Thank you so much for the reviews! Sorry it's been a bit since I updated last! I've been so busy with work and all that I haven't a clue what I'm doing. At all.

There's a bit of angst in this chapter, but it all resolves in the end.

Replies:

SoraKeyblader: I'm not telling you what happens! You have to play the game like the rest of us and gain that perfect moment of RikuXSora-ness. I'm glad you like this story though!

roysriza: Well, you begged so, here you go! I'm glad you like it!

kingdomhearts222: I LOVE Riku's long hair! I think it looks so good on him and I believe he would wear it up for school. (Probably cause the principal and Sora made him X3). Please keep reading!

Something Dystfuctional: umm...okay...that's the first time someone has ever called me a tease...X3

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and as always:

I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Chapter 3- October

Sora leaned over to see Kairi's Halloween Party outline, written out in her nice curvy handwriting. The three were at their usual lunch table by the window, Riku eating his homemade lunch quietly while the two conversed about the party, their own lunches finished, trash lying out in front of them. Halloween was only one week away from today and Kairi hadn't picked out costumes for them yet. It was something Selphie and Kairi prided themselves in every year since red head's appearance.

"Riku can't dress up as that…" Sora said; his nose crinkling up as he pointed to the costume ideas written under Riku's name.

"Yeah, but he said no to space man, clown, and sadly, fairy princess…." Kairi said, placing her head in her hands.

"But those are creepy…"

Riku leaned forward to see that Sora was pointing to the word 'vampire'. Riku smiled and noticed that it wasn't in Kairi's handwriting, but Selphie's.

"Sounds good, I like that idea…"

Kairi's head shot up. "Excuse me? Say that again?" Sora was looking at Riku with disbelief and mild horror. Riku smiled and took a swig of his water.

"I said," Riku stated, placing his water down, "I like that idea….I'll dress up as a vampire for your party Kai…"

Kairi immediately stuck a finger in Sora's face, which made him start suddenly.

"I WIN," Kairi yelled, "I told you he would go for the vampire idea. Pay up."

Sora rolled his eyes and reached into his back pocket, taking out some munny for Kairi and slamming into her hand. Riku laughed out loud.

"Sora, do you think you could win at anything…"

Sora smiled at Riku. While he said nothing, he grabbed Riku's trash, along with his and Kairi's. Riku looked at Kairi, who was smiling at him too.

"What…," said Riku, "What are you smiling for?"

"Hey, Riku, can we come over to your house?"

Sora was back, this time with Selphie. Riku felt the red flag warning go up in his head and looked at the three smiling at him.

"Uh…yeah, Dad's not supposed to be home till tomorrow…Why…."

"No reason," Selphie mused, grinning, "We just wanted to try on what we made you…."

"Made me!"

Sora sat down beside him now, his grin practically covering his face. "What's wrong, Riku scared of a little costume?" He taunted. Riku smirked at him.

"No."

Sora's grin turned into a soft smile. "Your house it is then." The brunette got up and walked away, Riku watching him wave goodbye over his shoulder.

"You know….You've got to stop looking at him like that," Kairi said, gathering her things, "He's bound to notice one day…."

Riku looked at the girl. Kairi always understood more about people then she let on, but this time, she seemed to hit the nail on the head, and bluntly so.

"What do I look like when I'm looking at Sora?" He questioned, turning up an eyebrow. Kairi smiled down at him.

"You look like you love him…."

With that, she walked away, leaving Riku sitting at the white table, starting after her in shock.

Riku was plagued with his mixed up feelings all through Geometry class, the only class he had with Sora. Every time Riku would look at him, Sora would look back and smile at him cutely, making the older boy blush.

I don't love Sora….I don't love Sora...I like girls…Girls…

At that very moment, a silent giggle was in the back of the room and Riku turned his head slightly to see two younger girls looking at him. They blushed and turned to each other, giggling again. Riku could've sworn he heard an "Oh my gawsh, he so looked at me!"

God, they are so annoying…Sora wouldn't…No. No. No!

Riku heavily set his head desk, gaining a sore spot after a loud 'thud'. The class looked up at him, the teacher stopping his lesson.

"Mr. Hikari, are you alright," Said the smooth voice of the math teacher "Would you like to go to the infirmary?"

Riku really wanted to say: Unless the infirmary can tell me how to tell my best friend, who's a guy, that I love him in a completely non-platonic way, then YES, I would love to go!

Instead, Riku brought up his head, mumbling a 'no'. Sora was looking at him worriedly, but smiled at him when Riku smiled reassuringly at him. Even if Sora never loved him back, it was always nice to be close to him.

For now, at least…

Sora helped Riku tie on a tight leather shirt, courtesy of Selphie, around the back. In front of them, the girls were turned around with their backs facing them, giggling like crazy. The pants Riku had on were also tight, black and leather, forming around his hips perfectly. Where in the world did Selphie get this stuff?

