Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, sadly.

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Super super thanks to reviewers: And tons to Maia, who I've been a long-time supporter of. (Read her fics! They're awesome.) -playing advertiser today- :3 Not that she needs it. The fics speak for themselves.

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Running With Scissors

-Chapter One-

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It was a long drive. The gleaming, sleek car bumped and jolted with every slight indent in the ground.

It was Thursday. Earlier, Riku had packed all the things he wanted to bring with him. It didn't take too long, since it wasn't all that much, really. He could just buy anything he needed when they got there. That itself wasn't all that daunting a task.

It was saying goodbye that nearly killed him. (Even the ones who couldn't make it sent trinkets and hugs that he was crushed under.)

He stretched his shoulder while trying to look as if he wasn't attempting anything. Really, Selphie had nearly maimed him with that last tackle - "One for every month you'll be gone!" she'd proclaimed proudly. And it had been the SAME place Barrett gave him that rough shoulder pat, too. (It was his boss's own little way of saying he'd miss him, Riku was sure. …Course, he'd never say it out loud)

Zell had swiftly thrown a not-so-childish amount of cursing toward Riku's father.

Then he had looked up at Riku seriously and said something that had echoed through Riku's mind long afterward. "Don't judge 'em too harshly." …Of course, the moment was ruined almost two seconds later, when Zell, with a oh-so-believable poker face, demanded that Riku took him with him, so as not to, quote, "…leave me here with these uptight little do-gooders!".

At which point Quistis smacked him.

She had given him a keepsake - "So you don't forget about us!" - which now hung off one of the many useless, decorative tassels on his carry-on bag. It was a fully-detailed, complex model of a reverse wheel. It was lovingly carved out of what looked like glass, although much harder to break, and in the center, his initials had been carved out and carefully highlighted by a slight suggestion of green.

Well, just his first initial, actually. His friends knew him well enough not to associate him with the rest of his relations.

But the charm was so utterly considerate, that Riku couldn't do anything but sincerely smile.

…Then he had felt bad. Wrong. As if he was smiling because he was HAPPY to leave.

The utter ridiculousness of it all caused him to give off a short laugh, letting the others stare at him for a suspended moment.

But the going away had gone on for some time; Riku had more bruises than he had gotten in a while. And they helped him get all settled in the car when it drove up – Barrett tossed him a pick-me-up drink for the ride there. And they threw warnings and underlines of affection to him that spoke of a deeper connection between them that he really cared to admit.

And they pulled out of the driveway, with Zell oddly eyeing the character in the driver's seat.

Everyone had promised to visit, too. For birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions…and he'd come back to see them as well. He had to. He could never the people he grew up with behind.

…Honestly, it wasn't as if he was leaving forever. Riku knew he'd eventually wind up back at his typical apartment complex in the heart of nowhere. He'd likely get himself thrown out of this one just as he did with the others.

Yes. He was SUCH an optimist.

Hell, sending fireworks filled with green dye down the teachers' living quarters would get anyone thrown out.

…There were rather nice days to get thrown out of school, though. (If you could call them that.) There was just something about driving away from primly-looking teachers who tried to look nonchalant and uncaring about his leaving, when in reality they were fuming from neon green spots in their hair and face…

Riku himself had a sadistic streak, it seemed.

He was so busy thinking that he almost missed the driver talking. "Sorry, could you repeat it again?"

A sigh. Not overdramatic, just…there. Not trying to be anything it wasn't. Stormy grey eyes met his in the rearview mirror. A dark, brusque voice cut through the air.

"I asked whether or not you had your dorm assigned to you yet."

The conversation felt surreal – Riku apparently didn't have too many connections to reality at the moment.

"No, I… I thought I was supposed to get a room when I got there?" Nobody mentioned anything about this.

"That is one way…" The person in the front, whom Riku now identified as a guy…

Riku suddenly felt silly. He had gotten into a car, and driven god knows how many miles, with an absolute stranger. …Who, if Riku was any more ill-fated, probably would've driven him to his house and had his wicked way with him.

