He barely saw it coming and only just managed to dodge, ducking as the projectile sailed over his head.
"Hey!" Indignant at having been attacked without warning, Riku turned and glared at his assailant. "You'd be dead if that'd hit me!"
Sora grinned, a second snowball in his hand. Without a word, he drew his arm back and threw it with all his might, aiming directly for the older boy's chest. But Riku was ready for this one. The snowball had barely left Sora's hand when the silver-haired athlete dodged to the left, keeping low to present a smaller target, and scooped up his own handful of snow.
"Throw it," Sora dared him, now only about fifteen feet away. The others had retreated to a safe distance to watch the exchange and Riku had the feeling that he was the only one who hadn't known what Sora was planning.
Teal eyes regarding his adversary, he gently patted the snow into the shape of a ball—good thing he'd remembered to put his gloves on. "You don't wanna get into this with me, Brat."
"Throw that snowball and it'll be an official Snowball Fight. It's your choice."
Riku narrowed his eyes. The brunet's tone was obviously that of a challenge and made it clear that if Riku didn't throw the object in his hand, Sora would deem him a coward. While he considered the turn his afternoon had taken, Riku slowly shifted the snowball against his palm.
Well, why not.
Faster than Sora could register, the older boy's arm recoiled then whipped forward. The snowball flew out of his grip and slammed into Sora's gut only a second later, the white sticking to the fabric of his coat.
With an audible oof, the brunet stumbled back a few steps, clutching at his mid-section and grimacing. A grin took over Riku's features; the kid really didn't know what he'd gotten himself into.
"Good…throw," Sora gasped as he tried to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him.
"Give up now, Brat, or you'll be bruised from head to toe by morning," Riku advised as he scooped up a second handful of snow.
Sora's grimace transformed into a smirk and he managed to stand straight again. "I didn't know you were into rough stuff, Riku," he teased as he brushed the snow off his coat, "but if you promise not to be too mean, we can give it a try."
Instantly, the pink tint in Riku's cheeks from the cold darkened and he fought back the myriad of images his brain created. Yes, he'd be rough with him. The kid deserved it after all this damned teasing. If Riku had the chance to, he'd make sure Sora knew exactly how frustrating he could be, and the brat would love every second of it.
"Hello? Earth to Riku," Sora's voice broke into his thoughts and Riku shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Shit, he'd gotten distracted and Sora was still waiting for a response.
"I'm not promising shit." The snow now molded into the perfect size and shape for a weapon, Riku threw it at the younger student with less force than the first one. Sora dodged it easily, as Riku had known he would, and he grinned slightly. "Winner tops." He watched as the younger boy's expression became confused before understanding lit up his eyes only to quickly turn into alarm bordering on panic. Wow, he really thought Riku was serious.
"Uh…I don't think I'm willing to make a bet about this," Sora replied, shifting his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot.
Riku rolled his eyes; he couldn't help it. "Relax, Brat. I was kidding. You really think I'd fuck you just because of a snowball fight? Not a chance."
"Oh." Even though he didn't like the way Riku had said it, Sora was obviously relieved that his friend hadn't really planned on using the snowball fight as a way to get sex. "Okay."
Almost offended, Riku moved to stand only about a foot in front of Sora and crossed his arms over his chest. "What sort of guy do you take me for, Brat? You make a joke about me being rough with you, and when I joke back, you turn into a bunny that might bolt at any second. Seriously, do you really think I'm so desperate for sex that I'd use you? Your confidence in my character is overwhelming."
Embarrassed to have been called out on his behavior, Sora blushed a little and looked down at his booted feet. "N-no, I know you wouldn't do that."
"Then why do you act like I'm about to drag you into the bushes and force you to sleep with me? You're my best friend, Sora. I would hope you know me better than to think I'm that sleazy."
