Keysandhearts
Disclaimer: Oh yes, we forgot to mention in the last chapter. Neither Keys nor I own Kingdom Hearts or any of its scrumptious characters. If we did, you could bet your sweet tushies that there would be a lot more Yaoi lovin' going on.
Author's Notes: Just to clarify, there are going to be multiple pairing in this fic, including Axel/Roxas, Zexion/Demyx and as you guys have probably figured out (and already put in the blurb), Riku/Sora, and Leon/Sora. Sorry, Cloud/Leon fans, not in this fic. We would've put it in the summary but stupid space limit didn't allow for it.
Reviewers: Thanks for the great reviews guys! Keep 'em up!
Tysonkaiexperiment: Yes, Keys and I agree, Squall is definitely a yummy combo with Sora (sighs), but we also love Riku, too. Mysterious and massively hot versus dark and masterful, which to pick? Well, we didn't see why we couldn't have both. BTW, love your stories!
FreshToDeath: Yeah, Keys and I have a kink for bullies too, or at least we do when that bully is Riku, and Sora may be innocent now but we're pretty sure that's not going to last much longer (grins evilly). Now as to who's going to get to defile….errr…deflower the virgin…
Okay, enough chit-chat. Onto the story! Don't forget to review afterwards and if you guys have questions, feel free to ask!
Tidus walked meanderingly toward the auditorium where the mandatory first day assembly would take place. He was running late per usual, but didn't let it worry him. Not much worried Tidus, he was just that kind of guy. Quick to laugh, to anger, hell, Tidus was just plain quick, but in his way he was just as laid back as his best friend Wakka. Tidus however didn't believe in wasting energy best meant for other things, namely, blitzball, by being quick to what he saw as a pointless assembly, stressing rules he and his friends had no intention of obeying unless it served their purpose. Really, these first-day assemblies were meant to make new students and staff feel welcome and appreciated and to instill some of that old Academy school spirit. Tidus didn't really mind these assemblies much (aside from the whole having to get up to actually attend one). Anything that prolonged the time that he'd have to be in class worked for him. Tidus was also was the kind of guy who knew that some sweet would often come with the bitter.
And so, Tidus, though now already five minutes late to the aforementioned assembly, continued to walk slowly to the Great Hall. He was idly twirling his blitzball in his right hand when someone slammed into him from behind but was able to catch himself before he hit the ground. However, the unknown someone wasn't so lucky and ended up sprawled face-first on the pavement.
Ouch, that had to hurt, thought Tidus before reaching down to offer assistance to the poor face-planted boy on the pavement. Before his hand could make contact with the other's shoulder however, the figure had rolled over and was glaring at him, blue-violet eyes ablaze and shadowed by long red bangs.
"Watch it!" the boy snapped before jumping up, wincing slightly even as he maintained his glare at Tidus.
Tidus's quick temper flared in response to this injustice but he suppressed it and went over to pick up his blitz ball, which had somehow managed to become wedged behind a nearby statue. He turned back around to the figure, but as his mind worked to form a cool if scathing reply, the unknown student marched off in the direction of the Great Hall. Tidus sighed then shrugged as he followed the student into the Great Hall where the voice of the Headmaster was already droning on about the importance of maintaining school dignity.
Tidus could see that his friends were all sitting in the back pew, the better to goof-off during such occasions, and he was met at the door by the disapproving stare of one of his teachers as he made his way toward them. He plopped down next to Wakka, who, knowing Tidus's tendency to be late for such occasions, had saved him a seat. Wakka glanced over at him and shook his head but a smile played around his mouth.
"The day you're on time to one of these things is the day I quit blitzball for good, ya?" whispered Wakka teasingly.
"See, now you've just confirmed all my future behavior. How can I ever be on time to one of these things now if it means you'll quit playin'. It's obviously in the interest of civic duty and school pride to make sure I never attend an assembly on time," whispered Tidus back. "Don't want all your fans coming after me, ya?" mocked Tidus.
Wakka just shook his head again, laying his head back against the pew and closing his eyes. Seifer grinned at Tidus from the other side of Wakka and nodded his head at him and Leon ignored all of their antics in favor of staring at something on the right side of the room. Tidus was just about to lean over both Wakka and Seifer to poke at Leon and ask him what was so interesting when it occurred to him that they were missing someone.
"Where's Riku?" asked Tidus.
Wakka rolled his eyes at the question and leaned over to whisper, "He has to make his first-day-of-school speech. Have to have the school's poster-boy put in an appearance and say a few words just to inspire all the little kiddies, ya?"
Tidus snorted in response. Riku was definitely poster-boy material. Rich, successful, handsome, and talented, the kid was custom-made to stand as the school's chosen representative. Add all of this to his lineage and family connections and Riku was damn-near unstoppable. He looked toward the front of the room where pew upon pew was filled with students anxious to begin another semester.
His eye caught on Riku who was sitting on the stage in front of the room. Riku was staring at something, or someone, on the right side of the hall. He followed Riku's gaze, trying to see what had him so interested, and his eyes were drawn to an aisle toward the front where a brown-haired, spiky-headed boy sat. Tidus couldn't tell from the angle at which he sat, but he thought that the student must be new.