"-was to register a room online, or through a phone. I'll just have to drop you off at a different point, that's all."

Oh. So…he WAS the right guy. Good. Okay.

…He should probably reply, right? Damnit, he was talking to himself again.

"…Thanks. I know you could probably be using your time to do something better or whatever." Riku hoped he sounded grateful, because he couldn't muster up the enthusiasm to even fake sounding cheerful at the moment.

"It's not a problem. I signed up for it." The outlined, mysterious grey eyes seemed to nod at him, approvingly, then looked forward, apparently focused on driving again.

He didn't clarify, and Riku didn't ask further.

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It took a while to get him a room.

He'd thanked the driver – forgetting afterwards that he hadn't learned his name – and took his bag and suitcase into the building in front of him. (He had been informed that this was the dorm administration building.)

The girl behind the counter had giggled when he asked where he could inquire for rooms. It had taken a whole six minutes for her to point him toward another door, smiling brightly and tucking her hair behind her ear the whole time.

It was exasperating, but somehow it was nice to know that there was a constant in his life that didn't change no matter where he went.

"Are you the new transfer?"

Riku looked up, and spied a blue-eyed, floppy gravity-defying brown-haired individual. The newcomer's eyes twinkled with enthusiasm as he gestured to Riku's bags. His face lit up at Riku's nod.

"It's awesome to meet you! My name's Sora, and I'd be happy to help you get used to everything, if you want."

The character, he acted like a kid was forward, that was for sure. "Sure, thanks. My name's Riku – it's nice to meet you too."

They were stopped from having a further conversation when the secretary called Riku's name. "You can meet with the headmaster, now."

As he gathered his bags, Sora grinned and waved as he started to walk off, telling Riku he'd see him later.

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Riku had paused in front of his door.

The headmaster had been a bit...creepy. So much for his theory about unicorns. The guy's eyes had pierced into his and made him feel like he was an inch tall. His smile - could that be classified as a smile? - make him fight the urge to run out of the room.

"You'll enjoy your time here." So definite. His voice twisted in ways that Riku really would've implied in other ways. It sounded as if it would have fit in a much different scene, such as out in the streets of the city at night, not anything remotely academic.

He suddenly realized he had spaced out in front of his door, and looked up, giving it a calculating look.

It wasn't anything special. It was solid, a sandy-colored wooden brown door, polished and patina. In dulling gold figures, the numbers 41 hung slightly above the door's center.

The inside wasn't any more amazing, he thought as he threw his bags down and took off his shoes. There was a plain twin bed, decked out in standard lackluster white sheets. There were thick, blue curtains hanging across a wide window. The carpet was synthetic under his feet as he walked to the adjourning bathroom, which was decked out in white tile and imitations of black marble on the counter.

Riku mentally created a checklist. First, order a new bed. Get a fridge (He wouldn't want to get up and out of his room just to get a drink, would he?) and go on a serious home redevelopment spree. After he made some calls to get rid of the unpleasant flooring, he'd be fine.

Maybe he was a bit more spoiled than he thought.

He started unpacking. Clothing disappeared into a closet with a slide-open door and numerous drawers. Little Riku-essentials sprang up around the room, making it feel a bit more like home.

He pulled out his eerily smiling toy, settling it on his new home on the stand dominating the corner. As he turned around, Riku's eyes were drawn to his duffel bag.

It caught the sunlight, his memento. Quistis really knew how to pick out presents. The charm threw shattered rainbows across his new room – Riku had the suddenly understood why his friend Rinoa hung crystals next to her windows.

They made him feel like the world wasn't real.

Smiling and feeling just a bit giddy, Riku removed the ornament from his bag and attached the trinket to his toy's ear. And that was how Cheerio the Platypus, who had stuck with him through thick and thin, the good times and the bad, acquired a rather handsome new earring.

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-End Chapter One-


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Comments? Tell me if you liked it or have any ideas to put in. :3

So far, just trying to imply things without giving anything away.

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