Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 6

Sora woke up and stretched before getting to his hands and crawling to the water, his legs still not really cooperating all that well. He looked down and smiled at the sight of Riku curled up, sleeping peacefully. The water of the cave was too dark for him to see any sign of the other two but he wasn't worried. He pulled his legs around to sit on the edge and then lowered himself into the water, Riku stirring at the movement.

Riku smiled at him and sat up, holding his arms open, and Sora cuddled into him. The Siren was so touch starved after spending almost his whole life locked in that tank and Sora was happy to give him the contact he craved, had been willing right from the start. Then it had been him holding and protecting Riku, now their roles had reversed but it didn't bother him at all.

"Sleep well?" Riku asked, and he nodded. He knew Riku had learned a lot about human interaction from him before, but even more now that he had access to his mind. He translated their conversations for Sora and the Siren's didn't generally ask things like how the others had slept.

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Axel lay on the bed, panting, Roxas collapsed on top of him, drowsing for a few moments to regain his strength. He ran his fingers through wild blond hair, and Roxas sleepily nuzzled at him. He'd been with a few other Sirens since his own first season and he had to admit, Roxas was the most enthusiastic even completely ruled by the changes in his body.

He'd visibly grown a little, his shoulders a bit broader, but his body still lithe, muscles subtle. Not the body type typically found in their pod where most were chosen to be warriors. Axel thought that with legs, Roxas would now be about the same size as Sora. Sora was physically mature from what Riku had been saying, so smaller builds obviously weren't an issue among human males. Then again he had been living on his own so maybe they were?

He stroked his hand down Roxas' back gently and he lifted his head, seeming a bit more aware than he had before. "Hey, with me?" he asked gently, and Roxas nodded.

"Where?" he looked around in confusion and then his eyes went wide, even as he pushed himself up, staring down his body at his legs in awe. He wriggled his toes and bent his knees, and Axel grinned as he watched him discover all the differences in having a more human form.

"Sora's home," he explained. "He said we could use it for the bed," he patted the soft object they were on.

Roxas looked around, curious, and Axel took the chance to get up, looking into the room attached. There was a largeish container with a little water in it, and he put his hand in, grimacing. It had been sitting there, still, since that morning. So where did the water come from…he grinned when turning a metal bit made water come out of more metal. He looked around and saw something, filling it with water to take back in to Roxas. He wouldn't notice being hungry but water was necessary, he just hadn't thought to ask Riku to ask Sora how to get it in a human dwelling.

Roxas drank thirstily, his attention already beginning to fade away, and Axel barely put the container down safely before Roxas pounced, pinning him to the bed, pressing their cheeks together, nuzzling him, hands stroking over his skin.

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Riku kept an arm around Sora as he ate the fish, keeping him steady and just because he liked touching Sora. Sora happily seemed to like it just as much, he had never turned him away when he wanted to touch, even before. There was a term in his mind, touch starved, and Riku guessed it was right. The only touch he'd known for so long had been that of metal, of pain…until Sora. He nuzzled him and Sora looked up, smiling at him, a hand moving up to stroke his cheek, Sora's arm not shaking at all.

"Riku?"

"Yes?" he answered, leaning into the hand.

"Where are Axel and Roxas?" Sora didn't sound worried, more curious. That was good, he didn't want Sora to be scared in his own territory.

"In the house, like you offered," he told him, and Sora's eyes widened.

"Oh. So they're…" his face went a little red. "Right."

Riku caught his thought on Axel being pregnant and how he was still struggling to accept that it was possible. Had Riku influenced him into agreeing without realising it? Maybe Sora… he blinked as soft lips pressed to his, confusing him.

"How long do Siren pregnancies last?" Sora asked.

Riku frowned, he understood human time keeping now thanks to Sora, but he didn't know how it lined up.

"Longer than you've been here?" Sora tired, and Riku shook his head, he knew it wasn't that long. "Really? That's a lot shorter than a human one then."

"Sora…"

"It's just different Riku, and a little scary, but I want to be with you." He pressed his lips to Riku's again, and he hesitantly touched Sora's mind, not understanding what the action meant, but he also didn't want to intrude. Sora just smiled at him, his mind totally open to him, and Riku cautiously touched his thoughts.

His eyes widened as he saw what that action was…a kiss. There were several types and so many meanings… He stared at Sora, which did he mean? Why would he kiss him? Was that something he would understand after?

Sora smiled at him again. "If I'm yours, then you're mine too Riku," he whispered.

