Chapter 9

Scarlet: Guess what all. This chapter, though short, is from a different point of view. Third person…it follows Sora from the kitchen into the living room, and I think you'll love it. Don't worry about finding out what happens with Riku, we're only going to be with Sora for a little while.

Sora: Oh so I'm not important enough?

Riku: No one said that.

Sora: Oh that's rich, coming from mister, " It's only a hug."

Riku: flicks Sora in the back of the head

Sora: OW!

Riku: smirks and laughs

Sora: flicks Riku in the forehead

Riku: Bleeds Ah Sora what the hell was that for.

Sora: Oh Riku I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.

Riku: hits the floor screaming Ah! The pain! I'm dying!

Scarlet: looks down at Riku with a raised eyebrow Oh Riku, for crying out loud stop being such a damn drama queen.

Riku: stops screaming and looks up at Scarlet Hehe, sorry, I couldn't resist.

Sora: You aren't going to die?

Riku: stands up and brushes himself off Nope, I'm fine.

Sora: kicks Riku in the shin and walks away

Riku: falls to the floor screaming Ah Sora you're so damn mean!

Scarlet: Well, I guess we should get to the chapter now. Uh yeah read and review...

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Sora stormed into the living room, his eyes brimming with shimmering tears, and he crossed his arms over his chest. Leon caught sight of him right away, moving to his younger brothers side, and he looked into his eyes with a worried look on his features.

" What did that moron do now?" Leon asked, just knowing Riku had done something to hurt his little brother.

" Nothing." Sora said, choking back a sniffle.

Leon draped his arm over Sora's shoulders and smiled down at the spiky head under his shoulder. Leon had always been surprised at how much shorter Sora was compared to him, but Riku. Well Riku must have come up to Leon's cheek. Leon knew, being at least 6.1 himself, that Riku must have been at least 5.8 or 5.9 at the most. And with height normally came strength, and Leon knew Riku was strong, having carried all the boxes form the truck into the house. Leon had even had problems with lifting, which was why he had skipped out to get food instead. That's why Leon had been very surprised when, a few days ago, Riku had bowed his head and told Leon to beat him. Something about deserving it.

Leon hadn't known the full story until after, but what he had done had been for his little brother. He had thought the silver hared boy had really hurt Sora, and he, being a protective older brother, had almost really hurt Riku. But the look on Riku's face, it had made Leon realize something. In the beginning he hadn't liked the boy, actually he had disliked him greatly, but now he was beginning to see that Sora cared for him a lot. But Riku seemed to be quite foolish, not having noticed that Sora was not only uke, but very into the platinum hared teen.

" I wish he knew…" Leon heard Sora mumble.

Leon looked down at his brother and found that he was crying into his shirt… It made him think of what Sora looked like during their parent's funeral.

" That guy doesn't deserve you." Leon said, gripping Sora's shoulder.

" Ha!" Sora laughed." You got that one backwards Squall."

" Leon." Leon corrected him gently.

" I don't deserve Riku. Even if he was uke, which I don't think he is, he wouldn't want to be with me." Sora said.

" What makes you say that?" Leon asked.

" We were so close in there Leon!" Sora shouted." He could have kissed me, but all he did was hug me and then when Kairi came in he said it was just a hug. Just a hug! Can you believe that?"

Sora was now throwing his hands into the air to accentuate his point, and Leon found himself smirking as he did so. Sora looked so much like their mother, rest her soul, he had gotten her eyes, her nose, oh who was he kidding Sora got everything from his mother from the eyes all the way down to the waist and voice.

Leon could see that his little brother was upset, along with the giant pout on his lips; he was also on the verge of tears. He hugged Sora gently, kissing the top of the boy's head, and then nuzzled his forehead into Sora's cinnamon locks. He could feel his brother fight against the embrace for a moment, his hands gripping his sides and trying to push him away, but after a single second of Leon's strength Sora sank into the hold and cried.

They stood like that for a while, Leon hugging Sora and thinking of their parents and Sora crying his eyes out into his brothers black t-shirt. Finally, after a bit of time, Sora calmed down and pulled away from Leon, his cheeks stained with smudged eyeliner, and his lips burning red from the heat in his cheeks. Sora bowed his head and wiped away his tears. He turned his eyes back to Leon and smiled.

