Well, here's the new chapter, even though it isn't much . . . Sorry! I was so surprised to get a few e-mails asking me to update. Is this story really that well-liked? I feel honored! Hopefully I can live up to everyone's expectations. And so many people rooting for Riku x Kairi! I'm so surprised!

Raesia Artist- Thanks very much! I'm really not sure of everyone's role in this story, but that does sound pretty smart. I'm just going with the flow here! Lol!

tasuku-sempai- Thanks! Yup, Sora has a few problems that sort of help him gain his part. I'm glad you like the Riku x Kairi pairing. Lol, I'm not sure what I'm doing yet!

Maiako Sandiku- lol, you're telling me! It's very diffcult to write, but mostly because I don't know what's going to happen next. I'm happy you enjoy it! Thank you!

YukKi- Thank you! And the answer to your question is yes, siblings can really love each other in a romantic way. I even know two siblings that were intimiate at one point in their life. From my experience, siblings fight more often when they're younger, and get along better when they're older. I have a sister and we're very close! Oh, and the anime you're talking about . . . could that be Angel Sanctuary?

Kana- Oh, but I already decided not to do that! I'm sorry . . . T.T Really!

LiLi-Sama- I know, wouldn't it? I only wish . . . Maybe for everyone who wants Shounen-ai I'll make a special 'AU' chapter between Sora and Riku once this story is finished. . . maybe? Lol!

Kia Saphia- Yeah . . . I have a friend who used to cut herself; I'm glad she stopped! It was mostly a book I read that helped me understanding sort of, 'The World of Cutting'. Maybe? I'm not sure! Anyways . . . thank you!

Xie- lol, I know what you mean! People who have something dark about them are always appealing, ne?

to lazy to log in...- Thanks! I'm still not sure what happens in the future of this story, except that it won't be a Riku x Sora coupling. And like I said to Yuuki, it is very possible for siblings to love each other romantically because I know siblings who do. XD Anyways, thank you for the review!

Sky-Pirate-Tat- lol, talking on and on is a good thing! XD Hmm . . . Riku does deal with his problems differently. I didn't notice that. XD lol! How can I say that! I'm the writer and I didn't even get that! T.T I don't deserve to write this fic . . .

Forbidden

A Kingdom Hearts Fanfic

Chapter Five

"Sora!"

Sora's older sister greeted him with a tight hug around the neck the moment he walked in the door. Being young, he also lacked height, but she never acted like it was a problem. She was beautiful, with long chocolate hair and bright, friendly green eyes. She was older than him, much older. But he was okay with that; their age gap was what made them so close sometimes.

Out of more reflex than affection he hugged her back. He wasn't feeling well because of Riku. He hoped in his mind she wouldn't notice, but cringed when she backed away too soon. She noticed.

"What's wrong Sora?" she asked, giving her a sweet but concerning smile. Unconciously Sora stuffed both hands in his pocket, and like the observant young woman she was she saw that too. She reached for his hand and pulled it straight out. He pouted. 'Caught.'

"It's okay Aerith," he told his older sister, hoping she wouldn't check under his sweatband. Her fingers lightly touched the his palm, her clear fingers tracing the lines embedded in his skin. He started to become nervous. She was someone who noticed everything. She would know he did it again. He started to become tense.

As her hand reached for the black sweatband to pull it off Sora jerked his hand away, looking up at her defensively. She frowned, but he could already tell she looked more hurt than anything. He didn't like to see her that way. "Sora, you . . . you cut yourself again."

Sora looked away. She had powerful puppy eyes. She knew it all. There were only two people who knew his secret, two people out of the millions of people who lived around him. He opened his mouth as if to try and find an explanation, to try anything. 'Say something, say something!'

"I . . ." he started, but he stifled as another person walked to the front, out from the kitchen in the next room. He was even more nervous. It was Aerith's husband, his brother-in-law, with gorgeous blonde hair and sharp, cold blue eyes. He was the second person who knew. The moment they met eyes Sora's heart skipped. He looked down. That guy was always someone who was hard to look at.

Aerith turned around to meet eyes with her husband, who didn't appear the least bit interested. He looked almost as if it were routine. "Cloud . . .He did it . . ."

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Cloud asked. Her hands met at her chest as she turned to her younger brother, than back around. Her spiraled, curly dark hair spun with her. Slowly she nodded and he smiled. As he walked past her, stopping only in front of Sora, he smiled softly. "Come on, let's go."

"Okay," Sora muttered in a small voice, walking to the stairway. He was the first with Cloud behind him. He slid his hand on the railing, looking down at Aerith before her face dissapeard behind a great wall. He suddenly hated everything again. That look she gave him, the one that made it look like she cut herself and was in pain instead of him . . . he just hated it.

