Hey guys! So sorry it took so long to update. I'm so bad at that sometimes! Hopefully this chapter holds up to everyone's standards.

-Study

The very next morning Roxas woke up to a pleasant warmth. His senses returned gradually one after the other. Roxas' body didn't ache despite having slept on the couch. Always having been one to keep his eyes closed as long as possible, he nuzzled closer to familiar warmth. When that warmth began to snore, Roxas opened his eyes and found himself staring at Sora. Well, Sora and the kitten. The black cat opened his eyes and yawned. Staring into Roxas' eyes, he began to purr. The kitten stood up from where Sora had been cuddling him to stretch and walk over to Roxas. Rubbing his head against Roxas' hand, Coal interrupted his purring to meow at Roxas.

"You're hungry, huh? Fine. I guess I can get you something to eat," Roxas carefully moved his arm from under Sora's head and stood up. Making his way to the kitchen, he grabbed Coal's bowl and filled it with the appropriate amount. The kitten began to furiously nudge himself against Roxas and a mixture of purring/meowing ensued until the bowl was placed down. Coal kept purring as he ate which Roxas was taken aback by.

"Are you just perpetually happy?" Roxas yawned and tried to hasten the regaining of his senses. He glanced at the coffee pot and sighed. "I guess I'll make a coffee," Grumbling to himself, Roxas wiped away tears from his eyes and placed the coffee pod in his coffeemaker. Filling it with the appropriate amount of water, he waited impatiently for it to heat up and be ready. Coal meowed as if answering and Roxas chuckled at the kitten. Using whatever flavored creamer he had on hand, Roxas took a sip and was rewarded with the pleasant familiar taste of coffee.

Sora came into the kitchen, yawning and stretching. "Hey," Sora hadn't meant to speak lowly but he did just that. Due to being sleepy, he wasn't all there yet. Managing his best smile, Sora still remembered last night. He wondered if Roxas would ever actually say it to him. Hearing someone that wasn't a friend or family member say they love you was a wonderful feeling that Sora now got to experience.

"Hey," Roxas spun around and smiled at Sora. "Coffee?" Roxas stole a glance at the machine. At first glance, it was a little intimidating so if he wanted one Roxas could easily do it for Sora.

"Sure," Sora nodded enthusiastically. He watched Roxas work whatever powerful magics were needed in order for the coffeemaker to work properly as he had tried - and failed - multiple times. Once it was made, Roxas slid it over to the portion of counter Sora was leaning against. "Thanks."

"No problem." Roxas watched him make his coffee as he was genuinely curious. Some people could drink it black but he was not one of those people. Sora seemed to like his sweet as he used a little more creamer than Roxas and added a bit of sugar. He also added cinnamon which piqued Roxas' curiosity.

Sora noticed Roxas observing him. "What's up? Never had cinnamon in your coffee?"

"Honestly? No. How is it?" Roxas shook his head and looked questioningly at Sora. The brunette just smiled and offered him a sip, which Roxas took. To his surprise, it wasn't sugary death. The cinnamon really seemed to compliment the caramel creamer he had. "Wow."

"Right?" Sora took a sip and instantly felt a little more awake. "So," Speaking to gain Roxas' attention, Sora continued once he had it. "what are we up to today?"

Roxas thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "I don't know. Should we go out and do something?" Roxas yawned. He was certainly down for anything Sora wanted to do. It was the weekend and if he didn't feel like going anywhere then they could do that too.

Sora thought it over for a second and then shook his head. "Nah. We're in good company already. Plus I feel like being lazy today." Sora didn't even want to think about school or another exam right now. After the amount of test-taking, he'd done he was ready to do next to nothing. Well, aside from hanging out with Roxas, Ventus, and Coal.

"Good answer. And Sora," Roxas waited until he had Sora's complete attention. "You may or may not have heard something yesterday... It's something that doesn't come naturally for me to say... Sora, I've never said it to anyone who wasn't a family member before..." Roxas felt uneasy. He was actually for once feeling nervous. Without realizing it, he had avoided Sora's gaze and almost started biting his fingernails. Almost. "I lo-" About to say it, they were interrupted by Ventus who yawned and stretched.

"Morning," Ventus chirped, seemingly unaware of the fact that he'd interrupted a big moment. Making his way over to the coffee pot and brewing his own cup, Ventus stretched again. "So, what do we have planned for today?" Looking over at his little brother and Sora, he wondered why Roxas sent him a look. Not necessarily a glare but not exactly friendly either. Had he interrupted something?

