed and pulling his pants back up; going to the bedroom doorway to watch his lover shoo away the knocker. Judging from the look across Zack's face when he opened the front door this was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

--xxxo0:O:0oxxx--

The monitor scanning Naminé's heart rate began beeping wildly, the girl twitching in her unconsciousness, eyes moving wildly in panic behind closed eyelids. A nurse walking by noticed and called for help, dropping her folders and racing to the thrashing girl. "We need a crash-cart in here!"

Two other nurses and a doctor ran into the room, dragging a crash-cart behind them. "Hurry up, she's not going to last long!" One of the nurses shouted, reaching over to take the girl's pulse as the doctor prepared to restart the patient's heart if he needed to. "What happened? She was stable! I checked on her less than ten minutes ago!"

"She's dreaming about something, look at her eyes! Doesn't that mean she's coming out of her coma?" Another nurse asked, holding down Naminé's arm and trying to inject her IV with something to calm the girl's thoughts.

The doctor watched carefully, the beeping beginning to settle down as the drugs started to take effect on the small blonde, and replied, "I can't explain this. Go tell Cid what has happened."

The nurse nodded, moving to dispose the needle then walked out of the room and down the hallways quickly. What was going on?

-x-x-x-

Tasogare watched the trees carefully, her vision going black and white momentarily before turning back to color. "Shiloh," she whispered, reaching for her brother through her mind, clasping the key in her hands tightly, "Something's wrong. What's happening?"

A solitary word echoed through her temples in response; "Chaos…"

Tasogare's eyes went wide, her mind filtering through their link and looking through the ghost's eyes, watching the weakening grip Shiloh had on the girl's hands. She was being eaten by her dreams. "Tell her to snap out of it! Tell her it's all in her head!" Taso said frantically. "Pull back or it'll suck you in too!"

"I can't let go…absorb her spirit…" he said back, his inner waves choppy and scattered, "…damage would be irreparable…" He grunted, pulling hard against the all-consuming void, gritting his teeth as Naminé screamed in fear. "Naminé!" Shiloh said pleadingly, the albino's pink eyes blinking in slight shock, tears streaming down her cheeks, "I'm here to help you, calm down. I can pull you out but you have to stop panicking. It drains me…"

"P-please…" Naminé choked, squeezing his hands tightly as she swallowed down vomit. "Don't let me go…"

Shiloh, his teeth bared and eyes blazing gold as Naminé stole the last of his strength, replied fiercely, "I'm not going anywhere."

-x-x-x-

Doctor Cid walked purposefully back up the hallway the nurse that had come to fetch him had passed down mere minutes before, fists tightened around a clipboard that held Naminé's stats from the moment she had first been placed in his care. Night terrors in the middle of a coma were impossible, for in order for someone to have a night terror they would have to be in a conscious state far more elevated that a catatonic mind-set. What the nurse had just witness and related to him was impossible. Long white lab-coat billowing out behind him as he turned the corner leading to his patient's room, the older man's eyes flickered over the two nurses and other doctor who were watching the blonde girl closely. "Tell me exactly what happened," Cid said to the other doctor authoritatively, "There is no way that girl could have had a nightmare so strong it brought her out of her coma."

"No," the man replied, "look, it's as if it never happened."

Cid's eyes scanned the monitors reading Naminé's vitals. She was definitely back in a catatonic state. "Who saw her crashing first?"

"I did…" The first nurse said; the young woman looking up from Naminé's bedside. "The alarms were going off; I even called for the crash-cart just in case. She looked like she was going to flat-line."

Narrowing his eyes, knowing there was no way the nurse could have made a mistake on this matter, crossed his arms and looked down at the petite blonde before them. "What dreams must you be dreaming, to have such a strong reaction as this…" The man was silent for a moment, then turned away and said over his shoulder as he walked out of the room, "I want someone watching her at all times. This phenomenon must be explained." Affirming calls echoing down the hall after him, he crossed the lobby and reached for a phone behind the receptionist's desk. He had to call the girl's family and tell them what happened. If she had come out of her coma from a night terror there was a chance she would wake up again after all. Maybe she was sleeping just beneath the surface. He had to give them hope.