Sora sat down on his bed in his room, the very first door in the hallway. Cloud followed after, closing the door behind him. He sat down next to him. Sora' heart thumped in his chest, and he wondered if he was the only one who could hear it. One more thing he hated: talks.

Cloud sighed, throwing his head back to stare up at the ceiling and closing his eyes. "Alright then . . . tell me what happened."

"What are you talking about Cloud?" Sora asked, putting up one of his best smiles. It was cheesy. It was fake. He could tell.

"Don't pull that on me. Is it Leon again?"

Sora tensed. "Nope, nothing like that. I've gotten over everything like that."

Cloud pursed his lips and forcibly grabbed hold of Sora's arm. Sora flinched. Cloud's hands were strong. Hastily he pulled off the wristband, unconvering all of Sora's scars. There were so many that his skin had a tinge of pink instead of his normal tan.

Flinging the wristband across the bedroom like a slingshot, Cloud frowned. Sora didn't really get it. He was doing something playful, like his body was loose, but his voice was an ice cold that make him shudder. "Obviously you haven't gotten over everything. You keep cutting yourself like that and we'll really have to tell your Mom. You need to go to a treatment center."

Sora pouted and shook his head furiosuly, his anger rising up at that thought. "No! No way will I ever go to one of those places! People hate me at school enough for being gay." Cloud flinched visibly at the mention of it. Sora knew he was homophobic, but he didn't care. "People will start to think I'm crazy if I go to some sort of hospital for sickos."

"It's not a hospital for sickos," Cloud reassured, almost laughing a little. But just a little. The two weren't meeting eyes, but they both seemed to make it a job to look for the missing wristband across the room instead. It went behind the computer desk on the other side of the room. "I swear, it would help you. You're going to die if you keep this up."

There was a silence between them. If there was one thing Sora hated more than his anxiety, his sisters puppy face or talks it was silences. Actually, that led to anxiety. Anxiety led to cutting. He didn't want to cut now. Sora smiled, looking down at the carpet. 'Say something!'

"So . . ." Sora started, trying to find a subject to change to. His hands went from his lap to his sides, gripping onto the bed as he lifted his body and balanced on his arms like an acrobat. He got tired and sat back on the bed. Cloud looked like he never even noticed. "How is Aerith?"

"About five months," Cloud said. Sora looked over to his brother-in-law and noticed him smiling softer than ever to himself. Sora's heart skipped again. He was always gorgeous, especially when he smiled, which wasn't too often. He was glad his sister found someone so good-looking. "She's actually starting to show. Just a little bit, but it's enough for me to notice when we-"

"No!" Sora shouted, sticking out his tongue and covering his ears. Cloud laughed at his brother. He was a strange kid for someone his age, that was for sure.

-

"Leon! Leon, what are you doing? Stop! Leon!"

Sora squeezed his fingers around his wrist, careful not to get the blood on his bed sheets. He didn't want his Mother to see it. Lately been had been cutting more often. Every single day, even twice a day sometimes. He licked the small wound with his tongue to stop the blood as he slid the knife underneath his pillow.

'Why am I even still alive?' he thought as he got out of his bed. He walked out into the hallway and into the bathroom. When he turned on the faucet he made sure the water was cold before holding his wrist underneath. 'But then again, I don't do it to die . . . I just do it.'

-

Barely a day. It hadn't even been a full day and Riku couldn't stand not seeing Kairi. He had been forbidden to see her or speak to her at all costs, but why? It was eating him up, eating him apart minute by minute. Before he was sure he wouldn't be able to survive a week; now he confirmed he wouldn't survive even a day.

"Did you find a job?" his father asked. The two were sitting across their strange table in the middle of the living room. Riku was sure he was angry that he didn't bother to move anything while he was gone.

Riku shrugged. "No."

"Did you just sit here and mope all day?"

"No, believe it or not. I went outside to the local park with a little paper boy."

"And?" his father asked. Riku shrugged. What was he supposed to say?

"He got annoying, so I left."

His father's face seemed to stiffen.It almost looked angry, but he didn't speak. Riku looked off in the other direction. He heard a bit of shuffling and only glanced, noticing his father step into the kitchen and take out a small coffee cup from one of two cupboards.

His father came back with two warm cups within minutes. He placed one across the table. Riku didn't take it. It was coffeee. "Let's talk."

Riku frowned. He hated talks.

X x x x x

So yeah, Aerith is Sora's brother, and Cloud is the ever-so-cool brother-in-law. XD Yeay! And now you know that . . . well, you know what the chapter said. XD I'm not sure what to say here! Umm . . . How do people like Cloud and Aerith? Yeah, that's what I'll say! And Leon. XD He's in this story too . . . Okay! I hope you all liked it!