Squall knew it was only another dream, another nightmare, but he couldn't stop it from continuing, nor could he stop his internal screams. Wake up! Wake up! Oh God, please, wake up! NO! I can't go through this again! I can't…his thoughts trailed off in despair even as his body tossed and turned. He was sticky with sweat, hands clenching tightly in wet sheets, face twisting into a grimace as he struggled to suppress it. But it came anyway, like a freight train from which he had no time to escape, his shoelaces caught in the rusty metal of the tracks, tripping him, and as the train came barreling toward him he knew that in some sick part of his mind he wanted this, wanted…no, craved this nightmare, because it was the only way that he would ever have to see any of them again, alive, and healthy, and still his.
Squall was transported back to his home, held as a captive audience in a time when he still went by the name of his birth, not Leon Leonhart of Radiant Garden, but Squall Loire of Winhill, son of Raine and Laguna, brother of Ellone, and boyfriend of Rinoa Carroway. His room was just down the hall from his older sister's, his parent's room across the hall. His father had finally come home from his most recent escapade as a traveling news correspondent for the news magazine, Timber Maniacs. He had promised Raine that he would be home for Christmas this year (and he had miraculously kept that promise), unlike many other occasions and holidays, for which he had been out on assignment. His sister too had decided to come home for the winter break, despite an offer from her friends at the University to go with them to see Christmas Town.
"Besides, how else am I going to be able to spend time with my favorite brother?" his adopted sister had asked.
Squall had rolled his eyes at the cheesiness of it and replied acerbically, "I'm your only brother."
"Exactly." And her smile had been so bright that Squall hadn't had the heart to roll his eyes again, even though he was sorely tempted. They were in Squall's room, which was sparse, except for a desk and chair placed in front of the wide wrap-around window, a bookcase that housed a large set of books placed in alphabetical order by genre, and the massive bed that was his only testament to luxury. Ellone always made fun of Squall for his Spartan preferences and Squall always retorted that it was better than her cluttered, messy excuse for a room that he kindly referred to as the 'pig-sty'.
Despite this, whenever Ellone was home and not flittering about, she could, more often than not, be found in her brother's room, telling Squall about her adventures at the University or prompting Squall to talk about his own. On that note, Ellone was sprawled across Squall's bed on her stomach, her elbows propped on the bed and chin in her hands as she looked over at her brother who was seated at the desk chair.
"So, how's school?" she had asked.
The thought of school caused his face to fall into a blank mask, unknowingly confirming to Ellone that everything was not right at Radiant Garden Academy for her brother, despite his muttered, "Fine."
"Hmmm. Still having difficulty with Seifer?"
At the question, Squall couldn't prevent a scowl from forming on his face and he mumbled, "Whatever," the response causing Ellone to giggle behind her hand. She never took Squall seriously, even in his more annoyed moments. Squall had his annoyed moments quite a bit, especially around their father whom Squall had dubbed "that idiot".
Squall resented Laguna for his chosen profession, which kept him away from home for long periods of time. It was their mother, Raine, who suffered. He didn't like the red eyes she tried to hide with cold compresses in the morning, her worried frowns over weather reports, or her anxious glances at the phone and the obsessive checking of her email. His own worry had escalated once he had left to attend the Academy and she was truly alone in their house in Winhill with not even Squall for company.
"Is Rinoa coming over?" Ellone asked, breaking Squall out of his reverie.
"Yes. Her entire family is coming over. Mother's cooking dinner for them."
His last statement was accompanied by a crash and a muffled curse from the kitchen downstairs, causing both he and his sister to wince. Raine, while an adequate cook, was not an accomplished one, and she had become increasingly stressed over the idea of serving dinner to Rinoa's parents. Squall couldn't tell if she was stressed because both Rinoa's parents were famous (her father was a well-known General in the Galbadian Army and her mother a renowned singer and musician) or just because they were the parents of her son's first girlfriend and she wanted to make a good impression. Maybe both, which might explain the level of stress.
"I…think I'll try to go help Raine," Ellone said with a grimace and a roll of her eyes as she stood up giving a brief wave over her shoulder as she left.
Squall shook his head and went into the adjoining bathroom to take a shower before Rinoa arrived with her parents. He undressed quickly before stepping into the spray, and as he did, his thoughts drifted back to Rinoa. He couldn't keep from smiling as he thought about her, nor could he still the butterflies that made his stomach always feel slightly unsettled, compounded by the erratic beating of his heart. His reactions hadn't changed from the first time he had seen her, standing across a crowded ballroom, like some stupid fairy tale, except in their case it appeared that Rinoa had been his prince rather than the other way around. Lord knows, he hadn't given her an easy time of it.
