Author's Notes: Greetings from Cancun! I'm having a GREAT time so far, but my feet really HURT. At the moment I'm waiting on FREE!room service and watching a movie with my friend. So here's another super-quick chapter, but surely you'll like it, cuz...you know...it promises greater things. X3

Chapter 35

"Consideration"

Friday, September Sixth

Fifteen Days Missing

The small window above the bed that just barely reached above ground allowed the sunshine to flow into Riku and Sora's borrowed bedroom on Sally Doll Avenue. Sora nearly forgot that this wasn't his house; he had a way of quickly adjusting to his surroundings and was already quite comfortable. He shifted a little in bed, sighing and cuddling up against the warmth pressing to him all along his back. Mmmm. Cozy.

Sora stayed like that for most of the time he spent half-awake. Eyes closed, head on the pillow, enjoying the coziness and warmth. Only when he was fully awake did he feel another's breath on his neck, and the shifting of a body as Riku got up and went into the bathroom to shower with no words being said.

That was when the brunet did a rewind in his head and froze.

Oh my God...was he hugging me? AND I WAS ASLEEP? He shot up in bed, thinking about this. He processed, and processed, and processed some more, and the more he lingered on it, the more Sora seemed to feel more disappointment than anger. Almost like he was upset that he hadn't noticed...well...maybe just a little.

Sora puckered his lips in a trademark pout. Nnneeeehhhh...he was hugging me... the way he said it in his mind was a cross between unsure and surely disgusted—if that was even the right word. Sora couldn't describe if he'd have been disgusted, or angry, or something else. It was difficult to say. But one thing was for sure. Riku was really warm.

He blushed as he started to trail off and smacked himself on both sides of his head. No! Bad thoughts! Wake up, Sora, wake up! The brunet groaned and fell back down against the pillows and sheets.

"Soooraaaa, what are you going to do with yourself?"

Thinking of Kairi had helped less and less, up to the point where it didn't even help at all, but only served to worsen his mood. Sora tugged his fingers slowly down over his face and moaned in distress, just listening to the sound of the running water in the bathroom. He had no idea how, but they'd slept through the waking hours of the monsters. How else could it be so incredibly quiet outside? Besides, looking at the clock told him it was almost nine o'clock—surely, then, they would all be at school by now, and Seifer might be at work.

More sighing. Sora closed his eyes and listened to the shower, letting the silence take a stab at clearing his head. It worked a little bit, anyway. Well enough that Sora wasn't feeling quite so confused. He frowned, however, going over what he and Riku had talked about yesterday. Riku's words eventually began to echo in his head.

If you don't care, and you don't see anything wrong with it, then why are you so adverse to giving it a shot?

It's clearly bothering you.

Would you rather wake up with some random guy...?

Maybe you're not gay. Maybe you're bi.

Sora frowned. Rewind!

Would you rather wake up with some random guy...?

He sat up in bed again. Wait a minute—had Riku been implying that he wanted to be the one to break Sora's confusion?

Sora considered this, and then he turned a deep shade of red. He hated to say it, but the whole concept didn't sound terrible at all. In fact...if anything...that sounded like the best thing Sora could hope for.

But wait, what about Kairi? Sora chewed on his bottom lip. He didn't want this to get in the way of Kairi. Even if he was feeling a little weird lately, despite all that, he wasn't completely turned off by her. Was this going to hurt that somehow? Sora had no idea how any of this stuff worked. He started to scowl a little bit and crossed his arms. Well...technically...she never sounded all that excited...but she must be worried...

Worried, schmorried. She didn't see that date as a date, and you know it. That's a sign, isn't it?

Sora blinked.

The water turned off, and there was silence.

Then Fate's timer decided to tick, and Riku walked out with a towel around his waist, another one ruffling his hair dry. He peered out from underneath, observing Sora's dumbstruck expression.

"Hey. You don't mind, right, about last night? You weren't sleeping that well."

Sora turned his eyes up to Riku, and he swallowed hard as he started to form the words on the tip of his tongue...