You Deserve to be Alone

by Study in Elegant Death

Not everyone likes the company of others. Sora learns this after his Summer vacation ends and the school year begins. Wanting to be friendly to a new student, he does his best to befriend him. Despite his cold attitude and treatment toward Sora, he's still determined that they could be friends. Everyone else aren't so sure about that fact.

11. Chapter 10: Punishment

Sora was the first to awake in the morning to a peculiar sight and vast amount of questions. He may have been wrong, but there was something blond directly in his line of sight. Squinting his eyes and blinking while trying to get through the haze of sleep washing over him, Sora was seemingly more confused than before. Taking in a slow-starting yawn, Sora wanted to rub his eyes to rid himself of the excess moisture, but he seemed to be holding onto something- or someone. Not wanting to wake up the other person, he did the one thing he could think of in his sleepy state: slowly leaning forward, he gently nuzzled their back and stopped only when he heard/felt them stirring from his actions. Doing his best to sit still and not disturb his companion, Sora had halted himself in a peculiar situation. His face was currently in the nape of Roxas' neck with a few strands of his blond hair gently tickling his nose. Inhaling and exhaling gently in a consistent rhythm, Sora smelled the pleasant scent of Roxas' body wash coupled with his deodorant that had a pleasant sweetness of it. Almost like a gentle rain fall mixed with an earthy aroma. Sora honestly wouldn't mind if he had to inhale this scent for a while longer.

"Sora. What are you doing?"

Involuntarily 'jumping', Sora felt his body tense up as he was confronted on his actions. "N-nothing!" Trying to portray himself as innocent, he wasn't sure why he felt guilty. It wasn't as if it was a crime to appreciate the smell of your significant other, was it?

Roxas turned his head and glanced over at Sora as much as he could. "Then why'd you get so jumpy?"

"You scared me." Sora answered Roxas honestly, hoping his statement would be enough to avoid more scrutiny.

"Because you knew you were doing something wrong." Roxas pointed out, turning his body so that he entirely faced Sora. "I didn't figure you to be the type to attack me while I was sleeping." Despite the front Sora was trying to convey to Roxas, the blond could easily see through it. Sora didn't have much of a poker face so it was pretty easy to figure out when he was lying.

"I wasn't doing anything!" Sora continued to protest Roxas' accusations of him. "You were just... sleeping, and I- I was watching you. Well not at first, I mean, I didn't know where I was... and who was with me." Stumbling to better explain himself, he could feel himself tensing up a bit and begin to fidget in order to concentrate better and articulate more. "I was confused, and sleepy, and... you smelled good. Really good." Grinning like a moron as he scratched the back of his head, Sora shut his eyes and hoped he wouldn't be in for some trouble. Trying to keep them shut for as long as possible, he inevitably cracked one open just a bit to see if he was about to be scolded. To his surprised it didn't seem like Roxas was mad at him- more... amused? Not used to Roxas smiling, Sora was at a loss on what to do.

"You were smelling my hair?" Roxas couldn't resist a snort. "What are you, an animal?" Raising a brow, Roxas wouldn't admit that he thought the sentiment was cute. Or the fact that he'd been awake for longer than he'd let on to be. In all honesty he was trying to be serious, but Roxas was factually on the verge of snickering at Sora and his odd actions.

"No! I was... tired. And you were... you smelt nice." Sora didn't have much of a problem admitting that fact. His cheeks felt slightly warm, and he figured he was blushing to a light extent. Roxas didn't have an unpleasant aroma. Most peoples colognes were so overbearing that it gave him headaches.

Roxas let out a small scoff/laugh. "Since you like my smell so much you wanna borrow some clothes? While I might smell nice, you on the other hand smell like an animal. A bratty kitty to be exact." Roxas frowned when he thought of the kitten Sora had gotten attached to and was now roaming his apartment. During the night it had scratched at his doorway and meowed at a constant but Roxas just pretended to not hear and eventually it gave up. Probably found someone else to bother or 'cuddle' due to Sora's absence. He honestly couldn't tell which of them was more attached to the other.

"Do cats even have smells?" Sora wondered aloud, to his recollection they didn't seem to have an odor good or bad. Sometimes they could have a little fragrance but that was just because of their spit when they cleaned themselves.

"You probably don't notice it because you're used to having animals around. I'm not. Even though Ventus liked them he never kept one because he knew they didn't like me." Roxas thought back to their adolescence. His older brother likely missed out on quite a bit just for Roxas being the way that he was. Despite the fact that most people judged him to be 'rude' and not care about others or their feelings, Roxas was just a very particular person who liked things a particular way. Did that sometimes make him unreasonable? Sure. It just took him a while to warm up to people. A 'while' being a few years or so.

"Oh." Sora was a bit surprised by his answer but he honestly should have known better- Roxas told him animals didn't like him for some reason so it stood to reason that they didn't welcome (if any) many into their home. It was a shame that for some reason they didn't get along. Maybe Roxas just had the misfortune of meeting animals who didn't like some aspect of him?

Roxas saw Sora in some form of deep thought and honestly wondered where he currently was in his mind. Fixating on him for a moment or two, he took in a short breath and let out a small sigh. While rousing him from his thoughts by using some sort of physical action - flicking on the forehead, etc. - would have been fun, Roxas figured there were far more productive uses of his time. Getting off of his bed he went to his closet and retrieved a few articles of clothing for both himself and Sora. Settling on a decent outfit, he tossed the clothing over to Sora and watched as it landed on the stunned teen who wasn't at all prepared for Roxas' toss.

"Hey!" Sora whined a bit, clawing his way out from under the sweater/shirt/pants Roxas had picked for him. "Huh? When'd you get over there?" Sora asked once he finally clawed his way out from under Roxas' borrowed outfit.

"When you were busy probably thinking about irrelevant things." Roxas stated what he believed to be the truth since Sora did seem to often space out about things which were 'important' to him but not so much to Roxas. He stressed the small things too much. "I'm going to take a shower." He turned to face the door and was about to walk out before he heard Sora call to him.

"Wait." Sora piped up, wondering if Roxas would do as he asked.

Turning his head, Roxas glanced over at the brunette boy. "Don't tell me you wanna join me-?" Leaving the question open, Roxas meant to tease Sora but it seemed the statement had gone completely over his head.

"You mean like at school?" Sora asked, innocently thinking of the stalls and the fact that the two of them had technically showered together before. Albeit behind literal closed doors and privately.

Roxas recalled the time at their school that they'd both gone into the locker room and showered together. While his actions hadn't exactly been noble, more instinctual and a tad bit embarrassing in nature, he didn't want to be stereotypical or portray himself as a beast of a boy who couldn't control his hormones long enough to gawk at the naked form of another male, but Roxas had a hard time restraining himself. Ordinarily his eyes wouldn't wander, but he had to admit even back then he thought of Sora as an attractive person. An annoying attractive person. Frowning at his thoughts, Roxas made eye contact with Sora, though now flustered himself as opposed to the brunette in question. "No- not like that. I don't even have stalls in my bathroom. It's just an ordinary bathroom set-up." Speaking more logically and without exactly thinking, he was describing a particularly lewd encounter. Thankfully, it didn't seem like Sora would ever really pick up on such things.

"And you wanted to shower together?" Sora asked, seemingly confused. Staring up at Roxas, he rubbed his eyes as he figured he must have been very sleepy or dreaming due to the strangeness of what he'd just heard. Though he himself may have very well been the strange one as his answer was very much teetering on the word 'yes'. In part because he felt lazy and the thought of someone else doing all of the work that showering would entail for himself seemed like a sweet deal. There wouldn't be much surprises on his end either, as Sora was honestly just desensitized to most things.

"No. It was a joke. Don't worry about it- as it doesn't happen often." Roxas completely forgot about the fact that he'd only stopped and said what he did to get a stir out of Sora in the first place, he forgot that Sora had something he wanted to ask of him. He could feel an unfamiliar heat on his face, perhaps of embarrassment and didn't exactly want to get caught. Instead of remaining in the awkward situation where his words hung in the air and he'd definitely made things a tad bit uncomfortable, he promptly exited the room, grabbed a towel from the hallway closet and made his way into the bathroom. Shutting the door and leaning against it as he did so, Roxas looked to the ceiling, dropped the clothing and towel he'd held in his hands and sighed. Shutting his eyes for a moment or two, he played with the locks of his hair, sifting his hand through them as he tried to regain his focus. Why was he so bad at interacting with other people? In all honesty he hadn't really gotten any practice. Outside of family and a few select people- he'd never really liked anyone. But now there was a troublesome brunette in his way. One who seemed to enjoy life to its fullest, always be carefree and everything was sugar and rainbows. The complete and utter polar opposite of himself. Finally coming back to reality, he saw his clothes and towel on the floor. Stooping down, he picked them up and promptly organized the towel on top of his outfit while he ran the shower. His routine truly never changed.

Slipping into the shower, he shut his eyes and tilted his head forward, allowing the warm water cascade down his face. Pressing his hands against the tile in front of him, he supported himself upright and leaned his head down while keeping his eyes shut. For a few fleeting moments this was his reprieve from life- a gentle warmth on his face to soothe him and the sweet allure of darkness. He hadn't even bothered to switch on the light in the bathroom as this was just the way he liked it.

Little by little, his darkness shifted toward the 'light'. Memories of himself and Sora.

Standing up, he walked to the kitchen and decided to do one of the most basic tasks that came with visiting an individuals house: Find an item to bring with him. Factually he had no idea what kind of person Sora's mother was- but if she was anything like her son...then it wouldn't be too hard. Rummaging around his kitchen - albeit quietly so as not to wake up Sora - Roxas knew just what to do- baking. His own mother had taught him how to bake a menagerie of things, and while he may have wanted to do something a little more grand for meeting Sora's mother, he decided against it. They were probably more of a 'cookie' kind of family, anyway. Throwing open a few drawers, Roxas prepared the cookie sheet and preheated the oven. Racking his brain for a certain recipe his mother had taught him when he was little, he was honestly drawing a blank- maybe Ventus would know?

Pulling out his phone and finding Ventus under 'Contacts' he pressed on the name while fishing out a mixing bowl, wooden spoon and measuring cups he was sure he'd need. After a few rings, Ventus picked up and Roxas continued to semi-clang around items from his kitchen.

