Welcome to CHAPTER NINE!

Summary: When a disgruntled Sora lets his parents sign him up for a summer climbing camp, he's less than enthusiastic. But with some interesting new friends, crazy counselors, and a handsome, infuriating boy to deal with, this week might be more interesting than he thought...SoraxRiku, AxelxRoxas, AU.

Disclaimer: It's on my wish list, but as of now: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Redbull, or any sort of Nickelodeon kids shows. But how awesome would that be?

Author's Note: SORRY ABOUT LATENESS I have been super extra busy this week, but here is chapter nine!

I should really just stop being surprised. But I still am. 200 reviews!

And in other news, WHO SAW PIRATES TWO?

How awesome was that? I heart Captain Jack Sparrow. And that really shocking scene (I hope you know which one I'm talking about. And if you haven't seen it yet, I won't spoil the fun. Yet.)

Bring on the third one. Like, now.

Reviewers:

Llew Llaw Gyffes: Thanks! And the whole scaring the counselors thing; that sounds like so much fun. I wish I had thought of that when I was a camper. Oh, the possibilities.

Slushie Blu: THE chapter is getting closer and closer…so I give you permission to keep using me for my stories until then. Cause you leave such nice reviews.

ChaosDreamer: I'm sending Roxas in for surgery soon to get that stick removed. And about the fanart- anything works. You get super extra brownie points just for drawing anything at all.

Kyrene once Blood Roses: Wowee, that was like a paragraph review. And I loved it. I was wondering if people would eventually remember it was a climbing camp. Or that Kairi and Hayner existed. They get mentioned for like half a second in this chapter, though. Yay!

Darkness-Heart: Thanks for the nice review! –glances around furtively- I'll let you in on a secret. AxelxRoxas moments will come SLIGHTLY BEFORE RikuxSora moments. But I will say no more. My lips are sealed.

RedBlackandWhite: Well, it was close to the same sentence. I get points for closeness, right? Hehe.

Orangedcgirl: What's a life or two in the name of yaoi, indeed. That's just one of those sacrifices we'll have to make.

moon maiden of time: thanks so much! you make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside with all the compliments.

VittaMelody: Roxas just seemed like a metal head to me. And Axel…we all know he's a pyro. No question about that one.

Koneko-Aishiru: that would be SO DAMN COOL!

Astrazoxity: Oh, that was defiantly not a typo. Hehe.

Let's go!


It was just around twilight when Velma finally pulled into the dusty confines of the campground with an arthritic screech, rocking slightly on her frame. Alysa hopped out first, not waiting for the rest of her campers to make their mad escape.

"Woah! Where do you two think you're going?" she called out, her eyes locking with military precision on Roxas and Sora, who had been trying to make a sneaky bid for their tent.

Sora found himself wondering if maybe Alysa had heat seeking vision, or some other useful robotic feature she wasn't letting on.

"Um….we were going…to get…" Roxas guiltily tried to read Alysa's expression. "Dinner?"

"Good guess. Get to it."

Grumbling under their breath about their sore arms and legs, the two boys headed off in the direction of the campfire.


When Axel and Riku returned with the water (both of them miraculously dry) they strode into the campsite to the sight of a war zone. Empty biscuit wrappers, crumbs, and what looked like a heavy sprinkling of mozzarella cheese decorated the ground, arching outward from the origin of this chaos; Roxas and Sora, trying to make dinner.

"Sora! I told you not to EAT the tomatoes! We need those!"

"But I'm hungry," Sora whined, his hands juicy and stained red from the piece of tomato that was stuck beneath his teeth. "Besides, you wanted to mix them with PEPPERS. That is like, vegetable blasphemy. You blasphemizer."

"Sora, we're making tacos," Roxas explained patiently, brandishing a package of empty shells. "And tacos require lots of ingredients. At the rate you're eating them, however, dinner will be sour cream and Cajun seasoning."

"Sour cream is gross," Sora mumbled, his mouth half full.

'Which is the reason why it's the only thing left! Give me that lettuce."

"No! Mine!"

"SORA!"

"My lettuce," Sora said protectively, cradling the head of lettuce like a newborn babe. "You no touchie."

"Sora," Roxas said, inching forward menacingly, his hands outstretched, "Give me the lettuce, and no one gets hurt."

"Come and get it, tough guy!"

