This was so stupid. He couldn't believe he was doing this again.

The first time was fun.

Right. It was. So this time would be, too. Except this time he was walking into it with a great deal more uncertainty than he had the first time. Despite his denying it at every opportunity, there was a chance that Sora had actually gotten higher marks than him for the term. It had been close last time, after all, and with Roxas' help there was no telling how much the brunet had improved his grades.

He didn't win. He doesn't have the time or attention span to improve his scores enough to beat me. Besides, I did better this term than last.

His mental reassurances weren't quite as helpful as he'd intended, but they still put a little more confidence into his stride as Riku made his way to the small lobby on his floor—each floor had a central seating area with couches and a TV for group movies and the like. The chosen location to meet with Sora and compare marks was that lobby at midnight. It was 11:58.

"Better not be late, Brat," the silver-haired student muttered under his breath as he entered the lobby and dropped onto one of the couches to stretch and lounge. Less than a minute later, the sound of approaching footsteps reached him and he turned his head to see Sora coming towards the lobby. He was right on time, and Riku grinned lazily.

"Hey."

"Hey." Sora wasn't carrying anything save for a folded piece of paper, which must have been his list of grades for the past term and semester. He sat on a couch across from the older boy, unusually quiet for him. Wordlessly, Riku shifted on his couch and pulled an almost identical piece of paper out of his pocket.

"On three," he said, and Sora nodded. The two boys slowly unfolded their papers. "One."

Sora grinned. "Two.

"Three."

"Three."

Moving simultaneously, they held out their sheets towards each other.

At first, Riku didn't react. It didn't sink in right away. But after a moment, he blinked, then blinked again a little faster, then shook his head and sighed.

"Fine."

Grinning like mad now, Sora let out a whoop and jumped up off the couch, fisted hands in the air as he celebrated his victory. "By three whole points!"

Impossible. How could his grades improve that much in one term?

"You thought Roxas got all the brains, didn't you," Sora teased, his hands on his hips. Out of habit, Riku smirked.

"Can you blame me? You must have really slacked off last term, Brat."

The younger boy shrugged. "I already told you I'm more interested in a soccer match than in math.

"But you're smart," Riku pointed out, "and you're athletic. Why let one go to waste? You'll be more successful if you use both."

"Maybe. But school bores me. Sports bore Roxas. If he practiced, he'd be just as good as I am, and if I studied, I'd have as high of grades as he does. We just…don't."

Recognizing that he had little hope of convincing Sora that academics deserved as much of his attention as athletics did, Riku let it go. "Fine. Are we doing this or not?"

A grin spread over Sora's face. "We are. For twenty-four hours, Riku, you're my slave."

"Yeah, yeah. Your room?"

"Nope. Roxas is there—I don't think you'll want witnesses. Your room."

His tone made Riku nervous, not that he showed it in any way. He was probably not going to enjoy the next twenty-four hours.

Sighing, the silver-haired sophomore pushed himself up off the couch. "Let's just get this over with, Brat."

Sora playfully punched the other boy on the shoulder. "Aw, don't sound so grumpy. Didn't I promise I wouldn't be too mean?"

"Yeah." Now with a grin in place, Riku slung an arm around Sora's neck and pulled him close in order to ruffle his hair. "I'm not going to make this easy for you, you know."

"Good. I don't want to get bored with you."

Riku couldn't help but roll his eyes. Typical. It was just like Sora to purposefully view his victory as a whole new competition. "I'll try not to disappoint you."

"Such a good boy," Sora cooed, then took off running down the hallway before Riku could react.

It took a moment for the older boy to realize what had just been said, then his expression turned thunderous and he bolted after the younger student.

"You little brat!"

He could hear Sora laughing as he chased him all the way to the brunet's dorm, though he didn't manage to get to it before the door slammed shut and was locked. Glaring, the older boy pounded on the door with a fist. "Get out here and say that to my face so I can give you a bloody nose, Brat!" he shouted through the wood; Sora and Roxas' laughter was audible from inside the room. Riku was about to shout again when the door opened and Sora stepped out into the hallway, a bag in his hand.

"Come on!" the brunet said cheerfully, moving off as Roxas appeared in the doorway and smiled.

"Have fun, guys." Then the door shut once more and Riku was left with no other option but to follow his cheerful friend down from the eighth floor to the fourth floor where his dorm was.

A few lengthened strides were all it took to put him at Sora's side, and he slipped an arm around the brunet's waist without asking for permission. "So, what exactly do you have planned for the next twenty-four hours?" he asked, trying to sound as casual as he could.

"You'll see~" Sora winked then patted his bag. "I've got a surprise for you."

That caught Riku's interest though he knew that the "surprise" probably wasn't something he was actually going to enjoy. "Great."

"Don't worry, it's not nearly as bad as what you did to me," Sora tried to reassure him, and it did work a little bit. At least, it made him less worried that he was going to end up in some slutty costume.

He should have been worried.

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

Smiling innocently, Sora continued to hold up the "surprise." "Nope! So get dressed, servantboy. We've got work to do."