"Hello?" Ventus was a tad bit puzzled on what he was hearing through Roxas' end of things. Had this been an accidental dial?

"Quick question- do you happen to remember the recipe for cookies mom would make when we were little?" Roxas knew it would seem like an out of the blue question, but he honestly couldn't for the life of him remember it.

"Uh...yeah, why do you ask?" Confused on why Roxas was all of the sudden feeling nostalgic, Ventus wondered if he was just making them for himself. Was he feeling a bit lonely? Or was he practicing for when Ventus himself arrived?

Initially hesitant to answer, Roxas decided to just be out with it. "I'm meeting Sora's mother today and I thought I should bring something with me."

"That's so cute! You're baking for his mom!" Ventus couldn't help gushing over it. Roxas was baking for Sora's family?

"Yeah, yeah I know. Adorable. Anyway. Would you mind giving me the recipe?" Roxas didn't really care for hearing about how 'cute' he was being toward other people.

"Sure. I'll send it. Is that all you wanted?" After a few moments, Ventus quickly sent over the recipe and waited to see if Roxas needed anything further from him.

"Uh yeah, actually...so. I skipped two classes today, and I'd rather not get a phone call about how 'disappointed' they are in me, so if you wouldn't mind..." Roxas trailed off, looking at the recipe and hoping Ventus would do the favor he asked for.

"So you want me to cover for you? Fine." Ventus was a tad bit surprised that Roxas had skipped school today. Why slip into old habits all of the sudden?

"You're the best. I owe you one." Roxas finished memorizing the ingredients on the screen and quickly set about making the recipe. Clanging around a few things, he stopped every so often to make sure Sora wasn't on the verge of getting up. To his relief the boy seemed like he could sleep through just about anything- all the better, considering he didn't necessarily want him to see Roxas wearing an apron. Talk about embarrassing.

"Uh, Roxas...what am I supposed to be looking at?" Ventus asked, clearly puzzled on something.

"Huh?" Roxas frowned at Ventus' quandary. "What do you mean?" Mixing the sugar/butter together, he moved on to adding in eggs and vanilla, while listening out for any sort of response from Ventus. Priding himself very much in his ability to multi-task, Roxas was making short work of the recipe.

"The sleeping boy in the picture. Who is he?" Ventus innocently asked the question, wondering how/why Roxas had come across it.

Instantly stopping what he was doing, Roxas swore he could feel his heart stop. "What boy in what picture?" Innocently asking the question while attempting to keep his calm, Roxas scrambled to find his phone amidst all of the strewn about ingredients. After clambering around for a few moments, he finally managed to find it. The screen had locked, so Roxas didn't have the immediate privilege of seeing what he assumed to be trouble.

"The sleeping brunette boy." And then it finally clicked for Ventus. "That's Sora isn't it? Did you skip school with him?" Gasping a bit, Ventus may have been getting himself worked up, but he now had several theories that had to be vocalized. "Why is he sleeping on your couch- did the two of you...?" Trailing off, because he couldn't find himself to utter the words aloud, he hoped that heavily implying would have been enough. While most older brothers would have been thrilled at the prospect of their baby brothers doing 'it'- Ventus was not in that category. Besides, wouldn't he have to be together with the brunette boy before doing something like that? Although, and call him crazy, but wasn't 'something' going on for him to be sharing his personal space with this boy? Deciding against pressing for information as he knew that Roxas would get defensive and the conversation would go nowhere.

"Wha- no!" Roxas' jaw dropped at Ventus' inquiry. "Keep your voice down!" Hissing, he took Ventus off speaker and held his hand over the receiver. Striding to the living room, he glanced over the corner and found Sora, soundly asleep. Letting out a sigh of relief, he removed his hand and went back to the kitchen before answering anymore questions. "Yes, it's Sora...I convinced him to skip school with me, but he didn't want to at first- thought his parents would get mad at him...so I'm going with him to take responsibility. I was supposed to meet his mother, anyway, what better time than to let her know I convinced him to skip out on half a day of school?"

"Roxas, what happened?" Hearing his ramblings, Ventus picked up on the fact that Roxas was distressed. Feeling worried, he hoped that Roxas would open up to him.

Clenching his jaw, Roxas swore Ventus knew him better than just about anyone. "A new boy showed up at school, decided that he just had to make a move on Sora in front of me- and it took just about everything I had to not flip over a desk and knock him out."

"What did he do that made you want to attack him?"

"Kissed him then threw me a remark that I don't care to repeat. He's a vulgar little son of a bi-"

"Roxas!"

"What!?"

"I've never seen you this bothered about someone before- are you...jealous?" Ventus honestly wanted to find out the answer to his question. For all intensive purposes, Roxas likely wouldn't want to answer him and if he didn't, then Ventus would - rightfully - assume he was correct in his assumptions.

"What if I am?" Roxas asked, not bothering to deny it. Sure, he may have been acting like an overly possessive brat to someone he hadn't 'tied down'- but what the hell gave people the nerve to make a move on Sora? In front of Roxas, to boot. Sure, he'd kissed Sora for absolutely selfish reasons- but he couldn't just leave things the way they were. Sora flipped out from just being in his presence, and as much as Roxas openly stated that he'd rather be alone...that just didn't seem like a possibility, anymore. It seemed like he was doing just about anything and everything he could manage to tie Sora down without taking that official step. That kitten which would now be living with him was a prime example- but what else was he supposed to do? Sora was incredibly naive, and probably wouldn't even know things couples did. He enjoyed fun, going out with friends- anything that was purely 'vanilla' and...childish/completely on whim. Roxas was the opposite, he enjoyed everything he did having meaning behind it and not being a byproduct of whimsy.

"I'm confused. Roxas- what is the specific label you'd put on your relationship with Sora? Because the last time we spoke you wouldn't admit to liking him, let alone letting him stay over, skip school with you...and if I'm not mistaken, there's a kitten on him. I know you don't like animals, and for you to even allow one within your apartment is a pretty big step." Listing off the multitude of reasons Ventus had for wondering if they were a couple or not, he hoped Roxas would give him a straight answer. One of the more clear cut pieces of evidence he had supporting the fact that Roxas more than likely thought more of them than simple 'friends' was the fact that he'd taken a picture of the sleeping boy, and - perfectly - explained his aesthetic in quite the detail in their prior conversation. Not to mention the fact that there appeared to be animals in the mix of things.

Of course that situation had only gotten more heated and complicated because of the fact that Sora had woken up and gotten off the couch. Roxas didn't want him to overhear any of his conversation with Ventus so he was forced to hang up on him.

About to answer, Roxas was startled by a yawn from behind him. Instantly clicking 'End' he turned on his heels and found himself face to face with Sora. The brunette was rubbing his eyes and stretching/fighting off yet another yawn.

"Sora?" Roxas questioned him, but the brunette didn't even seem to register the fact that Roxas was there.

Squinting a bit to focus his vision, Sora's eyes finally rested upon Roxas. "Oh. Hey." Sora sleepily did his best to maintain a conversation.

"Did you just wake up?" Roxas wanted to know how much/if any of his conversation Sora had heard.

Sora sleepily nodded to him and sat at Roxas' table. "Something smells good."

Roxas felt relieved on hearing that Sora had only woken up/come into his kitchen because he smelt what he'd been making. "I was making something for when I meet your mother." Roxas explained, watching the sleepy Sora do his damned hardest to wake up and begin to function again.

"They're for my mom?" Sora asked, giving him a slight look of disappointment.

"You can have one." Roxas didn't even know why he bothered saying they were explicitly for Sora's mother, as it was fairly obvious that Sora would want some too. How could he honestly not know that someone who could act more childish than likely a child could, wouldn't want one? Seeing him perk up a bit, the blond shook his head. Such a child. Although they weren't cooled, Sora expectantly looked over to him, waiting for one to be dropped in front of him. "They're probably too hot for you to try and eat right now..." Sora's look didn't change, so Roxas threw his hands up in surrender. "Alright. But don't say I didn't warn you." Especially when you burn your tongue or hands. Taking one fresh off the sheet, Roxas grabbed a napkin and placed it in front of Sora.

The brunette instantly perked up at the sudden treat in front of him. Ignoring all warnings, he picked it up and tossed it swiftly between his hands. "Ow! Hot!" After a few moments of the back and forth, he managed to have a firm grip on it and take a bite. The heat exuded by the cookie should have been an indicator that it would very nearly scald his mouth, but Sora was very impatient and wanted to try it right away. For the first few moments, he was amazed by how good it was and rather enjoyed Roxas' baking. Once the enjoyment was replaced by the burning pain, he took swift, short breaths to counteract the heat. Hurriedly swallowing the bite of cookie he'd taken so as to remove it from his mouth and hopefully cool down, Sora felt the warmth slide down his throat and into his chest, to his stomach.

"I don't know exactly what just happened here..." Roxas admitted, scratching the back of his head. It seemed like Sora would need to be supervised constantly.

"It's really good!" Sora said, giving Roxas a thumbs up.

"I'm glad you like them, but wouldn't you have rather waited?" Roxas asked.

Sora smiled innocently and shrugged his shoulders. "They smelled too good to resist." Glancing at Roxas, he hadn't noticed before that he was wearing an apron and covered in specks of flour. How he had managed to get some into his locks of blonde hair, he had no idea. But it seemed that Roxas had somehow managed to get it all over himself- had he been in a rush to complete the cookies? There was even a little bit on his cheeks, and it was a rather interesting sight to behold. Sora never really pictured him to be a 'messy' person, as Roxas always seemed to be very composed and serious, but right now he didn't appear to be either of those things. A smile quickly spread across his lips, and a little bout of laughter ensued.

"What?" Roxas asked, raising a brow and folding his arms. Glancing himself over, he wondered if it was the apron. But such a thing was practical while baking, so how could that be 'funny'? The one he wore was just a simple white.

Sora watched Roxas try to figure out the problem, and couldn't control his laughter long enough to tell him. The blond spun around to put more cookies in the oven, and Sora saw more flour on his behind. Snorting lightly, he looked away.

Roxas ignored him for the moment until he finished his current task. "Alright. What's so funny?"