Riku and Axel, still holding the full water buckets, watched in open-mouth amazement as Roxas chased Sora around twice around the campfire, before tripping spectacularly over a bag of onions that scattered over like frightened chickens. Sora, still with a dab of tomato juice quivering on his cheek, stopped and laughed at Roxas, who, cross-eyed, was attempting to stand up, still muttering menacing things about "lettuce" "maniacs" and "vegetable fiends".

The two boys were quiet, safe and unseen in their position in the trees, watching the spectacle play out in front of them.

"He's just so…" Axel said softly, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I know what you mean," Riku finished, his eyes fixed on Sora's laughing face.


"So then we passed around a petition in Colonial Living 101 class to get oatmeal bagels in the cafeteria because some people don't just like white, wheat, and raisin…of course, it was a huge success, especially when we started to talk to some people about the importance of whole wheat in diets, everyone seemed to find it fascinating, the overabundance of sodium and processed sugar in cafeteria food. Did you know that there are even faint traces of sugar in some meat products?" Doug paused in his monologue to cast a concerned gaze over to Alysa. "Well?"

Alysa's eyes, which had been crossing slightly, fluttered open. "I couldn't agree more."

Doug looked confused. "That's not an answer…"

"What did you major in, again, Doug?" Alysa said quickly, her eyes completely closed now.

"Behavioral Sciences, with a minor in childcare."

"Swell," Alysa said thickly. "I'm sure you'll be super."

Doug's chest puffed out in pride, clearly not noticing her sarcasm. "What about you? Any fun college stories?"

"Shhh. Not in front of the kids. Wouldn't want to scar their malleable little minds."

"Oh, mine's already been warped beyond repair. Please continue," said Axel cheerily.

"Well, there was the one time where had too many Redbulls and jumped off the forty foot bridge…" Alysa smiled wistfully into the twilight. "Oh, Rodney. He was still muttering "But Redbull gives you wings!" all the way to the ER. And then there was the time with the hulu skirt and coconut bra…"

"I think those are enough stories for now," Doug cut in quickly, earning disappointed groans from their eager-eyed charges.

Silence fell over the group for a moment, a comfortable, easy silence. They were arranged in a crude circle around the sparkling fire, a content tiredness written all over their faces, grouped in pairs; Roxas and Sora, Riku and Axel, and Kairi and Hayner. Kairi's eyes were closed, and her bright head was on Hayner's shoulder. He didn't look as if he minded.

"So college is fun?" he asked Alysa in a whisper.

"You guys will love it," she said with a small smile. "So many opportunities for bodily injury…you'll fit right in."

They all smiled at her affectionately.

"So, guys," she said, stretching out so her face was tipped toward the stars. "Have fun climbing?"

Mute nods and murmurs of assent.

"Well, actually," Doug spoke up, "Alysa and I had an idea for a sort of team-building exercise, and since we're not doing anything else now, I think this would be the perfect opportunity."

"We had a what-now?"

Doug smiled at Alysa, and this time it was his smile that glimmered with a hint of wickedness. "Don't you remember? When we discussed how everyone would go around in a circle and say something positive about their partner's climbing?"

Alysa frowned. "Must have…must have slipped my mind."

Doug watched her with a little smile on his face. "Good. So now's a good time? I know how excited you were, and all."

Alysa, her frown deepening in thought, looked around the circle at her campers, stopping on Riku's face. Suddenly, her wholeexpression brightened, and she smiled again. "Oh yes. Now would be an excellent time."


"Axel was good at falling."

Doug frowned at Roxas, who was working to keep a smirk off of his face. "Come on now, Roxas. Surely you could say something a little more…positive."

"I see that as a positive thing. You should have seen him. After the fifteenth time, he had it down to a science. Pure poetry."

"I'm so flattered," Axel said dryly.

"I just wanted you to know, Axel, that your plummeting skills are an example for us all. Your descent, your slippage…"

"That's quite enough," Doug said sternly, but his serious voice was ruined by the snorts of laughter coming from Alysa.

"Axel. I believe it's your turn."

Axel frowned, deep in concentration. "Roxas had some really excellent stretching skills. The way he could just arc his body up, higher and higher and higher…"

"Axel!" Roxas said, his face flushing a deep red. "Stop it."

"I think that was a lovely compliment," Doug said delicately. "Well done, Axel. Nice of you not to resort to petty insults."

Roxas flushed even more deeply, if possible, and began to mutter under his breath once more.