" Thanks for always understanding Leon." He said softly.

" I'm your brother." Leon said, playfully punching Sora in the arm." It's what I do."

Sora smiled, nodding slightly, when suddenly Kairi came bursting in from outside. She had gone outside to retrieve the laundry from the clothesline, and now she looked quite flustered, gasping and red in the face.

" What's wrong Kairi?" Sora asked, moving toward his sister.

" Riku. Where is he?" She asked, her voice shaky.

Sora's face fell into a glare and he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb toward the kitchen.

" In there." He grunted before crossing his arms over his chest.

Kairi looked at Leon in shock, who could only shrug at his sister, and then she shook her head and rushed into the kitchen to talk to Riku. Moment's passed, and Sora turned and looked at the kitchen door. Everything was quiet, and Sora found himself wondering why it was so quiet. Suddenly Riku came bolting out of the kitchen, rushed passed Sora, and ran out the back door and onto the lane. Soon after the door slammed closed Kairi walked out of the kitchen and threw her two brothers a large smile.

" What the hell is going on Kairi?" Leon asked.

" Some people are outside his house." Kairi said, walking over to the large living room window so that she could see Riku.

Sora instantly joined her, plopping down on the large black couch in front of the window, and he placed his hands on the back of the couch and watched. Leon stood in the center of the living room, his arms folded over his chest, and he grumbled softly. It had been something about everyone caring far too much about the little scruffy kid. No one heard. After a few moments though, he too had seated himself on the couch, turned toward the window, and he watched as Riku approached the men.

There were three of them, two of which stood away from the silver hared one, and they held clipboards. The one that stood alone on the other hand, the one with stunningly long and silver hair, held nothing in his hands, which were clothed in black leather gloves. Riku spoke to the man for a moment before the silver hared man held out his hand.

Sora could see Riku's hand quiver slightly as he moved to take it, and he felt his own stomach flip. Suddenly, only a single moment after Riku's hand reached his, he turned it over and kissed the back. Sora felt anger boil up in his stomach. If looks could kill...that man would be ass up in his grave. Leon caught his little brother's face and moved away from him a slight bit.

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(A/N: And now back to Riku.)

I reached for the door handle into Sora's home, and stopped, my fingers just brushing the brass knob. I felt so numb.

I am Sephiroth Uzumaki.

I still didn't believe him, then again I didn't believe much at that moment. He had told me my last name was Uzumaki, and he was from the government, maybe he hadn't been lying. But that would mean...

Sora threw the door open and stood in the doorway glaring at me. He moved aside, signaling for me to get in the house, but I just stood there, looking at him. I couldn't even feel my feet I was in such shock. This couldn't be real...Or was I just as simply in denial? I shook my head and forced myself to move forward, tripping slightly over the lip on the doorframe, and I stumbled into the living room. I felt everyone's eyes on me, but I just as simply smiled and shrugged.

" Hehe, they want to check out my house. I told them they could." I blurted quickly before I made my way to the stairs.

I knew he had followed me, but my brain just hadn't suggested he was near me until I had closed the door to his room. I turned around and he stood there, looking at me, a sad look on his face. I forced a smile, but I knew he saw right through it.

" Riku, what's wrong?" He asked.

I didn't know what to say. I stood there; still numb all over, even my mind felt like it had frozen. I looked down at the white carper beneath my feet; my black sneakers just suddenly seemed so out of place. I pushed the toes on my left foot against the back of my right ankle and I pulled my foot out of my shoe, and then did the same for the other foot. I kicked my shoes to the side of the room and looked up at Sora. My heart was pounding in my throat, and I was seeing red, and the next thing I know we're so close to each other I can feel his breath on my lips.

I looked down into his eyes, and I just knew I was crying. I could see my tears falling onto Sora's pale cheeks, but his eyeliner was already smudged, I wondered how that had happened. I slowly raised my hand to his cheek, running the back of my finger over his cheek.

" R-riku?" His voice was shaky.

I couldn't feel anything.

" Riku."

Then I kissed him.