"You are." Sora said in between laughs.

"Me?" Roxas pointed to himself, scratching the side of his head and unknowingly putting more flour on himself.

Sora wasn't used to Roxas being clueless, so he guessed he'd have to help him out. Standing up, he walked over to Roxas and the stoic, taller male seemed absolutely clueless as to what he was doing. Reaching out his hand, he had to lean on his toes a little bit in order to reach the spiky part of Roxas' hair so that he could dust it off. The white granules of flour fell and Sora hoped that his point had come across.

"Oh." Roxas watched them fall to the floor. "So you think being covered in flour's funny, huh?"

"Kinda." Sora nodded, shrugging his shoulders.

"I see." Roxas didn't really get it, but he nodded. Turning to the counter, he grabbed something that Sora was too slow to see. His right hand was closed in a fist, and he gave no indication on what he'd grabbed. Puzzled, Sora couldn't help but to stare. Raising it slowly, Roxas decided to end the silence between them. Bringing his hand to his lips, he opened his palm and gently blew, causing flour to cover Sora.

"Hey!" Sora whined, raising his hands defensively in a vain attempt to halt the flour from covering him. Opening his eyes, he found himself covered in a powdery white. Staring up at Roxas, the blonde boy seemed to rather enjoy the sight of Sora covered in flour.

"I have to admit- it does look funny." Roxas folded his arms, smirking at the brunette.

"Does it?" Sora asked, running over to the counter and grabbing a handful. Grinning at Roxas, the blonde shook his head. Sora nodded in response and tossed the powdery substance.

"Okay. So that's how you want to play it, huh?" Roxas asked, wiping flour from his face. Seeing the powdery substance now covering himself, he had nothing to lose, anyway. A smirk quickly spread across his face, one that he only ever had during fighting competitions.

Sora now had a look of utter terror on his face. Raising his hands, he began to back away from Roxas. "I give up!"

"No you don't." Roxas scoffed at the retreating brunette. Matching him step for step, he felt a tad bit sadistic for enjoying Sora's retreat from himself. But it was hard not to when the brunette made things this easy. Sora unintentionally backed himself against a wall, and Roxas towered over the Sora who was still doing his best to surrender. Grinning down at him, Roxas surprised Sora when he hugged him.

"Uh... Roxas?" Sora asked, confused as to why Roxas had done something polar opposite to what he believed he was going to do. Stiffening a bit, Sora's initial shock/surprise eventually wore off as he relaxed in the peculiar gesture performed by the blond male.

"Now we're even." Roxas spoke up, pulling out of the hug and motioning to Sora's clothes that were now covered in the powdery mess of flour. Sure it may have rubbed off on Roxas and backfired a bit on his end of things, but at the very least they both were powdery messes. And, was it just him, or did Sora seem to enjoy the hug?

"But now you're all dirty, too!" Sora pointed out the obvious, staring up at Roxas.

Roxas shrugged. "Yeah, but I have a change of clothes. Do you?"

Sora thought about it, and his head sunk. "My mom's going to kill me."

But his mother didn't. Roxas had brought over the peace offering and she listened to him recount the bad day he'd been having and seemed satisfied. It was a good thing too that she was such an understanding person. Well, once he explained in a little more detail as to why he needed to drag her son off with him.

Finally snapping out of his thoughts, Roxas figured he'd been in the shower for long enough. How long had he been reflecting on past events? He honestly had no idea of finding out so he rushed through his normal bathing routine and shut off the water. Climbing out of the shower, he quickly dried his hair and moved on to his body. Getting dressed, he heard a gentle knock at the door. Not used to others being in the apartment, Roxas appreciated the fact that someone had the tact to knock. Walking over, he opened the bathroom door and stared at Sora who appeared to be confused on something. Raising a brow, he continued to stare down at the shorter male.

"Are you... in the dark?" Sora asked, staring at Roxas and tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah. It... calms me down." Roxas explained, casually shrugging his shoulders as he remained in the unlit bathroom and Sora stood in the illuminated hallway. Most people found their comforts in the light, being bathed in the golden glows of the suns rays, the flames of a candle or artificial light created by humans- but Roxas didn't share that perspective on things. He preferred the cold allure of darkness that seemed to be a soothing balm on the very fabric of his soul. At the end of the day, it wasn't radiant sunsets or sunrises that he enjoyed- it was the moment the night sky spread across the horizon and the moonlight bathe the world in an ethereal glow that the sun just didn't seem able to project. Even little things such as showering in the dark, or covering his bedroom window in order to be in near-total darkness felt like a reprieve.

"Oh." Sora nodded. "You uh, you wouldn't mind if I came in, would you?" Sora asked, fidgeting with his fingers a bit.

Roxas shook his head and stepped back. Sora did say he wanted to come in, right? So clearly it wasn't something that required Roxas to leave the bathroom.

"Thanks." Sora smiled. Stepping in, he shut the door and glanced from Roxas to the light. He seemed to want to say something but was biting his tongue for some reason. Sora seemed really uneasy.

"Something the matter?" Roxas asked, noticing his odd behavior and body language.

"No! Uh, yeah..." Sora trailed off, averting his eyes.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me." Roxas wasn't sure what he seemed to be embarrassed about.

"I'm...afraid of the dark." Sora admitted, bowing his head in shame and no longer meeting Roxas' gaze.

"...so?" Roxas asked, grabbing Sora's chin and making him look into his eyes. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about, Sora. Lots of people are afraid of it. I'm not. I have nyctophilia. I just enjoy the darkness." Clarifying as to what nyctophilia meant since Sora wore a very puzzled yet reluctant to ask expression after he spoke the word aloud. Reaching over to the wall, he flicked on the light switch. Watching as Sora's dull, blue eyes changed into a brilliant sky blue, his dark almost black hair became more defined as an auburn and his tanned skin showed up a little more. Flicking it off, he was sure he looked quite different as well. Sora had tensed up once he'd done so, and Roxas quickly flicked the switch back on. "See? There's nothing to be afraid of. There aren't any monsters in the dark, or things to fear."

"It's... still scary. But with you, it seems a lot less scary." Sora admitted, feeling silly for his irrational fear. Even when they'd visited that creepy house, Sora didn't really feel afraid when Roxas was with him.

"The brightest of lights cast the darkest shadows, Sora. There can't be light without darkness." Roxas explained things as well as he could to Sora. Though there were lots of conflicting ideations out there of what was 'right', etc, Roxas knew that light and darkness were always a constant struggle.

"You're... really smart." Sora smiled and complimented his blond boyfriend. "Way smarter than I am..." Scratching the back of his head and averting his eyes, Sora didn't really know where he was going with this.

"Don't do that." Roxas spoke up, frowning at Sora.

"Do what?" Sora asked, confused as he stared up at Roxas, puzzled.

"Put yourself down." Roxas stated the obvious. "I don't care if it's to make someone else feel better about themselves, or if you think it's helping- you matter, Sora. Stop taking care of everyone else and learn how to put yourself first- you've been around people who rely on your being a pushover for too long. It's okay to be selfish, it's okay to not just say 'yes' because people ask something of you. Speak your mind." Roxas didn't mean to sound harsh or make Sora feel uncomfortable, and if he did then he supposed he'd have to apologize in some form or other. Leading Sora back into his room and abandoning their position in the bathroom, he supposed the others wouldn't be able to overhear things this way. Not that he had any way of assuming they were awake or potentially eavesdropping but he was a very private person and didn't want them butting in.

"Be selfish...?" Sora asked, a little unsure of what Roxas exactly meant. Selfishness honestly just didn't come easy to Sora and he couldn't just willfully demand things from people whenever it was convenient for him.

"Yeah." Roxas nodded. "There has to be something you want, right? If it's something I can do then I'll do it. Within reason." Though it could quite literally mean just about 'anything' in this case, Roxas wasn't worried about that kind of situation arising. It was Sora. He wanted simple, easy things that were more than capable of being given from one person to another.

"Something I want..." Sora trailed off as he tried to think of something that Roxas would be able to give him. Obviously it would have to be small and something that wasn't a ridiculous ask. "Can I... Kiss you?" Sora asked, unsure what sort of boundaries were between the two of them. Normal couples did things like kissing, hand holding, dates, etc. He knew they weren't exactly 'normal' and had only been 'together' for a few hours, but Sora wanted to experience everything that came with dating someone. And until now, he honestly didn't realize he'd ever wanted any of those things. Laying back on the bed, he stared up at Roxas. Maybe he'd asked too much.

Seeing the little bouts of anxiety on Sora's face when he neglected to answer, Roxas smiled a bit. Stepping forward, he nodded. How could he possibly refuse when someone so sincerely asked something so simple of him? Patting the bed beside him, Sora watched as Roxas obeyed and lay opposite him. For once, Roxas was genuinely curious about what was to happen. He gave Sora free reign to do whatever he liked, and wondered if he'd end up taking advantage or chicken out. Laying on his side, Roxas watched as Sora's hand reached over and held his. Their hands linked together as Sora intertwined his fingers with Roxas' and smiled at the blond. Sora seemed content to just lay there with Roxas. It was simple and almost sweet, a reflection of Sora, really. Leaning over, Roxas kissed Sora since not only the moment had called for it, but he guessed that Sora would have trouble initiating things between them. At least for a little while. Observing that Sora still closed his eyes while they kissed, Roxas couldn't help the smile forming on his lips. It was funny, really. Why did he feel like he had to shut his eyes? Was he embarrassed, or did he just enjoy the act? Pulling back abruptly, Roxas saw a disappointed look cross Sora's face, much to his amusement. "I have to ask- why do you close your eyes?"

"Is it bad?" Sora asked, unsure of if it somehow had offended Roxas. He really hoped that he didn't make him angry. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing wrong with it or to be sorry for. I just find it interesting." Roxas admitted, wondering why some people liked to close their eyes whilst doing such a simple act. The first kiss he'd ever had? Blindsided. But he still managed to keep his eyes open, albeit in a perplexed manner followed by a blank stare at the girl who'd done it.