He must be a First Year, he's so small. What could have Riku so interested?
As if sensing his gaze, the brunette turned his head toward Tidus and he felt his heart stop for an instant as his gaze locked with the unknown boy's.
Wow, those eyes of his are really something. But Riku's not interested in him like that, is he?
As far as Tidus knew, his friend Riku had always been a lady-killer extraordinaire. On their frequent visits into the city (rules or no rules), Riku always managed to draw the attention of what felt like every female in a ten-mile radius. All Riku had to do was work his beautiful face into that "like-what-you-see" smirk and you could feel the heat radiating from the bodies of the opposite sex (and, more often than not, members of the same as well).
Riku did not lack for opportunities, nor was he one to waste them. He couldn't count the number of times he and his friends had had to wait while Riku had finished fucking one of the seemingly endless number of willing females in a nearby car, a backroom or bathroom, hell, he was pretty sure a wall would do as well. Riku didn't have many inhibitions when it came to sex. All of that aside, Riku had never been interested in a boy before. There had been plenty who had tried, but Riku was always quick to put an end to the aspirations of males who had tried to catch his attention.
That can't be it. I wonder if the boy ticked him off or something. That has to be it.
He was about to turn to look back at Riku when he noticed the brunette's gaze land on Leon. The boy's electric blue eyes widened and even from this distance, Tidus could see the red flush pouring into the other boy's cheeks. What intrigued Tidus wasn't the boy's reaction to Leon (which he had seen occur before, because Leon was just sooooo fucking hot, Tidus thought mockingly), but Leon's reaction to the now-staring brunette. Leon was returning the boy's stare with an intensity that caused Tidus's short hairs on the nape of his neck to stand on end. The stare seemed to last an eternity and Tidus could almost feel the tension building and burning between the two before the stare was abruptly broken as Riku came to the podium to give his speech and the brunette snapped toward the front.
Man, Leon was looking back at that kid like he was the last sea-salt ice cream bar on a hot summer's day in Agrabah. What the fuck?
The students and faculty began to clap as Riku stepped forward; whispers began to run through the hall and the name "Sephiroth" could be heard muttered under the breaths of the students. Tidus, still observing the blue-eyed boy, noticed his confusion as the whispered word reached the boy's ears.
Ah, so he doesn't know Riku's connection to Sephiroth. No surprise there, he is new. Well, he'll find out soon enough. Still, what the hell is going on with this kid? First Riku and now Leon? Yeah, he's pretty and has great eyes, but what's so special about that?
"Why didn't you tell me that Riku practically ran the whole school?" Sora said to Zexion as they made their way out of the Grand Hall. Sora had managed to find the quiet older boy despite the size of the hall and the crowd pouring into the hallway leading out to the courtyard.
"Would it have made any difference if I had told you that he was the Student Dean? Would you have done anything differently yesterday?" Zexion asked, looking at him with narrowed and expectant eyes.
Sora reflected on this as he and Zexion crossed the corridor that would lead to his first class. He had noticed the aqua-eyed boy almost immediately upon entering the hall, seated on the stage looking down at the other students entering like a king observing subjects. Although Sora was brave he wasn't foolish and he had not wanted to draw attention to himself his first day of classes at a new school. He had therefore ducked his head as he made his way to a seat while wondering why the silver-haired boy was favored with such a position for the assembly. Sora had eyed the boy from under his eyelashes and had noted that the insignia on the other boy's right breast pocket was silver, not any of the other colors now known to him, and that he likewise had a silver band wrapped around his right arm that matched the insignia. Zexion's insignia, he now noticed, was blue. Third year, then. Makes sense. He seems older than me.
"No, I suppose it wouldn't have. Like I said before, I can't stand bullies. I don't care who they are," Sora stated firmly.
Zexion gave him what he thought might be an approving if slightly disbelieving look before he said, "Riku rules here. It's as simple as that. He's not only the Student Dean, a position he received in his Third Year which is practically unheard of; he's also the top fencer in this academy and can hold his own against most of the top fencers in the world. Of course, with his background, it's to be expected."
"What background?" Sora asked.
Zexion rolled his eyes and was about to reply when Sora felt someone come up from behind him and tap him lightly on the shoulder. He turned around and met the green eyes of the taller and slightly lanky figure he remembered rescuing the day before. Huh, he looked smaller yesterday. Must've been the way he was huddled against that wall.
"Hey," Sora said.
"Hey, I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. My name's Demyx by the way. What you did was really brave. Kinda stupid, but brave. I owe you one, man," Demyx said as he grinned and took a swig of the water bottle he had in his hand.
Sora couldn't help but meet the infectious grin with one of his own. Demyx then turned and blushed when he spotted Zexion standing beside Sora.
"H-Hey," he said hesitantly to him.
Zexion gave a short nod in acknowledgement but his features remained impassive. Demyx spoke again, rambling, "I've seen you around before. You were in my art class last year. I really sucked in that class but the teacher was cool. I'm glad I'm not taking art again this semester but I remember you were really good. Like that mural you did right before the festival and…"
Demyx, obviously realizing he'd been babbling, began to blush an even deeper shade of crimson. To distract from his blunder he awkwardly brought his water bottle to his lips, taking a rather large gulp that caused his cheeks to puff and thin rivulets of water to dribble slowly out of his mouth, before suddenly swallowing.
