Minna-san, it has been a very long day but I am determined to make this chapter much longer than the first one. Maybe doubly so? Eh, who knows... I started writing this chapter after lunch in school and only got about three paragraphs done. So...here you go! I'm going to start before I drain myself.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of this anime.

Chapter Two: Whispering Wind, A Jealous Brunette, and Bloody Tears

Sora's POV:

After two minutes of me being stuck in the rain I was thoroughly soaked, lost, and--if possible--more confused than ever. I probably smell like hair gel since all that I've put in my hair has been effectively washed out and my clothes are dragging me down so much I might end up drowning before I get to Kairi's. If I get to Kairi's. I'm lost remember? 'Shit. That's what I'm in right now. Real deep shit.' I brush hair from my eyes and trek on. Why had I run out on Riku? He sounded so eager just then. Does he really love me? Or was he just "caught in the moment" as they say?

"What the hell went wrong?"

It is too dark for me to see anything, but I don't want to stay in one spot for fear of the lightning. The storm is really getting to me now--I'm starting to shake. If I don't find shelter soon I'll lose it and end up spending all night out here. And by the time someone finds me I'll be scarred for life. A bolt of lightning flashes, thunder quickly following. It scares me half to death but it was so bright I have found where I am. My house. I'm sitting right outside the front door. How could I have not recognized it? Luckily I have my key, so I unlock the door and run inside.

The darkness inside is just as overpowering as it is outside. The lights are off, so my mom must not be home. But where the hell could she be at a time like this? She should be sitting at the table drinking her usual ten cups of coffee, ready to have her son cry his heart out on her shoulder! Instead, there is a note waiting for me. A...note? So she knew I would be home, huh? She always seems to know everything about me! Mentally sending her as many evil thoughts as I can think of, I stomp over to the note and read.

Sora,

I'm off to Leon's house to spend the night with him. Don't make that face Mr. I-blew-it-with-Riku! Since you're home I want that room cleaned and if I come home and it isn't you're getting the spatula!

Aishiteru, Mom

/Shiver/ 'Spend the night with him.' Why does she have to tell me these things? She could've just said she was leaving. I slump onto one of the mismatching couches in the front room and ponder my fate. Maybe I should call Riku and tell him I'm at my house. Just so he won't worry. My hand travels halfway to the phone before I freeze up. Why would he care? He probably hates my guts right now. If I were Riku I'd sure hate my guts right now. So I drop my hand back to my side and sit there in my apathetic state. Screw all reasoning, Riku probably never wants to see me again.

It then occurs to me that I read that note in the dark. For some reason that creeps me out and I wrap my hands around myself and shiver. Sleep isn't going to be finding me any time soon, but the lightning sure is. I huddle closer to the couch and wait for morning.

Normal POV

Riku had spent the first hour after Sora had left tearing apart everything in his bedroom so that the once clean, collected room looked worse than Sora's. And that is saying a lot. The rest of the night was spent looking for Sora, so that when morning finally reached the islands he had ended up at Kairi's who demanded he just stay with her until he was awake enough to go back home. And that is what he did. He fell asleep with Kairi on the couch, the two sharing body heat and fears.

oOo

It is now noon and Riku is ready to get up and look for Sora. He supposes that his house would be the best place to look, though Sora probably wouldn't be there. How wrong Riku is. When he rings the doorbell and the handle starts turning, Riku expects to see a worried Seiya. Instead, a pair of brilliant blue eyes stare back at him. Those eyes...Riku fumes, shouting at Sora a great deal of swear words. Sora winces, backing down and letting Riku blow off whatever steam he needs to blow off before he can try and reason with the boy. Riku shoves the door open, letting himself in, and pins Sora against a wall.

"R-riku..."

Being pushed up against a wall is not one of Sora's favorite things. Especially not now, not at such a critical moment between his and Riku's friendship. His anger is starting to bubble; frothing in his veins. But he wills himself to stay calm. Stoic. He's been through much worse with Riku. Things that involved all of them: him, Riku, Kairi, Tidus. Surely he could handle something so trivial as their love…right?

Errgh…but Riku looks so mad! How the hell is he supposed to remain calm and explain to Riku why he ran out on him? It doesn't really look like Riku is going to listen. And he's not. At the moment, Riku is bursting with something that's not anger. He's not really sure what it is. 'How could Sora do this to me…?' He's been out all night looking for the boy and here he is now, in his own house. And, surprisingly, all Riku wants to do is jump him.

No, no, no! That would completely send him running, just like last night. Maybe if they talk about it first, they won't be so confused? But Riku isn't confused. He knows exactly what he wants, and he always gets what he wants. 'I sound spoiled.' Against the wall, he can see Sora fidgeting. Oh that's right…he doesn't like being pinned to things. Perhaps that was why he ran out. He was pinned to the floor.

A soft smile flashes over Riku's face. Yes, he'd particularly liked that position. There is only one thing to do now. He has to find Sora's true feelings for him. And he'll do it the only way he knows how.

"Sora…" he whispers, running a hand softly through the boy's hair. "I don't want to fight. I have wonderful news I need to tell you."

Sora chooses not to answer, mostly because he is shocked at the gesture. Riku always ran his fingers through Sora's hair when they were younger, but he hasn't been doing it recently. He misses it. "H-huh?"

"Kairi and I are going out."