"I-" Sora fidgeted with his fingers a bit, feeling nervous. Glancing all around the room and periodically at Roxas while he spoke his words, Sora couldn't make direct eye contact with him, lest his embarrassment spike. "I think it'd be too embarrassing." Feeling his face get hot, Sora couldn't avoid looking Roxas in the eyes. "Watching you get closer... Feeling my heart pound faster until you kiss me- It's all just... too much!" Sora shut his eyes, gripping Roxas' hand a little tighter.

Roxas couldn't help but to be surprised by Sora's words. Letting out a light scoff, he shook his head. "I think it was just like that my first time." Were all 'firsts' just meant to be awkward?

"I thought you said your first kiss was with a girl and you didn't like it?" Sora asked, a little confused.

"It was and I didn't. But my first kiss with a guy? Different story." Roxas shrugged, casually stating facts. With a girl? He felt nothing. A guy? That was obviously different. He obviously had an attraction to men and felt nothing for women.

"Y-you've kissed a guy before!?" Sora asked, trying his very best to not overreact, but seemed to fail miserably.

"Yeah." Roxas nodded. Feeling a barrage of questions coming his way, he prepared himself mentally. Was this the fabled 'get to know each other better' part of a relationship?

"When? Where? Was he older than you or younger?" Sora wanted to ask a lot, but he knew he had to hold back so that Roxas would have a chance to think and properly answer him. To be honest, his heart sank a bit on hearing that he wasn't necessarily Roxas' 'first' anything.

"A few months after that kiss with a girl- she's probably the reason why I found out I didn't like girls. Or that I didn't really care for the typical boring things boys are 'supposed' to like. It was... at school, actually. He was a senior, which makes him 18 and obviously older than me. He's graduated now and we still keep in touch from time to time." Roxas had to think about it a little bit. Was Sora going to ask him for a name? Because he honestly didn't feel like getting too explicit with details.

"You... still talk with him?" Sora asked, his face falling a bit. He honestly felt his heart sink at the moment he heard the things that Roxas had to say about another boy. He honestly didn't know how to feel about things. But if he had to phrase it short, he was crushed.

Roxas smiled. Forcing Sora to look him in the eyes, Roxas saw Sora's flustered look, his trembling lip, and the fact that he seemed like he might literally cry. To get this wound up after hearing a few simple words from him. Tch. Sora did say that he would be upset when/if he did see or hear something about Roxas with someone else, but definitely not angry. He didn't seem to disappoint in his reaction. "He's not real." Roxas admitted, doing his best to console Sora. Despite the fact that the situation called for some serious aspects. he couldn't help the smile tugging away at the corners of his mouth. How could this little brat care about him so much?

"Huh?" Sora asked, still a little too frazzled to properly respond. "I-I knew that!"

Roxas hugged Sora and held him tightly. "You're not a good liar, Sora." Feeling Sora tense in his grasp, Roxas smiled again once Sora seemed to calm down. "You really like me, huh?" It was much more of a rhetorical question than anything so Roxas didn't expect an answer. Feeling a nod from Sora, Roxas exhaled lightly through his nose in a small 'laugh'. Pulling back, he looked down at Sora. "I think I might like you, too." Gently teasing Sora, Roxas decided to have a little fun. Despite him making Sora this upset, he doubted the brunette would be anymore upset if he were to joke around a little bit. Besides, it was just to lighten the mood anyway. Or else he'd have to deal with the behemoth. Frowning at the thought of Riku, he'd honestly like to kick his ass.

"I knew that..." Sora said, wiping his eyes with the back of his forearm.

"Then we both learned things we already knew." Roxas chided him. "What's really on your mind, Sora?" Roxas leaned against the wall and stared at him, waiting for a proper answer.

"No-" Sora started to say the word 'nothing' but found himself cut off when Roxas placed his hand over his mouth. The blond was frowning at him and wouldn't let him finish.

"Don't say 'nothing'- you always lie at times like this. I won't know what's wrong if you don't tell me." Roxas could be perceptive, but as far as he knew the only one in his family who could just know things was Ventus. And that was probably because he actually knew Roxas better than he knew himself. "Understand?" He asked, and once Sora nodded to him Roxas took his hand off his mouth.

"You seem like you've done everything and I'm the only one who doesn't know what's going on." Sora admitted, feeling like an idiot. How could he be so upset over something so trivial?

"Define 'everything'." Roxas wanted to find out what that specifically meant before he went about debunking Sora's thought process.

"Everything. You know, like, first kiss... first..." Sora refused to finish his sentence, as Roxas didn't exactly confirm or deny whether or not he had his first time with that person.

"...relationship?" Roxas asked, reminding Sora of that fact. "You might not be my first kiss, Sora- but you're the first person I've ever officially dated. You said that you're the only one confused about what to do- what makes you think I know what I'm doing?"

"I forgot." Sora admitted, feeling a little more at ease. "You just, you seem like you know way more about all of this than I do."

"That's because I do. I'm gay, Sora. I like boys and I've known that for a while. I don't know everything there is to know, and I'm basically just going off of things I've learned along the way or a few facts I've come across through research." Roxas did his best to explain things to Sora, even if they came off a little muddled. "But as far as I've heard- you don't have much of a track record, Sora. And there's something I really want to know about you- are you bisexual? Gay? Curious?" Maybe now wasn't the best time to find out if Sora was just getting in a few cheap thrills when it came to him, but Roxas

"I don't think I'm any of those things." Sora thought long and hard about the questions he'd been asked, but couldn't summon a proper answer. Roxas' look said that he hadn't heard the answer he'd been looking for, and Sora hated the fact that he couldn't provide it.

"Do you like girls, Sora?" Roxas decided to go by process of elimination to find out the answer he sought out.

"As friends." Sora nodded.

"Do you like boys?" Roxas figured he could rule out 'bisexual' at this point.

"I like you." Sora spoke without hesitance.

"Is it different from your male friends?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"People were always by my side and around me. No matter what, I always had Riku, Kairi and Namine by my side to keep me company. I never felt lonely or like I was missing something. Until I met you. I've never kissed a boy or a girl before, and I never felt like I wanted to. But with you, everything's different. It's like my head gets all fuzzy, and my heart goes really fast, my hands get all sweaty, and I don't know what to do because I always want to be close to you even though I end up annoying you a lot." Sora didn't really understand it himself, but maybe Roxas would have a clue on what it meant to feel the way that he did and the best way to ensure that was for him to speak honestly and not hold back.

Roxas was surprised that Sora could say something like that to him and not end up flustered or embarrassed. Averting his eyes from Sora, he didn't exactly know how to deal with what was basically a love confession. At least, not right now. "So you're saying it was like love at first sight?"

"I don't know." Sora admitted. "I was just excited to meet someone new, and then I met you and you were so interesting and cool that I knew I wanted to learn more and more about you. Until the fireworks, I never thought that I wanted you to kiss me. I never thought that you would kiss me." Sora found himself babbling a bit, but he wanted to put all of his cards on the table and let Roxas know how he felt.

"Neither did I. I didn't come here looking for a boyfriend- I just wanted a fresh start." Well, that and the fact that he didn't have much choice back home. People were scared of him because of what he did, and Roxas didn't really care anymore.

"Roxas?" Sora waited for him to answer or show that he was listening, and the blond gave him a simple nod that said 'go ahead'. "Do you like me?"

Roxas laughed lightly and shook his head. "Are you being serious?" Sora nodded to him, waiting for a proper answer to his question. "We are dating now, right?"

"Yeah." Sora nodded.

"Then shouldn't that be your answer?" Roxas tried to point out the obvious to him.

"Is that a yes?" Sora asked, hoping for a little reassurance.

"Sora, I- you're different from everyone I've ever met. For one thing, you actually made an effort to get to know me no matter how horrible I treated you. You're also someone I don't mind compromising for." Roxas pondered saying the words 'I like you' just so Sora could have his answer, but it felt a little morally bankrupt to hastily put them out there, even if Sora had already done so. But he was trying, and surely that had to hold some sort of value? Averting his eyes, he let out a small sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. Feeling Sora's gaze on him, he stole a look at the expectant brunette.

"Alright. How about this? You beat me in a sparring match and I give you a proper answer?" Roxas knew that it wasn't exactly a fair thing to do to Sora, inviting him to something he was sure the brunette would lose. But Roxas effectively hated both losing, and having to say how he 'felt' about things. Why did people have to be so complicated all the time?

Making his way over to the extra room in his apartment that doubled as his training room, he waited inside for Sora knowing fully well that it wouldn't be a fair contest and the odds were stacked entirely in his favor- but that was the point. He didn't want to make Sora feel bad or have him display a disappointed look that Roxas knew he'd be the cause of. Put simply, he could be an 'ass', and he knew that- but it wasn't his fault. He just had rash moments and could be impetuous dependent on the situation. Watching Sora come in the room shortly after him, Roxas prepared himself to get things over as quickly as possible. He'd have to hold back and make sure that Sora didn't end up injured badly.

"Ready?" Sora asked, smiling and bending down to help up the cross legged seated Roxas.

"Yeah." Roxas nodded, taking Sora's offered hand and standing up. "Are you?"

"Yep." Sora nodded without giving the situation much thought. Taking a few steps back until he and Roxas were equal distance apart, Sora wondered how many more interesting moves he'd see Roxas perform during their little contest. He still remembered the peculiar stance/kicks Roxas had showed to him during his previous visit to this room.

"You don't want to set any ground rules?" Roxas asked, a little surprised that he was ready to simple fight. But then again he was dealing with Sora, and someone who didn't know how to fight.

"Do you think we should?" Sora asked, unsure if such a thing were necessary.

"It's your choice." Roxas left it entirely up to Sora.

"Just don't go easy on me." Sora decided that be the condition between them.

"Sure." Though Roxas agreed, he knew he'd be doing a very limited moveset and occasionally make rookie mistakes that left him open so Sora could have a decent chance and not get too humiliated. "Let's go." Roxas went for a straight punch, deciding it best to start off with something he wasn't entirely familiarized with yet- karate. To his immediate surprise, Sora grabbed his fist and used his force to flip him over the brunette and pin him. Roxas' face must have conveyed utter bewilderment, because Sora seemed concerned.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked, a little confused by the way Roxas seemed blown away that he could manage to do a simple counter. Did he forget to mention the fact that he was a martial arts practitioner as well?