--xxxo0:O:0oxxx--

Yuffie and Demyx dance-danced for four songs straight before the perky dark-headed girl screeched and grabbed at her calf muscle. "Cramp cramp cramp!" She hopped for a moment, trying to shake the Charlie-horse out, before sighing exasperatedly and swinging down off of the platform. "Time-out!" She insisted, Reno walking over to her so she could use him for leverage. "I need hydration!" Flailing her arms towards the front of the arcade, she said in an out-of-breath manner, "Powerade…that way…"

Reno, wrapping an arm around her with a look of motherly concern escorted her in said direction, the small girl hopping at his side comically. Vincent was watching the two fussing friends walk away with a pained look, undoubtedly trying to keep himself from laughing. Zexion made no such effort to hide his amusement, doubling over as Demyx finally finished the dance and punched the air victoriously, exclaiming, "I finally won one!"

Axel, laughing, clapped slowly in a mocking manner, Riku holding onto his arm tightly. "Way to go, Dem; you danced exceptionally well in the later half. I wonder…why is that?"

The blonde boy shooed away his comments as if a fly were buzzing around his head, swatting the air back and forth as he stepped off of the machine. "One small cramp for Yuffie, one much-needed win for mankind."

"From all that howling I wouldn't call that cramp small," Riku said, reaching up to rub his ears, "I'm not quite used to her outbursts yet but honestly, is she always this…"

"Flamboyant?" Zexion offered.

"Annoying?" Demyx asked jokingly.

"Loud?" Axel said, laughing lightly.

"…hyper?" Riku replied, shaking his head at the other boy's playful comments. "I'm so used to being around a quiet, calm little sister. Yuffie's on a whole other level, completely!"

Green eyes shining in the light of the arcade games surrounding them, Axel moved to take Riku's hand, squeezing it lightly. Even now, surrounded by friends and laughter, the boy was still thinking about his sister. Sighing inwardly Axel realized that he too would be doing the same if he were in Riku's position. Axel's thoughts shifting from visions of Naminé's smiling face to the grins of the boys around him, the red-headed boy leaned in and nuzzled Riku's ear, asking gently, "Well, until Yuffie comes back, do you want to try it out?"

Blinking and peering up into the darkness in the direction of Axel's voice, Riku cocked his head to the side slightly, "Try the game?"

Axel made an affirming noise, stepping forward and towards the parallel pedestals, Demyx and Zexion watching with interest. The older boy guided Riku's hands to the guard bars, watching the younger boy touch his knee to the edge of the footpad and swing gracefully underneath the bars and onto the platform. He pushed himself up onto his feet, unseeing eyes flitting across the darkness and listening as Axel too his place next to Riku. The blind boy reached over and guided his hand through open space until the red-head reached over and clasped his fingers, saying with a slight giggle to Riku's nervous look, "Relax, it's supposed to be fun! I'll go easy on you, I promise."

Scowling lightly, the boy pulled his hand away and replied with a grin, "Just don't cry when I beat you, Mr. Rock-Star."

Demyx and Zexion let out a few laughs, the two friends beginning to cheer as Axel inserted coins then pressed a few buttons to start the next dance. "You can do it, Riku!" Demyx shouted, Zexion rolling his eyes at his friend and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well Riku, if you can't beat Axel I'm sure you'll be able to out-dance Dem." He cut his eyes over at the boy beside him, who was sticking his tongue out defiantly, then returned to his energetic cheering.

"Give it your best shot!"

Riku, sighing and trying not to let the voices of his friends distract him too much, listened carefully to the countdown sequence and the chimes of the buttons on the floor, stepping unsure at first the gradually increasing his pace when the game called out its approval of Riku's correct steps. Axel was watching the boy with a smile, impressed but not completely surprised. Riku was amazing; it seemed there was nothing he couldn't do if he just put his mind to it, blind or not. He never ceased to amaze.