Too quickly apparently because then he was choking and hacking as he spewed the guzzled water everywhere and then with a flailing arm he dropped his water bottle, causing water to fly in different directions and a massive puddle to form. In fact, he hacked so much that tears were beginning to stream down his face and the sound of the coughs echoed throughout the hall, drawing a few curious glances.
Zexion, a slightly worried and almost pitying expression on his face, began to pat Demyx's back, cooing softly. Sora, never having seen Zexion with such an unguarded and soft expression, much less producing such sweet sounds of comfort, just stared in silence at the two of them.
As the coughing of the boy slowly died, Zexion tried to compose himself to his regular bland expression and questioned in a stern yet gentle voice, "All better now?"
Demyx, now over his coughing fit, looked up at Zexion with a horrified expression on his face. He slowly turned a bright shade of cherry-red and opened his mouth to reply but abruptly stopped then shook his head before chuckling awkwardly.
"Yeah, sorry bout' that. Uh, so, yeah, everything's fine now. Just drank too fast is all. You know how that is," he said as he let out another self-conscious chuckle and moved to pick up the now-empty bottle. "Well, um, thanks. I'd better get to class."
With another hesitant smile at Zexion and a short wave at Sora he backed away saying, "Later." He sort of dance-stepping away and turned around quickly, looking like he really wanted to sprint toward the direction of his class. Unfortunately before he could make his great escape, he slipped on the puddle of water still remaining on the floor.
"Gah!" The exclamation was accompanied by a stumble, then a definite crash that resounded through the hall as he tumbled onto the floor, getting not just a little wet in the process from the previously spewed, poured, and hacked out water.
Thankfully, there weren't too many people lingering behind but still there were enough students left in the hall to wring a mortified glance from Demyx, who was now practically hanging his head in shame as laughter from nearby onlookers reached his ears. As if that weren't bad enough, the boy now had a water stain on the front of his pants that looked uncomfortably like a pee stain and Sora didn't like to think how soggy and uncomfortable that must be.
"I've gotta go to the bathroom," Demyx said as he realized the state he was in and then he muttered, "I hate water," before heading off in the direction of the bathroom.
Sora's eyes were glued to the place Demyx had just been, mouth having unconsciously fallen open in surprise of the spectacle he'd just witnessed.
"Hope he's not hurt. Well…physically, at least." Don't know about the mental state, Sora thought, eyes filling with sympathy. He couldn't imagine how embarrassed and humiliated he might be if that had happened to him. Although, it was weird, because he couldn't really think of the boy as awkward or clumsy. When Demyx had approached him before, he'd had a certain grace to him. I wonder…hmm.
Sora, shaking the thoughts from his head, turned to Zexion.
"Well, I'd better get to class, too. I guess I'll see you around, Zexion."
The other boy, with shadowed eyes, nodded and turned away, heading deeper into the hallway and disappearing around the corner.
Sora sighed and made his way to his first class. Zexion seemed more down than he usually was (which he couldn't really blame him for, if what he suspected was true), but then again, he hadn't known him for very long.
Sora suddenly recalled that he and Zexion had been having a conversation prior to the meeting of the animated Demyx and realized that he had never gotten an answer to his question about Riku. What background?
Sora made it through his first three classes without incident but grimaced at the thought of the geometry homework. Gah, I hate math! He thought as he stepped out into the courtyard, planning to find a nice shady spot somewhere to eat the ready-made sandwich and chips he had nabbed from the dining hall.
Most of the student body had seemed to be crammed into the place, and although normally Sora was very social, today for some reason he felt the need to be alone with his thoughts.
That wouldn't have something to do with the handsome, gray-eyed senior you locked eyes with in the Hall this morning, now would it? The thought drifted across his mind before he could check it as he sat down under a tree across from the blushed at the thought but couldn't deny it, even to himself. He had been tempted to ask Zexion about Squall but had stopped himself, realizing he would have to explain how he knew him, or at the very least, explain why he was curious about him. He didn't know what it was about Squall, but something about him made Sora's whole body feel like it was on fire.
As if he had conjured him from his thoughts, Sora looked up and saw Squall headed in his direction accompanied by four others. He didn't immediately register the older boy's companions, having solely focused on Squall, who was walking slightly off to the left of them. His uniform was perfectly ironed and crisp and the yellow insignia over his right breast pocket marked him as a Fourth Year. In addition to this, a yellow band was wrapped around his right arm. Dorm leader—so that's what he was talking about last night. Everything about him was perfect, from his graceful walk to his complexion and even the scar that sat diagonally across his face only managed to increase his overall sex appeal. Sora sat up straighter in anticipation and it was only then that he noticed Squall's companions.
Sora's heart sank as he saw Riku, walking at the center and slightly in front of the group, having already spotted Sora as he sauntered toward him.
There he is, thought Riku, his eyes alight with anticipation as they locked on the younger boy. Why do I feel like I've been waiting all day for this moment?
Sora decided immediately that he did not want to face Riku sitting down and so instantly shot up from his place under the tree. He ended up standing with his chin up while his body took an automatically defensive stance.