Blue eyes met teal and Sora fidgeted with his scarf guiltily to see that Riku was genuinely upset about it. "I don't really think you will, Riku. Honest. I know—" He stopped, hesitating. He'd been about to say that he knew Riku wasn't actually interested in him in that way, but he didn't want to say it. He didn't want to admit it. "I know you're not that kind of guy and I'm sorry for acting like you are."
A small smile, one that was even a little shy, made its way onto the older boy's face and he pulled Sora into a one-armed hug. "I know, Brat. Now, are we gonna have this snowball fight or what?"
Sora grinned widely. "We are, but it's not just gonna be us."
"It's not?"
"Nope!" Turning, the brunet waved towards the others to signal that it was safe for them to come over then flashed his usual contagious grin. "Roxas, Kairi, Namine and Demyx are gonna be in it, too."
"What about Axel and Zexion?" Riku asked, gaze landing on the two seniors who had tagged along after dinner.
"We'll watch," Zexion replied firmly, his arm around Demyx's waist in an almost-but-not-quite-possessive manner that the blond didn't seem to mind at all. "Axel and I aren't exactly fond of the snow."
Axel shuddered at the mere thought of having the freezing substance thrown at him. "We don't like the cold, in general."
"Big baby," Roxas muttered, rolling his blue eyes at the senior standing beside him—Axel blushed but didn't say anything to defend himself.
Riku hid the smirk that attempted to worm its way onto his face at seeing this tiny exchange, his arm still slung around Sora's shoulders. "Who's on whose team?"
"Roxas is on mine!" Sora all but yelled before anyone else could speak up, and the blond wordlessly stepped to his side.
It was difficult to keep from rolling his eyes and making a sarcastic comment. "Are we choosing like team captains or what?"
The only response he got was a grin from Sora before the brunet claimed Kairi for his own team as well. Which meant Riku had Namine and Demyx. Perfect. He sighed.
"Okay, what are the rules?"
"No headshots. We keep going until one team surrenders."
"Fair enough." Bending down, Riku gathered enough snow for a snowball into his hands and proceeded to shove it down the back of Sora's coat so that it got inside his shirt. The brunet, who had been busy talking to Roxas about strategy, screamed at the sudden icy sensation on his back and leaped forward over two feet as his hands scrabbled at his back.
"Ohmygodit'scoldgetitoutRikuthatwassonotcoolyoubig jerkI'mgonnagetyouforthat!" The words left him in a single stream without pauses in between, making it difficult to understand him as he twisted and turned. It was clear, however, that he was displeased with what had just been done to him. Riku couldn't help but laugh as he watched his friend's desperate attempts to shake the quickly melting snow out of his clothes. When the younger boy finally stopped jumping around like a lunatic and instead stood there panting, Riku turned to the blonds that were his teammates.
"I hope you both understand the fact that I don't take kindly to losing," he informed them, then started off towards the central courtyard. "Let's get started." Demyx and Namine trailed after him like ducklings while Sora stomped over to where Kairi and Roxas were waiting.
"We're going to kick their butts, got it?" he growled, and his twin and best friend nodded. "No way am I letting him get away with that."
"You could always get back at him during your Slave-for-a-Day," Kairi suggested.
Sora grinned. "Oh, I will. But I'm going to make sure he knows how much trouble he's in."
"Come on, Brat!" Riku yelled from his place by one of the courtyard's pillars. "Let's do this before I die of old age!" He was already holding a snowball in each hand, and Namine and Demyx had vanished, presumably to hide and ambush anyone who came within range of their hiding places. Sora flashed a grin at his teammates.
"You guys ready for this? It's gonna be intense."
Roxas offered a thumbs up and a grin that matched his brother's as Kairi nodded. "Let's get 'em." Before any of the three sophomores could move, a snowball smacked into Roxas' shoulder and the blond yelped in surprise.
"Get a move on, slow pokes!"
