Ahhh! Ch.9 already??! How nutty!

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Okay, so the story starts out from Misha's POV , just to clear stuff up.

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To be honest, when he showed up at the door it scared me. Staggering like a drunk and mumbling incoherently, dripping with rain from walking on the outside stairwells.

"What's up?" I whisper, trying to keep Sora from hearing.

He mumbles, shaking his head.

"Hey… hey!" I try and get his attention, but he won't make eye contact.

More mumbling.

"Have you been drinking?" I try to smell his breath, but there is no tell tale scent. That rules out everything except vodka, but I don't know where he could have found that.

I looped arms with him and lead him down the hall, whispering to him, trying to get him to say something.. anything. I took him to the small bedroom at the end of the hall and opened the door, which gave a creak of protest.

The room was modestly furnished, with only a small futon on the floor and a chest of drawers in the corner. He staggered to the bed and collapsed, breathing heavily, rain dripping down his cheeks and forehead. I closed the door and it squeaked.

I sat on the bed next to him and pressed my hands to his cheeks, but I jerked them away quickly.

"Riku! You feel like ice!"

He gives a light moan and furrows his brow. "Your hands are warm." he croaks, his voice strained. I put one hand to his cheek and use the other to pull the black cloth from around his eyes.

"Nonono…" he hissed, raising a hand to put the strip of fabric back to his eyes.

I feel tears build up but hold them back. "Riku.. I… what's going on?"

"I think I'm sick."

I unzipped the long, black coat he wore and eased it off, leaving it in a heap on the floor. I was shocked to see not a shirt, but his bare chest. His chest was pale, but surprisingly muscular. He wore a pair of black pants that tucked into his boots. His body was now convulsing with shivers and his lips were tinted blue. He reaches blindly for the soaked coat, but its out of his reach. Instead he found my other hand and gripped it tightly for warmth.

I take my hand back for a moment, and pull a thick, moss colored comforter from a chest in the corner and draped it over the silver haired boy. The shivering calmed, but didn't stop.

"Riku, this is scaring me. Where have you been?"

He doesn't answer, but instead he rolls onto his side and turns his back to me. I sigh, turning to the door, praying that the others wouldn't get curious and investigate. They'd met Riku a couple times, but never like this. Not even I had seen him like this.

I lay down next to him, pressing my hands to the back of his neck and my right cheek to his left. After a minute or two, I pull away and stand up. He whimpers like a small child and reaches his hand out slightly.

"I'm going to get some more blankets and something for you to drink."

"Is S-Sora here?"

"Yes, Riku, but… I thought you didn't want to see him?"

"I d-don't.. n-not when I'm l-like this…"

"Alright." I whisper, then turn to the door. There is shouting coming from the kitchen, and it's getting closer.

"You said Misha might know! Why don't we just find out?!"

"Stop! Sora, please, I-" but Nyx is cut off by more shouting.

"Sora, calm down!" Lanc yells, and then the sound of something heavy slamming against the wall. "I know you want answers, but you won't get them by being a-"

"What do you know?!"

Instinctively, I move to Riku to protect him. From what?

There is silence in the hall, and Riku rolls towards me, reaching for my arm "Misha… what's going on..?"

I turn to him, taking his reaching hands and, lifting a bit of my shirt, pressing his palms to my stomach, the cold making my muscles tighten. "It's alright, Riku.."

From in the hall: "What?" and the door wrenches open, flooding the room in light. Riku gasps in pain and cringes, covering his eyes.

Almost immediately I realize what this must look like. Riku and I, in a dark room, alone, mussed bed, his hands up my shirt and the blanket giving him the illusion of nudity..

Sora's face changed, going from rage red to crimson embarrassment, his mouth opens an closes like a fishes, as of trying to apologize.

"No, Sora-!" Lanc, Nyx, and Corben appear in the doorway behind Sora. Nyx gives a squeak and moves away, Corben raises his eyebrows, and Lanc's mouth simply hands open slightly, his face reddening quickly.

Riku, not realizing the situation, sits up slightly, using my shoulders as support. He's shaking all over, and his hair is still dripping. "Misha.."

Sora's eyes widened, and he managed to spit out a couple words. "Riku? Is that you?"

Riku's whole body goes rigid at the sound of his voice, like a full body flinch.

"It.. It is Riku!" he steps quickly to his friend's side, putting a hand on his bare shoulder gently. His face is no longer twisted with rage or panged with humiliation, but warm with hope. "Riku! It's me! Sora!" Riku keeps his face towards the floor, hands gripping my shoulders like vices. Sora's face falls slightly. "Riku… please… Don't say you've forgotten me!" The brunette's voice cracks, making him sound as though he were about to cry. Riku's face tightens, then he opens his mouth.

"Yeah.. Sora, I remember you."

Sora sighs as if the weight of the world has just been lifted off his shoulders. A smile spread across his features and he threw his arms around his friend. Riku looks like he wants to run, but instead he lets go of my bruising shoulders and hesitantly returns his friend's embrace.

I turn to the others, hoping that I can explain. I give them apologetic looks, then, after giving a glance to Riku and Sora, get up and leave the two, walking to my friends in the doorway.

Sora.. Riku…

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Yay! 9 chapters in! Alright, so this is short, but I promise the next one will be longer!