Disclaimer: I don't own any characters involved in this story, although I have named a couple of locations.

By now you realize that this is a yaoi fanfic and I shouldn't need to warn you again.

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Chapter 5: Confessions

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Riku kept his word. He, Sora, Selphie, and Kairi all went down to the dock and left for Destiny Island, leaving Tidus there to watch them row away. Everyone was excited to see Tidus out during the day, and the girls wanted to head out to the island quickly so that they could come back and hang out with Tidus. Wakka was scheduled to show up at the dock a few minutes later.

Tidus sat on the end of the dock when he felt a strong hand touch his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Wakka smiling down on him. "What's happening, man?" the redhead asked with a chuckle.

Tidus jumped to his feet and grinned. "Nothing much. Just waiting for a certain redhead to show his ugly mug."

Wakka mocked a hurt expression. "Ouch. If that's how you feel about me, I'll leave." He actually turned to walk away, and Tidus started to panic.

Tidus reached out and grabbed Wakka's wrist. "No, don't, Wakka," he said, his face serious as a funeral.

Wakka gave Tidus a funny look. "What's up with you? I was only joking. I know how much this day would mean to me if I were in your shoes. I wasn't about to leave you alone."

Tidus blushed and released Wakka's wrist. "Sorry," he murmured.

Wakka playfully punched Tidus in the arm. "Hey, man, what's wrong with you? This isn't like you to be all quiet and stuff."

Tidus smiled weakly and looked up into the older boy's eyes. "I know, I'm sorry. I've just been thinking a lot lately."

Wakka raised and eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Really now? About what?"

Tidus looked around and sighed. He grabbed Wakka by the wrist and dragged him inside the boathouse.

"Tidus, what's with the," Wakka began, but Tidus put up a hand to silence him.

"Just listen," Tidus said. "I know that you know that you're the reason that I'm grounded. But you still don't know why, right?"

Wakka nodded, his eyes wide. Finally, some answers!

Tidus sighed. "Okay, here it goes. Wakka, I'm gay."

Wakka's eyes bugged out. He started laughing. "That all?" he asked.

Tidus' eyes widened as well. "What do you mean?"

Wakka shrugged. "I figured it was something huge. You mean your dad's overreacting because you're gay? That's nuts," he added with another laugh.

Tidus began to chuckle, his laughter rising until he and Wakka were in hysterics.

Suddenly, Wakka got very serious. "Wait. That doesn't have anything to do with me," he said.

Tidus blushed a fuschia color. "Well, it kind of does. You see…" Tidus shifted around uncomfortably.

Wakka's eyes widened again. "You mean you…me…" Tidus didn't look at Wakka, but nodded, his face turning a deep beet red. Wakka didn't know what to say.

So that was it. Jecht was mad at Tidus because he was gay, and wouldn't let Tidus be around Wakka because Tidus had a crush on him. It all fell into place. Everything made sense.

And Wakka didn't know what to say.

- - -

Sora and Riku sat on the Paupu tree, watching the ocean waves. Kairi and Selphie were off elsewhere on the island. They were probably hunting for seashells or something girly like that.

Sora was sitting higher in the tree, and stole a glance down at Riku. His silvery hair was shimmering in the bright sunlight. It really brought the focus into Riku's face, and his aquamarine eyes.

Riku noticed Sora staring at him and looked up. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Sora chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing," he replied, leaning back on the Paupu tree and letting his legs dangle off either side of its trunk.

Riku shrugged and looked back at the ocean. "Sora, what do you think about gay people?" he asked out of the blue.

Sora sat up and gave Riku a nervous laugh. "What? Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I was just wondering. If one of your friends, let's say Selphie, liked girls, would you mind?" Riku asked, not looking at Sora.

Sora shook his head. "No, I don't guess so. Why?"

"I told you I was just curious," Riku replied, still not looking at the brunette.

"You're not, are you?" Sora asked, making sure to word the question carefully.

Riku shrugged.

Sora's heart stopped. "What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked the older boy, his heart jump-started and beating four times faster than normal.

Riku shrugged again. "I've never given it much thought, but I guess you could say that I'm not exactly straight. I've never had an interest in any girls, and only a couple guys." He stole a glance at Sora out of the corner of his eye, which he thought Sora didn't notice, but he did.