"Sora. How did you do that?" Roxas asked, a little skeptical on what happened did in fact happen.

"I take karate. Well, I did. I might be a little rusty. Sorry." Sora hoped he didn't come off as sloppy to Roxas. It honestly had been a while since he'd been to classes, but Sora had been confident in his abilities up until a few moments ago.

"Rusty?" Roxas scoffed. "Sora you just did an advanced hold. I'm impressed."

"Really?" Sora asked, surprised by Roxas' sudden compliment of him.

"Yeah." Roxas nodded. "How long did you take karate?"

"Ever since I was little. My mom put me in it when I was 5 and I really stuck with it. I'm actually a black belt." Sora had rather enjoyed the classes and climbed through the ranks after the years he'd gone to his dojo.

"You're a black belt and you made it seem like you knew absolutely nothing when I was showing you a few kicks." Roxas frowned, remembering the very first time Sora had set foot in the very room they currently resided in. "Why didn't you tell me you knew how to fight?" He could barely perform a Taekwondo kick, so how could he be a karate prodigy?

"I didn't lie! I swear!" Sora lifted his hands in the air, surrendering to Roxas and hoping that he believed him. "You just taught me interesting things and I was trying to learn properly. And, well, you seemed to like teaching me, so I never brought up that I know karate."

"I believe that you didn't lie. Don't worry so much." Roxas tried to relax his features and make Sora feel better. It was hard, because out of habit he was used to being what others would deem as 'unreasonable' and his anger usually reinforced that fact. Honestly, he was also fairly impressed that Sora had used an advanced hold to not only knock him down, but to pin him as well. Did Sora even notice the compromising position they were in? Although it was a little naive to think things would so quickly change between them, but surely he had to have some situational awareness to know they were in a suggestive manner. Maybe it was a little more obvious to Roxas, considering Sora was on top of him and looking down on the blond.

"I just...don't want you mad at me." Sora admitted, glad that Roxas didn't seem to be angry with him. Smiling down at Roxas, he felt so relieved.

"I guess I do that a lot with you." Roxas probably couldn't count the number of instances he'd been more than just 'short' with Sora and hurt his feelings because he reflexively felt the need to do so. He made a mental note to try and be more patient with Sora. What was the point in dating him if he couldn't make him happy? "I'm sorry."

Taken aback by the fact that Roxas actually apologized to him, Sora released his push-up-like position and hugged him tightly. "Thank you." Blissfully unaware of the fact that he was hugging a little too tightly, Sora was just too relieved to notice.

"No problem." Roxas decidedly gave up on trying to escape the hug and accepted it as both boys fell together on the mats. Staring up at the ceiling, he almost found it laughable how he'd gotten into such a position. A black belt. Sora must have been some sort of prodigy. While not in the 'plays piano', or writing symphonies or the 'traditional' format, he had accomplished quite the feat. Blinking slowly, he continued to stare at the ceiling. "So. What else do you know?"

"A lot, actually." Sora let out a mild laugh, pulling back from the hug and staring down at Roxas. "Wanna see?" Excited to have an exhibition of his skills, Sora felt surprisingly even more giddy than he did yesterday. Nodding to his question, Roxas was genuinely curious. Standing up, Sora bent down and offered his hand to Roxas. Helping the blond up when he accepted the gesture, Sora smiled. "Ready?"

"Yep." Roxas stepped back and gave Sora some better breathing room. He'd never met a karate prodigy before and honestly never thought he'd end up dating one. Most people didn't even bother with karate. It was merely a stepping stone to them and like-wise most peoples beginner art. To actually stick with and master it to the level/degree of black belt? That took some really dedication.

"We don't kick like Taekwondo." Sora explained. Rolling his shoulders, inhaling and exhaling gently, he eventually found his proper ground and decided to show off a bit. Taking a proper fighting stance, he performed one of the more 'advanced' combos he'd learned and manufactured himself in his tenure of karate. Shifting in front of the punching bag before him, Sora hoped that he did a proper demo so that Roxas would get the just of things. Spinning around in a swift motion, he performed a high kick that was meant to hit his foe in the face and force them to spin and open their back to him. Following up with yet another spinning motion he used a mid kick which would hit them in the back of their torso and force them to stumble a bit. Hitting with two identical punches together, he imagined the way that his foe/sparring partner would have halted entirely in their tracks, as at this point if he managed to hit all of his attacks correctly- it was too late to escape his combo. Following up with an uppercut, he immediately used two high kicks that shifted from his right to left leg as the other left/touched the ground respectively. Using five swift punches, Sora finished and the punching bag immediately flailed at the force used by Sora.

Surprised at the degree of focus used by Sora, Roxas wasn't accustomed to him doing something this well thought out and precise. Everything seemed timed down to a tee, and perfectly executed. In spite of his seasoned martial arts background, he was in awe and slightly envious at the fact of how effortless Sora was about his way of showing his skills. "How would you use that combo?"

"Usually?" Sora asked, glancing over at Roxas. "The first strike goes to the head, the second is to the back, the third and fourth also to the back, and depending on the situation I'd go for the rising uppercut or a running mid kick." Sora demonstrated his slight mix-up to the combo which had been hitting the back-turned opponent with his knee, and forcing them off their feet. Dependent on how fast you could move, they'd either hit the mat/ground or you could land in another few quick strikes. "The two high kicks to boost, and follow up with the swift punches." Showing his three barrage punches alternating between left and right, he finished off with the remaining two. "It's one of my combos I made. You just have to be quick about it- or else it won't work."

"You... made that?" Roxas was completely in awe at what he'd just seen/heard. Sora was... amazing. Staring at him in a mix of disbelief and admiration, he honestly didn't know that Sora was holding back these kinds of talents. While his performance in school with almost anything academic seemed to be below average, he seemed to be consistent in that aspect. Black belt in karate? How did someone who was previously flunking math accomplish that?

"Uh... yeah. It's nothing special." Sora blushed a bit, sheepishly grinning as he scratched the back of his head and averted his eyes. Roxas was looking at him in a strange way and Sora didn't really know how to handle it.

"You're more advanced in fighting than I am, Sora." Roxas was in disbelief at the fact that he could downplay his own abilities so much. His jaw was still dropped a bit and Roxas was having a hard time fixing his composure- he wasn't used to idolizing others. It was a strange yet delightful sensation and the fact that Sora was being so cute and aloof about achievements he should rightfully have been proud of.

"Wha-? No way!" Sora instantly shot down the idea and shook his head. "You can do so many cool things! You're way better than I am!" Thinking of the Taekwondo and Ba Ji Quan moves he'd showcased to him previously, Sora was just as much in awe of Roxas' fighting skills as he was with Sora's.

"Sora you've literally mastered your art. You make your own combos and seem so focused and off in your own little world when you employ them that it seems like everything melts away except for what you're doing. Most people go their whole fighting careers without being able to do something like that. I don't even think I can do something like that." Despite the fact that they could both go back-and-forth and perform the cliche of 'no, you're better'- Roxas wasn't interested in something so trivial and stupid. He enjoyed giving credit where it was due. Karate may have been a 'starter' fighting style for most, but to stick with it and really give it your all, that honestly took guts.

Letting out a small laugh and scratching the back of his head, Sora had a small grin on his face. "It's...nothing special, really." Feeling a surge of pride and a giddiness at being praised so highly from Roxas, he wasn't really sure how to handle the situation.

Releasing a light scoff, Roxas shook his head. Some people were really just too humble to take even a light compliment. "So. You gonna show me what you can really do?" He asked, composing himself and readying for the challenge he just threw down.

"You still wanna fight?" Sora asked, surprised. He wasn't being cocky, condescending or arrogant- he was just pleasantly surprised. Excited, really.

"Definitely." Roxas nodded.

"Oh. Okay." Nodding to him, Sora lightly bowed his head and took a proper defensive/fighting stance.

"No holding back." Roxas chided him.

"Okay." Sora readily agreed. He honestly never thought of the possibility that the two of them could end up fighting in this training room, and was excited at the prospect of testing his skills against Roxas'.

Awoken by the rather noisy sounds of boys grunting and various crashing noises, Ventus wasn't sure if he was actually awake or not. Glancing over at the couch, he found the spots where Roxas/Sora had been the previous night to be vacant. Shutting and rubbing his eyes, he immediately opened them to the whiny cry of the kitten, who saw the very first person to stir and immediately cuddled up to Ventus, demanding attention. Purring and crashing its head into his hand, the kitten absolutely couldn't fathom being ignored for any longer. "Alright, alright... I'm up." Ventus let out a small laugh and tried to get over being tired. Though his voice was still fairly hoarse, Ventus knew there was no way he could go back to sleep now. Sitting up and watching as the kitten crawled into his lap, walked around in circles and began to smell him in the peculiar way that cats enjoyed which was to lightly dab the person with their nose and a few times and once satisfied to settle themselves and stop the odd actions.

"Are you hungry?" Ventus asked, lightly scratching the chin of the kitten, causing it to purr even more and shut its eyes in order to better enjoy the gesture. Stopping for a moment, the kitten opened his eyes and let out a rather impatient meow that made it clear he hadn't wanted Ventus to stop. "I'm sorry." Ventus apologized and let out a small laugh. Gently petting it on the head, he stood up and the kitten gracefully hopped off his lap in time to follow his lead, meowing the entire way to the kitchen. The prideful black kitten instantly ran over to his bowl and sat, glancing over at Ventus and expectantly waiting for his meal.

"Alright give me a second." Ventus looked around for any signs of the kittens food and eventually stumbled on his bag of food that had been kept on top of the refrigerator. Standing on his toes, he easily reached the bag and brought it over to the now impatient kitten. "Okay I got it. I'm being too slow." Pouring the kernels into the kitten's food dish, Ventus watched as it stopped whining and instantly tried to keep up with how fast he was pouring. "You should slow down- you're going to get a tummy ache." Gently scolding the kitten who showed absolutely no signs of slowing down, Ventus just smiled and shook his head.