This simple statement brings out two very unexpected reactions from Sora. First the boy pushes Riku away with strength Riku—and Sora himself, for that matter—didn't know he had. Second, he burst into tears. 'How the hell did it turn out like this…?' Sora is stunned at his own reaction; he never cries in front of people. It displays weakness, and Sora hates to be called weak. But by far Riku is much more surprised.

"Sora…?"

"Just get the hell away from me!"

Riku winces as Sora shoves past him and runs out the door. Something is seriously wrong with the world today. Since when does Sora swear at his friends? And he's never seen Sora cry…not in all the years that he's been his best friend. It is just unthinkable. 'Guess not any more. Shit, Sora where are you?'

oOo

Sora, at the moment, is running as fast as he can in the opposite direction of his former best friend. Yes, former. How can he be Riku's best friend now that he's betrayed him? How could he go out with someone? With, Kairi of all people. Well, the signs have been there for a while. How could Sora fail to notice the looks they have been giving each other; the ones that make him want to retch.

But, god, Kairi deserves Riku. She really deserves him. Unlike himself. 'I don't deserve Riku. Not with the way I've been treating him.' He smiles as he realizes that he has now run out on Riku two times in the last twelve hours. If he continues like this, a pattern will develop. Ugh, he can't let that happen.

His destination comes into view: Kairi's house. Despite the fact that she really deserves Riku, he's got a few things to vent on her before he actually gives his congratulations. Like how this had better not affect his relationship with any of them. If he's got a reputation with Riku to go back to. And as he reaches the door and pounds furiously on it—he knows her mother and father will be gone—he wonders why he is going to yell at her in the first place. His stomach flips as he realizes the reason.

He's jealous. Him, jealous of his two best friends in the entire island. How had he sunk so low? Does he really love Riku that much? Oh well, Kairi has him now, and Kairi will receive the best congratulations he can muster under these conditions. So as the door is rapidly unlocked and pulled open, Sora puts on the happiest face he can.

"Hey Kairi, what's up?"

"S-sora, what are you doing here? Riku's been looking everywhere for you—you've had us worried sick!"

"Really? Well, sorry about that. Riku found me and he told me the news..."

"N-news?" Kairi stutters. 'What the heck is he talking about?'

"…and I just wanted to come by and say congratulations."

Kairi decides that the best thing she can do at the moment is just sit quietly and let Sora say whatever it is that he needs to say. And he apparently needs to say a lot. She listens, growing more and more nervous as he goes on telling her all the things that Riku likes, and all of his sensitive spots for when they reach that part in their…relationship. But it is when he hits the topic of marriage that she finally snaps.

"Sora, what the hell are you talking about!"

"It's okay Kairi, you don't have to be ashamed. You should be proud: you're going out with Riku!"

"WHAT!"

Sora nods. "He told me just a while ago. Congrats."

'Riku that sneaky little…I can't believe him!' "Sora you need to go talk to Riku. Tell him I say that he needs to work this out on his own, and not drag in innocent bystanders!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Just go!"

And it is to a surprised Sora that Kairi slams the door on. Does he have something wrong with him? Did he suddenly mutate overnight? Is that why no one will talk to him, or look him straight in the eye. And why the heck is everyone yelling at him? In serious need of one of his mothers really large breakfasts. With eggs and bacon…and sausages. His mouth is watering at the thought of it.

"Sora?"

Speak of the devil, look who has come along. Seiya, wearing an impossibly large, goofy grin on her face. Sora does a double take. "M-mom? What are you doing here?"

"I thought you'd be here so I came. Let's go eat and you can tell me what's wrong."

"N-nothing's wrong..."

"You can't lie to your mother, Sora! I know all! Now come--lunch awaits."

"Breakfast!" Sora urges. "Eggs and bacon!"

Seiya laughs as Sora's stomach gives a loud rumble. She takes his hand, conceding to his large puppy dog eyes. They never used to work on her but now...the way Sora's eyes were so pitifully large and full of pain, she just has to give in. The two walk down the street and on the way to the restaurant, Sora begins to talk.

In the two hours, forty three minutes, and seventeen and 1/2 seconds that it took Riku to recieve a phone call from Sora--or more particularly his mother--he had completely demolished his entire house. Well, every room except his parents. He sits now by an open window, letting the wind caress his face. It's speaking to him, whispering soothing words to him. Not that he is listening. Right now, his thoughts are focused on that small, faint ringing. It sounds like...

'Shit! The phone!' Scrambling from his place, Riku makes a lunge for where he believes the phone to be before the answering machine clicks on and he loses it. Lucky for him, he makes it. Or maybe it's unlucky... Tentatively he pushes the on button.

"H-hello?"

"Riku? Is that you?"

A jolt of panic and relief runs through him. Panicked because it's Sora's mother but relieved because it's not Sora himself. Seiya sounds awfully serious--much unlike her usually bouncy self, running around in the kitchen to make them foods. He gulps at the tone.

"Yes ma'am..."

"Come over to my house. Now."

Rawr, I don't think this is longer than the other one but I was struck with inspiration in the middle of it and that inspiration called for a cliffie. So...what is going to happen? Why is Seiya acting all serious? And why was it not Sora on the phone? Read and find out in the last instalment of 'Why Me?' :Gaah, once again--commercial lady:

Translations

Aishiteru: I love you