I'm going to kill him in his sleep.

With a growl, Riku snatched the "surprise" out of the younger boy's hands and stalked into the closet to change. It was embarrassing. It was beyond embarrassing. What the hell happened to it being unfair that he sometimes went shirtless? Damn it. He looked like…some weird butler. A sigh escaped him as he fixed the cloth tied around his neck—at least it wasn't as bad as what he'd made Sora wear. Although the brunet had probably realized he would never manage to get Riku into anything even similar to those shorts or the skirt.

"Hey, did you fall asleep in there or what?"

The sound of Sora's voice from outside the closet made Riku grimace and he lightly hit his forehead against the wall. Hell.

"No." He steeled himself before opening the door and walking out into the dorm room, doing his best not to glare or frown or anything. His expression was completely neutral as he looked at the grin on Sora's face.

"Nice."

Shut up. "Don't sound so surprised. You think something like this would look bad on me?" He put as arrogant an edge as he could on his tone to cover up his slight embarrassment. Really, he wouldn't have minded the outfit Sora chose for him if it hadn't been for the shorts. If he could call them shorts, at least. They were black spandex and Riku had never been more grateful for the fact that he was so fit. At least he didn't have a muffin top. He was also wearing a white half-apron with a frill around the edge, a black bowtie and silky black gloves, so he was convinced he looked like some strange slutty butler character.

"Naw, I knew you'd look hot." The comment was made so casually that it actually took Riku off-guard and he stared at Sora while the brunet surveyed the dorm. "Hm…what to do first…"

Quickly overcoming his surprise, the older boy stepped closer to his companion and placed a hand suggestively low on Sora's back. "Whatever you want, Master Sora," he purred. Not for one minute of the next twenty-four hours did he intend to lose control of his own actions or to at least lose the appearance that he was in control.

Sora looked up at him and smiled, the absolute image of innocence. "Videogames."

There wasn't much he could do with that, so Riku simply nodded and moved his desk chair so that he and Sora could both sit in front of the TV to play. Interestingly enough, the brunet turned his chair so that he could prop his sock-covered feet on Riku's lap while they played; the older boy was half tempted to reach over and let his hand rest on Sora's thigh so that he could give it the occasional rub or squeeze like he'd done during the concert before semester finals. That had been fun. The faces Sora had made during the concert were priceless and Riku knew it would be easy to do it again. But for now it was better not to press his luck. He was "servantboy," after all, and there was no telling what Master Sora would do if he overstepped his boundaries.

Videogames lasted for three hours before both boys started yawning.

"Hey, Brat."

A tired frown appeared on Sora's face and not-quite-focused blue eyes glared at Riku. "Don' call me that."

Riku let out a patient sigh. "Master Sora, I think it's time for bed."

Slowly, the younger boy looked around the dorm as if searching for a reason to contest that statement, then shrugged and sighed before rising from his chair, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. "Kay."

"Come on." Riku put the controllers away and shut off the gaming console and TV as Sora went to retrieve his toothbrush from his bag. They brushed their teeth and changed into their respective pajamas in silence then, one after the other, climbed up into Riku's lofted bed.

"Hey."

Ready to collapse and sleep for the next eight or nine hours, Riku lifted his head to meet Sora's gaze and was surprised by the determination that had broken through the brunet's sleepy expression. "What?"

Sora lay down and pulled the blankets over himself, his back to Riku. "Cuddle me."

A few moments passed before Riku could collect himself to react to that half-mumbled command, but then he smiled to himself and lay down. The blankets were tugged up until they covered his shoulders, and then he reached out to wrap his arms around Sora's narrow waist to gently draw the younger boy closer. When the brunet's warm back was securely held against his chest, Riku let out a contented hum and nuzzled his face into his companion's neck.

Hm…he smells nice…

He hadn't noticed it before, but now that he did, he liked it. Something warm and fresh like early summer before the heat gets oppressive.

"You smell good," he murmured, and felt Sora shift against him.

"Thanks…"

The half-asleep response made him smile and he tightened his arms slightly to ensure that Sora wouldn't move away during the night. This was one of the few respites he got from their endless teasing and flirting. Genuine affection was allowed during this time and Riku let it emanate from him as if this would be his last opportunity to try to communicate to Sora how he felt.

X

He woke up to the feel of lips on his collarbone and froze, still-asleep brain struggling to comprehend. Lips? Sora. Sora was kissing his collarbone. Why?

The feeling was gone before he managed to figure it out, and a face nuzzled against him instead. Sora's breath was warm on his skin and Riku tightened his arms just barely to bring the younger boy closer to himself.

Even barely awake, he was aware that Sora was holding onto him and it brought a smile to his lips. Softly, he pressed a kiss to the top of the brunet's head and wondered if either of them was awake enough to realize what they were doing.

It would have been easy to tip Sora's chin up or whisper his name, look into sleepy blue eyes and brush back mussed brown hair. Smile. Kiss his nose. Watch a blush spread over his cheeks. Pull him a little closer so their bodies were flush against each other. Hold him there as the blush darkens. Kiss him. Kiss him softly then harder. Bite his lip. Deepen it. Find out—finally—what he tastes like. Push him back and move over him.