Wincing as he heard yet another crash and surprised at the fact that Riku and the girls had yet to wake up from all the ruckus, Ventus was curious about what the hell they were doing together. Leaning over and staring into the hallway, the noises seemed to be coming from the training room (thank god) and not the bedroom. But he knew better than to suspect the bedroom, right? Mentally scolding himself and shaking his head, he honestly didn't want to formulate any pictures in his head of what could potentially be happening, since to his knowledge Roxas wasn't that kind of person and Sora didn't seem to have a clue about how a relationship between two guys worked.

Removing any irrational or irrelevant thoughts from his head, Ventus pressed forward and opened the door to the training room. It seemed that Sora and Roxas were sparring. At least, from the snippet he'd seen of Sora performing an expert mid-kick hold and a full-devastating punish on Roxas and being overwhelmed at the combo that appeared to be from karate. Was Sora a karate prodigy? Once Roxas attempted a wake up kick in order to give himself some breathing room, he saw Sora quite literally run up the wall and perform a flying kick that instantly defeated the wake up. Ventus couldn't help his jaw dropping. Of all the competitions he'd been to of Roxas' and watching feats performed by 'higher-up's of Taekwondo or Ba Ji Quan users, he'd never actually seen one do some of the more impressive things that Sora was actively doing.

Although he would've loved to watch more and see all of the impressive things either one could do, Ventus had an even better line of thought: he should make breakfast. Silently shutting the door, he made his way over to the kitchen and familiarized himself with the set-up, Roxas was really just predictable in the way that he put things. Was that a bad thing? Not at all. He just had a particular way of enjoying things and organizing his kitchen was one of them. Even though at times it could drive their mother positively crazy that he would 'move' things, and vice-versa when she'd 'correct' the situation and Roxas would get on edge because she had 'moved' things and he 'straightened it out'. The never ending kitchen battle had honestly just been little more than a laugh for both Ventus and their father who honestly abstained and enjoyed keeping their distance from the small feud. Battle lines were drawn, but neither male would join in as they both honestly just knew better than to get between such things.

Laughing at the memory, Ventus honestly couldn't think of a single reason why they were both so headstrong. His little brother was always so troublesome. Despite it all, and the fact that he could be a tad bit trying, or a general 'brat', Ventus still loved him plenty. Smiling softly, he set about making breakfast for everyone. Completing the simple task set out before him it was only inevitable that everyone gradually wandered into the dining room/kitchen and sat the table. The girls who had just woken up to the pleasant aroma were rubbing their eyes and yawning ever so slightly while it seemed Riku more or less was trying to find out if it was Ventus or Roxas in the kitchen.

"Thank you." Smiling and saying "No problem." in response to the gratuity both girls had awarded him, Ventus still shot a smile at Riku who seemed to still not know who he was dealing with. It was honestly either that or he was just a grumpy person in the morning.

"I see you've been busy." Roxas commented as he stepped out from the hallway and into the dining area.

"I could say the same." Ventus said with a smile at his younger brother.

Roxas simply shrugged his shoulders while Sora walked out from behind him, seemingly embarrassed. The brunette walk of shame made his way to the table with a sheepish smile/borderline grin. Whether or not he had won the sparring contest was anyone's guess at this point. The gentle clink of a plate placed in front of him was enough to get his mind off things. "T-Thank you!" Sora felt his cheeks get warm as he looked at the person he was thanking. He was still having a hard time with the 'Ventus'/'Roxas' situation he was currently in.

"No problem." Ventus chuckled at Sora's adorable reaction to being served. Feeling his cheeks also get warm, he did his best to simply smile.

Roxas frowned as he watched their odd exchanges/behaviors. Why did the two of them act so...flirty? Sure there was being nice and polite to others, but the two of them honestly seemed like they'd one day run off together. Wouldn't that be some kind of ironic, crushing blow? His older brother steals his first boyfriend who managed to turn him gay somehow. It sounded like some sort of bad movie plot. He was just being irrational, right? There was no way Sora would have wanted someone who was better suited to himself and that he'd probably have more in common with over a cynic like Roxas- right?

As if somehow sensing Roxas' inner thoughts, Sora flashed him a smile.

Averting his eyes and finding himself staring in a dead-lock with Riku, Roxas frowned. Why did he let him stay in his house, again? Right. Because he knew that if Sora was staying then his pain in the ass friend would want to stay and be a busybody and ruin the evening. Plus he didn't want Sora to think he had ulterior motives. Though it seemed Sora was much more of a go-getter than he thought. Waking up in a cuddling session wasn't one of things on his mind when he'd gone to sleep the previous night.

Feeling another set of eyes on himself, Roxas glanced over to find Namine staring at him and smiling softly. Despite his ordinary disdain toward others, he didn't find her company to be inconveniencing in the slightest and she seemed to be an all-around good person. Even Sora's friend Kairi seemed to be a good fit. But Riku? He never foresaw a possibility where the two of them could ever become friends.

---

Their morning had started off so simple, so how had they gotten here? Well that was actually an easy one. Sora's mother had punished him to watch his cousin while his aunt/uncle went out for an evening. Naturally Roxas had decided to come along as he was also at fault for the punishment and felt a sense of responsibility in solving it. While Sora didn't seem to mind and was pleasantly surprised with the opportunity to see his little cousin, Roxas hadn't been so sure. He wasn't too keen on being around children.

"This isn't what I had in mind." Roxas admitted. Staring down at the young child who was positively following him around like a lost duckling no matter where he went off to, he never really figured himself the type to be 'good with children'. "Is something wrong?" Roxas asked, kneeling down to the boy's height and hoping for some form of explanation on why he thought he had to stick to him like glue. Observing him in a quick once-over he didn't find anything wrong on the outside. At least, nothing that seemed immediately life-threatening or serious enough that he'd need to worry.

Shaking his head, the young boy opted not to speak aloud.

Blinking several times over and trying to come up with some form of plan, Roxas let out a small sigh and placed his hand over his face. Raising it upward until it went through his hair, he had absolutely no idea. Standing up he walked through the foreign home and found himself once more being trailed by the younger boy. His steps weren't exactly heavy, they seemed light and almost like a silent pitter-patter. He didn't know why the little boy had decided to latch onto him as if there was some kind of likable quality of Roxas' that should have drawn him to the older male. Stopping in his tracks Roxas felt a gentle tug on his sweater. Looking at his side, he stared down at Sora's little cousin. He had to admit the little guy was pretty adorable. The way his green eyes shone with curiosity and a vague sense of anxiety toward Roxas, his gray/white hair- the very color that had been tainted for him at the hands of a taller jerk but right now he didn't mind. "Are you okay?"

Nodding at Roxas the little boy finally decided to speak up. "I'm glad you're here." He admitted as he smiled at Roxas.

Roxas refrained from uttering the word 'aw' aloud to Sora's cousin but he did honestly think he was being adorable. Besides he had a question to ask. "How come?"

"I like you." Noel shrugged his shoulders.

Letting out a small scoff Roxas ruffled Noel's hair and smiled a bit. "I think I like you too. You're kind of growing on me." As Noel continued to smile up at him despite Roxas messing up his hair, he honestly felt like the little boy was enjoyable to be around. Some might say he was a 'bad person' for thinking let alone saying it aloud- but kids could generally be a pain in the ass. Some of them were just so bratty and entitled and had their parents wrapped around their finger. This one seemed like a well-rounded individual who wouldn't be a handful. "Any idea where that cousin of yours is hiding?"

"Were we ever playing hide-and-seek?" Noel countered Roxas' question with his own ask.

"Well, no, but he's not exactly out in the open with us. Is he busy doing something I don't know about?" Roxas frowned as he searched for any sign of Sora. Seriously how did he manage to pull the disappearing act?

"He could be getting a snack or something. It's Sora after all. Wanna go watch something?" Noel asked, hopeful the answer would be 'yes'.

"Sure." Roxas barely had the chance to say the word aloud before Noel had taken his hand and began leading him to the living room. Being put in front of the couch he watched as Hope grabbed the remote and attempted to put on a show he enjoyed. Expecting something along the lines of cartoons or something dull that he wouldn't be able to get into, Roxas was surprised to find Hope had put on a very interesting, old tv show that Roxas used to watch in his youth. Alright that settled things: this little boy was the ultimate companion for him. Save for Ventus, it seemed like the kid really just knew how to hang around him. He never once inconvenienced Roxas, they enjoyed the same things, he didn't say unnecessary drivel, what wasn't there to like?

"You like this show too, huh?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah." Noel nodded. "It's not boring like cartoons can be." Not to mention the fact that he really enjoyed the setting, the fact that the lead was a woman for a change of pace and she wasn't just a 'damsel in distress'.

"I used to watch it when I was your age. My parents kinda let me get away with a lot of things. Plus it didn't really hurt anybody." Semi-explaining a bit of himself to Noel, he just felt like giving a little background on why he also enjoyed the show that technically wasn't meant for children (not because of perversions or profanity or something so dull) because most of the themes went over their heads as children. But the story and morals of it were something that could at least be understood, even if they seemed naive as one grew up. Justice and peace always winning the day? Triumph over evil? In television, sure. Real life? Not likely.

"My mom doesn't mind me watching it. Plus my dad's never really home, anyway. So it's not as if he'd ever notice." Noel seemed rather bitter about it.

Maybe he missed his father being home. Roxas could honestly relate. "You know... when I was little my dad could be really busy, too. But it wasn't because he didn't care or felt like being anywhere else- he loved me so much that I honestly never really felt that with anyone. It was different-" Roxas more or less could feel a bit of sadness seeping its way in as he looked wistfully toward the floor. Sitting on it instead of the couch, he felt his face relax as it was devoid of any happiness, pain, suffering, or anything of the sort as it relaxed to its normal state. "-my mom's love was something I also cherished. Even that of my brother, my aunt and uncle whom I learned to call parents... but him? It was something else. The way he'd throw me up on his shoulders despite my protests and the fact that a three year old could be afraid of heights, the late night walks, almost secret club we seemed to be in without my mom from time to time. They were my home."

Picking up on the fact that parents, let alone father's were a touchy subject for Roxas, Noel was a little awkward but decided to do his best to help. Getting off his knees from sitting at the coffee table, the young boy stood up and walked over to the seemingly brooding/sad blond male. Roxas' hair was in the way for Noel to see his expression but he assumed it to be grim. Kneeling down he hugged Roxas. "I'm sorry." Speaking the words that seemed relative to the moment, he felt like apologizing for something that was ultimately out of his control and something that not at all his fault could be atoned for somehow by speaking those words aloud. What could you say in a situation like this?