"Riku. We haven't heard from you yet," Alysa chimed in sweetly, enjoying the look he gave her; it reminded her of squirrel about to be run over by a eighteen wheeler. "What did you…enjoy…about Sora's climbing?"

"Umm," Riku said, his mouth open and clearly thinking very, very hard. "He made this one..good move. At the end."

"Can you describe it for the group?" Alysa said, her voice taking on a pixie-stick level of sweetness.

Riku didn't blush, but a faint tinge of warmth lit his icy skin for a moment. "Well, there was this tough hold and he had to leap for it, and he caught it."

"That's not very descriptive at all," Alysa said chidingly. "How are we supposed to learn if you don't give us the play-by-play?"

"Well…ummm…he stretched up on his left foot, and reached up his right hand, so he was all…umm…stretched out, on the rock, and he just kind of jumped, all in one motion, you know…" Riku trailed off as he realized what he was saying. The pinkness in his cheeks became more visible, and he deliberately leaned forward so his bangs covered most of his face from view.

"And how do you think Sora felt right them, Riku?" Alysa said, her eyes positively sparkling with malice. "Sweaty? Faint? Hot?"

Riku's hands went into fists, and he let out a muffled exclamation that they couldn't quite make out.

"What is it?" Alysa prodded.

Sora, who had become more and more uncomfortable as this little scene progressed in front of him, spoke up before he could think better of it. "I was just sort of tired, actually. Do I get to go now?"

He registered two pairs of surprised eyes on him; Alysa's and Riku's.

"Sure," Alysa said, recovering. "Go ahead."

"Riku was good a face climbing, especially finding handholds were there weren't great ones," Sora said in a rush, then winced and braced himself for a slew of embarrassing questions. He could just imagine it…And how did he grip the handholds?

But to his surprise, Alysa said simply, "Good one, Sora. Well, I think that's it, right Doug?"

Doug replied, but Sora tuned him out. He could still feel Riku's gaze on him, prickly and insistent, but he didn't look up.

Now why had he done that? Coming to Riku's rescue again. What did he think he was, his protector? Or the other way around?
Sora resisted the impulse to groan and bury his head in his hands. And just when things were going well. Just when he had sworn, promised himself to stay away. But for some reason, that was becoming harder and harder as the days went by, and when Alysa started hammering Riku with those questions, it wasn't a choice that Sora had to make. There were no other options. Only one; get Riku out of this.

God, he hated that.


Riku, on the other hand, was baffled as he studied the small, tousled haired boy. He had been nothing but awful to Sora, and the other boy would still….do what, exactly?

Cover for you. Stick up for you.

And you've been a bastard to him.

Riku felt something unexpected swell inside him; gratitude. That was surprising in itself, as he didn't like being helped. He would usually snap at anyone who offered assistance, would say icily that he was just fine, thank you.

But Sora…he hadn't met anyone like Sora before.

Why was it that when Sora helped him, he didn't mind so much? When Sora helped he was even…grateful?

He didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but that feeling of gratitude- it scared the hell out of him.

So maybe that's why he suddenly found himself leaning over close to Sora—the closest he had been since that infamous night on the pond—and whispering softly in the other boy's small ear, "Thanks."

Sora looked up sharply, his cheek almost colliding with the other boys' chin. As Riku felt his gaze inexplicably pulled to those deep blue eyes, he saw the emotions in them flick from happiness to confusion to something cold and distant that he recognized; his look. Sora was using his look.

"You're welcome," he said, and his tone was chilly. "I just hope I'm staying far enough away from you for you liking, Riku."

And the feeling of hurt that flooded Riku's body like ice; that scared the hell out of him, too.


"Do you remember Legends of the Hidden Temple?" Roxas said wistfully, staring in the great red depths of the fire. "Now that was the best show ever."

" I beg to differ, my friend. Double Dare was the best show ever."

Roxas wrinkled his nose. "Are you crazy? That was so…so…"

"Gross?" Axel said with a little laugh. "That's why it was awesome."

"You would think so," Roxas muttered under his breath. "At least you learned history on Hidden Temple."

"But there was goo on Double Dare!" Axel said with his green eyes (the same color as the aforementioned goo, Roxas noticed) sparkling with a childish pleasure. "Lots of lots of goo!"

"You are such a twelve year old. Are you sure you've hit puberty yet?"

"Do you need to see proof?" Axel purred softly.