Riku nodded in agreement, that made sense to him. He didn't want to own Sora, for him to feel like that, but if he was Sora's too then it wasn't like that. He carefully copied what Sora had done, pressing his lips to his. It was a strange way to show affection but human teeth weren't like theirs. Sora grinned at him and they curled up together.

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Roxas clung to Axel, head buried against his shoulder as he panted for air, needy noises coming from his throat as he moved. Axel lay beneath him, worn out, but still gently caressing his body as Roxas grunted and trilled, unable to stop himself as he drove himself in and out of Axel's body. Axel stroked damp blond hair back and Roxas lifted his head, eyes unfocused.

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Sora leant back against the rocks, Riku gently moving his leg, getting him to try and press against him, to rebuild his strength. It was frustrating and it hurt at times, but it was working. He knew he was recovering, faster than he probably should have, thanks to whatever Riku had done before. He tried not to show the pain when he felt it, but even when Riku was trying not to intrude in his mind, he would still feel it.

He let his head drop back, spotting something near his bed, and he felt a flash of horror.

"Sora?" Riku called in alarm.

"I haven't called Kairi since before they arrived, my phone battery must be dead by now…she's got to be so worried…" She'd think Riku had bespelled him, and while that was now true, he was still himself, still in control. She never needed to know about what had happened to him.

"So call her?" Riku suggested.

"Can't, the phone needs charging which means the house and…" he waved at his legs.

Riku frowned, hand gently stroking his leg. "Will she come?"

"I told her not to," Sora admitted, shrugging slightly. He hoped she wouldn't do something so crazy when her presence wouldn't change anything, except putting herself at risk. Not that Riku would do anything to her, and Sora thought that Axel and Roxas would respect that this was their home and so wouldn't do anything either.

Riku was frowning for some reason and Sora touched his hand. "I…I might be able to make you walk," he admitted.

Sora swallowed, he didn't remember anything between realising he was hearing Siren song and waking in Riku's arms, the thought of being like that again… then again there were some things he needed from the house. Once inside, he could crawl around the house well enough to get things done. He met Riku's eyes and felt his fear fade away, not because Riku did anything…but because he trusted Riku, he'd trusted him before too and he trusted him now. Riku had fought to bring him back from death itself, was willing to look after him even when he couldn't move, had told him he would find someone else if Sora didn't want to be with him when the time came.

He wrapped his arms around Riku, resting his head against his, keeping eye contact. "I trust you," he whispered, seeing the awe in Riku's eyes at his words. "But let's wait till the house is empty, I don't need to see that much of Roxas or Axel."

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He was tired, breathing in gasps, muscles trembling. He could feel another body under his, feel it breathing just as heavily. He struggled to lift his head, spotting familiar bright red hair. Axel…safe then. He let his head drop, working on calmly his breathing. He felt…strange. A hand moved to stroke up and down his back and he shivered in reaction, feeling a spark of something but he was too tired. He groaned softly, pressing his head against Axel's shoulder.

"It's okay Roxas, I've got you."

"Axel…" he managed to get his name out.

"Just rest," Axel soothed. "The worst is past."

The worst? He tried to remember what had happened, shifting slightly only to realise something felt very strange…he shifted again and gasped. Legs…he had legs…he was with Axel on land…oh. Brief flashes of memory came back to him and he felt his body react slightly.

Axel chuckled. "How do you have any energy left?"

Roxas whined softly, he didn't really. He felt different, but that was normal, right? He was mature now, fully grown. He was too tired to try and see though, shifting to be more comfortable, Axel's hand moving to run through his hair, and he felt his body going limp, eyes growing heavy. He clicked softly, nuzzling sleepily, drifting off to sleep.

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Riku looked up at the sound of approaching feet, tensing in alarm. Sora was still asleep in his sleeping bag, but it took barely a mental nudge to have blue eyes opening, Sora frowning in confusion before he heard the noise too. He sat up and shifted to crawl into the shadows of the cave while Riku took a deep breath, he would do whatever he had to in order to protect them both, even sing.

To his relief, it was Axel and Roxas who walked into view, Roxas leaning on Axel, looking down at his own legs on and off. Riku had gotten used to see Sora naked, knew how different a human body was to a Sirens, and it really showed that while they had legs, they weren't really in a human form. He could see scattered scales all over their bodies, including the legs, and they didn't quiet look like Sora did in the…groin area. He knew a lot about human anatomy now thanks to Sora.

He heard Sora's soft gasp, saw him shift a little in his hiding place. It was good enough to keep him hidden from a human's vision, but not a Siren's, and both of them looked over at him.

"It's okay Sora, it's Axel and Roxas," Riku quickly told him.

"Axel and Roxas?" Sora stared at them with wide eyes.