Back then she had belonged to Seifer and he had wanted nothing to do with her, physical reactions aside. But she hadn't given up and he had given in, despite their almost constant bickering and the continual desire he felt to pull his hair out in frustration. Of course it was now just that much harder for him at school, Squall reflected as he turned the water off, stepping out and toweling himself dry. Seifer hadn't been able to let it go, not so much of Rinoa herself (as she had described it, a summer flirtation with no spoken promises hardly equated to a relationship), but the idea that Squall had bested him had combined with Seifer's already competitive nature to make Seifer's behavior toward him increasingly hostile and an already challenging year that much more difficult.
It didn't help that his nemesis was friends with Riku, Squall's suite-mate, and was therefore constantly hanging around his dorm area causing him to be in closer proximity than he would've liked. He had been dating Rinoa for six months and tension between them had increased daily until finally the last day before Christmas Break they had clashed in a fight that had left the both of them with mirror-image scars running diagonally across their faces. Squall had ended up in the infirmary with a warning from the Headmaster to find a way to get along with Seifer or to find a new school. He was hoping that Seifer would cool down in their two weeks away from each other although his expectations of such a thing occurring weren't particularly high.
He wiped off the steamed-up mirror with the palm of his hand in brisk circular motions and as he looked at his reflection...
SKIP
They were at dinner sitting at the long table with Rinoa seated to his right and his mother on his left. Rinoa was talking with Ellone who was seated across from her, his mother deep in conversation with Julia, Rinoa's mother, and Laguna talking to the General about his latest trip to Deling City, his gestures wide and animated. Squall watched it all with observant eyes, neither interrupting nor participating; merely enjoying a peaceful moment that he knew would end too soon. Rinoa suddenly nudged him with her elbow and he turned to look at her. Her face broke into a smile at his glance and Squall couldn't stop himself from returning it. A slight frown appeared moments later as she looked at his new scar before she shook her head and the smile reappeared.
"I like it," she suddenly whispered.
"What?" he asked, his expression puzzled.
"The scar. It makes you look…more masculine. You were much too pretty before."
Squall scowled at that and she laughed lightly before reaching out and squeezing his hand under the table. He looked across the table at Ellone who grinned and winked at him. He shook his head. He was surrounded. But despite the thought he ducked his head to hide his smile.
SKIP
He was sleeping in his bed, turning restlessly, having vague dreams of a fiery cavern, rocks and sediment glowing red and cast in shadow. A monster lay in wait for him, eyes fiery, and hair a bright orange flame.
"Who are you?" Squall whispered to the creature.
"They call me Ifrit," he replied, his voice more growl than actual human speech.
"Why are you here?"
"Fire," the creature responded.
"What?"
"Wake up, Squall. Fire." Flames shot from the creature's body, engulfing Squall and causing him to cry out. He awoke suddenly to the heavy and encompassing smell of smoke, his lungs were seizing up and eyes tearing as he struggled to blink them away and to breathe in short pants. He recovered quickly from his disorientation and swung his legs from the bed. The carpet beneath his feet was warm, much too warm, and smoke wafted through the cracks in the door in visible clouds. The window reflected the same red glow as the cavern of his dreams.
Fuck.
He shot over to the door, reaching out to the door handle, but it burned his hand, and he quickly snatched it back in shock and startled pain. He could hear the fire now, crackling and snapping all around him. He had to get out. He had to reach Rinoa and Ellone. He grabbed a blanket from the bed, ripping it in his haste and wrapped it around the door handle, turning it and pulling the door open. He expected to see the hallway but was met with a wall of flame that shot at him in an explosive wave that caused him to stumble backward. He fell to the floor before hastily picking himself up. He couldn't move forward, the fire was now inside the room with him and he moved backward until he found himself pressed back into the glass of his window.
The flames were eating the carpet, the manuscripts on the bookcase causing the wall to disintegrate into a mass of sparks and heat. He looked around desperate for some escape and realized that the only exit was behind him in the form of the large wrap-around window. He managed to grasp the blanket before the edges caught fire although the flames were licking at his feet now, and his breath was coming in wheezing gasps and hacks, his eyes tearing madly. He wrapped the blanket around his head and shoulders and made a running leap toward the window. The window shattered as his body hurled through it and then…
"Leon! Leon, wake up!" a voice shouted in his ear.
Squall stopped thrashing, looking around in confusion and blinking tears from his eyes as he turned to see what had woken him. He looked around expecting to see long red tongues of flame but was met by the sight of a hovering shadow.
"Leon, it's okay. It's all okay. You're here, you're fine." He recognized the voice of Riku before looking up to meet the other's green eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Squall asked in a hoarse whisper, looking around at the darkness of his room.