"We're going to-" Sora began to explain but found himself cut off by Roxas.

"-go out for a little bit. Mind holding down the fort?" Roxas tried to sound like he wasn't annoyed. It wasn't exactly Ventus' fault that he'd interrupted something important.

"Of course. Don't mind me, I'll be here with Coal." Ventus smiled still blissfully unaware of the moment he'd ruined.

Roxas nodded and took Sora by the hand. Leading him outside, Roxas sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "Sorry for ruining our 'lazy day'. I just... needed to tell you something in private. And going for walks helps me to think," Roxas looked Sora in the eyes as he spoke. Somehow it was easier to do so this time. Maybe because he wasn't on the verge of saying something out loud to someone who wasn't family and actually meant it?

"It's okay. I'm fine with doing anything... so long as I get to do it with you," Sora admitted something embarrassing out loud, but he just smiled and gently squeezed Roxas' hand. His cheeks were a light tint, but Sora didn't mind. He was really happy. The happiest he'd probably ever been if he was being honest. People always gushed around him about their relationships and how that type of 'liking' a person was different. Sora had never understood the sentiment, he merely nodded his head and smiled, playing it off as if he had an idea. But now actually experiencing a relationship that was different from family and friends, Sora didn't want to give it up. As weird and selfish as it was, he wanted to monopolize all of Roxas' time.

Roxas' heart felt like it skipped a beat when Sora said that. So long as I get to do it with you. The blond smiled and gave Sora a look that until now he didn't know he had. It was a mixture of happiness, excitement, and a little bit of fear, too. He was currently the happiest he'd ever been. Ever since his parents died and his aunt and uncle took him in and Ventus treated him like a little brother, he never knew he could have more. Part of his heart died in that accident and until now, Roxas felt like life was a blurred dream. Days, weeks, years, they all muddled together. He had no concept of time, and he isolated himself. Save for the little friend group he had, Roxas never really felt like he needed to open up to anybody. Keeping them at arm's length just became easier. Like second nature. But now, Sora and his friends made him feel... seen. For once, he was in the light, too. And there were people who wanted him around that weren't family. Without noticing it, Roxas' eyes watered.

"Roxas..." Sora noticed tears fall down his boyfriend's face and was instantly concerned. "Are you okay?" Stopping, Sora stood in front of Roxas. Looking around, he made sure no one would be coming to their spot any time soon. It wasn't because he was embarrassed, but because he knew Roxas would probably rather be caught dead than let others see him cry.

"Huh? Yeah... I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Roxas was confused and even tilted his head to the side and that's when he noticed it. Sliding down his cheeks were warm, fresh tears. Wiping them away with the back of his arm, Roxas tried to steady himself. "It's okay... I wasn't upset or anything. I was just... happy." Admitting that out loud felt funny. For once, he wasn't miserable.

"Happy?" Sora asked, surprised and relieved at the same time. He chuckled. "Yeah, I get that." He was no stranger to happy tears. But what had gotten him so emotional?

Roxas nodded. He closed the distance between him and Sora and hugged the brunette. "You make me so happy. Not just you, but your friends, too..." Whispering it in Sora's ear, Roxas pulled back and smiled then chuckled too.

Sora grinned like never before. "Me too. You make me really happy, too."

"I love you, Sora," Roxas said out loud. His heart was going a mile a minute in anxiousness as he waited for an answer.

"I love you too, Roxas." Sora held his grin. His heart felt like it could literally explode like the fireworks they always seemed to watch together. Hopefully as vibrant and full of colors.

Roxas leaned in and Sora reciprocated. Just as they were mere inches away, Roxas felt a hand on his shoulder, and then he was spun around and pulled into a hug by a larger man. The person in question was a taller brunette with blue eyes. "Uh..." Roxas looked entirely uncomfortable. His body language and speech made it clear that the gesture was unwarranted. Glancing over at Sora who looked equally as surprised, the tall brunette spoke.

"Well don't act too shocked!" The brunette spoke with familiarity and pulled back from the hug to look at Roxas. He looked expectantly to the blond but Roxas genuinely had no idea who he was.

"And you are...?" Roxas asked, hoping to get this mess cleared up.

"Haha, very funny. You don't see me for a couple of weeks and suddenly we're strangers? When did you get to be so cold?" The tall brunette seemed... disappointed in Roxas' reaction(?).

"No, seriously. I have no idea who you are." Roxas shook his head and hoped the older man would be a little more forthcoming.

"One of your best friends only since forever. Terra." Terra introduced himself, somewhat amusedly.

