Chapter 3: For You To Notice

But for now, I'll look so longingly,

Waiting for you to want me, for you to need me

For you to notice me.

Riku growled, his hand connecting with his alarm clock again. It kept going off when he didn't want it to. He found it vaguely strange that The Wave was playing a Dashboard Confessional song. He rolled over. Or at least, he tried to roll over. He was tangled in his sheets, giving him that warm feeling you get when you wake up in a warm bed on a cold morning. But at the same time, there was something different. He opened one eye a crack and his breath left him completely. Sora was fast asleep next to him. So it wasn't the sheets that Riku was tangled in; it was Sora's limbs. Sora's arms were locked around Riku's torso and his head was resting against Riku's shoulder. Riku could feel Sora's warm, soft breathing on his neck. Every muscle in his body was tense with surprise, but as he let his breath out, he relaxed a little and allowed himself to smile. Riku's own arms were holding Sora close. He was afraid to move, since he wasn't sure what would happen when Sora woke up. And then the alarm went off again.

And I would be there every time
you'd need me
I'd be there every time...

Riku reached over to turn the radio off again, but a sharp gasp issuing from Sora distracted him. The younger scrambled off the bed and got to his feet, looking lost.

"Riku! I, I ummm..." He said slowly. Riku stared blankly at him. He was disappointed that Sora had been so quick to move, slightly angry at his broken alarm clock had been the cause of the end of that moment of peace. But at the same time, the look on Sora's face was one that Riku didn't see often. It was one of confusion and almost-fear. Riku sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, concern overtaking all other emotion. He looked directly into sapphire eyes.

"Sora, are you alright?"

"I, well, I didn't mean to, I mean, uhhhh..." He stuttered, walking back and forth, his face going bright red and unable to look Riku in the eye. Riku grabbed the pacing brunette's wrist and he stopped and looked up.

"It's okay..." He said, quietly and reassuringly, though what exactly it was that he was assuring, he wasn't so sure. Sora watched him, nodding and relaxing a little. A voice shouted up at them from downstairs.

"Riku! Sora! Are you here?" Kairi called, her voice muffled. Sora grinned, pulling open Riku's bedroom door.

"We're up here, Kairi!" He called. A smile seemed permanently stuck on his face from the time he heard her voice. Riku lay back down and sighed, folding his hands behind his head. The thudding sound told him that Kairi was running up the stairs. She burst into the room a moment later.

"Hey!" She greeted them with a smile. Sora returned the smile in all sincerity. Riku looked over and offered her a half smile. Sora ushered Kairi into the room, and they stood on one side of the room, while Riku stretched out on the other.

"So, what's up?" Sora asked Kairi, grinning sheepishly. Kairi shrugged.

"Nothing, I guess." She turned and looked at Riku. "Sorry I didn't come with Sora to visit you." She added. Riku turned his head so he was looking up at the ceiling.

"No big deal, I met up with Sora here anyways." He answered shortly.

"Oh, didn't you visit Riku at work?" Kairi asked Sora, surprised. Sora shook his head.

"Nope. Did you finish whatever it was that you had to do at home?" Sora asked. Kairi blinked.

"Oh... oh, yes. I did. Didn't take as long as I thought it was going to." She replied vaguely. Riku was half ignoring them, busy being grumpy over the fact that Sora completely ignored him when Kairi was around.

"Well, if you're not busy, do you want to try the fair again tomorrow with me?" he asked, smiling slightly. Kairi shrugged.

"I don't think I'm doing anything." She answered slowly. Riku sat up and watched Sora expectantly. The brunette completely ignored him, watching Kairi instead, with a stupid grin on his face. Kairi glanced at Riku.

"Riku, do you want to come with us?" she asked, quickly. Riku shrugged.

"I have to work. Besides, it was Sora's idea to go, so I don't if it's your place to be inviting me." he snapped, most upset by the fact that Sora was paying no attention to him than Kairi's minor slip up in courtesy. Sora turned and gave Riku a blank stare, confused about Riku's angry tone.