"I could hear you crying out from across the hall," Riku whispered back, helping him into a sitting position. The sheets were damp and tangled from the tossing and turning and Squall's breath was shaky, his body still trembling. He buried his head into his hands, trying to steady his breathing and still the erratic pounding of his heart and Riku didn't say anything but was silent until he was able to compose himself. Riku's hand was warm and comforting on Squall's shoulder and he squeezed it lightly before removing his hand and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"That was a bad one, huh?" Riku asked rhetorically. Or at least Squall assumed it was rhetorical since the answer was obvious.
"You okay now?" he asked.
Squall's mind cleared a little further at the question and his lips twisted wryly.
"Just peachy," he replied and Riku gave him a penetrating stare before he glanced away.
They sat in silence for a few minutes and Squall's heartbeat finally returned to normal, his body finally managing to cease its quivering.
"What time is it?" he inquired to Riku.
"A little after three," the silver-haired upperclassman responded and Squall grimaced at the answer.
"Three hours sleep. That's not so bad, I guess."
"You mean considering you usually get none?" Riku asked acerbically.
"Exactly. It's all relative."
Riku shook his head at the answer but didn't say anything more.
"Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked, his eyes once again meeting Squall's in a penetrating way.
Squall shifted uncomfortably for a minute. It wouldn't be the first time that Riku had stayed with him until dawn broke; usually curling up in the desk chair or sleeping on Squall's floor. Squall had never requested that Riku stay but the other boy had always taken it upon himself to keep him company through the long nights when the nightmares were the worst. This time, for some unknown reason to Squall, he felt uneasy with Riku's presence.
"No. I think I'm just going to read for awhile."
Riku didn't argue but instead shrugged and stood up, moving toward the door silently before turning back to face Squall.
"Call if you need anything."
Squall shook his head at the offer but smiled slightly and muttered, "Thanks, Riku."
Riku nodded and closed the door behind him quietly and Squall leaned over to turn on the desk lamp causing the room to brighten suddenly and cast away the last shadows of the nightmare. The room was silent except for the ticking clock on his wall and he fidgeted uncomfortably, shivering slightly as the remaining sweat on his body began to dry and the damp sheets absorbed the remaining moisture. He got up from the bed and walked over to the bureau to change into dry pajama bottoms and then reached down to strip the sheets off the bed. He wondered why he no longer felt the same sense of comfort in Riku's presence that he had felt before, but at the internally posed question a pair of bright blue eyes suddenly appeared in his mind, accompanied by a blinding smile, and a spiky mane of chocolate hair.
Sora.
Sora was pacing in front of the door while Roxas straddled the chair situated in front of Sora's desk. Despite himself Roxas was impressed with Sora's setup. It was cool that Sora was able to have his own room along with a suite living area, unlike his own school, where each student shared a room with someone else. Of course it had probably been better for his social life that he had been forced to share a room with another student or else he might've been likely to hole up in his room and never come out.
On that note, it had been the plan for today that he was to meet up with Hayner, Pence, and Olette at the beach just outside of T-town. Unfortunately they were having a bit of trouble deciding how to smuggle his brother out of the castle (Sora, of course, insisted upon coming, despite the overwhelming odds that both of them would get caught). This brought him back to the current situation in which Sora was restlessly pacing in front of his door, his hands folded behind his head in the familiar gesture that brought a grudging smile of nostalgia to Roxas's lips, even as Sora made another sound of frustration.
The dorm leaders were strict about upholding rules, especially those regarding students leaving the castle, except on chosen weekends, and even those were allowed only for upperclassmen. From what Zexion had told Sora, those who tried to leave the castle without permission experienced a heavy loss of privileges and possibly even expulsion. He had already suggested things like laxatives and tying bed sheets together but apparently Roxas wasn't enthusiastic about doing anything that might be hazardous to their health (it wasn't that far down).
"But I wanna go!" He whined at Roxas, his mouth turned into a pout as he flopped down onto his bed.
Roxas turned to face his brother in the chair, contemplating the problem. He had spent the night at the castle after Sora had managed to obtain a visitor's overnight pass from administration. Apparently because access to the castle from the city was limited it wasn't unusual for visiting family members to overnight occasionally. It had been like old times, Sora babbling about all of the people that he had met and even mentioning someone that he had bamboozled into giving him tutoring lessons. Why Sora had blushed when talking about math, Roxas didn't know, although there was no mistaking the pink glow on Sora's face, which Roxas had chalked up to the overall excitement of the moment. This came with the added thrill of Sora's win over Riku and Roxas's chuckling glee over receiving his share of the winnings from a fuming and sneering Seifer.
Sora rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, his mind drifting over the last week. Now that he and Riku had fought out all of their negative tension, he felt freer and more like himself than he had since before he had arrived at the Academy, more so even, because his brother was there with him and there was nothing left to be upset about. Well, that wasn't entirely true since he was still worried about Kairi. He had tried calling her numerous times as well as sending her multiple emails, all to no avail because she still hadn't returned any of them.