"Terra...? Oh, Terra! I've got it now! You're one of Ven's friends!" Roxas excitedly put it all together now.

Terra was confused for a moment and then he finally understood. This was not Ventus. It was his younger brother, Roxas. "The resemblance is uncanny... you two even sound alike!" Terra inspected Roxas further and found him to be identical to Ventus. The clothes were a bit more gloomy than Ventus liked but other than that, they could pass as twins.

Roxas nodded. "Our parents were twins, after all. But I get it, it is a little weird sometimes." Shrugging in a carefree manner, Roxas wondered why his brother's friend followed him over here. And more importantly why he pulled Roxas into a hug(?). What kind of relationship did the two have? Shaking his head, Roxas tried not to think about it. Deciding to change the topic, Roxas spoke. "Are you looking for Ventus?"

Terra nodded. "I was actually on my way to your house. Then I saw you two and thought maybe you were him."

"Well, you can't miss him. He's the only one home." Roxas once again wanted it to be just him and Sora. Don't get him wrong, he wasn't trying to be rude to Terra, he'd just stumbled into an important moment. Much like Ventus had done earlier.

Taking the hint, Terra thanked Roxas and was on his way.

Sora noticed once more that it was just the two of them. His heart was pounding in his ears, and Sora wondered if it was the same for Roxas.

Roxas was surprised. Sora was looking at him like a puppy, and he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. He leaned in again and Sora did the same. Once they kissed it felt electric. Somehow different from before. Maybe it was because they were mutually on the same page. Pulling back, Roxas held his grin. Thinking absolutely nothing could spoil the moment, a yellow blur entered his field of vision. And then he heard it. Kweh kweh! Doing a double-take, Roxas was surprised to see a Chocobo chick.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked, getting the sense that the chick was distressed somehow. "Where's your mom?" Looking around, Sora didn't see any sign of her.

"I was thinking that too..." Roxas trailed off. The chick seemed tired as it gave up on flapping and dropped. Luckily catching it in the nick of time, Roxas looked worriedly at Sora. "Should we bring him to my place?"

"You think?" Sora looked around again. He didn't hear the frantic cry of a Chocobo mother missing her chick and it seemed exhausted. It was definitely possible he became an orphan as there were predators of Chocobo on the island. "It would be safer at your place..." Sora looked at the chick. It was already sleeping in Roxas' hands.

"Okay. Let's do it." Roxas nodded, holding it in his free hand and Sora's in the other. Making their way back to Roxas' apartment, the two hurriedly went inside. Met with the usual mew's from Coal, the kitten suddenly stopped and noticed the Chocobo in Roxas' hand. Studying it curiously, he jumped up and tried to smell it. Roxas instinctively pulled his hand back as he didn't know if the Chocobo would be afraid of cats and if Coal wanted to eat him.

"Yeah... I don't know either," Sora admitted and shrugged his shoulders. Not in an 'I don't care' way so much as he genuinely had no idea. "I guess we don't know until we try, do we?" Glancing from Coal to the Chocobo, the kitten seemed rather calm. And the baby Chocobo kept cocking its head to the side and inching toward Coal... almost as if he was curious too(?).

Roxas took notice as well. "Okay," seeing no reason to object, he did the unthinkable: dropped his hand low enough for them to meet. The Chocobo chick beamed with excitement and Coal purred. He must have been making a face as Sora had chuckled. Looking directly at his boyfriend, Roxas now wore a questioning look. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Sora shook his head. "You were probably just thinking 'that's so weird, how could two opposites possibly attract', right?" Sora gave Roxas' hand a gentle squeeze as he smiled.

"You actually guessed what I was thinking," Roxas smiled back. This time the two shared an uninterrupted kiss. It felt different this time for Roxas. Maybe because they both confessed how they actually felt about one another. Being mutually in love was something else entirely. When he pulled back, Roxas was surprised to see the kitten and Chocobo playing together.

"Hey! I may be dense, but I can understand some things!" Sora chuckled. When he noticed Coal and the Chocobo getting along he was instantly relieved. Maybe they were both okay with one another because they were both babies?

"Yeah... I don't doubt your ability to understand things. You're just... Sora." Roxas held his smile. Gently squeezing Sora's hand, Roxas was genuinely so happy.

Sora laughed. "You're not the first person to say that. Most people use my name as a way of describing me," Shrugging his shoulders as there was nothing he could do about it, Sora smiled.

"Someone actually described you that way to me. I didn't think using a person's name as an identifier was valid until I met you. And don't get me wrong, it's not that I dislike you as a person or anything, I just didn't get what they meant." Roxas hoped he explained properly.