Somewhat ashamed to be consoled by a six year old, Roxas' pride wanted him to object, even shun the gesture/words and stand up or push him off- but he didn't. Despite hating physical contact with others he hugged the little boy back. Maybe even a little tighter than he should have. To be perfectly honest he never expected this to be happening today. Maybe he'd gotten too comfortable.

Either male didn't know when to let go and was seemingly awkward by the situation at hand. Eventually one made to let go and both Roxas/Noel pulled out of the gesture and sat staring at one another.

"I... I don't know how to ask without being rude or being..." Not really knowing how to word it, Noel just decided to press forward and hope that Roxas wouldn't end up angry at him for what he was about to say. "What happened to him? Your dad, I mean."

"My parents, they died. And it was my fault." Roxas tried to explain to Noel. He knew that it would probably seem strange to his young companion but since he had asked, Roxas felt like he should at the very least do his best to elaborate. "We were going to a dojo for me to enroll and further my studying of Taekwondo. My father was usually very busy with work and couldn't made it to these things so my mother and I were very surprised when he said that he was not only coming but he'd be driving us the whole way there. My mom was already planning on driving me as she knew how important it was to me that I go. So the excitement/surprise wasn't really lost on us as he got into the car and drove off. It had been raining that morning but none of us really thought anything of it. At least, I didn't. Being a kid I didn't really think much of something I saw on an ordinary basis." Roxas felt like rain more or less wouldn't be significant to a person. But for him it seemed to now provide a deep-rooted sadness.

"The dojo was a pretty fair distance so we were prepared for a bit of a commute. The whole way I looked out the window." All Roxas had managed to see was more or less scenery. The blurred, green wisps of trees/plant life/vegetation and gravel/pebbles/rocks, even the odd animal along the way or person/car. He hadn't been listening to his parents or anything in the background as he'd been far too focused on staring at the world outside his window. "The rain made our car ride dangerous. None of us knew what we were in for, considering we were going for such a simple errand. There hadn't been cars for quite a while and that should have been an indicator for us." There was a bit of mumbling on the radio Roxas vaguely recalled, even the voice of his mother as she said something to his father that he didn't recall. "I don't know what caused the accident. I was there, in the car, but I still can't say. Some people say it could have been the vehicle's breaks locking up, the tires were too dull or my dad was a bad driver which I know isn't true. I guess it was anything and everything to blame him." Shutting his eyes, he remembered absolutely every detail he'd been recounting. "The car swerved and I remember nothing but darkness." Maybe his mother had said something, or Roxas had missed the fact that she'd looked back at him, his father had tried to keep his cool, though in the back of their minds they knew that this would likely be the end but they wished for nothing more than their son's safety.

Who could say? He couldn't.

"After that, I woke up in a hospital." Roxas honestly wished he'd remembered more but even after all these years there was nothing more to recall for him.

Hearing all that he had to say, Noel was trying to keep up and find something respectful/useful to say to Roxas that might help the situation or show he understood all that had been said to him. Maybe it was a tad bit out of his depth but the boy would try his best. "I- how old were you?"

"About your age. Maybe a bit younger." Roxas looked Noel directly in the eyes. Things had gotten to be far too serious between them. "I'm sorry." He apologized immediately for the way that things had turned out. He was way out of line opening up to Noel like this. No child needed to hear about how his parents had died or to have to try so hard to relate to him when it was out of his abilities to do so.

"Sorry? For what?" Noel asked cocking his head to the side. It didn't seem like Roxas had anything to apologize for. If anything it was Noel's cue to apologize for asking something that so personal and seemed to really hurt Roxas to talk about.

"For talking about something like this. You don't need to think about things like this. I should have known better. Maybe I just got too comfortable." Because you're too much like me. In either case Roxas felt it was the right decision to apologize.

"No. It seemed like something you wanted to say. But I'm sorry for asking." Noel did his best to smile but he honestly couldn't after the rather grim situation. He hadn't really expected this kind of an answer. He more or less thought maybe his father had left or something.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I did want to tell someone." Roxas had made a start with Sora but had never bothered elaborating. About to say more he was surprised when he found himself knocked over and a pain in his side. Wincing as it was inflicted and shutting his eyes Roxas only opened them once he was ready. Finding his vision blurred by peculiar dots and brown hair Roxas took a guess when he finally spoke up. "Sora." Hearing a muffled voice on the other end of things he knew that he'd gotten it right on the nose. After all who else could have done something so strange as to completely blindside a person and tackle them? Feeling all of Sora's weight pressed up against him Roxas really didn't know what to do. Opting to just lay there as there wasn't much else he could do. "Any reason you decided to tackle me?"

More or less surprised when Sora's eyes caught his since they were clouded over with tears, Roxas didn't know what to say. Why was he crying? Had he been eavesdropping on their conversation?

"How come you didn't tell me?" Sora asked.

"I don't know. I more or less figured something like this would happen." Roxas felt a little more justified in the fact that he shouldn't have told Sora about this particular incident in his life. But then again why had he bothered recounting it to his little cousin? Maybe in the back of his mind he knew that Sora would have wound up eavesdropping and would have heard what he had to say. Maybe he'd deluded himself into thinking he'd opened up to the boy because of how similar they seemed to be in order to have this sort of situation come out. In all honesty he could say whether or not that was the truth as he more or less did some things subconsciously. Letting out a small sigh he decided it was best to console as opposed to scold/belittle/demean Sora in any way, shape or form. Hesitantly his arms wrapped around Sora and he even pat him on the back. Averting his eyes from the embarrassing situation he honestly hoped it'd be over soon.

Glancing over at Noel he found that the young boy had actually flashed him a look of apology and sympathy. Not being one for pity let alone settling for someone else's on himself, Roxas stared once more at Sora.

"It's sad!" Sora pointed out the obvious as he sat up from Roxas' chest and stared down at him, his knees on either side of Roxas' torso.

"I guess so." Roxas didn't really know how to peg it anymore. He honestly hadn't thought about the fact that his parents had been gone for quite some time. Sure there was the day of their death every year but other than that he'd never actively searched out the bitter memories. In either case he treated the situation almost as if it no longer had anything to do with himself anymore.

"You don't feel sad about it?" Sora asked, confused at Roxas' coldness.

"No." Roxas admitted. "I don't feel much of anything about it."

"Didn't you love them?"

"More than anything."

"And now?" Sora asked. Though that comment had stung a bit he honestly wanted a better answer.

"Now? Now there's an annoying brunette in my way." Roxas stared directly into Sora's eyes and his lips formed the smallest hint of a smile. Did he feel like smiling? No. But would it make Sora feel better? Yes. And that was the endgame here: be an attentive, loving boyfriend. Even if he didn't really know how to be either of things, he could at the very least try his hardest.

"Sorry." Sora apologized and promptly got off of Roxas. Offering him his hand, he hesitantly let it hang in the air for a moment or two.

His first instinct had been to brush it away but Roxas didn't want to be too 'cold' and decided to take it. Standing up he let out a small sigh. "What were you, a rugby player in another life? Wrestling champion? That tackle was really something." Going for a sort-of-compliment and not exactly berating him for his efforts, Roxas hoped he didn't come off as rude or hurt Sora's feelings in some way. Which of course seemed to be his niche.

"Huh? No." Immediately shutting down the idea, Sora looked away from Roxas. Feeling his cheeks get hot he was embarrassed for his actions.

"Is that a 'no, I actually did' or a real 'no'? Because you do lie. A lot." Roxas pointed out the obvious, holding back a smile. He really enjoyed teasing Sora over the fact that he had lied to him previously. Would he ever let it go? Not likely. But it wasn't some sort of deep seeded grudge or anger on his part- he just enjoyed watching Sora's reactions when he brought it up.

"I do not-!" Sora protested Roxas' words even though he did know he could tell little white lies in order to make people feel better. And more often than not that was what he'd tried to do.

"You do." Roxas interrupted his speech. "Admit it."

Sora frowned at Roxas, daring him to say it again.

Roxas narrowed his eyes back at Sora. Was this a battle of wills?

It seemed that Sora could be very stubborn when he wanted to as he wasn't backing down. Roxas had an equal amount of stubbornness and he surely wasn't going to give in. After a few moments of blank staring in their stalemate Sora couldn't resist smiling and laughing. Though Sora seemed humored by the situation, Roxas more or less was confused as to why he was laughing.

"Sorry!" Sora spoke out the word in-between laughs. "I- I'm sorry. It shouldn't be funny but it was." Holding his sides, he wasn't sure he could take the situation at all seriously. Whether or not Roxas had been playing along or genuinely was upset didn't per se matter in the now. Couldn't they just get along?

"Weren't you grabbing snacks or something?" Roxas decided to let it go. What was the point in arguing?

"Oh! Right!" Seemingly just now remembering what he'd been doing, Sora bobbed his head up and down and raced out of the room.

"Sorry." Noel apologized to Roxas before he could say much else.

"Huh? What are you sorry for?" Roxas looked over at the little boy and was surprised he'd seen/heard all of that commotion. More or less he was also embarrassed to have had a witness to that kind of thing.

"My cousin can be really weird sometimes." Noel point blank stated the obvious between the two of them.

"You get that too, huh?" Roxas let out a small exhale then chuckled. "He's...quite a character."

"He likes you." Noel pointed out.

"I know." Roxas wouldn't at all disagree with that. But did this kid mean 'like' as in attraction or 'like' as in friends? Because more or less they had tried both and were now in the trial run for a relationship. And while he had gone all touchy/feely before, he wasn't going to tell a little boy that his older cousin was in a gay relationship.

"And you like him." Noel wasn't asking questions or for clarification on things, he was just trying to make sure he had things straight.

"Yeah." Roxas nodded.

"Cool." Noel smiled. "Wanna watch tv?"

Roxas stared blankly at him and exhaled a breath he didn't know he'd been holding in. How could a child manage to be so 'deep' and then suddenly go back to being childish? "Sure." Readily agreeing with Noel so that their current situation would be over and done with, he walked over and sat back down. Feeling a sudden weight/warmth at his side, Roxas glanced over and saw Noel sitting beside him and seemingly enjoying the program on the screen as opposed to dwelling on their conversation. Deciding against it himself, Roxas decided to watch the show.