The older boy, having taken note of this, smirked, the expression one that Sora was becoming all too familiar with and was already pretty damn sure he hated.
"Hello again, kitten," Riku said, his voice strangely seductive.
Riku had stopped a foot from Sora which was too close for his comfort, and he was trying to fight the urge to step back. He once again found himself locking gazes with Riku, and again that sense of disorientation occurred. In spite of this, he refused to look away from the larger boy and Riku's smirk widened.
"I told you I'd find you again. Not that you could hide," Riku said as he took another half-step towards Sora.
"As if I'd try!" Sora shot back at him, struggling to hold his ground.
"Who is this?" said one of Riku's friends. Sora took a moment to examine the new threat, noting golden blond hair and a diagonal scar similar to Squall's running diagonally down his face. He was about to answer for himself but Riku managed to interject first.
"Sora Hikari," he stated, still not looking away from Sora.
"How did you know?" demanded Sora.
Riku actually smiled at the question before he chuckled loudly and stepped closer to Sora. He then brought his arm up over the small brunet's head to rest the palm of his hand flat against the tree, trapping him against it. Sora tried to move out from under his arm, but Riku moved in even closer, causing him to involuntarily back up.
"What, you didn't learn anything from this morning's assembly? I own this school and you my kitten, now being one of its many students, are mine now, too," he said as he leaned down towards Sora.
This was too much for the younger boy who was beginning to lose his temper at Riku's condescending tone and proximity. "First of all, I don't belong to anyone, least of all to an arrogant spoiled brat like you. Second, since you seem to know my name now, why don't you try using it?"
"Because you remind me of a kitten, all hissing and adorable," said Riku, still not moving away from Sora. In fact, he seemed to be slowly moving closer so that he was now practically chest-to-chest with him.
"I don't know about you guys, but as entertaining as this has been, I'm hungry and would like to actually eat before the lunch period is over," a familiar husky voice said from behind Riku. It was only then that Sora remembered Squall's presence. He felt himself turning red, self-conscious that the senior had seen him practically pressed full-up against Riku. Why do I always seem to say or do something embarrassing in front of him?
"Yeah, Leon, I know why you're so anxious to go eat lunch all-of-a-sudden," said a sarcastic voice, this time from another blond-haired boy who was twirling a blitz ball on his right index finger.
Leon? But he said his name was Squall. Did he lie to me?
"Shut up, Tidus." Squall said, not even bothering to look in the boy's direction. He glanced once at Riku but then apparently decided that enough was enough and began walking back toward the dining hall with two of the boys choosing to follow him. The scarred blond who had spoken earlier maintained his place behind Riku, asking, "Well, are we going to go eat or not, or are you planning on fucking this kid up against the tree?"
Riku sighed. "Seifer, go with Leon and the others. I'll be there in a minute."
Seifer shot a glare at Sora before marching off. Riku turned back to Sora, meeting his eyes and placing his other hand above him, caging him in further. He glared up at him, now really tired of the boy in front of him and filled with an unknown fear now that he was alone with him.
"I'm not going to jump you," said Riku with a smirk. "Well, not yet." He lifted his hand, running his fingers in one smooth motion through Sora's hair and the sensation was so foreign and unwelcome to Sora that he jerked back hard against the tree trunk behind him, causing Riku to laugh. "I'll see you later, kitten. Miss me while I'm gone." He then turned and sauntered off in the direction the others had gone.
Sora stood frozen for a minute before collapsing to his knees and taking a deep breath. What the hell is the matter with that kid? He has to have a screw loose somewhere. He realized he was no longer hungry, and thought grimly to himself that if the events of the past two days continued the way they were through the next few months that he would be a scarecrow by the time the holidays rolled around.
Damn him, Riku thought as he sat in his last class. He'd been thinking about Sora nonstop, and it was getting old fast. He had been off the entire day, had been day-dreaming of all things, which he never did. Of course, it didn't help that when he looked at the sky, or the blue carpeting on the floor (or even the blue bag of ranch Doritos that some student was eating out of their book bag while they tried unsuccessfully to remain inconspicuous), that he was once again reminded of the blue-eyed boy. How come everything's blue today?
Who did he think he was? Sora was obviously trying to worm his way into his heart, with his perfect eyes, small-boned features, and come-get-me-if-you-can attitude. He had seen the way the little kitten had looked at him that morning in the auditorium, hot eyes full of want and need, a rosy blush staining his cheeks, suck-me lips slightly parted in invitation.
Riku had never experienced such a look of intense desire and longing. It was as if the boy not only wanted his body, but his heart and soul as well. The thought oddly excited him.
It was different from the first look Sora had given him during their first encounter. That look had been filled with, surprise, awe, and maybe even recognition? At that moment the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place.
Maybe Sora had known of him, and had developed some sort of infatuation. Hmmm, the idea made him feel slightly lightheaded, and would definitely explain why the younger boy had been running hot and cold, acting defensive one moment, and then giving him hot looks the next.
And I'm falling for it. Damn him.
Yes, it was obvious that Sora was well-versed in the art of seduction. He was playing the typical hard to-get, innocent virgin while really calculating skillfully the eventual moment of weakness before pouncing. Just like a kitten.