He was both eager and apprehensive to discover the reason for her quiet and sudden departure from the castle. It had to have been something serious for her to have left him without a word the way that she had. However, he knew that Roxas was correct in his evaluation of Kairi's aptitude in landing on her feet. She was smart, and brave, and knew the city of Radiant Garden like the back of her hand, having grown up there, which meant that he didn't have as many worries about her safety as he normally would have. Still…
"Rox, I really need a sabbatical and you're not helping! This has been the longest almost-week of my life, and you're not being supportive! Come on, help me out here!"
Roxas turned to look into the face that was identical to his in almost every way, and realized immediately that it was a mistake. He knew that Sora was prone to being dramatic, nevertheless his brother looked worn-out and tired, and in spite of himself Roxas felt his heart squeeze in sympathy.
"I am trying to help. I'm not sure about the rules here, but I don't want you to end up expelled. That means we have to find a workable plan, not some cockamamie crap likely to get us maimed, killed, put in jail, or with you getting your ass kicked out of school."
Sora scowled at that but didn't argue about Roxas's assessment of the situation.
Roxas continued his contemplation of their circumstances, biting his lip as he thought over the problem. The atmosphere of the castle was suffocating, at least to his mind, as it seemed that all the students in the castle were hovering around Sora because of his recent victory in the duel. Still, it was enough to cause Roxas to make irritated growling noises in his throat each time someone banged on his brother's door.
He wanted to help and would do anything if it meant seeing his brother smile like he had before coming to the school. He had known that this academy would mean nothing but trouble, and if he hadn't known what this chance meant to Sora, he would've suggested to his brother that he return to Destiny Islands, where people genuinely liked and supported him. Roxas's hands tightened into fists once again and his scowl deepened further.
Damn that Riku. He still didn't know what the terms of the duel had been, and Sora refused to tell him, would in fact blush and avoid his gaze whenever the subject was brought up. He had tried asking Axel about it, but he had only received a smirk and a whispered, "What are you going to give me if I tell you?" Forget that idea!
Roxas prided himself on the fact that he was not a violent person, but he had wanted to punch Riku the first time that he laid eyes on him. Axel caused similar feelings to boil to the surface (along with the desire to put a muzzle on him) and so he had planned on avoiding the both of them completely.
Sora buried his face into his pillow and groaned. "Can't you just pack me in a suitcase or something?"
Although Sora loathed admitting it, he was definitely small enough to fit. His eyes brightened as he was suddenly hit with another brilliant idea.
"I could try asking Zexion if he knows a good place to…" Sora shook his suddenly before mumbling, "No, he'll probably go into a long monologue about 'common sense' and how I don't have any."
He paused a moment with his hand placed beneath his chin in a rare moment of obvious thought before his eyes fell upon his younger brother. "How about asking Axel? I don't know him that well, but he seemed to like you, Roxas. You guys looked really buddy-buddy yesterday."
Buddy-buddy? Sora had to be kidding. The only thing Roxas wanted Axel to be buddy-buddy with was his fist. He glowered as he thought about how the other boy had hung all over him the day before. What was his problem, anyway?
He grimaced as he felt his gut twist in apprehension at the thought of approaching him. He understood what his brother was trying to say. Axel knew his way around the school, and obviously knew how to sneak out of the castle if his presence in the city the day prior had been any indication. He had, in fact, bragged to Roxas in smug detail about his "knowledge," and claimed that if he ever needed a helping hand he knew who to call. Roxas had shrugged it off with a disgusted snort that spoke his feelings more than words could have. However, he knew that Sora was right. If they were going to make it out of the castle they were going to need help…
He could sacrifice. Just one day. I can do this.
Roxas smiled at Sora and shrugged his shoulders, trying to convey a reassurance that he himself didn't feel. "Sure, why not?" How bad could it be?
It couldn't really be considered stalking. He was just passing by Sora's door. For the 10th time. Nope, nothing stalker-like about that. He just wanted to make sure Sora slept okay and that Roxas was comfortable because…sleeping on Sora's floor must've been uncomfortable…Roxas…sleeping in the nude… naked…apricot skin bare and smooth to the touch…No, Roxas would never sleep naked, he seems much too conservative to do something like that, but maybe shirtless? That's possible, right? Axel shook his head at the thought. Shit.
He was obviously going insane. It was the only explanation for why he couldn't get the blonde out of his head. He had known when he had met Roxas, could tell from the skeptical and suspicious look he had given Axel at their first meeting, that he was going to be a challenge.
Still, if Axel had to guess at Roxas's reaction to his overtures, distaste if not disgust, would've been the word he would use to describe it. It didn't make any sense. After all, it wasn't like Axel smelled bad or anything. Axel discreetly stuck his nose into his armpit to check just in case.