As soon as Sora turned and started running towards the courtyard, Riku disappeared behind one of the pillars and crouched among the bushes there, waiting. It wasn't long before the brunet passed by, and he already had another snowball ready and waiting. Without making a sound, he stood and threw it, hitting the younger boy square between the shoulder blades. Sora whirled around, blue eyes flashing as he launched his own snowball back at Riku—the silver-haired student didn't have time to duck before the ball struck the left side of his chest, knocking him back against the pillar.
"Ha! Gotcha!" Sora shouted in triumph, only to duck a moment later as Demyx appeared seemingly out of nowhere and threw a snowball at him. "Whoa!"
The next second, Kairi had joined the fight and thrown one at Demyx, forcing the junior to step around a pillar to avoid it as he hurriedly created another snowball. On the other side of the courtyard, Roxas was creeping around the edge of the ring of pillars in search of Namine. He managed to find her after only a few moments, flushing her out of her hiding place with a few well-aimed snowballs that had her sprinting across the open space in the center of the courtyard as the blond twin chased after her.
"Get 'er, Roxas!" Axel cheered from his place by Zexion, a safe twenty or so feet away from the courtyard where they could still see what was going on.
Even though he didn't let the senior distract him, Roxas felt his face grow warm just to know that the older boy had chosen to cheer for him. Just before Namine could doge behind one of the trees that grew outside the ring, he threw the snowball he had and managed to catch her hip, sliding to a stop in the snow to catch his breath. What he didn't realize was that he'd made himself vulnerable by stopping outside the cover of the pillars and bushes, and within a few seconds both Demyx and Riku had thrown snowballs at him. Fortunately for the blond, Sora grabbed him and pulled him out of the way to the safety provided by a pillar.
"Thanks," Roxas panted, out of breath from chasing Namine.
Sora tried to grin even though he was panting, too. "No problem. Time for our Freaky Twin Powers?"
Roxas nodded. "Definitely."
X
From his place between two pillars and surrounded by protective bushes, Riku peered towards where Sora and Roxas had disappeared, suspicious. It had gotten far too quiet. He knew Demyx and Namine had hidden again and were waiting for one of the other three students to present themselves, but it wasn't like Sora to sit in silence and do nothing. The brunet was more of the charge-headfirst-into-battle type of person, though Riku had to admit that he had his strategically clever moments, and with him and Roxas on the same team…who knew what those two would come up with.
"What are you up to, Brat?" he murmured to himself, then froze when a voice sounded from directly behind him.
"Oh, nothing." The next thing Riku knew, he felt a hand grab onto the back of his jacket and yank, pulling him off balance so that he fell onto his rear and dropped the snowball he'd been holding. Then the hand was joined by two more, which meant Sora wasn't alone, and Riku found himself pushed forward onto his stomach. A solid weight settled on his lower back before his clothes were pulled away from the back of his neck and a handful of snow wormed its way inside to press against the skin between his shoulder blades.
"Son of a bitch!" he shouted, struggling to push himself off the ground until a second weight settled itself on his legs so he could only move his arms, making it near impossible for him to break free. "Sora, get the hell off!"
Wiggling his fingers against the older boy's skin, Sora grinned and turned to look at where Roxas was pinning Riku's legs. "You think we should let him up, Rox?"
The blond returned his grin and shifted to a more comfortable position without letting Riku's legs go. "Nope."
"Well, there you have it, Riku. You're stuck down there until we decide to let you up."
A growl sounded in the back of Riku's throat and he shoved hard against the ground, managing to push his torso up a few inches, though Sora simply wrapped his arms around his neck and all but lay down on him.
"Relax, Riku," he purred into his friend's ear in that same tone he'd used during their first Slave-for-a-Day. "You did say the winner got to top."
"Who said you won?" Riku asked, irritated because the snow beneath him had started to melt and was soaking into his clothes, as had the snow Sora had put down the back of his shirt. He decided to ignore the shiver that went down his spine at what Sora had said.
"Well, Roxas and I have you pinned down, Namine still hasn't come out of the trees and Kairi's waiting for my signal to take out Demyx. So, unless you want your teammates to be massacred, you should probably give up.