He'd been trying to fend the boy off too, had been attempting to take control by using his own refined sexuality. He was used to bringing others to their knees. It had never been, well, difficult. If he had backed anybody else into that tree they would have been quaking with both fear and desire. He took pride in his ability to manipulate and control others.
Sora, though, had somehow remained unaffected by his efforts and it was… really hot?
What did that mean? Was he turning into some sort of masochist?
He'd been raised on control, had taken it in daily doses since the day he was born. If he lost his control, his power, he'd be losing the only good and steady thing he'd ever known. He found the idea unsettling and slightly repulsive.
The facts were that Sora wanted him, and he wanted to force the boy into submission and make him kneel before him, begging Riku to be allowed to serve him.
Their desires seemed to coincide with one another, so why wait? Although it would be fun to play with the mischievous kitten a bit longer. Maybe he should play, because things had been far too boring and lackluster for far too long. Everything was too easily attained. He needed something to occupy his time; something new and fresh that wouldn't be broken too easily. He needed a challenge. The boy seemed up for it, had started the whole thing anyway, and he was never one to back down from a challenge.
Feeling slightly better, he tried to think of something to distract himself from thoughts of Sora. He felt the need to take out his frustration on someone and then he noticed that the boy still munching Doritos was the same one he'd been bullying the day he'd met Sora. The possible distraction caused his smirk to widen.
Sora was trying very hard not to reflect on the events of the day. First, this morning, caught staring at Squall (Leon...whatever) with a desire he'd just known had been etched all over his face for the older boy to see. Then there was that slightly embarrassing encounter with Demyx and the whole explosion of water, the horrible meeting with that pompous, arrogant, perverted bully, Riku, and the humiliating position he had found himself in, trapped against a tree and Riku's body while Squall looked on. And then finally (what felt like the worst one of all), he hadn't gotten to eat his lunch.
Sora wasn't one to whine or complain (except when he was hungry or waking up in the morning or when he had too much homework…), usually taking most problems in stride, letting them slide right off of his shoulders, but other than the fact he was in good health, he couldn't find anything really great about his day. It seemed the weather was agreeing with him as well, because even that was starting to look gloomy.
Well, at least it was only the first day of school, and maybe things would get better. No, they would get better. His mother, Kairi, Roxas, and all of Destiny Islands, they were all counting on him, believing in him. No, he wasn't alone. The fact that he had made it to the prestigious academy should have been reason enough for him to be happy. How many people like him, with no family lineage or money to speak of, got to partake of such an opportunity? Not many, so he'd just have to tough it out and even if things didn't get better, that didn't matter, because he had things he needed to protect. He'd be the best because that's what he was known for.
Sora, feeling better now that he had given himself a nice pep talk, made his way down a corridor to the computer lab on the third floor. He planned to check his email to see if Roxas had anything to say about his own school experience.
I really wish he was here. I would've loved to have seen Riku's face after Roxas had gotten through with him. His brother was extremely protective and could be somewhat volatile to boot. On second thought, maybe it's good that he's not here. The last thing I need is to make the situation worse.
Sora, with a slight smile on his face at the thought of what Roxas would do to Riku if he ever met him, walked into the computer lab, sitting down at a computer on the farthest side of the room. The room was practically empty and Sora was pretty sure it was because most of the kids at the Academy already had computers of their own back in their dorms. Sora's mother had only been able to afford one, and since Roxas used it more often than he did, they had both agreed that he should be the one to take it with him to Twilight Town.
Sora logged onto his email account and pulled up his new mail folder. He found that there was indeed an email from Roxas, having been written the previous night according to the time stamp.
Hey Sor,
I just wanted to check and see how you were doing. Things here are great! I made some new friends, three of them to be exact, Olette, Pence, and Hayner. Hayner's really cool, I know you'd like him and I think we're going to be good friends. Classes suck, but the weather here's great and I can skateboard practically around the whole town. I'm going out to the beach this weekend with the guys but I still miss you. Let me know how your first day of school went, kay? Love ya, Roxas
Sora knew it should make him feel good that his brother was having such a great time, and he was happy for him, but he also didn't want to have to tell him that his own first day had been such a disaster. He didn't want to ruin his brother's obvious good time, and certainly didn't want to concern him. Sora was used to being self-reliant and solving his own problems. He didn't want to admit to having issues. He could take care of it all by himself.
Hey Rox,
My first day was great! I met a lot of interesting new people and can't wait for fencing to start. Classes seem like they're going to be okay but I'm already feeling nervous about math. Lucky you, getting to go to the beach, though. Let me know how it goes. Love ya back, Sora
Sora logged off with a sigh and stared at the now dark screen. He absently wondered why he hadn't gotten an email from Kairi but just shrugged his shoulders. If Roxas was here, he'd tell him to get off his ass and show this group of elite bastards what he was made of. Yes, he would just have to show them, wouldn't he? Sora smiled slightly at the thought, chuckling inwardly.