Riku knew for a fact that he really didn't want to know.

"There!" Sora said, tying the last strap of the shirt around his back. The shirt (well, if you could call it that) was black and sleeveless, with blood red straps around the back, keeping it in place. It ended right above his belly button, allowing enough skin to be shown. Sora told the girls to turn around and they excitedly did so. Both immediately swooned.

"Riku, it's perfect." Kairi said, looking at him, "You have to wear that…"

"I'm not wearing this!" Riku said, indignant, hoping that his father wouldn't come home to see him in this state, "It's too tight, and it's really annoying. Honestly, a guy wouldn't wear this!"

Sora grinned at him. "I would, if I knew I could make it look as good as you do, Riku…"

The three gaped and looked at Sora, who just blushed.

"Uh….I mean…me….uh….its….." Sora stammered, then recovered, "So, what are we going to do about the teeth and hair?"

What the hell…Riku said, looking at the boy, noticing the girls become distracted by the statement, Good as you do! What's he trying to say?

What am I saying? Good as you do! Sora thought, panic leaking into his brain, He does look nice in that outfit, but I've seen him right down his boxers before…no…no Sora, stop…you do NOT like your best friend that way…

"Sora? You okay?" Kairi said looking over, as Selphie tended to a pretty grumpy looking Riku, "You look a little flushed…"

Sora pushed all his thoughts of Riku out of his head to smile at her.

"Yea…Yeah, I'm fine…" Kairi returned his smile as turned back to Riku, who had shushed Selphie. The three looked at him, as he was very still. They all heard the front door slam.

"Shit." Riku grabbed onto Selphie and pushed her towards the door that led to the small balcony, "He's home early."

Kairi and Sora grabbed up their things and went out to the balcony with them. Riku had gotten out a rope ladder he had stashed in a crate. He threw it out over the balcony edge and held on too it as the girls got on it. Sora handed Kairi his things.

"Take this home. Tell mom I'm at Riku's," Sora commanded, Kairi nodding, "She'll know what to do."

"Be careful. Hope he's not gonna be mad…" Kairi went down the ladder and the two watched as she got the ground and ran off with Selphie. Riku looked at Sora.

"Aren't you going to go?" Sora shook his head and grabbed the ladder to pull it up.

"No. I'm staying here with you…"

Riku nodded, knowing that Sora wasn't going to change his mind, and began to pull the ladder up. He could hear his father downstairs in the kitchen, stumbling around.

"He's drunk…I bet he drank right when he got back to the office…" Riku said, gaining a disapproving glare from Sora. Riku and Sora put the ladder back in the crate and Riku covered it with a sheet.

"Damn it, this outfit…."

Sora immediately set to untying it in the back, and Riku was trying to get the pants off at the same time. Unfortunately, when Riku bent down to pull them down, his backside landed right into Sora's crotch, making the younger boy fall over onto the bed, pulling Riku with him by the strap.

"Riku!"

"Sora!"

They landed together on Riku's bed, Riku practically lying on top of Sora, his behind in Sora's mid section. Both boys had furious blushes on their faces, when the door opened roughly. Riku's father looked at them in utter disbelief, his suit a crumpled mess from what looked like a long trip and a horrible walk back from the bar. Pure anger and hatred was on the man's face as Riku jumped off of Sora, who sat up.

"Dad, it's not what you think….Sora was helping me….with…..a costume…."

Kurushi wasn't listening. He stomped into the room, reeking of alcohol, and grabbed Sora roughly by the arm. Sora took in an intake of breath.

"What the hell are you doing in my house, boy?" Kurushi said to Sora, pulling him close.

"Kurushi-san, I….I was helping Riku with his Halloween costume…" Sora said his voice soft. Riku felt anger rise in him, but Sora was looking at him as if to say 'Don't do anything we'll regret'.

Kurushi shook Sora. "Helping! It seems to me that you were trying to get my son out of that costume…"

Sora looked at him. "I was! It's a complicated costume!" Kurushi was seething with anger, making Riku worry for his friend's safety.

"You…you little tramp. Just like your mother…" Kurushi said, his voice shaking with anger, "You were take advantage of him, weren't you!"

Sora looked seriously hurt at this. Riku looked at Sora, who was between crying and hitting the man. The Keyblade master didn't answer.

"Answer me, faggot!" Riku's father shook him hard, and then brought his fist across Sora's face, sending him to the floor. Riku stood up, boxers and half shirt less.

"DAD! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Riku screamed. Kurushi looked down at his son as Sora was picking himself up.

"This tramp was trying to take advantage of you!" Kurushi yelled back.