Nope, Axe deodorant, and well, maybe a little cigarette smoke. But that's no big deal, right? Axel frowned at the idea of having to give up smoking to get into Roxas's pants. That would just suck. I don't care how hot he is I'm not going to give up smoking. Axel pulled out his pack of cigarettes and counted the number he had left. Four more. Hmmm, well maybe after I'm done with this pack I can go on the patch. I'll probably need six or seven of 'em just to get my fix but…SHIT.
He stopped pacing in front of Sora's door to throw down the pack of cigarettes, crushing them with his boot heel in frustrated anger while his hands went up to tangle in his spikes, pulling hard on the thick strands. Then he froze in horror as he realized what he had done. He had just destroyed his cigarettes. His last pack. In front of Sora's door… and if Roxas found them…well then he'd know Axel was stalking him. NO! Stalking wasn't the right word, he was…he was just…Damn it!
He bent down to pick up the demolished cigarettes, whipping the smashed pack open to see if any of them were still intact. He was so involved in his study of the mangled cigarettes that he didn't hear the opening of the door next to him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" a harsh voice said from over Axel's crouched form.
The redhead's eyes closed tightly shut for a moment before he opened them again and looked up at the looming form of Roxas. This can't be happening.
"Uh, hi," he said, scooping up the pack of cigarettes and shoving them hastily into his pocket. "I, uh, was just passing by here and I, uh, dropped something."
Roxas's eyes narrowed in suspicion but he remained silent and Axel fidgeted nervously under the stare. What am I DOING? This isn't like me! I'm cool…collected…
He made an effort to relax and gave the blond his usual confident smirk.
"So, how's it goin', Blondie?"
Roxas's mouth tightened at the nickname and his hands clenched into fists. For a moment Axel was sure Roxas was going to punch him and he eyed the fists nervously but the blonde's hands suddenly relaxed and Axel's smirk reappeared.
"So, what're you up to today? Got any plans?"
Roxas's brow furrowed and his mouth twitched. He didn't say anything for a moment and Axel shot him a puzzled frown before he said, "Cat got you tongue?"
Roxas blushed as he remembered the comparison he had made in his mind of Axel to the black cat that ate all of the chocobos. He fidgeted slightly before he finally blurted, "We need your help."
The redhead's brows rose at that and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Help? With what?"
The blond mirrored Axel's pose, bringing up his arms to cross over his chest, but his posture was defensive rather than casual and he looked away before speaking again. "With smuggling Sora out of the castle."
Axel 's smirk widened and he chuckled lightly. "Sora, huh? Why doesn't it surprise me that Sora would be sneaking out of the castle?"
Roxas's expression softened at that and he couldn't help a reluctant laugh from escaping. "Yeah well, Sora's not exactly good at following rules. You'd have to be an idiot not to figure that out, especially if this last week is anything to go by."
"Exactly. A guy after my own heart, that's your bro," Axel replied.
Roxas rolled his eyes and leaned his right shoulder into the door frame. "And here I was hoping Sora would find someone who would be a good influence on him."
Axel smiled and placed a hand above the blond's head on the door frame.
"I'm good at a lot of things."
Roxas's smile fled away as suddenly as it had appeared and a scowl reappeared in its place. "The only thing I care about is that you're good at getting Sora out of the castle undetected."
Was it something I said? Axel removed his hand from above the blonde and took a step back but he couldn't help smiling as he asked, "What're you going to give me for it?"
"It?" Roxas's brow was furrowed in confusion and rosy color began to pour into his cheeks at Axel's deliberate word choice.
The redhead's voice was soft and slightly seductive when he replied, "Yeah. It. You know, my help? Nothing's free, not even for you, Cutie." Most especially not for you.
The blond's face flushed further and his fists clenched tightly, his mouth opening in what was apparently the beginning of a tirade when Sora appeared behind him.
"Hey Axel! We were just talking about you!" Sora said brightly pushing Roxas slightly to the side so he could get a better view of the upperclassman.
"Were you now?" he asked, flicking Roxas a lazy glance that did nothing to cool the blond's blush.
"It wasn't like that!" Roxas snapped, his temper igniting at the redhead's manner.
"Wasn't like what, Roxy?" Axel asked with a sultry smile.
Roxas stepped forward, his body tensing and his fists clenching so hard that his knuckles turned white. Sora stepped in front of him halting his progress as he spoke to Axel.
"Actually, we were wondering whether you could get us out of the castle. Roxas told me that you know how to get out of here without anyone finding out about it," Sora said, his eyes moving from his younger brother's still tense form to Axel's casually relaxed pose. He couldn't help shooting a concerned glance at Roxas.
"Yeah, Blondie and I were just negotiating that," Axel said with a smirk.
"N-negotiating?" Sora's voice was slightly hesitant and edged with worry. The last time he had negotiated with someone he had ended up having to duel someone over his best friend's honor with his virginity at stake. He glanced again at his brother.