Half-way through the song Yuffie limped back to the others, Reno at her side laughing and trying to keep her balanced. The energy drink she was holding was obviously too much for her small body to take but she kept sipping at it anyway, telling him seriously that it would fix her leg and she'd be back up on the stand as soon as it kicked in. (She also made a strange comment about hippos wandering around the city, but that was Yuffie for you. Not to mention she'd believe just about anything Selphie said.) The girl chatted merrily at his side, commenting on how Riku had asked her to tell him what the different sounds of the game meant, and now how well he was doing. Reno listened and watched, eyes dancing between Axel and Riku, smiling at the looks his little brother was giving the other boy. Axel was so into Riku, he wondered if Riku knew already or if it was something the boy would find out with time. The older red-head held his breath when the blind boy attempted a double-trouble and teetered slightly, but Axel immediately reached out a hand and steadied him, laughing and smiling at the pale boy beside him. Riku was laughing twice as hard, continuing to dance, holding onto the rail with one hand and clasping Axel's hand in his other. Eyes softening, Reno watched the two with interest before Yuffie caught his attention. "…so totally don't know what's gotten into Zexion. It's like he's jealous or something."

"What did you say?" The boy asked his peppy dark-eyed friend.

Yuffie looked up at him, sipping at her drink, then repeated, "You know, Zexion! He's been acting all weird around me lately but he's been trying to hide it." She made a disapproving sound. "Like I wouldn't notice? It's like he's jealous that I've been spending so much time with Demyx."

Reno looked over to the blonde and silver-haired boys, standing together as they play-fought and cheered on their companions. He had wondered about Zexion and Demyx's relationship being more than just platonic before, but the older boy had never made a move, and the younger boy was just too oblivious to even think about it. "What would he have to be jealous about?" Reno asked, looking over at the girl questioningly.

She blushed, looking away with a slight pout. "Well, I kind of kissed Demyx in the hall earlier…"

"What?" the red-head exclaimed, Yuffie shushing him and looking around to see if anyone had noticed. Vincent had glanced back and was giving them the "raised-eyebrow look", but other than the silent college student none of the other boys had seemed to notice. Reno, jade eyes flickering as a grin crossed his face, said a bit more subtly, "Details Yu-chan, I want lots of delicious details."

Pout crossing her face again, she replied, "Well there really wasn't much to it, he didn't seem to be too into it but he didn't say anything about not liking it."

Reno thought a moment, returning his gaze to Zexion and Demyx, then to Axel and Riku. He could see Zex and Dem being together, but they had been friends for so long and nothing had happened, so more than likely nothing ever would. He voiced this observation to his young friend, waiting for her brain to whirl around that long enough for it to sink in.

"Maybe," she finally said, taking a breath and chugging the last of her energy drink, letting out the breath when she was done, "but then again, no one's ever tried to claim Demyx for themselves, have they."

The older boy shrugged but nodded. It was true, the two boys were inseparable. With Yuffie thrown into the mix they would either have to accept the third wheel or Demyx would cast off Zexion to be with her. Either way he highly doubt the slate-eyed boy would go down without a fight, and who knew, maybe Yuffie getting close to Demyx would trigger Zexion into action if there were indeed feelings there lying dormant beneath the surface. Sighing and trying to tune out that drama so he could refocus on the young love playing out between his little brother and Cloud's, the jade-eyed boy watched Riku and Axel with a smile. They looked so good together, so comfortable, so complete. He only hoped that someday he would be able to find someone out there just like that for himself.

-x-x-x-

Just as the dance ended, Riku panting as he steadied himself against the hand-rails, an excerpt of an Evanescence song jingled from his pocket. He reached into his jeans and retrieved it, clicking the talk button as he pressed it to his ear and asked quizzically, "Mom?"

Axel, who had been watching the screen display their almost matching scores, turned and let the smile fall slightly from his face. Riku's mother was calling him? But why… Demyx walked up, saying something in a cheery, loud voice, but stopped when Axel held out a hand and gave him a serious look. The blonde let out a small "oh!" when seeing Riku was on the phone, Zexion walking up to his side as well.

Riku didn't say anything for a while, just listened to the sound of his mother's voice on the other side of the line, then suddenly exclaimed, a panic-stricken look across his face, "But she's okay, right?"