"NO!" Roxas shouted out before he could help himself. "Oh, god no," he whispered under his breath, shuddering.

"Anyways, in Double Dare there was an obstacle course," Axel finished triumphantly.

"There was one in Hidden Temple too! With feathered temple guards! And they would pop out and be like OOGABOOGAH!"

Axel raised a delicate eyebrow.

"They were scary," Roxas finished defensively.

"You were scared of the overgrown forty year olds demanding coins from children?" Axel shook his head sadly. "I fear it is you who needs to his puberty, my friend."

"Oh yeah?"

'Yeah!" Axel said. "Wanna fight about it?"

Roxas would have said yes, if he hadn't noticed that peculiar sparkle in Axel's eye. That one that scared him deeply, even more than temple guards.

That one that spelled out, loud and clear, exactly why Axel wanted to fight about it.

Oh hell no.

"Grow up," Roxas said instead, giving him a nice view of his back. And his butt, he realized--but too late. Don't let Axel be looking at..

Roxas looked over his shoulder. Axel was defiantly looking at it.

"ALYSA!"

Alysa sighed noisily. "What is it, my ever-so-obnoxious charge?"

"Axel is…Axel is…"

"What, exactly?" Alysa watched with interested as Roxas's face got redder and redder, finally turning and interesting puce shade that she could have sworn was the exact color of Doug's current sweater.

"Never mind," he finally murmured, defeated.

"Seems to me you guys are getting rather riled up," Alysa remarked dryly, her eyes sweeping over her charges, who, in fact, looked on the verge of collapse. "Wouldn't want you going to bed with all the leftover energy bubbling through your veins. Why, you might have nightmares!"

"What are you proposing?" Doug asked excitedly, sitting up. "A team-building exercise?"

"Sorta-kinda," Alysa said, pretending to think. She snapped her fingers after a few moments, as if she had just gotten a brilliant idea. "Hide and seek," she said with a slow grin.

"What?"

Alysa made a deliberate point of covering her eyes with her hands. "ONE. TWO. THREE….."

She cracked open an eye. None of them had moved an inch.

"You know, you only have thirty seconds. Then it's ready or not, here I come."

A mad scramble as everyone tried to get up at once.

Alysa used one hand to cover her grin and closed her eyes, counting out into the night. "FOUR. FIVE…."


Sora picked through the underbrush expertly before diving to his hands and knees, commando-style, and crouching behind a large log that cleverly concealed all sight of him from view. Unless his hair was sticking out. Was his hair sticking out? He patted it tentatively.

Sora sighed and leaned back against the fallen log, trying to remain quiet. He had always taken hide and seek seriously. If they gave out awards for hiding and seeking, he would have a whole shelf. Now he just had to wait it out and hope that Alysa didn't think to look behind the log…or that a spike of his hair wasn't sticking out like a beacon….

Crashing in the underbrush.

Sora stiffened up, crouching into a small ball behind the tree. The footsteps were noisy and most defiantly not subtle. It could only be Alysa. Which meant he would be found first, and would forever invoke hide and seek shame upon himself. He could never live it down. He could….

"Sora?"

That didn't sound like Alysa's voice.

"Sora? OUCH!" A sound like someone tripping over a root. "Where the hell are you? I know you're around here somewhere!"

Sora poked his head hesitantly out from the cover of his hiding spot. "Axel?" he hissed. The redhead froze and swung around, a triumphant grin spreading on his face as he caught sight of the smaller boy.

"Sora! Just the man I wanted to see!" he called out jubilantly, starting forward and instantly tripping over a stump.

"Quiet," Sora hissed reproachfully, looking around the dark woods. "Alysa will hear you!"'

Axel snorted. "She's not going to hear anything. She's eating marshmallows by the fire without a care in the world."

Sora's stared at him, confused. "But what about hide and seek?"

Axel shrugged, picking himself out of the undergrowth and moving stealthily to crouch down next to Sora. "She'll get around to it eventually. So. What's up?"

Sora eyed him suspiciously, resisting the urge to scoot far, far away. "Not much. Why are you here?"

Axel had the audacity to look hurt. "What, can't I hide with a buddy?"

Sora simply glared at him. "This is my spot, Axel. Either tell me why you're here. Or move."

"Touchy, touchy. Are you always this possessive, or do I bring it out in you?"

"That's it. Get out," Sora hissed, trying to bury himself in the leaves. He could have sworn he heard footsteps…

"I just wanted to talk, you know," said Axel, sounding hurt.