"NO HE WASN'T!" Riku had never been so angry in his life, his whole body shaking, "He was helping me get out of this damned outfit! Don't you DARE hit him!"

Kurushi looked at his boy, and then back as Sora, who was wiping the blood off his lip. Kurushi's eyes lit up with understanding and he looked back at Riku, hard.

"I want you out of this house…," He said, his voice filled with malice, "You think you are so tough that you can just leave home for a year? Then get out and live on your damn own. I don't want you in this house….I don't want to see you or this slut in my house ever again."

The man left the two, Sora practically crying on the floor. Riku adjusted himself, and immediately when to Sora. Riku looked at his friend, noticing purple forming around the under part of his eye.

"Sora…I'm so sorry…"

Sora wiped his eyes quickly, as if he wasn't crying at all. "It's okay Riku, get your stuff packed, your coming with me…."

With that, the boys set to packing a few things that Riku wanted to keep with him and his clothes. After about an hour, they left down the rope ladder, two bags each full of Riku's things, and his back pack. Riku was properly dressed in his school uniform, the costume tucked away in one of the bags. He looked down to Sora and his blackening eye.

"Sora…I'm—," Sora cut him off.

"Riku…It was worth it…for you…"

"SORA! Oh my gosh, honey, what did you do!"

Hana Misonai ran up to the boys coming to her front step, noticing her son's preemptive black eye. Halen was tailing behind her, leaving Kairi at the front porch, her hands clasped together.

"It's alright, Mom…Really…" Sora said, offering a half smile. Hana grabbed the bags and promptly handed them to Halen, who looked at them with piercing blue eyes. The man's hair was identical to Sora's, light brown and a complete mess.

He looked very young for his age, just like Sora himself. Halen was a man of medium stature, but had a slightly stronger build than Sora, who gained his wiry frame from his mother. Riku could always tell that he was definitely Sora's father because the two looked a lot alike. Halen gave Riku a sharp look.

"What happened," He said sternly.

"Dad….called him a tramp…hit him….only because I had accidentally tripped Sora and fell on top of him…" Riku said quietly, looking down at the ground, "He called him a tramp…."

Riku felt unwanted tears flow down his cheeks for the first time. Halen didn't stand there; he immediately set the bags down and wrapped his arms around the boy in a tight hug. It wasn't like his mother's hugs, but it was strong and warm, something Riku remembered from days past.

It was a hug from a father…

Riku dropped his bags and hugged Halen back, his tears flowing freely, words spilling out of his mouth.

"He kicked me out! He said he didn't want to see me in that house ever again!"

Halen rubbed Riku's back as he sobbed. The silver haired boy may have acted calm most of the time, but he knew that no matter how calm someone was, the rejection of a parent could hit someone harder than any punch.

That's why he let Riku cry on him, because the boy's own father wouldn't.

Riku stood in his vampire outfit, watching Kairi run around to greet all her guests with her adoptive father, the mayor, as Sora bounced up and down on his toes. The younger boy was dressed up in black ripped up shorts, a black ripped up shirt, no shoes, a loose black leather collar and dogs ears. Around his eyes was cover up, mostly to conceal the disappearing parting gift from Riku's father.

"Sora, what exactly are you supposed to be?"

"A teenage werewolf," Sora said, happily as Kairi waved to them. She was in a pink frilly dress with a crown on her head. She motioned that she would be just one moment, the two waiting over at the door to go to her actual party, not her fathers.

Riku looked down at Sora, who looked back up at him. Even through the entire make up, Riku could still see the remnants of the black eye from a week earlier.

"Sora…I'm really…"

"Save it…" Sora began quietly, "What's happened has happened. I don't regret staying with you, Riku, ever. It's better he hit me, than you…"

"No…I'm sorry he called you a tramp…" Riku said, looking down. Sora faced forward again to the people, and smiled.

"You know, my mother was only seventeen when she had me?" Sora stated, Riku looking up to him, "She wasn't even out of high school. My father was just graduated when she found out. He was going to go to college, but decided to work for your grandfather instead. Mom had me her senior year of high school. People around here thought that she should've gotten rid of me, put me up for adoption…They also see my family as failures compared to the rest of the island. After mom was pregnant, they called her a tramp for having me out of wedlock…."

Riku finally understood to the reasoning behind the accusations his father made. Sora didn't look sad about what he was saying to Riku, this obviously being the first time Riku had heard the whole story.

"I don't mind though. People can say whatever they want about me. I am who I am, and I know that I've done a lot in just a short amount of time. I know the opinions of the people who matter, Riku, and that's more than enough for me..."

Riku smiled at Sora, who smiled right back to him. The two realized at that moment that there was something like love surrounding them. Both wanted nothing more than protect each other, help each other and stay with each other.

And that's exactly what they did.

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