"Yeah. Negotiate. Don't worry, the terms aren't that…stiff," Axel said, the cat-who-ate-the-chocobo expression widening further.
Roxas's face was now tomato red and his teeth were clenched hard enough that a visible pulse beat at his temple.
"What do you want?" Roxas growled.
"Weeell, what I want is…" he trailed off deliberately and Sora's eyes widened while Roxas's eyes narrowed.
"What?" the blond gritted out impatiently.
"I want to come," the redhead said.
"Come?" Roxas asked confused. Axel leered and the blond scowled and asked, "Come where?"
"I want to come with you."
"No!" "Okay!" the brothers both exclaimed at the same time. Roxas turned to Sora and glared and the brunet returned the glower with a pleading expression. The blond's shoulders tensed at the look before they slumped in resignation and the scowl returned as he looked up at the tall redhead slouched in front of them.
"Fine," he snapped his voice, harsh and slightly unsteady. "But don't…try to…Fuck! Try to act normal, would you?"
"Whatever you say, Sweet Cheeks." Axel glowed in satisfaction while Roxas continued to glower and Sora looked quizzically at both of them. The brunet broke the tense silence as he said with false cheer, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Axel bowed mockingly and grinned then said, "Follow me." He began to saunter away and Sora nudged Roxas in the arm to get him moving until he reluctantly stepped in front of him to follow the redhead. What else can go wrong?
Sora put one more shirt into his black Disney beach bag, a picture of his favorite characters, Donald and Goofy emblazoned on the side. He was packing some last minute items that might be potentially useful for their adventure, while Roxas and Axel waited for him down below. Sora smiled in recollection as he remembered Axel saying something about giving Roxas a "mini" tour.
"Well, that should be all of it." Sora said as he shoved the last of it into the bag. Roxas had said to only bring things of importance because they didn't want to get caught looking too conspicuous. Sora scowled as he remembered Roxas's look and the insulting way he had of saying things that implied that he thought Sora lacked common sense. He looked down at the overstuffed bag, bulging with snacks, beach towels, sunscreen, candy… Crap, maybe I don't need this much, reluctantly beginning to pull out his stash of candy.
"What's all the junk for?" Sora quickly spun around as he heard the familiarly mocking voice behind him. Piercing aquamarine eyes met his in a penetrating stare. He couldn't help but groan internally as he realized who it was. Riku. Had he left the door open? Shit, if his brother had been here he would've berated Sora for being so scatterbrained and then would've punched Riku for entering Sora's room without his permission. Where was Roxas when you needed him?
Riku stood with his arms crossed, languidly leaning back against the dorm wall. Riku usually tended to dominate the atmosphere with his presence, but Sora was relieved to see that he appeared relaxed rather than tense and about to pounce, which was his usual state around Sora.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm not here to fight. I just wanted to talk. Or better yet, I'll talk and you listen." Riku gave Sora a challenging smirk. "Or is that asking too much?"
Is he serious? Sora put his head to the side, pondering the question for a moment. It sounded reasonable, and it wasn't like Riku hadn't always been entirely honest with him. His bluntness was something that he would normally respect if it hadn't been for the manner in which Riku always used it, namely to issue threats and come ons. Sora was only slightly apprehensive as he nodded his head for Riku to continue.
"I want to call a truce." Riku paused a moment before continuing. "Seeing you out there yesterday changed my mind about a lot of things. In the future we'll be on the same fencing team so there's no point in us being at odds with one another. I figure that it'll be best if we work together. Hopefully you see it the same way." He straightened and backed away, eyes for once serious as he stared at Sora before moving briskly to the door. "Well, that's all I wanted to say."
This was such a turnaround from Riku's normal behavior around Sora that he couldn't help but feel slightly wary. He hadn't found Riku's last whispered words after he had won the duel the slightest bit reassuring but he also knew the idea of a truce made sense. Moreover, he had never been comfortable with the discord between them, and he was all for ending the war of wills.
"O-k-ay." Riku smiled at Sora, not his usual smirk, but a genuine expression of happiness.
Sora felt immediately relieved and his own smile widened. His eyes were bright with optimism as he asked, "Don't we shake hands on this or something?" It's a truce, right?
Their eyes met as they simultaneously reached out to shake each other's hand. He was stunned at how intimate the simple act of a handshake suddenly seemed to be as the contact between their hands finally ended, Sora trying not to draw his hand away too quickly and to give away his sudden uneasiness. Riku's touch seemed to linger for an instant until all that was left was the electric tingling warmth where Riku's palm and fingers had met his own. Sora shook his head a little, rubbing at his hand in order to remove the sensation. Weird.
