Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, still. I do own the up-and-coming manga collection of it, though!
Warning: Yaoi. (Boyxboy if you didn't know.) So if you don't approve of things like that, click that little back button, please.
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Sorry if there was any confusion in the story summary. . The LR stands for LeonRiku, not LeonRinoa. In fact, I'm not even sure if Rinoa will even be mentioned in this story. I hadn't even considered it. xD
And in the last chapter, I meant for the last time to be a description of Cloud. x3 Sorry about that, too, to anyone confused. I always thought their hair looked alike…
Thanks to reviewers for supporting the story. Love to all of you. :3
Gah, testing. AP exams are still going on, then there are those Regents soon… Unfair how we get Regents and other places don't. --;
The pairings will continue to be implied for a bit. Sorry.
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Running With Scissors
-Chapter Four-
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The people around here were funny, funny things.
In those few days Riku had been around campus, he'd met all sorts of characters. There were those happy-go-lucky types, those cold loner-loving types, and those creepy goose bump-giving ones.
And in a place with a mix like that, Riku felt as if he could fit in quite well.
He was walking around a bit more. Sora and Kairi had taken off, having not bought all their school supplies yet. Riku's, of course, was completely taken care of by his guardians.
They had done that much, at least.
There were a few stores he wanted to look into. For instance, that marker shop. He'd gone in and…simply nearly gone blind at the intensity of it all. The walls were painted a deep orange with remains of what looks like random paint swipes. The store clerk was a bubbly, cheerful almost-blonde girl with a tag embedded with a name quite similar to his. Her hair was done up in partial braids and she wore the oddest clothing he'd seen since he had moved here.
She'd optimistically greeted Riku and inquired on what he was looking for.
He'd walked out of the store 30 dollars short and grasping a plastic bag with an abundance of metallic paint markers in it.
Thirty dollars on markers, honestly…
Riku spied a glint of silver out of the corner of his eye.
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He used to call Dincht by his first name. Used to be quite close to him, actually, closer than most friends get,
It had all changed during that incident. Ties were cut and bonds were broken. Ze…Dincht had moved away soon afterwards, to some little blue city in the center of mainstream.
But that was all old news.
Squall blamed the new kid. He wouldn't have even thought about his old acquaintance if it wasn't for him. Funny how people could blame things on a complete stranger…
He remembered a time of betrayal and soap operas. Of when he and his best friend shared marks on their faces. Symbols of their connection.
"…You're not serious."
"I am."
"Why? You have no reason to mar your face like that."
"I want to, Squall… I want to, because you took that mark for me."
Of heartbreak and disenchant. Of disillusion.
Because a quarter of their compeers had gone away, and every one was his fault.
But the teen wasn't like other people. That's what intrigued him. That's what Squall needed, even if he didn't admit it to himself.
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A weapon's store.
It was hidden in the corner, almost as if it had something to hide. It looked at him, if a building could look, surveying. Weighing his merits. As if accepting his appraisal.
So utterly different from the one Sora and Kairi had dragged him into. He fiddled with the sword strapped to his side. Its blunt whiteness seemed so out of place against the implacable curves and dark polish of the swords around him.
Like a beacon.
His own sword so sensitively, yet cursorily picked by his new friends, seemed frail in comparison. Sure, it was sturdy, and perfectly suited for someone with stronger arms. But Riku's strength was in his speed – his light footing wouldn't get him anywhere with it.
He looked up and saw a young woman, seemingly just a bit older than he was, studying him with cautious eyes.
They were guarded. Eyes weren't always windows to a person's soul.
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Cloud was late. He was so, outright late.
He'd promised to meet the bastard at three. It was three-thirteen. And where was he? Lost, utterly lost. Why'd the guy have to pick an ice cream store in this part of town, anyway? He must have run into a dozen sweet shops in the last half hour.
And seeing no brown hair or leather, promptly ran out again.
Damn the absurdity of it all! That last twin duo had chased him with damned ice cream scoopers! Scoopers!
Since Cloud was ranting, his mind speaking circles around himself, he didn't notice the platinum-haired youth he had collided with.
"Crap!"
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She waved her hand over Riku's outline. He felt a rapid shock buzz up his spine. It didn't hurt, but it did make him start in surprise.
He narrowed it eyes, cursing himself at not setting up walls. Did she just…
Damnit, he had learned how to! Some things were better kept secrets. His lack of privacy over his thoughts irritated him.
Riku suddenly understood why psychics were so rare. Probably sought down, the little –
"I've been waiting for someone like you." The psychic's voice echoed through the unexpectedly quiet store. Riku abruptly realized he was the only customer.