"I knew you were working, so I didn't say anything." he explained simply. His eyes fell on the clock and he yelped. "I'm an hour late! I have to go!" He cried, jumping into action and running towards the door. He paused halfway out and glanced at Kairi. "See you tomorrow?" He asked. She nodded and he grinned, sprinting out of the room. He called a greeting to Riku's grandmother downstairs and the door slammed shut on his way out. Kairi crossed her arms, looking apologetically at Riku. It was entirely obvious that he was jealous of how Sora treated her, and she felt terrible about it. Riku was sitting on the end of his bed and looked up at her suddenly.

"Hey Kairi?"

"Yep?"

"Can you do me a favour?" he asked slowly. Kairi nodded, sitting down next to him.

"Sure, what do you need?" she asked, anxious to make up for what she felt like was her stealing Sora away from Riku. There was a long pause before Riku continued.

"Will you go out with me?" he asked suddenly. Kairi stared at him, her mouth agape. There was a long silence. Riku found himself surprisingly relaxed. Maybe it's because I don't really care for her that way, he thought simply. His thoughts were going to continue, but Kairi's answer came first and it shocked him into thoughlessness.

"But, I thought you liked Sora..." she said slowly. Riku choked on his words, before finally spitting out,

"How did you know?!" he asked. He turned bright red and then tried to correct himself. "Wait, what? No I don't!" he said suddenly, staring at her in an almost angry shock. Kairi stayed calm, having known that he would react this way.

"I've known for a while. It just seems obvious to me. I just have one question though: what happened to you and Sora while you were caught in Kingdom Hearts together, fighting Xemnas. You came back changed. I mean, we were all changed, but you two, and your relationship, it was different from when Namine and I found you, when you still looked like Ansem. You were changed together, starting from when Sora saw through your disguise as Ansem. I've known ever since then," she paused, waiting for a reply, but when one didn't come, she continued. "So? Am I right or am I wrong?" she asked. Riku bowed his head, hiding behind his silver bangs.

"I'd like to say that you're wrong... but I'm not so sure..." he mumbled.

"Because you think Sora doesn't feel the same?" she asked. Riku nodded almost unnoticably. Kairi sighed. "Remember when Sora found us? He hugged me, and was happy to see me and everything, but when he found out that it was you... Riku, he was nearly in tears when he found you..." Her voice was nearly a whisper. Riku looked up at her.

"Maybe..." he paused. "You're right..." he admitted finally. A grin spread across her face.

"RIKU!" she squealed, jumped forward and tackling him in a hug. This was the last thing that he was expecting and fell flat on his back on the bed, grunting in surprise and in pain as her elbow collided with his rib. "You're so cute!" she announced, refusing to let go. Riku blushed heavily and was about to push Kairi off of him when the bedroom door burst open.

"HEY GUY-!" Sora sauntered into the room, grinning sheepishly, until he saw Kairi and Riku on the bed in that very compromising position. His mouth formed a perfect 'O' shape and he looked down at his feet. Both Riku and Kairi froze, surprised. Sora turned on his heel and marched back out again, forgetting why he'd returned. Only to late did Riku regain his voice. He rolled off the bed with a thud and scrambled to the door.

"Sora! Wait!"

"No!" came the sudden reply, followed by the slamming of the front door. Riku got to his feet, shook of the shock and growled, balling his hands up into fists and stomping over to his bed.

"SHIT!" he kicked the bed out of anger, which turned out to be a bad idea. "SHIT! THAT HURT!" he shouted, dropping down onto the bed, overwhelmed with frustration. Kairi giggled helplessly at him.

"I'll go talk to Sora. It's alright, it'll be fine. It just surprised him, that's all."

"Well it surprised me too." Riku grumbled angrily. Kairi rolled her eyes.

"Look, by the time you get off work tomorrow, everything will be just fine. I promise. Alright?"

"Yeh, alright." Riku muttered, not looking her in the eyes.

"Look, I got to go," Kairi said, crossing her arms. "Now stop acting like a five year old." she scolded.

"Whatever."

"Bye Riku." Kairi sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get through to him.

"Bye," he replied gruffly, and if Kairi didn't know better, she would have sworn that he was pouting.

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Awwwww poor Riku's in a bad mood... but thats okay, because me updating happy! Right? Now REVIEW! Bwahahahahaha!