Sora nodded enthusiastically. "It happens all the time. So... where's Terra and Ventus?" Wondering aloud, Sora and Roxas walked to the living room with Coal and the Chocobo chick. As far as they could tell, no one was in the apartment. Which was strange considering they weren't that far behind Terra.

"No idea. Ventus can be kind of a private person. I mean, he opens up to me but even then it's not like we know everything about each other." Roxas sat on the couch next to Sora. The Chocobo chick flew up to Roxas and perched on his shoulder. Nuzzling him, the chick almost instantly fell asleep.

"He must be tired," Sora couldn't resist uttering an 'aww' when he saw the bird instantly trust Roxas.

Roxas nodded. "Hey, do you know how to take care of a Chocobo chick?" It finally dawned on Roxas that he didn't.

"Huh? Yeah, actually. We'll need some supplies first." Sora didn't know how old the chick was. "It's really good that he can still fly, and the little bouts of energy. I'll text Namine, Riku, and Kairi. They should be able to bring us the stuff." Pulling out his phone, Sora did just that. Namine, bless her, replied within moments. Kairi and Riku weren't too long after.

"What'd they say?" Roxas asked curiously. He glanced at the Chocobo chick who was still sleeping peacefully. Every so often it would flap its wings and chirp the familiar Chocobo phrase of 'kweh kweh'. Hoping the little guy wasn't having a nightmare, Roxas began to gently pet him. This seemed to put the chick at ease as it sighed somewhat contently and calmed down.

"They said they'd be on their way as soon as they can and to basically keep the chick warm and entertained until they arrive." Sora watched how gentle Roxas was with the Chocobo chick. He said he never really got along with animals before. Maybe he just never met the right one(?). Roxas put up with Coal for Sora but just maybe this chick would end up being his(?). Sora hoped that'd be the case. Plus it seemed to warm up to him right away.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Roxas took out his phone and began googling everything he possibly could find about Chocobo chicks and how to care for them. Some of the more interesting facts he didn't know were that Chocobo chicks were actually called chicklings, they were usually kept safe by their mother for the entirety of their infancy, and they lived in the Chocobo Forest specifically. They'd need to feed the chickling gyashl greens mixed with formula to go down easier and give it the proper vitamins it needed to survive. Given that they didn't know how long he'd been separated from his mother for, Roxas guessed a visit to the vet wouldn't be out of the question.

Sora smiled and waited patiently for his friends. Once they heard a knock at the door, Sora let go of Roxas' hand who looked disappointed. He actually sort of... pouted? Flushing at the sight, Sora remembered there were people at the door and excused himself. Roxas' demeanor shifted as he waved Sora away and put his index finger to his lips to signify they needed to be quiet. The chickling was still sleeping, after all. Nodding, Sora opened the front door and was greeted by three familiar faces who were equally happy to see him.

"Sora!" came the cumulative response from Namine, Kairi, and Riku.

"Hey, guys! I'm glad you could make it!" Sora smiled and welcomed them in. Namine handed him the bag and Sora led everyone into the living room. At the sound of so many footsteps, the chickling woke up excitedly and began to speak for all to hear. Of course, to everyone present, it was merely in the form of 'kweh kweh' so they weren't sure exactly what he was saying just that he had a lot to speak of.

"He's really chatty... that's a good sign," Riku's eyes could barely keep up with how fast it moved around trying to properly greet everyone.

"You think so too?" Roxas asked, his voice without an edge. For once, it seemed like he was speaking to a friend and not an annoyance. Everyone in the room took notice and waited eagerly for Riku to respond. And he kinda did, by nodding.

"He's cute! Does he have a name?" Kairi was instantly intrigued with the baby chickling. She tried to call him over with limited success. It didn't seem to want to leave Roxas' side. Was it because he was blond?

Roxas looked at Sora who shrugged his shoulders. "Not yet. We're basically trying to figure out if he's someone else's pet or if a mother Chocobo is missing her baby. But from where we got him we didn't see or hear a frantic Chocobo mother." Sora nodded along with the statement as he had nothing else to really add. They saw a baby chickling in trouble and stepped in to help him.

Everyone nodded but Namine spoke first. "So you took in what could be a stray. That's... really adorable."

"I think you mean admirable," Roxas chuckled though his face felt like it was on fire. Even his ears tinged pink.

"That too," Namine nodded. "Not everyone has the kindness in their hearts to just take in a Chocobo chickling." She admired that quality. Roxas seemed to have a habit of picking up strays, which, don't get her wrong, wasn't a bad thing.