He glanced at the clock in the corner and realized how late it was. The dining hall closed at 8:30 and it was now ten minutes to nine. Sora thought about it, and decided it was worth the risk of breaking a teeny-tiny school rule to get some food. After all, they wouldn't want him to starve, right? In the back of his mind was the hope that he might run into a certain dorm leader whose name he wasn't quite certain of.
Punishment from him might not be that bad, he thought with a blush.
Sora made his way down to the first floor, occasionally passing by students huddled in groups in the halls or on their way back to their rooms for the evening, though technically lights out weren't till ten.
He made his way to the corridor leading to the kitchen and stopped in anticipation in front of the set of gray double-doors. He took a breath and pushed open the door only to find the kitchen dark and completely empty. Sora let out a relieved (disappointed) sigh and flipped on the lights beside the door before proceeding over to the large metal refrigerator. Ooooooh, cupcakes, and are those chocolate brownies? Ten minutes later he was sitting at the metal table Squall had been seated at the night before, after he had managed to rummage up some obviously very nutritious food and was sitting munching on his prize, when he heard the door swing open behind him.
Sora froze mid-chew, both afraid and excited about whom he was certain he would see. Oh so slowly, Sora turned his head, trying to swallow his food as he did, so that he didn't look like a chipmunk while trying to brush off any remaining chocolate crumbs from his mouth.
Squall stood there, arms folded across his broad chest and an eyebrow rose as he eyed Sora. "Looks to me as if you can't follow school rules, even one day into the semester," he said sarcastically, as he proceeded further into the room.
Sora, having finally swallowed his food (thankfully without choking), gave Squall a little smile and looked at him from under his lashes before saying, "I can follow the rules…sometimes…when it suits me."
Squall just stared at him for a moment before appearing to gather himself, turning to a kettle on the nearby stove. God, those eyes of his…oh, fuck and his smile, I feel like I'm falling off a cliff, Squall thought as he filled the kettle with water, turned on the gas, and then finally turned back to Sora.
"You know, I am a dorm leader and I did warn you that I would report you if I caught you here again," Squall stated flatly. Don't pretend to yourself that you didn't know he'd be here. Did you really need tea from the kitchen when you have a portable tea-maker in your room? He silently accused himself. Shut up, he told the voice.
"Actually, you didn't say that at all. What you said was that I was lucky you didn't report me, not that you would. You also told me that your name was Squall, not Leon, so which is it?" Sora said as he tilted his head to the side, giving Squall an innocently playful look.
"Leon," he said with a still completely flat tone.
"So you lied to me then?" asked Sora, slumping dramatically and knowing that he had no right to feel hurt, but feeling it nevertheless. Leon hesitated, appearing vulnerable for only an instant before his face changed back to its usual expressionless mask, said, "No. My full name is Squall Leonhart, but I go by Leon."
"Then why did you tell me that your name is Squall?" asked Sora, now thoroughly confused.
"Because….I don't know. I don't know why I told you my first name. I haven't been called that since…," and Leon's voice trailed off.
Sora just sat there, somehow unwilling to break the silence. This turned out to be a mistake as that mysterious and yet wondrous tension began to build between them and Sora once again found his blue eyes locked to gray. He suddenly wanted to scream, to wave his arms around, to run around the room until he was gasping for air, anything to relieve the tension. Instead he just sat there, lost to the power of the stormy eyes, unable to move, to think, to breathe. The air felt heavy and thick, and he could feel his heartbeat and blood flow through his body. His breath began to come in pants and Oh God, all of this was just from looking at Squall. What would happen if I actually touched him, if he touched me? Please, he wanted to say, "Please," Sora whispered unthinkingly saying it out loud.
Squall stood stiffly, as if he would shatter if he moved. "Please what?" Squall whispered intensely back, and slowly broke the stare to peruse Sora's body. He could feel Squall's eyes like a touch, a brush against his skin, a stroking of his over-sensitized nerve endings.
"Please…I...," Sora's entreaty was broken by the sound of the kettle whistling. Squall turned abruptly away, and moved toward the stove, keeping his back turned to Sora. Sora, for his part, was left feeling dazed and slightly confused as he perceived Squall's mental as well as physical withdrawal. To distract himself Sora said, "Does it really bother you, my being here?" and somehow they both knew what he meant, and it had nothing to do with rule-breaking.
"Do whatever you want," Squall replied huskily.
"Does this mean you're not going to report me," Sora asked, smiling impishly. Squall turned back to look at Sora before replying with, "I haven't made up my mind, yet."
"Well, I guess I'll just have to take my chances then, won't I?" smirked Sora playfully. Squall unwillingly returned his smile before saying, "I guess so." Squall's smile slowly faded and he bent down to collect the cup of tea he had poured, sliding into a seat across from Sora at the table. He bent his head down to the cup to blow on it, his mouth forming the perfect bow of a kiss, and Sora shivered as he imagined those lips trailing down his neck, down to his chest and stomach-
"So I assume you must've met Riku before today?" asked Squall, taking a sip from his cup.
The last thing Sora wanted to talk about was Riku but he replied anyway, "Uh, yeah. I met Riku yesterday when I came across him bullying a kid in the hallway. He had him shoved against a wall and Demyx was…really scared," Sora said.
"Demyx, huh. Sounds like you know him."