Riku scoffed. "No way in hell, Brat."
"Have it your way, then." Lifting his head, Sora whistled a single high note, and split second later Demyx's voice could be heard yelling as Kairi began pelting him with the snowballs she'd prepared while waiting for Sora's signal. "Sounds like Demyx is all but out of the game," he commented before nuzzling Riku's cheek. "Come on, Riku. Give up so we can go inside and have hot cocoa and watch movies. It's the first day of Winter Break tomorrow. You can lose just this one time."
"Never," the older boy growled, even though the thought of curling up with a mug of cocoa to watch movies with the brunet sounded like a fantastic idea. They might even cuddle, though he didn't let himself get his hopes up for that. Besides, he was not giving up. "How in the hell did you two even sneak up on me?"
Sora and Roxas exchanged a wink. "We used our Freaky Twin Powers, of course."
"What are Freaky Twin Powers?"
All three sophomores turned to look at this newest speaker to find that Hayner had noticed the commotion of their snowball fight and come over to investigate.
"Hi, Hayner!" Sora greeted, and the older blond grinned.
"Hey, Sora." Brown eyes turned to the other twin. "How's it going, Roxas?"
Roxas smiled, almost shy. "It's all right."
"That's good. So, why are you two sitting on Riku?"
"Because they've both got a death wish," Riku replied, and Hayner laughed before sticking his hand out to help Roxas up. The blond accepted, and as soon as his weight vanished from Riku's legs, the silver-haired sophomore pushed himself off the ground and climbed to his feet with Sora still clinging to him. His legs wrapped around Riku's waist to support the majority of his weight and his arms were already locked around the older boy's neck; Riku hooked his elbows under the younger boy's knees to help hold him up.
"Let's call it a tie, Brat. I'm soaked and it's freezing out here."
More comfortable than he would care to admit, Sora nodded before resting his cheek on Riku's shoulder. "Okay. Cocoa and movies?"
Riku smiled. "You bet. Namine! Demyx! Kairi! The game's over! You can come out now!"
Within moments, the two blonds and redhead appeared from their hiding places and joined the other students; Demyx waved Zexion and Axel over, immediately taking Zexion's hand when the senior was within reach.
"What's the plan?" Axel asked, grinning in a relaxed way. It was a question for everyone, but his gaze had landed on Roxas and had yet to shift, though the younger boy didn't appear to notice.
"Hot cocoa!" Sora answered him, his enthusiasm making Riku chuckle.
"And movies," his blond twin added. "We'll probably stay up really late." Remembering his manners, he turned to the newest arrival. "You're welcome to come, too, Hayner."
Smiling, Hayner nodded. "That'd be great, thanks."
Axel's eyes slid over to examine this newcomer, recognizing all too easily the interest in Hayner's expression as he looked at Roxas. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his stomach to see the shy way Roxas smiled back at the junior and his grin faded. "Actually, I'm not feeling so well. I think I'm just gonna go to bed."
Concerned blue eyes turned to him and he quickly looked downwards to hide what was really wrong. "Are you all right?" Roxas asked, and Axel nodded.
"Yeah, I'm sure I'm fine. Just tired and getting a headache. I'll see you guys later." Without waiting for a response, the redhead turned and started off towards the senior dorm hall as the rest of the students watched.
"I hope he's okay," Roxas said quietly after several moments, and Hayner patted his shoulder in a friendly way.
"I'm sure he's fine. It's probably just a little too cold out for him."
Grateful, Roxas offered a small smile to the brown-eyed junior. "So, movies in my and Sora's room?"
A round of affirmations confirmed the plan, and, with Riku still carrying Sora on his back, the eight friends began the short walk to the freshman dorm hall with the intent of gorging themselves on hot cocoa—most likely with mini marshmallows—and popcorn while watching movies and staying up much too late for no other reason than that they could.