[Author Notes]: Short chapter!! I promise I'll have a HUGE chapter three. Please read and review!

[Special Thanks To]: myredraincoat, Rinoki Rio, VixettaremIx, angelicattie, Kyari, Kumagoro-chan, Rock-Howard-17, Rabid Chibi Fangirl, Minako, and Sora Otaku!

[Disclaimer]: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!

[Warnings]: This has yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!

[Rating]: Rated R for future sexual situations and language

[Reminder]

"..............." Means talking

(...............) Means author notes

*..............* Means an action

~..............~ Means thinking

'...............' Means past sayings

............. Means a place

Self-Control

Chapter Two - The Morning of Day One

It was very early in the morning, and the sun was just on the horizon, illuminating the small unknown island slightly. A light breeze past through the already rustling trees, and slowly but surely, it woke Sora from his not-so-peaceful slumber. Due to the current bet, Sora went out of his way to avoid his boyfriend, and to actually succeed at such a task, he rowed to a small island nearby and camped out there. The age of adulthood on the island was sixteen, so as soon as Sora turned sixteen, he and Riku bought a small shack on the coast of the island. It was a dream come true since they got such a nice house for a great deal, but the boys still went to school and worked to pay the bills. This had become routine, and it was no longer a burden on the boys who had been doing this for almost a year, but right now...

It was a complete and utter pain.

Sora had to get away from the temptation - Riku being the temptation - and he couldn't go back to his parent's house since Riku would be able to find him easily. Therefore, he was here, sleeping on the cold earth floor in a little cave deep in the foliage of the island. He was in such a hurry that he forgot to bring everything, and he was lucky that he had a small emergency case already hidden on the island. A blanket, some hard candy, and a slingshot were some of the things packed in this emergency kit.

Getting up while rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Sora automatically looked around before standing up. He wiped the dirt off his clothes and sighed. ~I have to go back home and take a shower. I smell like shit...~

Sora stretched, then headed out the cave, straight to the small rowboat brought up on shore. Pushing it into the water, he grabbed his paddle and rowed to the main isle. He made sure he was as quiet as possible since the houses on the shoreline could hear anything disturbing the ocean's calmness. In a matter of moments, he reached the island and jumped out the boat, tying it to the post at the dock. He waded to the shore and stealthily moved along the beach towards his parent's house. They always left his window open just in case he needed something.

Tonight should be no exception.

Eventually, the cinnamon-haired boy reached the large tree alongside his parent's house and scaled it with grace and ease. When he was living there, he had mastered the art of sneaking out, mostly to join Riku and his friends at the nightly bonfires. It was the perfect end to a strenuous day.

Sora was now eye-level with the window, and he grabbed hold and swung himself in, landing softly in the plush blue carpet. His sapphire eyes immediately darted to the small bathroom in his room, and without giving it a second thought, he ran in. Stripping rapidly, he turned on the shower and stepped in, grabbing the bar of soap and yanking a washcloth off of the towel holder. He tried to go as fast as he could, but the streaming hot water was so relaxing, and it helped him soothe the aching pain in his back that he acquired from the disturbing sleep. His relaxation would be his downfall, for he failed to notice the squeak of the door and the small breeze that drifted throughout the room because of it.

He noticed he wasn't alone when the last person he wanted to see stepped into the shower with him.

"Sora..." Riku whispered in his ear as he wrapped his arms around the naked form. "Where were you last night? I...missed you."

Riku couldn't have been prepared for what happened next. For the first time since they got together, Sora jumped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, covering himself. His eyes were widened in fear and shock and...nervousness?

Riku could only smirk to disguise his initial shock as he leaned against the shower wall. He cocked his head to the side innocently. "What's wrong with you, Sora? You used to enjoy taking showers with me...unless you were doing something that you weren't suppose to..."

A full and obvious scan of his body caused Sora to tighten the towel around his waist and back up towards the door. "R-Riku! W-what are you doing here?"

~I can't lose the bet! I can't lose the bet!! Keep your eyes on the floor, Sora! On the floor...oh damnit...~

Seeing a frown form on Riku's face, Sora let out a nervous laugh and kept inching to the door. "O-Of course you have a right to be here! I mean I gave you a KEY to the house..."

~Why did I give you that damn key?!~

Riku stepped out of the shower now, watching Sora move slowly to the door. His frown deepened and he trapped Sora between his outstretched arms. Sora instantly moved his gaze from the floor to the ceiling. Riku just watched his for a few more moments before he spoke: "Why are you so nervous Sora and where did you go last night?"

Gulping, Sora lowered his gaze from the ceiling to Riku. His piercing sea-green eyes were hardening by the minute, meaning that he was dead serious and wouldn't leave Sora alone until he got an answer. ~Great.~

"Heh, w-well umm, I was...you know...whittling something...for you?"

Silence.

"Whittling...?"

Riku stepped back, bringing one hand to his face to cover his eyes. His body trembled slightly, and Sora could only watch to wonder what trouble his lie just caused. ~What a minute?~

Sora inched closer and looked under the hand covering Riku's face. He was laughing! "Sora..." Riku finally said between gasps of air. "You haven't whittled anything since we were like eight!"

"Well, I wanted to make something for you since your birthday is coming up! And that's not funny!" Sora silently wondered how he could lie so easily now...

"Ok Sora, but that still doesn't explain the shower reaction."

Sora froze. ~Damnit!~

Riku shook his hair before walking back up to Sora and trapping him between his outstretched arms. He leaned down and tried to bury his face in his neck, but Sora ducked out of Riku's arms and practically ran to the door. "Sora...?"