Roxas nodded back. It was definitely high praise. Which wasn't the reason he'd taken in the chick. But it did make him happy that the group came over and helped with the Chocobo chick. "I don't deserve all the credit- Sora helped me decide to bring it back home." Without noticing it, he wore a care-free kind of smile. Something Namine sent back his way. And then Kairi and even Riku. Huh. When did we become friends? Roxas didn't want to jinx it by pushing his luck or saying something stupid so he hoped someone else would speak now.

Sora chuckled. "He means thank you." He nudged Roxas, who chuckled and then nodded.

"Guys," Roxas spoke up, gaining the attention of everyone. "Did you happen to see my brother Ventus anywhere? He had a friend come over and as far as we can tell we're here alone." It was a shot in the dark, but maybe?

Namine, Riku, and Kairi all looked at each other and then shook their heads.

"Can't be helped then. I'll be right back, guys. I'm just gonna get us some snacks." Roxas stood up and handed the chick over to Sora. At first, all seemed well as he went to the kitchen, and when he heard the frantic call of a Chocobo chickling. Spinning around to see the disturbance for himself, the Chocobo chick flew over to Roxas and landed on his shoulder. Nuzzling him, the chick refused to leave his side. Roxas chuckled. "You really like me, huh?" Gently patting the Chocobo chick on the head, he began arranging an array of things to eat. He even had some of his mother's cookies to offer. Right before he was about to leave, Roxas caught sight of something interesting.

At second glance, it was Terra and Ventus. Dismissing it, Roxas was about to turn around when he noticed the larger brunette lean down and kiss Ventus. His mouth dropped open and Roxas hurriedly grabbed the snacks then spun around and left the kitchen. Trying to forget what he just saw, Roxas walked into the living room and sat down beside Sora. He must've looked positively haunted because everyone looked at him.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked, his face etched with worry.

"Nothing!" Roxas didn't mean to have such an outburst, but he had just seen something he never thought he'd ever see.

Namine having always been perceptive noticed something was up. Plus, if Sora was pointing it out then it was outright obvious to everyone around them. "So, the Chocobo chick seems to be enamored with you," Smiling softly, Namine found it so cute that it was already anxious to be out of his sight. Which means it likely imprinted on Roxas.

"Huh?" Roxas glanced at the chick who looked curiously back at him. "Oh, yeah. He does seem to like me." Petting the expectant chick, Roxas was starting to forget seeing his older brother kiss a boy. He didn't know why it rattled him so much(?). Maybe because Ventus up until his little moments with Sora wasn't really flirty with boys. Thinking back as far as he could remember Ventus didn't really have a track record in that department. He had dated girls but it was nothing serious. Every time there was a varying reason as to why it couldn't work and now Roxas knew why.

Speak of devils and they do appear. Roxas heard Ventus and Terra walk in and immediately became distracted again. He resisted all urges to bite his nails. Deciding to bite the bullet, he grabbed Ventus by the arm and whisked him out the front door. "So, I'm going to ask you something and I need you to be real with me," Roxas was prepared for Ventus to laugh in his face or object, but he didn't.

"Uh-huh," Ventus nodded, blissfully unaware of what Roxas had witnessed.

"To my knowledge, you've never been attracted to the same sex, right?" Roxas was a little relieved when Ventus nodded. "But you and Terra... kissed!" Roxas whispered the last bit, so he wouldn't have to embarrass his brother.

"Roxas..." Ventus turned his head to look away and then chuckled. "Sorry. It's not because you've said something funny, more that I don't really know how to respond." Once more making eye contact with Roxas, Ventus decided to elaborate further. "You know me, I've dated girls my entire life. But it's never really been anything serious. Terra and I have known each other a long time and honestly never really expected anything to happen. Maybe I was just inspired by my little brother," Ventus shrugged. Not in a dismissive manner but in the 'who knows?' kinda way.

Roxas nodded and was surprised when Ventus admitted it. "Obviously we'll keep this between us, and you'll tell mom and dad when the time is right?"

Ventus nodded. "I just don't want to disappoint them." That one was hard to admit. They likely wanted grandchildren one day, and if Roxas had Sora and Ventus had Terra... then there was a very high chance of that not happening.

"They were accepting of me," Roxas placed his hand on Ventus' shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Now come on, let's go hangout with the others and figure out a name for the Chocobo." Roxas walked back inside and waved Ventus over. The older brother walked in behind his younger brother and felt relieved. He exhaled a breath he didn't know he'd been holding in.