A/N: I want to give a very special thank you to someone in my life who inspired me to write this fan fiction. They know who they are, and how much I love them.

Chapter 19: Black Mail

Oh shit. Sora held his breath and looked at Kairi. This could potentially be a disaster if Selphie is in a crazy mood.

Kairi held out her hand and helped the girl off the floor. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah… Sorry about that." Selphie looked down at the ground, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment.

"It was actually all my fault. I'm sorry, Selphie." Sora apologized, hoping to keep the peace.

Kairi held out her hand to shake Selphie's, totally oblivious to Sora sweating bullets over the situation. "I'm Kairi. It's nice to meet one of Sora's friends."

Selphie timidly shook her hand, saying nothing.

Sora cleared his throat. "Actually, you know her from WarScape…" He didn't think that through. Oh, crap! He looked at Selphie.

"I do?" Kairi asked, looking more intently at Selphie's face, as if that would make her remember her character.

But Selphie had already put two and two together. "I'm Mika… So you must be Ariae." Selphie smiled and pulled a startled Kairi into an awkward hug.

Feeling very uncomfortable, Kairi started to pull away, but Selphie held on for a moment longer, whispering in her ear, "Take care of him. You're a good person, and I'm glad he picked you."

Then she pulled away, smiling. "I'll see you guys later!" And she was out the door.

"Sorry about that…" Sora said, feeling so embarrassed. That could have been a hell of a lot worse though.

Kairi shook off the weirdness. "Don't be. Now let's get our pizzas."

In the hotel room…

"Ughhhhh…" Roxas groaned. "Where are they with that pizza? I'm STARVING!"

"Shut your pie hole. I can't concentrate on this dragon." Riku scolded, heavily into the game with an excited Axel beside him.

"They'll be back soon…. I hope." Namine sighed, peeking through the door's peephole for the millionth time. She had hoped sending them to get pizza alone would give them a little private time, but it sure was taking awhile.

She finally sat next to Roxas who was now lying upside down, holding his stomach and still groaning.

Riku and Axel were completely oblivious: Riku with his victory yells and Axel making sound effects as he hacked and slashed his way through dragons.

Namine rolled her eyes. I wish they would hurry up with that pizza. Quit smooching and get back here Kairi! She silently pleaded.

Then there came a knock at the door. Everyone turned and looked as Roxas leaped from the sofa, running to the door and swinging it open.

But pizza was not on the other side.

"Hey there, Roxy." Said the shadowed figure on the other side. Roxas simply glared at the man.

Riku poked his head up from the laptop, in-between battles obviously, to see what was up. Once he recognized the guy he asked, "Who invited the scum bag?"

Vanitas casually let himself in, as Roxas didn't look to be inviting him inside anytime soon. "I'm here to see Sora."

"He went out for pizza. He'll be back soon." Namine replied. She had no idea who he was, and didn't quite catch on to Riku's nastier-than-usual comment.

Roxas simply closed the door, staring daggers into the back of Vanitas's head.

"I'll wait then." Vanitas took a seat couch, away from the others, his hands in his pockets as he smiled crookedly to himself. He had a master plan: black mail.

He was going to confront Sora with the picture of the kiss and threaten to show and tell his little online girlfriend all about it. At first, he had simply wanted to show little Ariae, but now he could go to the source. Instead of causing drama, he could make Sora his slave for a bit in exchange to keep his dirty secret. Pain and suffering with some added slavery. Much better than stirring the shit pot.

The rest of the gang paid him no attention.

Riku shut his laptop, looking over at Axel who had logged out as well, looking relaxed with his hands behind his head. "Where's the pizza, man?"

Axel shrugged. "I didn't think it would take this long, but the weather is pretty bad. Could just be traffic."

But their prayers were answered when Sora and Kairi, soaked from the rain, burst through the door with pizza in their hands.

Roxas ran and fell to his knees in front of them. "My saviors!"

"Over dramatic, aren't we?" Said Vanitas, watching them all crowd around to get a slice or two, waiting for his chance to speak to Sora alone.

Sora's head snapped up at his voice and his eyes narrowed. "Who invited the scum bag?"

"That's exactly what I asked." Riku said as he chomped down into a slice, giving Vanitas the evil eye.

"Let's go out in the hall, Sora. We need to have a talk." Vanitas gestured at the door. Sora said nothing, only went out the door. Vanitas followed behind, shutting the door behind them.

They walked a little ways down the hall before stopping. Vanitas turned to Sora, his lips slowly curling into a smile

"So… what's up?" Sora asked, leaning up against the wall in the hallway, not paying Vanitas hardly any attention.

He smiled even more now because he knew he was going to shock him with this.

"I know your secret." He said simply, taking out his phone.

Sora smiled, starting to get a little interested. "Secret?"

"Oh yes. That sweet thing you have in the hotel room. What would little Ari think if she knew?"

Sora looked at him hard, his smile gone. "How do you know that name?"

"Oh I have my ways… Lady Ariae has been quite an amazing young woman in a game world full of nasty men." Vanita said smugly, browsing casually through his phone now.

"Faeron. That must have been you." Sora was off the wall now, his back straight, his fingers curled into fists as it all started to make sense.

"Guilty as charged. So… Sora. Would Ari like to know about this?" Vanitas shoved his phone in front of Sora's face, the picture of Sora and Kairi sharing a loving kiss was large on the screen.

Sora held his composure, staying silent. Two could play at this little game.

"Well?" snickered Vanitas, waiting for Sora to grovel.

"What will you have me do?" Sora said steadily.

"Be my slave… or I will out to the world that you are a cheater." He smiled crookedly.

"Never." Sora said. "I'll won't do shit for you."

"What? What did you just say?" Vanitas asked, astonished.

"No."

"Do you understand-"

"Yes." Sora interrupted him. "I understand."

"Then I guess I will have to show everyone!" Vanitas roared, pushed past Sora, and threw open the hotel door. "Sora is a cheater!" He screeched, holding up his phone, his eyes crazy and wide as he stared each one of them in the face.

Riku quickly grabbed his phone, getting an exasperated "hey!" from Vanitas, and holding him back with one hand.

"What is this Vani?"

"He's cheating on Ariae with THAT woman!" He screeched again, his eyes and hair wild, pointing at Kairi, but still reaching for his phone with the other hand.

Kairi quirked her eyebrow at his pointed finger.

"You nitwit. Kairi IS Ari." Riku shoved his phone back at him.

"W-what? That's… not possible." He stared at him, dumbfounded, then back at Kairi.

Roxas gave Sora a look. Together, he and Sora pushed Vanitas out of the hotel room and slammed the door behind him.

Sora sighed and finally sat down to help himself to a piece of pizza when Kairi poked him in the side.

"What was all that about? Does he know me in the game?"

Sora sighed. "Yeah. He's Faeron."

Kairi narrowed her eyes. "He IS a scumbag…"