Oh, Sora caught that glance.

Sora's heart was racing. "Riku?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think about Wakka?"

Riku shrugged. "Redheads aren't my thing."

"What about Tidus?"

"He's cute, but he's not interested," Riku replied.

Sora was slightly confused by that remark, but he let it go, rounding up his courage. "What about…me?"

Riku didn't answer right away. Finally, without looking at Sora, Riku said, "You're better than the other two." He shot Sora a dazzling smile and Sora grinned.

"Har har, very funny," Sora replied, kicking Riku in the shoulder. Riku laughed.

"What about you?" Riku asked. "Now that you've got a gay guy pining over you, who are you interested in?"

Sora blushed. "I don't know if I want to talk to you about it," he replied.

"Oh, c'mon." Riku punched Sora in the foot playfully. "It's Kairi, isn't it?"

Sora blushed. "No," he said slowly.

"Selphie?"

Sora shook his head.

Riku's eyes widened. "Wakka?"

Another negative answer.

Riku's heart was racing. "Tidus?"

Sora blushed and shook his head.

Riku jumped up and looked at Sora. "You mean…"

Sora didn't look at him, but he started laughing. "Funny, isn't it?" he asked his older friend. "I didn't even know you were gay, let alone that you liked me."

It was Riku's turn to blush. "I could say the same thing about you, you know," he said with an accusatory point at the brunette.

"So what do we do now?" Sora asked his older friend.

Riku sat down on the tree, next to Sora. "I'm not sure." He looked over at his azure-eyed friend. "I've never been involved with anyone before," he admitted.

Sora chuckled. "I haven't either," he confessed. He looked Riku in the eyes, but both boys turned their gazes downwards to the ocean beneath them.

The two of them sat there in an awkward silence for nearly five minutes. Then Sora felt something shift around him. Riku's hand poked its way into Sora's view, wrapped around his waist. Sora smiled and felt the arm try to curl him in, so he shifted closer to Riku. Their shoulders met and they sat there, Riku's arm around Sora, for a couple of minutes. Sora got an idea, so he shifted away from Riku a little and laid his head on the older boy's shoulder. Riku laid his own head on Sora's. The two of them sat there like this for some time, until Kairi's voice was heard at the bridge.

"Aw, how cute," she laughed.

Riku and Sora disconnected very quickly and turned to look at their female friend. She and Selphie were in stitches on the bridge. Riku and Sora both blushed, got up, and jumped down to the island, standing there awkwardly.

"You two make such a cute couple," Kairi laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. "I never would have guessed it, but you do."

Sora dug into the dirt with his shoe. Selphie went over and hugged them both.

"Don't worry, we're okay with it," she said with a wink.

"Well, we weren't looking for your approval in the first place," Riku said. Sora elbowed him in the rib. "But thanks," he added with a smile. He wrapped an arm around Sora's shoulders and pulled him close. He and Sora smiled.

- - -

"Tidus, I honestly dunno what to say," Wakka admitted to his blonde friend back in the boathouse.

Tidus nodded, more than a little embarrassed. "I understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore."

Wakka laughed. "Nah, it's nuthin' like that. I don't mind, really, I don't. This was just a little unexpected. I, uh, didn't realize that you were interested in me."

If at all possible, Tidus' blush deepened. Wakka laughed and brought Tidus in for a hug. "You're still my best friend, no matter what," Wakka said with a smile. "I'm just glad to see you out of that house and at least having some semblance of fun, ya?"

Tidus nodded and reveled in Wakka's hug. He didn't want it to end, but it did, far too soon. Wakka held him out at arm's length and looked him up and down.

"Have you grown over the past week?" Wakka asked his friend.

Tidus laughed.

"C'mon, Tid, we've got a whole day ahead of us, and we don't want it to go to waste, right?" Wakka asked with a wink. Tidus' face, which had almost recovered from his previous blush, blushed again.

Wakka led the blonde out of the boathouse and stopped dead. He and Tidus stared.

Jecht was standing on the end of the dock, staring right at them, with a gallon of loathing in each eye.

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Dun dun dunnnnn! How're those two gonna get outta this one? O.o Looks like you'll have to read the next chapter to hear this one! Read and review if you'd like.