"Riku…"

"Damn it, Sora."

He couldn't do this anymore. He was tired of playing off his flirting as nothing but a game. For the first time, he had a real opportunity to show Sora how he really felt and he wasn't about to pass it up.

Searching fingers found the hem of Sora's shirt and quickly pushed the fabric up to bare toned stomach and chest. He kissed the newly exposed skin, letting his hands continue up until they found the younger boy's nipples. The touch made Sora arch and he gasped, fingers tangled in the blankets beneath him.

"R-Riku!"

His kisses moved higher until they came even with his hands, and he took one away to lick the sensitive flesh; Sora was trembling.

"N-no—don't lick—!"

Ignoring the panted words, Riku locked his mouth around the nub and sucked, letting his tongue and teeth play in until Sora's voice dissolved into little more than gasping moans. It was beautiful to listen to. Slowly, he sent his free hand downward to the boy's pajama pants and slipped his fingers past the elastic waistband, under the pants but over the boxers. He felt Sora's breath hitch and dragged his tongue over the nipple he'd been tending to so carefully until the brunet shuddered and relaxed again. Only then did he put his hand farther into the younger boy's pants; he palmed the mass he found there, felt it hardening under his touch as Sora's hips began to move against him.

"Does it feel good?" he whispered, purring as he abandoned Sora's nipple in favor of his ear.

"Y-ah-yes…" The response was just short of a whine and Riku smirked.

"Good."

His hand moved faster, coaxing louder sounds from the boy beneath him, and Riku gave in. He kissed the brunet, roughly, until he was just as breathless as Sora was. Bodies pressed together with Riku's hand trapped between them. It was the best moment of his life and yet it wasn't enough because there was still so much fabric in the way and—

"Riku, are you all right?"

A hand shaking his shoulder forced Riku to open his eyes and he stared at Sora in confusion; the younger boy looked worried.

"What?" he asked, confused, then he frowned as the realization crashed into him—it was a dream. He'd fallen back asleep and dreamed the whole thing. There had been no kissing, no touching or tasting.

Damn it.

"You looked like you were having a nightmare," Sora said quietly, blue eyes full of concern.

Great. His first actual dirty dream about the brunet and Sora just had to be there to witness it. Typical bad luck.

"Riku?"

"I'm fine." Slowly, he met the younger boy's gaze and smiled a little. "I don't even remember what I was dreaming about." A lie. Just one of many, though, and not a big enough one for him to feel guilty about it. Besides, what was he supposed to say if Sora asked what he'd been dreaming about?

Kissing you and touching you and tasting you and god you taste good you little brat and having you under me like that was amazing and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Now quit looking at me with those big blue eyes before I lose it.

But Sora didn't look away and Riku found it increasingly difficult not to yank the younger boy against his chest and kiss the hell out of him like he had in his dream. Finally, he tore his gaze away and sat up, pulling his arms free of Sora and stretching to give himself an excuse for moving.

"I suppose you want me to cook you breakfast." A glance revealed the infuriatingly innocent smile that had taken over Sora's face.

"That would be nice."

Of course it would. Sighing, Riku climbed down out of the loft and set about making breakfast for the two of them, just simple cereal with soy milk. He only had rice Chex, which Sora made a face at when Riku offered him the bowl.

"Is that all you have?"

"It's a healthy breakfast, Brat," the older boy growled, rolling his eyes because he should have known that Sora would want something sugary and sweet and colorful rather than his rice Chex. "Shut up and eat it."

"Don't you have oatmeal?" There was a hopeful edge to the brunet's tone and Riku had a difficult time not huffing in irritation.

"No. I ran out last week and I haven't gone to the store to pick up more yet. Now, Master Sora," he used as impertinent a tone as he could, "get your ass down here, shut up, and eat your cereal before I dump it on you and refuse to help you clean it up."

Sora grinned and shifted forward to look down to where Riku stood in the middle of the room, a bowl of cereal in each hand. "You can't do that!" the brunet sang, obviously very pleased with that fact. "You're my slave until midnight so if I say you have to clean it up, then you have to do it!"

"Yeah, and this is all I have for you to eat for breakfast, so quit whining and get down here."

Finally, the younger boy relented and climbed down from the lofted bed before falling back onto the futon. He accepted the bowl Riku held out to him with only a slight expression of distaste. It was nearly silent in the dorm as the two ate, Riku across the room, leaning against the wall. He watched Sora with hooded teal eyes that refused to betray what he was thinking, not that the brunet was looking. Rather, he was completely focused on his food and it made Riku chuckle internally to see that his companion was clearly enjoying the cereal he had originally turned down.

Always so stubborn…

The thought made him smirk slightly as he chewed yet another mouthful of the Chex. Well, Sora's stubbornness wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Riku thought he might be able to use it to his advantage. Sora wasn't going to have as much control over the rest of the day as he thought.