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That was Roxas? But he looked different, older now, his own age rather than a few years younger. Did going through the first season really change a Siren so much? He shifted, crawling from where he'd hidden, studying Roxas. The blond slowly knelt down, offering a small smile. Sora slipped, falling forward, but Roxas caught him easily, chirping softly, sounding concerned.

Sora's hands gripped his upper arms, feeling solid muscles that hadn't been there before. He was smaller than Axel still but he definitely had more muscle mass than he'd had before, than Sora had. They'd been pretty much the same build, upper body wise anyway, before.

"Wow. Talk about a growth spurt," he murmured, hearing Riku laugh and then say something to them, which had Roxas grinning. He shifted his hold, making an inquisitive noise, and Sora nodded, relaxing as Roxas easily lifted him and stood, carrying him to the water.

Seeing them look so human was amazing and he was looking forward to seeing Riku with legs, though he was still worried about that tail wound. Roxas staggered as they neared the water, and Sora tightened his grip in response, not wanting to be dropped. He heard him gasp and then cry out before they were airborne. He clung on to Roxas, knowing they were going to hit the water.

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Roxas felt the water call out to him, stumbled, legs feeling weak, felt Sora hold on tighter. He would not drop him! Riku had trusted him to carry his human and he would not let Sora get hurt. He staggered closer to the water, Riku looking worried, reaching for Sora. He gasped, crying out in pain as he felt his body begin to change. Then they were falling and he held Sora close to his chest, feeling the human cling back, tucking himself as close as possible. Roxas pulled his head up and sealed their mouths together just as they hit the water, breathing into Sora as they plunged to the bottom of the pool. He felt Sora stiffen in shock and fear but then he relaxed, letting Roxas breath for him.

A second later Riku and Axel were there, Riku wrapped his arms around Sora.

"He'll hold his breath no, you can let go," Riku told him after a second and Roxas pulled away.

Sora shut his mouth, chest not moving with breath, and Riku took off for the surface.

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Riku was relieved to see Roxas breathing for Sora who had gone limp against the Siren so as not to get in his way. He wrapped his arms around his human. "I've got you, hold your breath," he told him, feeling Sora stop breathing in response, not panicking at all, trusting them. With his legs so weak, Sora couldn't swim to the surface himself after all. He told Roxas he could stop and once the blond had let go, he swam up, head breaking the surface in seconds, hearing Sora take a deep breath.

"I'm okay," he said immediately, and Riku shook his head, but got him to the ledge where Sora could sit. "Is Roxas okay?"

"He's fine," Riku told him, brushing some wet hair back from Sora's face, smiling when he pulled a face at the water dripping into his eyes.

"So that's what'll happen to you soon? Will…will you look different too?" Sora asked, and Riku frowned slightly, why was he worried?

"Sora?" he asked, mental touch even softer than usual, even as he stroked his cheek. "It's not that big of a change, is it? Roxas is still Roxas, just matured."

Sora took his hand even as Roxas and Axel surfaced, both of them looking over at Roxas to see how he had truly changed. His fins were longer, sharper, and his colours had become more vibrant, though not close to Riku's own. He settled beside Sora, watching him study the changes Roxas had undergone and realised where the fear was coming from. Sora had been far more comfortable with Roxas than Axel…because he'd been a pup. Would Sora be scared of him once he matured too?

"Still Roxas, still Roxas," Sora whispered.

Riku nuzzled him gently, clicking in agreement, even as he tucked Sora into his side. He thought he was slightly taller than Sora at the moment, would he become much taller? Larger? He didn't know. He wanted Sora to accept however he changed, but he wouldn't make him.

"Is he okay?" Roxas asked nervously.

"It's just a shock seeing the changes," Riku told him.

He thought that was all it was, but sometimes he still didn't fully understand what Sora was thinking or feeling, even with access to his mind.

Sora smiled at Roxas, and Roxas smiled back in relief. He then twisted and leant more into Riku, head resting over his heart. For some reason Sora seemed to like listening to his heartbeat. He ran his fingers through brown hair, the spikes tamed by being wet.

"We're going hunting, we'll bring you something back," Axel told him before shoving Roxas towards the exit.

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"Where are they going?" Sora asked.

"Hunting. They haven't exactly been eating the last few days," Riku answered.

"Riku?"

"Yes?" he nuzzled the top of Sora's head, and Sora tipped his head back to look up at him.

He surprised Riku by shifting around, legs straddling his tail, able to move more easily in water than he did on land. He smiled at him, and Riku smiled back. It was so stupid of him to be scared of Riku changing, just because he'd be a bit different on the outside didn't mean he'd change on the inside.