"About what?"

A beat before Axel would tear his gaze away from the dark depths of the woods. When he did speak, it was in a much quieter voice; much more serious. "Did…did Roxas, say anything? About last night?"

Sora closed his eyes for a moment. So that was what this was about.

"No. Should he have?" he said, guarded.

"No, not really. I was just wondering."

"Oh."

Another few moments of awkward silence before Sora's curiosity got the best of him. Before he could stop himself, he was saying in a rush, "What was that last night, anyway? What happened? Why did he yell at you?"

"He didn't tell you?" Axel said, sounding surprised.

"No," Sora said. "What is going on?"

He watched Axel, who looked conflicted, and tried not to feel guilty.What he was doing; itwasn't going behind Roxas's back. It was just that something was going on, and Sora was never one to be left out of the loop. He was just curious as to what had made his friend so mad. Curious.

"He just got mad at me, like usual," Axel said finally, smiling a little sadly into the darkness.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Oh," Sora said, trying not to feel disappointed. "If you say so."

"But..." Axel said suddenly, then stopped himself. Sora could hear him inhale, once.

"But what?"

Axel looked at him out of the corner of his emerald eyes. "Sora…does Roxas really hate me? I mean, really hate me?'

Sora couldn't think of anything to say to that.

"Forget I asked," the redhead said quietly, then got up out of his sitting position. "I'll leave you and your spot alone now."

And then he was gone, disappeared into the darkness.

Sora let the silence hang heavy in the air for a long moment before he said slowly, "He wants to hate you."

"That's what I thought," said a whispered voice from the shadows, and then Sora was alone.


Roxas, on the other hand, was finding himself with a much more unwelcome hiding partner.

"Riku. For the last time. Get the hell away from me."

"I just want to talk like civilized people, for once. Are you familiar with that term?"

"Do you want to be familiar with my fist?"

"Good one, tough guy. Was that what you were going to do last night? Start a fight?"

Riku didn't know why, exactly, he was saying these things, only that he had a need-- no, a drive—to talk about last night. To sort out the pieces and make a whole.

And if it took getting punched? Well, he was willing to risk that.

He spoke again. "What was with your freak-out show last night, anyway? Sora and I were just talking. Who are you, his brother?"

"Who are you, his boyfriend?" Roxas snapped back before he could think.

"You're one to be talking," Riku hissed quietly.

"SHUT UP!"

Riku smiled, satisfied, as he took in Roxas, who had turned a fiery red and appeared to be having some sort of brain aneurism.

"Aw, did I touch a nerve?"

"Stay away from Sora, asshole," Roxas said, beginning to walk away. Riku caught him before he could go anywhere.

"You've got the wrong idea. He's a good kid. I don't want to see him hurt."

"Well then stay away from him!" Roxas said, whirling around, anger written all over his face. "Cause you're the one hurting him! Going back and forth like's he's contagious, or something! You're messing with his head!"

"What about Axel?" Riku said, ignoring the sting of Roxas's words.

Roxas froze for a second, but only a second. "What about him? I don't give a damn about him. It's not like we're friends, or anything. Which reminds me; why, exactly, am I still talking to you?"

"Because we both know something's changed."

"Like WHAT?" Roxas shouted, exasperated.

Riku said nothing, only stared at him, his eyes dark as marbles in the half-light under the trees.

"Stop it! Don't you dare start this again!"

"Start what again?" Riku said silkily, tossing his hair over his shoulder and enjoying the anger that was radiating off Roxas in waves.

"You know what. You…you called me…"


"Geez, think you're making enough noise? Quick, shout again- I don't think anyone in California could hear you."

They both jumped apart quickly at Alysa's voice, Riku looking oddly satisfied and Roxas still red-faced and breathless. She took them in.

"Well. I certainly didn't exactly expect to see you two together."

Roxas said nothing, just stormed past her back to the campsite. She turned to watch him go.

"What's his problem?" she said, eyeing Riku suspiciously. He shrugged innocently.

"He didn't like being found, I guess."


So. I think we made some progress here.Right? And just to let you know: Legends of the Hidden Temple kicked ass.

NEXT CHAPTER: More climbing, Riku is actually nice to Sora, and Roxas and Sora have A Talk. Plus s'mores!

But reviews are even better than s'mores. Hint hint. Nudge Nudge.