"No. Or I didn't at the time. I just met him officially today and he seems really nice, Riku on the other hand…Why are you friends with someone like him?" Squall lifted a brow at that but didn't answer the question and simply took another sip from his cup. Instead he said, "You should stay away from Riku. He seems to have it in for you. Or have a thing for you, whichever."
"See, people keep telling me to stay away from him but he's the one bothering me, not the other way around. I stood up for a kid he was about to kick the crap out of and now I seem to be at the top of some kind of list in Riku's deranged mind. As for him having a thing for me….God, I hope not," Sora said, shuddering slightly at the thought as he said it.
"Why not? Most people seem to think Riku's pretty hot," Squall asked, somewhat tauntingly feeling slightly appeased at Sora's response.
"Oh, I can admit that he's good-looking, but he's just so…so…not what I want," Sora said, trailing off lamely, not wanting to offend Squall by telling him that he found his friend to be quite...ick.
"And what do you want?" said Squall, and even as he was asking it, knew that it was a loaded question.
You, Sora thought. God, I want you.
This time he managed not to say what he was thinking out loud and blushing, just stammered, "I-I don't know," but if the look on Squall's face was any indication, Sora hadn't fooled him and Squall had gleaned the unspoken words from the boy's widened blue orbs. Those eyes.
Squall just looked at him silently before saying, "Well, if you don't want what Riku has to offer, and let me say right now that regardless of how they are meant, whether he wants to kick your ass or fu—," he broke off, closing his eyes before continuing, "or whatever, his intentions are not pure, and you need to do your best to avoid him."
"Duh," Sora said, rolling his eyes, "I think I've managed to figure that one out myself." Sora just grinned puckishly.
That smile, it had to stop. "How am I supposed to know what you're capable of figuring out, especially when it's obvious you can't even understand a few school rules," Squall asked, teasingly. Sora's heart leapt at Squall's tone, but he pretended to pout at Squall's words before breaking into a coy smile and Squall smiled back. Sora felt like he had won the best prize at a fair.
"You'd better go. Lights are supposed to go out in less than half an hour," Squall said, wondering which one he liked better, the smile or the pout. I'll have to think about it later…wait, no. Damnit. Sora rose reluctantly to his feet, cleaning up his uneaten food before heading to the door. He turned back as he reached it, looking back over his shoulder at Squall from under his thick lashes and the electric-blue of his eyes seemed to pierce right through him.
Don't give me that look… it makes me want to…
"Thanks," Sora said, smiling brilliantly. Definitely the smile, Squall thought as he shrugged and shook his head, unable to take his eyes away from Sora's and feeling as if he was lost in a dream, but even so, he still managed to get out, "Go."
Sora went.
Sora, I want to be the one to stand beside you.
The girl stood in the middle of what was now she and Sora's joint suite, although it would come as a definite surprise to Sora to find that she had followed him here all the way from Destiny Islands.
She chuckled as she thought of the look on his face when he discovered she had followed him here. She couldn't imagine however that he would be surprised for long. Maybe just a slight widening of those beautiful, blue-hued, long-lashed eyes set with angelic features, a slight puckering of his full, pouty lips along with a slight reddening to those gold-kissed cheeks.
Sora knew her antics all too well. He wouldn't be too surprised, right? Cutting her hair and binding her breasts to venture into an all-boys school was one of her more daring schemes she had to admit, but, well, what did he expect anyway?
He just off and got himself accepted to some elite academy and had decided to trek all the way to Radiant Garden Academy, without any real notice to his best friend, first and foremost, and expected her to smile and wave him off merrily, with an "oh, by the way can you take care of my mom?"
Well, I don't think so, the girl thought as she silently fumed.
"I'm not going to be left behind." the girl said out loud to herself, a slight reminder that she was completely justified in her feelings as she finished unloading the rest of her stuff into the bureau. She had been too tired last night to unpack which had led to her being late to the assembly that morning.
As she slammed the last drawer closed she thought about the fact that Sora would have nothing to be distressed about. She had left his mother in the caring hands of her cousin Namine. Anything that could have been a slight adherence to her and her plans to join Sora had swiftly and adroitly been taken care of. In fact, she had even ruthlessly gone so far as to use her fathers' guilt for being an errant, unloving father who had abandoned her and her mother for another woman, against him.
With tear-laden words she had declared that if ever there was one thing he could do to make reparations for the trauma she might have experienced on his behalf, then using his money and influence to get her into the Academy was a good start. Start being the operative word, because she might need to use more guilt later during the course of the semester, and as she had discovered, guilt was always a first-rate tool in insinuating your points of views onto others.
And most especially when it came to Sora. If ever she sensed he needed something, then it would be his.
"Sora," she said, almost as if invoking the name. The adorably beautiful boy made her heart tremble with unrequited longing, with his long thick eyelashes, electric-blue eyes, soft full lips, and golden-brown spikes which gave a masculine flare to his angelically girlish beauty. Her friend would completely understand her situation and, with enough guilt-laced words wrapped in honey, she had faith that she would be able to fully convince him, if he was so inclined to need such saccharine persuasion, that she was more than justified, and that it was not only her place, but her right to stand here beside him.