"So, what's the bag for? Nice, by the way," Riku said as he looked down at the bag, "I always preferred Mickey Mouse myself, Donald was always a bit too annoying for my taste." Sora looked over at him and couldn't prevent a scowl as he clutched the bag to his chest.
"Going somewhere?" Riku peered at the contents of the bag. "Sun-block and beach towels, huh?" Sora pouted, quickly maneuvering the bag away from Riku's line of sight.
"Yeah, Roxas and I were going to, um, go out and do something, and well, Axel kind of decided to join us, or…we sort of invited him, I guess…" Sora scratched the back of his head giving a smile that he hoped came off as natural.
"Go out and do something? And what would that something be exactly? You do realize what the repercussions for leaving campus are, right?" Riku crossed his arms and gave Sora a dubious look. "That bag is a pretty telling sign that you plan on leaving. You could try to be a little less conspicuous Sora, geez." Riku smirked as he heard the indignant huff that puffed its way out of Sora's chest.
Sora put his hands on his hips and bent down to look up at Riku through his bangs as he said, "What business is it of yours what I do, anyway? And I know what I'm doing. Axel is helping us."
Riku waved his hand. "So you really are planning on leaving campus then?" The other's frowning blush was all the confirmation that Riku needed.
Sora didn't really know how to get out of the pickle he'd gotten himself in, and sighed to himself forlornly. An idea quickly began forming in his head as he thought that maybe he could use their newfound truce to persuade Riku to his cause or, at the very least, to ignore what Sora and Axel intended to do. However, before he could say anything Riku cut him off.
"There is a very simple solution to this problem, Sora." Riku picked up one of the towels off the floor where it had slipped from the bag in Sora's haste to hide it. He then smirked deviously and Sora's heart sank at the familiar expression. The smirk lifted the corners of Riku's mouth and caused his eyes to flash emerald as he said, "I'm going with you."
Sora struggled not to gape and Riku's smirk widened.
Gotcha, Riku thought.
They were being lead through an underground passageway, Axel in the forefront, their echoing footsteps pervading the cool air seeping through the chilled stone of the tunneling corridor. Roxas shivered as another unfriendly breeze passed over his exposed skin, and sighed inwardly as he recognized that glaring at the silver-haired boy walking beside him wasn't a sufficient distraction from the cold.
How had this happened? The situation being that Riku had, within such a small period of time, had changed from enemy to ally. Yesterday, Riku had been an oppressive tormenter, a bully that Sora would never deign to associate with.
Roxas quickly came to the conclusion that he needed to speak with Sora on the matter, so the question now became, what were they going to do about Riku? Roxas turned to glance at him as he tried to make eye contact, but the corridor was dimly lit and Riku, who walked right along beside Sora, blocked his ability to do so adequately. Damn it, Roxas cried out inwardly in frustration. He turned to glare once more at Riku, but was hampered by the unfortunate presence of another.
"You're blocking my view." Roxas stated bluntly.
Axel had noticed the downward spiral of Roxas's mood since Riku had appeared. Axel, however, was grateful for Riku's presence because it served as a suitable distraction for Sora, leaving Roxas all to himself.
"Let me take a guess." Axel narrowed his eyes and put his finger to his mouth in exaggerated conjecture. "You find Riku's presence here less than desirable?" Roxas huffed and rolled his eyes at the gross understatement of his true feelings.
"He's up to something." Roxas glanced over at Riku and grimaced to emphasize his distaste. "I would confront Riku if I didn't think it would jeopardize their 'truce'."
Axel looked briefly over at Roxas. "You're right, it's better not to disturb them. It'll make your brother's life easier. On the other hand, he wants something from Sora, something that he couldn't and didn't get from his previous actions."Axel saw Roxas's dismay and attempted to mitigate the negative effects of his words. "It's not as bad as you might think. Sora seems able to hold his own pretty well. At some point you need to trust that your brother knows what he's doing."
The redhead actually had a point. Sora had done a rather good job of taking care of himself but that didn't mean that he couldn't help lessen the burden. "Yeah, you're right." At that Axel's chest puffed up in an exaggeration of pride and Roxas rolled his eyes. "Just don't let it go to your head." He lightly tapped Axel on the arm which brought an answering smile to the redhead's lips. Roxas actually felt a little better. Maybe Axel really wasn't so bad after all.
"And you know Roxas, if you need help keeping tabs on Riku, I'd be more than willing to help." Axel drawled.
Roxas stopped from rubbing his cold arms for a moment and turned to look at Axel skeptically. "You'd do that?"
Axel smiled as his emerald eyes narrowed slightly. "Of course I would, Roxas. We're friends aren't we?"
Roxas looked up for a moment, considering the question for a moment. "Yeah, I guess we are, sorta."
This is working out even better than I'd planned, Axel inwardly congratulated himself.