She pointed a ringed, thin finger toward a medium-sized chest settled into a perfectly dimensioned spot just for it. It was a dark, royal blue in color that was cracked at the edges.
"…" Riku had nothing better to lose.
He walked the few yards to the coffer and flipped it open. Yellowing, curled paper tied with a string met his sight. His eyes widened, taken aback.
The girl smiled.
Riku looked over his shoulder at her. "These are illegal." …And almost impossible to find.
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Cloud massaged his head where it had collided with the teens. His azure lenses met with bright sea green, looking equally as bewildered as he was sure he himself looked.
"Crap…sorry. I'm running late and I wasn't really watching where I was going." Cloud offered. It was his fault, he figured. May as well be the bigger man and take the blame for it.
"Oh…no. No problem." The teen alleged, hand propping him up from the floor. His other hand lightly grasped a plastic bag, bearing no logo.
The guy was…pretty, was the only word Cloud could think of. He'd almost mistaken him for a girl, if it wasn't for the body.
But stick a dress on him and Cloud's believe it any day.
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The blonde helped him up. He introduced himself. "My name's Cloud. Nice to meet you."
Riku's lips twitched. Cloud… He couldn't help but glance at the sky. Lazy puffs floated across the sky.
"Riku." He presented himself, shaking the outstretched hand. "So where were you going in such a hurry?"
"Oh, that's right! Fuck!" Cloud hurriedly skimmed his watch. He groaned, a noise that spoke of despair and annoyance. "I'm late meeting a friend of mine. He said he'd be at a place called 'Delights and Saccharine'… Heard of it?"
Riku tilted his head in thought. He faintly recalled 'Saccharine'…a place he had visited yesterday. There had been a word in front of it, too. "That place? It's about four blocks from here." Riku conversed. "I can get you there, if you want."
Cloud smiled gratefully. He was lucky to have bumped into the kid. "Thanks. Thanks a lot."
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Squall checked his watch. Three-forty-five.
Cloud was late.
He was going to kill him. He could have done so many other useful things in the time Cloud had made him wait. Hell, Squall still had to prepare for the session tomorrow. The one where everyone was assigned students and teachers.
He wished he was a student. Why had he decided to graduate early, again?
…Oh right. The headmaster had promised him a car. Right.
It made it all worthwhile.
A jingle caught his attention, announcing the arrival of more customers.
A familiar shock of silver hair caught his eye. Out of all the people on campus, it wouldn't… He simply wouldn't let someone have that much control over him.
…Cloud was with him. His blue eyes scanned the store, stopping on Squall and grinning. His expression practically yelled Finally!
He hid a smirk.
Squall wasn't sure what he was doing, waving his hand to the duo to his booth. But whatever it was, it felt right.
Maybe it was time to live a little.
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It was the guy from the car.
Riku was awkwardly silent as the man's glance slid to him. Examined him, coldly observing. He nodded for them both to sit down, after a moment.
Cloud started the conversation. "Leonnn! You idiot, give me directions next time you pick the place." He folded his arms, annoyed.
"…What do you have to complain about?" Squall muttered quietly. He glared at the girl behind the counter, who shrieked with excitement. "I'm the one who had to sit here with that…that call girl staring at me."
Cloud remembered Riku, who was looking at them with an expression of surprise and amusement. His green eyes kept drifting to the figure sitting across from them, the blonde noticed.
"Right right. This is Riku. He helped me get here, no thanks to you, Leon."
"Ah – nice to meet you." Riku said, uneasily. Leon – he guessed that was his name – nodded to him and shook his hand. Turbulent twisting gray eyes looked into his.
"Leon."
His real name was only meant for those he used to know.
A black-clad waitress appeared, gothic-hushed and removed three ice cream sundaes from her tray. "Three vanilla styles, on the house. From our boss." She gestured to the woman behind her counter, who fluttered her eyelids precariously.
Leon sighed. Cloud waved slightly at the girl, and she smiled, red lipstick shining in the lights of the café.
Riku closed his eyes and lifted his spoon. Clearing himself of awkwardness and annoyance, he took a bite of the first sundae.
He cringed as the coldness hit his teeth.
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-End Chapter Four-
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So Leon and Riku finally met – well, face to face, anyway. And in the next chapter, a rather familiar character is introduced!
Sorry if this one was rather rushed. X.x I had to put in a bunch of things to set up for…everything.
Since teachers are next chapter, classes should be the one after that.
Thanks for everyone who read this far. Read and review, please.
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