The boy had no idea, no inclination, as to the effect he had on those around him, their admiration, their respect, their desire for him. She had seen it in others, both male and female, and was now having a taste of it herself. She was addicted to that feeling. Of being completely submerged and immersed in the light and warmth of his being.
His strength, boundless amounts of it, never judging, always understanding of others' own limitations and willing to accept any failings, even taking them upon himself when needs be. His hands always outstretched, she had soon understood after meeting the beautiful boy that his light was not only hers, but like his name, encased everyone around him. His light willed them to be stronger, instilling in them a strength that only grew from slowly dying embers to bright glowing and rampant flames.
When she had first met Sora, having just moved from Radiant Garden to live with her mom on Destiny Islands after what had been a very messy divorce, she had been having a rough time to say the least. Being the new girl on the island hadn't been easy. Certainly not, considering she'd had to leave everything she'd ever known behind, a place with which she had grown so familiar, with its' long curving roads and streets framed with tall buildings she could weave through, merging with its' framework until she was just the door to sounding chimes and voices. Her friends, now long forgotten distant memories so that she could barely remember their faces, had been a major factor for her desire not to leave.
Because her father had been mayor of Radiant Garden at the time of her arrival on Destiny Islands, her name had already been well-known and tales of her cheating father and his betrayal had caused the islanders to look upon her and her mother with shadows of pitying eyes and false alabaster smiles. It had only contributed to her anger and loss at the time, and that summer right before school was to begin, she had been deeply apprehensive.
Then, she had met Sora and all her fears had seemed to melt away. He hadn't looked at her like she was something to be pitied and he hadn't made her feel like she was too fragile to be made friends with. He had recognized her strength and hadn't cared about rumors or influencing opinions.
Instantaneously it had seemed, she had been accepted, as if Sora carried such a weight of underlying, unobstructed power that his friends and all the people he associated with welcomed and accepted her with open arms. Originally, what had once been guarded smiles and pitying eyes had burned and turned to ash, and as the ash was swept away by air and sea, a gentle all encompassing tender warmth came that she could again call home. Yes, being with Sora was like coming home.
The beautiful boy belonged to no one, but that didn't stop people from trying to claim him. His unknowing flirtatiousness and mischievous playfulness naturally drew others in, and she constantly had to stand guard and make sure to keep those with an unhealthy addiction to his light a safe distance away. She didn't have to work too hard, knowing that no matter how close those got to him, even close enough to touch, that he would eventually elude their grasp. In the beginning she had been both possessive and jealous, realizing that she was not the only one with a claim on Sora's affections, but she had soon understood what others hadn't.
He would always come back to her.
She hadn't encountered any strong enough to combat her hold on Sora, and being here with him, she would make sure of it.
I'm going to find Sora now.
After Sora left the kitchen he headed back toward his dorm room. He felt excited, dizzy and giddy. His face felt hot and flushed and his emotions were a confused and twisted jumble. He'd never felt like this before. He'd had crushes, or at least, he thought that he had, but never anything like this. He wanted to get to know Squall, but he had also wanted Squall to push him back onto the counter and….He flushed again thinking about it. He turned the corner that led to the hall where his room was and pulled out the key from his pocket, his thoughts still centered on the sexy, gray-eyed Fourth year.
"Well, well, looks like the mouse came out of his hole to play," said a voice from behind him.
Sora whirled around, his heart sinking into his stomach as he recognized to whom the voice belonged.
"Riku," Sora whispered.
"None other," Riku said. He was standing with his arms crossed and his shoulder propped against the wall across from Sora's room. He started walking toward Sora who straightened and turned to face him.
"What do you want?" said Sora warily. Riku laughed at that and when his chuckles had died off he tilted his head as if pondering the question. "What do I want? Are we going to keep playing this game then? I guess we can, I have to admit I've found it entertaining thus far."
Sora thought about how long it would take for him to jam the key into the lock before Riku was on him and if he could possibly make it into his room before then. Even if he could though, Sora didn't like the idea of turning his back on Riku or the idea that Riku would think that Sora was cowardly enough to run from him. I'm not a mouse or a kitten.
Riku drew nearer to him and Sora once again stood his ground. He smirked and before Sora was aware of it, found himself pressed against his door with Riku pressed full body up against his. Sora gasped as felt Riku's hips pressed into his own, at the feeling of heat that ran through his body as Riku bent down and brushed his lips beneath his ear then swiped at it with his tongue. He began to nibble on the lobe, his breath hot, and Sora suddenly found it hard not to melt into the door as hot shivers ran through him. He felt his eyes involuntarily begin to close but as Riku's nibbles headed down toward his neck Sora felt alarm bells going off in his head as he was reminded of who was kissing and licking him. Sora shoved at Riku abruptly, and Riku, caught off guard stumbled before righting himself. He straightened and then glared into Sora's eyes, his pride very obviously hurt at Sora's rejection.
"Sora?" said a voice from his right. He jumped, a little startled that he hadn't heard anyone approach having been too wrapped up in Riku's presence to notice. Sora turned toward the voice, which sounded extremely familiar to him. He turned his head and felt his eyes widen as he recognized the figure in front of him who was now glaring into Riku's eyes.
Kairi?