"I-I'm sorry, Riku, I guess I just not in the mood right now. Heh..."

A thin silver eyebrow rose in response to the statement. "Really? Well, I'm sure I can fix that..."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sora gasped. He knew exactly what Riku was talking about, and that ALWAYS got him in the mood...

Switching into emergency panic mood, Sora ran out of his small bathroom, only to be chased by Riku. He yelled the first word that came to mind: "MOM!!"

"Shit!" Riku cursed while running back into the bathroom. He was, after all, naked.

"Yes, sweetheart?" her mother's melodious voice called.

Sora threw on a random shirt and was searching through his drawer frantically to find some boxers and pants. "Can you come here for a second?!"

"Ok..." He heard soft steps just down the hall so he hurried up and found some boxers and pants. Putting them on, he zipped his pants just in time. His mother opened the door. "You rang?" she said playfully.

"Yup, sure did Mom," Sora said, making his way to the window. "I think I grabbed the last towel in the bathroom and Riku's in the bathroom right now so make sure he gets one. In 30 minutes."

"30 minutes?"

"Yes. 30 minutes. No later, no sooner!"

His mother put her hand on her hip at his tone. Sora climbed out the window and held on the the ledge, pouting while looking at his mother pleadingly. "Mama..."

"Ok Sora."

He flashed her his trademark smile and blew her a kiss. "Thanks mom."

Sora let go of the ledge and landed smoothly on the lawn below. He looked around before checking the time and walked to downtown. He made his escape...but where was he going to go now?

"I might as well work and get some more money," he muttered aloud, "got nothing else to do."

^*^

"Selphie...what's the matter?"

"N-Nothin Tidy! I-I'm just fine!!"

"Selphie...I reached out to hug you and you ended up in the highest palm tree on this island. In five seconds. How is that fine?"

"B-Because I say it is that's why! Besides, I just wanted to get some exercise! I'm getting a little overweight..."

"You're underweight, Selphie..."

"Don't be ridiculous, Tidy! ANYways, you can stop waiting on me cuz I'll probably be here for awhile."

"We were suppose to spend the day together, remember?"

"Well, plans change m'boy! I gotta finish mah exercise!"

"..."

"What? I told you I'm getting a little overweight. Why can't you just accept my decision?!"

"Selphie..."

"My cheeks are getting a little chubby, ya see, so I gotta get rid of em'!"

"Your cheeks are fine."

"Tidus!! How can you think about my rear end at a moment like this?! I mean, I know you're a guy and everything, but seriously!"

"Wha...?"

"I swear you're just like Cloud and his damn obsession with Leon's ass!"

"Selphie...!"

"Huh?"

"...I was talking about your face...you said your cheeks are a little chubby..."

"..."

".....*sigh* I'm leaving...see ya later..."

"..."

^*^

Cloud laid still in his guest bedroom, refusing to get up and meet the bright day. Leon was up and making breakfast, something he always did after two hours of hardcore training. If Cloud was right, which he probably was, Leon would be in front of the stove, scrambling eggs and frying bacon with nothing on but a pair of loose black sweatpants and a white hand towel thrown over his shoulder. Cloud sighed.

That was the sight that made him fall in love with Leon in the first place.

~I am a complete and utter moron for doing this stupid bet.~

"Cloud! Breakfast!"

Wearily, Cloud glanced at the door to see Leon leaning on the doorframe, his arms crossed casually. He sighed and wrapped the thick comforter around himself to shield off the cold and Leon. Usually when he did this, he was pissed off so Leon knew not to bother him. Leon and Cloud always had more of a 'nonverbal communication' relationship, and this was only one out of several things that Cloud did. Leon had his fair share also.

An eyebrow rose in response to the sluggish movement of Cloud. He watched the blond silently make the bed, then finally head to the door, his gaze resting on the floor. Leon moved when Cloud stopped in front of him while watching him head down the stairs. He did snap at him yesterday since he came home very late with no reason, but he didn't think it was enough to REALLY hurt Cloud's feelings. They've had much worse, and afterward they'd just make out as apologies. Actually, he was expecting Cloud to 'join' him in making breakfast, but his spiky-haired boyfriend never came down...

Leon shook off the incoming thoughts and headed downstairs to join Cloud. Running his hand through his shaggy brown hair and sighing, he walked into the kitchen and sat at his usual place in front of Cloud. He only ate his pancakes in silence, which cause the scowl that formed on Leon's face to deepen. The whole purpose of making the pancakes - Cloud's favorite breakfast food - was to clear up the little argument that had yesterday, and he wasn't saying anything?

"What's wrong?"

Cloud stopped eating and looked up, flashing Leon a small smile. "Nothing. Thanks for breakfast."

He gathered up his dishes and headed to the dishwater, putting them in and turning it on. Leon got up and leaned on the counter next to the dishwasher and still watched Cloud as he put the detergent in.

His gaze never left the dishwasher. This made Leon even more suspicious.

"...I'm sorry about yesterday."

Cloud stopped once more, looking at Leon in shock. Leon only 'hmphed' and walked out to go to work. Cloud sank to the floor. He clenched his fists with newly formed frustration. ~NOW he decides to be sweet when I'm on this stupid bet!! Argh!!!~

^*^

[Preview for Next Chapter]: Riku, Tidus, and Leon join together, Sora runs for his life, Selphie joins a club, Cloud's found a secret hideaway, and Kairi is thrown in the mix, making the bet a whole lot harder!

Stay tuned!

~MercuryGoddess~