"You'll look very handsome with legs," he grinned, teasing.

Riku blinked at him in surprise before smiling again, realising he was teasing. "Yours look good."

Sora laughed. "Still pretty useless though." He was getting better, he knew that, it was just frustrating to be even temporarily disabled and…in the back of his mind was the worry that he'd never heal fully.

"You're still healing," Riku told him firmly, sharp claws tracing his cheek ever so delicately.

Sora nodded, leaning in to rest against him. The rock was hard beneath his knees but he didn't care, he was comfortable enough. "Will you do it now?"

"Do what?" Riku asked.

"Try and make me walk."

"You're sure?" Riku asked, and Sora knew he was nervous. He was nervous too, he trusted Riku, but he could feel the effort the Siren had to make to keep from overwhelming him. It made what Riku had suggested risky.

"I trust you," he told him again.

Riku nodded and then surprised him by pressing his lips to his. Sora kissed him back and then felt everything fading away.

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Riku stared into glassy blue eyes, feeling sick at the sight, and of the expression of peaceful adoration. He stroked Sora's hair but he didn't press into Riku's touch like he always did. "It's okay Sora," he whispered into his mind but there was no response, Sora's mind silent and…empty.

Sora's hands moved to the rock and then he pushed up to his feet, legs trembling, but he remained standing. He stepped up out of the water and staggered over to where his phone lay, picking it up before leaving the cave. Riku curled his tail around himself, closing his eyes as he waited.

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Sora blinked dazedly; his head felt foggy. He rubbed at his eyes and then realised he was inside his house. His phone was clutched tight in one hand and he was sitting on the ground just inside the door. He got to his hands and knees, crawling across the floor, using the cabinet to pull himself to his feet, leaning all his weight on the kitchen counter, reaching for the charger, plugging the phone in. Thankfully it began to charge, and he began carefully gathering what food was still edible into a bag.

He crawled back to his bedroom and managed to pull the bedding off while kneeling on the floor. It was a mess and he shoved it into the bathroom, crawling to the cupboard to pull out fresh sheets, dumping them on the bed. Making it was awkward but he managed to get to his feet and lean against the bedposts to cover the mattress with the sheet, the other pooled at the bottom. It wasn't very neat but it'd do.

He got together things he might need, putting them all in a backpack for easy carrying. Sora then got water bottles from the cupboard and put them beside the bed as well as some fruit and nut bars. Once done, he got onto the couch and lay there, waiting for his phone to charge fully. It was nice to lie on something soft again. His legs were aching but it wasn't too bad.

Eventually, he went for the phone, finding it fully charged. He winced when he saw all of the missed calls but hit the dial symbol.

"Hello?" he could hear the vague hope in her voice, and swallowed at the pain he'd caused.

"Hey Kairi," he answered.

"Sss…Sora?" she whispered. "I…I thought, I was so afraid."

"It's okay Kairi, I'm here, I'm alright," he closed his eyes, hating to lie, but he couldn't tell her. "I'm sorry, turns out my phone wasn't exactly waterproof. I had to get a replacement but I couldn't go straight away, been spending too long in cold water and, well…" he managed an embarrassed laugh and she sighed.

"You got sick, didn't you?" she chided.

"Maybe a little."

"Oh Sora," she sighed. "I…I thought we'd lost you. You're better now right? And how's Riku?"

"Yeah, I'm better. Riku's fine too. He's swimming wonderfully now. He's compensating for that wound well and he's looking healthy. His reading and writing are going well so communications easier."

"And he hasn't…"

"He's vocal but he doesn't sing Kairi, promise." Technically Sora had never heard him sing, he'd been dead at the time. "I trust him Kairi, he's my friend, he won't hurt me."

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Kairi leant against the wall; phone pressed to her ear as she listened to Sora talk. He sounded a little tired maybe but that made sense if he'd been sick. It was just a relief to hear from him. They'd all thought he was gone. She hated saying goodbye but she didn't want to tire him out.

"You better call regularly Sora, and no more drowning your phone."

"Yes ma'am," he laughed.

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Sora put his phone in the bag and made sure he had everything. He'd keep the phone off when not using it to make the battery last longer, and he did have a solar powered charger that could be set up, so long as it and the phone didn't get wet. He crawled to the door and felt everything fading away again.

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Riku was relieved when Sora walked slowly back into view, a bag on his back. He put the bag down and Riku reached up to help him into the water, holding him close. "Wake up Sora, please wake up," he called softly.

Slowly, Sora blinked, shifting against him, life flooding back into his eyes. "Riku," he murmured.

TBC…