"What do you think they're talking about over there?" Sora gestured over to Roxas and Axel as he shivered uncomfortably. The corridor was dark and the occasional cold draft would sweep through, causing the already icy tunnel to become even chillier. The thin shirt he wore did nothing to prevent the cold from seeping through.
Riku waved his hand as he looked over at Sora to smirk. "Who cares?" Riku had an idea of who exactly they were talking about if Roxas's glares in his direction were any indication.
"I'm bored, that's why." Sora pouted and looked at Riku almost as if he expected him to do something about it. "Are we almost there?" Sora whined.
Riku ignored the inane question and asked one of his own. "Where did you learn to switch wield?"
"Actually I'm used to using two swords not one, so switching hands is no big deal," Sora said without a trace of conceit to the statement. Riku struggled not to scowl but he couldn't help the reluctant admiration he felt for Sora's skills. Definitely a worthy opponent.
Sora smiled as he turned to gesture in the direction where his brother was, talking to Axel. "Roxas taught me."
Roxas fences as well? Riku shrugged inwardly. He supposed it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, seeing as they were brothers, that they would share some of the same interests.
"What about you? Do you have a brother?" Sora asked. He didn't know much about Riku, and he supposed now was as good a time as any to start. Maybe they'd find they had more in common than he had originally thought.
"No, I have no siblings."
Sora paused a moment and considered whether he should share a piece of himself as well. "There was only me and Roxas most of the time. Mom was constantly working to support us so she wasn't there a lot but Roxas and I always had each other. How about you? Was it lonely being an only child?" Sora couldn't imagine having grown up alone. The thought made him realize what a gift he'd received in having Roxas fora brother. But of course Riku wasn't lonely. He had money and friends, not to mention his influential father. "You don't have to answer-"
"No, not in the beginning. It was only after, that I started to feel that way, I guess." Riku sighed. He wasn't used to sharing the details of his family life with anyone. Strangely enough, it was easier than he thought it would be, probably because of the way Sora was looking at him, as if he was finally seeing Riku for the first time.
"After what?"
"My parents are divorced. It was just me and Sephiroth and some servants. Not really fun as a kid. I spent most of my time home-schooled or planning to run away. I actually succeeded once."
"In running away?" Sora gaped, unable to imagine himself in the same position.
"Yeah." Riku remembered it clearly. The brightness of that sunny day had only served to mock him. He had run away only to find her happy with a whole new family. It had been so contemptuously ideal; the white picket fence, the dog playing in the yard, and the little girl running with two pink ribbons weaving in and out of her ebony hair. He'd remembered her pointing at him, stunningly bright blue eyes, a shade darker than Sora's, asking who he was.
Yes, he had felt lonely, but mostly he had been angry, so angry in fact that he had decided to become an entirely different person. He had decided to make the decision to hold onto the things that he wanted and to never let go. Becoming the dutiful son that excelled in all of his lessons hadn't been easy at first, be he had learned quickly.
He had learned that people belonged in either one of two categories; allies or enemies. There were followers and there were leaders. The strong prospered and the weak perished. He had decided that he would be the strong.
A light touch on his arm brought him back to reality, as he felt the tingling warmth of Sora's hand, his softly sympathetic voice asking "Well, what happened?" Even in the dim shadows he could see Sora's beautifully set features. Did his eyes have to be such an entrancing shade of blue? They practically glowed.
"I grew up." Riku stated in a calm matter of fact voice. Sora's eyes were sad when they looked back at him, and he gnawed his lip in contemplation of what the upperclassman had told him. "God Sora, don't be such a sap." Riku playfully ruffled Sora's spiky hair.
"Hey!" Sora pouted and mock glared at Riku, though the effect was wholly ruined as he began to grin. "Hey Riku, look!" Sora tugged on Riku's shirt as he jumped up and down waving his arms excitedly. "It's the light. Roxas, we're almost there! Hey, Roxas are you listening? Geez, Rox, I know you're having fun playing hooky with Axel but…" Sora was silenced by the answering punch on his arm via Roxas.
"I heard you the first time, Sora. I know we're almost there. I'm just so frozen it's a little hard to be excited." Roxas said, as his teeth chattered.
Axel and Riku watched on with vague amusement as Sora talked about how much faster he was than Roxas and could beat him in a race easily. "Let's see if those short little legs of yours can make it to the entrance."
"My legs are the same length as yours, stupid." Roxas replied, shaking his head and smiling at the antics of his brother. He couldn't help but notice earlier that Riku had made Sora laugh and smile, as if they were old pals. This fact coupled with his other suspicions made it more than obvious that he and Axel would have to keep close tabs on Riku, because Sora was succumbing to whatever charm Riku apparently had. Roxas sighed. Sora needed to stop being so friendly. Polite. Cool politeness was what the situation called for. That concept, however, was obviously lost on his brother. Roxas put the thought aside and chased after Sora.