The red-head at his side swung down from his D.D.R. pad, noticing people were starting to gather, walking over and tugging Riku's free hand gently. The younger boy unconsciously squeezed the offered hand, allowing the older boy to pull him down and help him off the stand gently. Wrapping an arm around his waist, Axel lead Riku out of the arcade as the blind boy continued to listen intently to his phone, the others following after them while exchanging confused looks. By the time Yuffie, Reno, Vincent, Demyx, and Zexion had all managed to squeeze out of the jam-packed arcade and find Riku and Axel, the red-headed boy had the pale boy pressed against a wall, talking to him and trying to calm Riku's harsh breathing. The younger boy looked like he was about to pass out, hyperventilate, or both.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Yuffie asked worriedly, "Did something happen?"

Riku, shaking and clutching his phone, had his head pressed back against the wall, trying to still his fluttering heart. "What did your mother say," Axel whispered gently, "Is Naminé alright?"

The blind boy reached out, fisting Axel's shirt in his hands and drawing the older boy to him. Axel complied, wrapping his arms around Riku's trembling shoulders and rubbing his back soothingly. "She said," the younger whispered, "that Naminé almost flat-lined earlier. Something happened…she almost died, and the doctors can't figure out what caused it."

Axel, crushed, squeezed the boy to him a bit tighter, whishing he could shield Riku from the pain he was experiencing. "She didn't though, right?" Axel said softly, trying to encourage the younger boy.

"No, she didn't, that's what's so strange about the whole thing." Riku replied, pushing Axel back a bit and looking up to where he knew emerald eyes must be searching his ghost-blue. "Mother said that the doctors though Naminé must have been having a Night Terror, and apparently if she was in a coma she wouldn't be able to have a bad dream like that…"

The others were listening intently, piecing together what had happened, Vincent saying gently, "If your sister was capable of suffering from something on the conscious level in which Night Terrors occur, there's no way her mind could be stuck deep enough to remain in a catatonic state. She shouldn't be in a coma if she's having nightmares."

Everyone turned and looked at him (even Riku blinked in his direction), and Vincent coughed lightly, looking away. Reno, sighing and smiling lightly, said in response to the older boy's synopsis, "That's a psych major for you."

"It's true though," Riku said softly, "that's what doesn't make sense. She was in a coma, and then she had nightmares and wasn't in a coma, but now she's slipped back into one again like the Night Terror never happened." Axel looked down at the boy in his arms; Riku's face a mix between sadness and joy. "I don't know whether I should be upset at the fact that she almost died again, or be happy that her dreams are so bad they're bringing her back out of her coma." Pressing his face to Axel's chest, squeezing his cell lightly between his hand and the red-head's shirt, whispered with tears in his eyes:

"I'm really starting to believe it; she's going to wake up."


I can't wait to write more about Roxas and Sora moving in together and meeting Roxas' parents. Naminé's having bad dreams! This is a good thing! (Well, bad that she's having such a hard time, but good that she's probably gonna come out of her catatonic state sometime soon?) Taso and Shiloh are trying to help, but are they really or are they just making things worse? The phone-call about Naminé for Cloud will be in the first part of the next chapter, this one's long enough already, and I thought this would be a good place to end it. Yay for chappie completion! -claps-

Nothing to explain in this chapter that I can think of… Chaos was a concept created by me (at least, it's by me that I'm aware of, I don't know of anyone else using the unconscious, creepy side of your mind as an all-consuming checkerboard) and was just something I threw in there to keep the Nami in Wonderland thing interesting lolz. Same thing with the Kairi and Kurei scenes, just trying to make sure all of the characters keep the cobwebs dusted off.

And who the hell interrupted Cloud and Zack's sexy-time for the SECOND TIME in a row! Poor boys, can't get their smexing on for nothin', can they? *smirk*

Anywho, I love reviews, so please review me. Lots. Like, reread all the chappies you didn't review and review them. Twice. Yeah, that's how much I like them. They keep my writer's block at bay and my muse fed! (She likes choco-chip cookies, you can bring some the next time you bring me my lemonade! *giggles*) THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT! I love you guys!

As always, keep 'em juicy! -Myou