After a few moments Sora returned and found Roxas and Noel sitting together and watching tv. They were sitting on the love seat so it wasn't exactly welcoming for him to sit with them. Staring at Roxas and standing idly for a few moments, it seemed that he really hadn't touched upon their world or managed to burst their bubble quite yet. Still, he really wanted to sit beside Roxas. Not to discount his adorable little cousin, but he could have visited any time with Noel. Continuing to stand idly by and wonder when/if he should do something to announce his presence, the brunette boy stared all around the room.

After a little while of sitting there and watching Noel's program Roxas eventually felt a weight on his shoulder. Glancing over, he saw the boy's eyes closed and he seemed to be soundly asleep. Smiling a bit and exhaling gently from his nose in a hushed form of 'laugh', Roxas wondered if it was a habit in this family to just fall asleep with/on the person next to you and snuggle into them. Feeling another set of eyes on the two of them, more specifically Roxas himself, he glanced over to see Sora staring almost longingly at him. Was there also a hint of jealousy? No way. How could someone manage to be jealous of a six year old? Gently removing Noel's head from his shoulder as he gradually made his way off the couch, Roxas saw him curl up and soundly keep sleeping. Deciding to take care of the situation at hand, he figured it wouldn't be too hard to make it up to Sora. "Was I neglecting you?" Starting off with a simple question, he figured the answer more or less to be 'yes'. But to his credit he wasn't supposed to be the babysitter or here at all.

"You looked like you were having fun. I didn't want to interrupt." Sora instantly dodged the question. He smiled but internally wasn't smiling at all.

"Liar." Roxas instantly shot down that idea. "You need to stop lying."

"How do you...?" Sora didn't know how to finish his question. At that point it'd probably be the nail in the coffin, for by his own admission he'd been lying. Were they harmful lies that he meant to use to hurt people? No. Just little white lies to make sure everyone was okay and happy. He was honestly just the kind of person who wished everyone was happy.

"Know? Because you're you and since you're you, I can tell when you're lying. You're not a good liar Sora. And I don't think that's a bad thing." Roxas shrugged his shoulders. So Sora would probably never get one by him. What did that matter? "Do yourself a favor, okay? Stop trying so hard. You don't have to take everyone's feelings into account just because they're all used to leaning on you for moral or emotional support. Be you. That's all I care about."

Sora smiled and nodded his head. "Okay." Despite Roxas telling him to be a little more selfish, he honestly couldn't help it. Helping others came naturally to him and he rather enjoyed feeling needed/wanted.

"Any ideas on what you'd like to do after this?" Roxas asked. He figured more or less there was a little more left to their weekend so they might as well do something fun.

"Not really." Sora shook his head. "I'm happy doing anything."

"I get that. You jumped me while I was sleeping." Roxas smiled a bit as he teased Sora. Keeping his voice low since Sora's cousin was sleeping, he waited for the adorable overreaction.

"I did not!" Sora protested his accusations though he knew part of it to be true.

"You did." Roxas insisted. "You're just too stubborn to admit it."

"You smelt nice!" Sora countered as if that were a valid point to counteract Roxas' accusations of him.

"And that makes it my fault?" Roxas asked. Humored by the situation he felt like he should hear Sora out on his logic.

"Yes!" Sora nodded his head. "I don't even know how I ended up in your room or lying next to you, but you smelt nice!"

Roxas' eyes widened as he realized that was essentially checkmate when it came to their argument. Who put Sora in his room and went to bed with him? Well, maybe withholding the truth wouldn't be such a big deal. "You smelt like a wild animal." Roxas countered playfully.

"Did not!" Sora countered with a huff. "Still." His features softened a bit. "Do you know how I got into your room with you? I thought we were sleeping in the training room..." Trailing off as he seemed deep in thought about things, Sora wondered about the mystery.

Damn. Looked like his diversion only semi-worked. "Yeah. I brought you in there- don't get all sentimental or cute on me, I just thought you'd get upset if I left you in there alone." Roxas did his best to explain in a way that Sora wouldn't get any misunderstandings about. Or in a way that wouldn't embarrass him.

"Oh." Sora smiled, borderline grinned at Roxas. "I'm glad you brought me in there."

"You're heavier than you look." Roxas commented in an effort to wipe that grin off Sora's face.

"Am I?" Sora chuckled. "Sorry."

Roxas sighed. There was no beating him. "No plans for the weekend? I'm sure Riku, Kairi or Namine would want to be with you. I mean they're probably annoyed I seem to be taking up all of your time."

"Oh. no they're fine about it!" Sora was glad Roxas seemed to be taking his friends into account when it came to his time. "Well, maybe not Riku..." Sora thought about it a little more.

Roxas frowned. "Good." He grumbled bitterly. That silver haired pain in the ass could butt out.

"Huh?" Sora asked.

"Nothing." Roxas lied.

"Oh. Okay." Sora easily believed him. "Roxas... There's one thing I want to ask."

"Go for it." Roxas waited for whatever question he had coming his way.

"What happened? I mean, after the accident?" Sora really wanted to know.

"I woke up in a hospital bed. My head was bandaged, arm was in a cast, a few ribs were broken... Lucky to be alive, I guess. 'Lucky'." Roxas scoffed at the term. "That's what the doctors said. But I didn't feel the least bit 'lucky'. My parents died and I was still there. I woke up alone. They said my family was on the way and, I, for a very brief, fleeting moment of hope thought they meant my mom and dad would be showing up. Maybe they were okay. But they weren't." Roxas could remember the glimmer of hope in his adolescent heart. The way his lip quivered and his tears that fell when the two people he wanted to see most in the entire world never showed up to get him. He'd never see their smiling faces or hear their voices again. Tucking his knees into his chest and ignoring the stings of pain that made his condition worse. Realizing you were all alone in the world had a very large numbing effect.

"Things fall apart. They fall apart so hard. One day you're going out to do the normal thing. A family thing. And then your parents are dead. Your aunt, uncle and cousin come to see you. They fight back tears. Try to be strong. The adults leave the room, you and your cousin sit together. You put on a brave, strong face and try to keep it together. Then he looks at you as if he's staring into your soul. Your facade cracks, you break and end up being held by another child. Something in you changes. Something... something triggers." Roxas tried to remember. He did his best to recount things the way they were. It was fuzzy.

"Roxas..." Sora instantly regretted asking. Roxas didn't show a hint of sadness when he spoke. There wasn't any sort of emotion on his face, but a tinge of... Longing(?) when he spoke.

"Sora." Roxas didn't look at him when he spoke his next words. His left hand balled into a fist. "You should know something else, too..."

"Hm? Sora was curious on what he had to say.

Roxas opened his mouth, about to say something, but was cut off by Noel's parents returning.

"We're back!" His mother spoke up, smiling at Sora and his friend. "How was he?"

"Fine." Sora smiled in return. "We had lots of fun. He's sleeping now." Sora motioned to the couch.

"Aw. You're such a good babysitter." Sora's aunt smiled and praised him. "I hope you weren't too bored."

"Nope. It wasn't boring at all!" Sora honestly could say he wasn't bored for a moment.

"I'm glad. And you can go now. I'm sure you have other things to do with your weekend." His aunt released him from his duties.

"Okay." Sora nodded to his aunt. Leaving with Roxas in tow, the pair promptly said their goodbyes and exited the home.

"'Weekend plans', huh? What kind of plans do you have, Sora?" Roxas asked.

"I thought we'd all hangout all weekend." Sora honestly wasn't sure what would happen, but he hoped it wouldn't be boring.

"Oh?" Roxas was a bit disappointed at that typical Sora answer. "How about we go on a date tomorrow? Make up for the lost day."

"A date?" Sora was surprised at the sudden question.

"Yeah, a date. Aren't we supposed to do that kind of thing?" Roxas asked.

"So a date because we're 'supposed to'?" Sora asked. Didn't that make it seem like something tedious that they were 'getting out of the way'? Weren't first dates supposed to be fun or something?

"No." Roxas shook his head. "Well, kind of. But also because I want to. You don't want to?" He looked Sora in the eyes when he asked.

Sora was surprised at his expression. Something in his eyes made them gleam and he honestly couldn't for any good reason think of saying 'no'. "I do!" Sora nodded. "I just... I didn't know if you wanted to."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to, right?" Roxas smiled softly.

"Right." Sora nodded. "I'd love to go!" He honestly still felt so zippy and energetic from yesterday. Now this? He didn't know how much more he could handle.

"Good. It's settled then." Roxas saw Sora glancing at his hand. His hand would hesitantly begin to reach out and stop mid-reach. Eye rolling, he shook his head and took Sora's hand in his.

Sora was surprised Roxas just knew that he'd wanted to hold hands. How was he so good at that? Grinning like an idiot, he gently squeezed Roxas' hand. He was happy.

Roxas watched Sora's reaction and couldn't help smiling. Walking him home, he decided it was best to let him at the very least get a change of clothes that weren't his and get ready properly for tomorrow.

"Roxas."

"Hm?"

"Wasn't there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Nothing. It's not important." He'd tell him some other time. It could wait.

"Oh. Okay." Sora nodded. Arriving on his doorstep, he wondered if Roxas would come inside. "Are you going home right now?"

"Yeah. It's late." Roxas noticed that the sun had set at some point during their walk. Not that it really mattered or he particularly cared as the night was much more favorable to him than the day.

"Yeah." Sora nodded. He could see that it was night already. "Okay. Well. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Count on it." Roxas turned on his heels and began walking away.

"Ah. Roxas!" Sora called him.

Turning around, Roxas was surprised when Sora promptly kissed him quickly and continued to grin stupidly back at him.

"See ya!" Sora chirped happily, making his way inside and waving.

"Bye..." Roxas blinked and was at a loss. Sora was very forward. Waving even though Sora was no longer in sight, he felt a little flustered. Was it him or did it just get warmer out? Touching his cheeks, he felt an alien sensation of warmth spreading across his face. Sora made him blush. At least Ventus hadn't been there to see this. It was embarrassing.