Dedication: To superfan8, because we love readers who review for more than one of our fics. And to KHfujoshigirl98, because she offered to beta for us. We love you.

We are sorry that we haven't update in a while. Three months is a long time! But we're back and hopefully the updates will come closer together now that summer is finally here.

Thank you so much to all our reviewers. We especially appreciate that many of you commented on how you approve of our pacing. We know many of you are eager for some lemon (which we promise you'll eventually see) be it with Sora and Squall or Sora and Riku, or Akuroku or Zemyx. So thank you for your patience.

A few reviewer responses:

Walkin' kitten: You're right, we were a little apprehensive when we started to look over your review. We had no idea that we'd made you feel so depressed. Um, to be honest, we're even more apprehensive about what you'll think of this chapter, especially if you were bothered so much by the last one. There's a lot more drama in this one and Riku comes across a little—well, you'll see. On the other hand, we really appreciated the fact that after you did some thinking you really understood what we were trying to portray in regard to Riku. You hit the nail on the head with how he's feeling. He's extremely confused and his past has taught him that it's unwise to trust anyone. Sora throws him completely off-kilter. Anyway, hope you find some enjoyment in this chapter despite its dark overtones.

God of Yaoi: We were happy that you liked this story so much and even more pleased that this was recommended to you by someone else. It was quite nice to hear. Although—what? You managed to read this with an anatomy and physiology exam the next day? Good God, I took those classes as well and I know how tough they are. I hope you did well despite the distraction!

Kira Sonar: We're very pleased that you like our characterizations. You're right! It's very hard to keep our characterizations accurate while making sure that they develop through the story. It's our biggest challenge. Story plot is easy; it's the characters who give us all the trouble! And we love our Sora as well. Other writers often portray him as quiet or lacking self-confidence and I never quite understand it. Were they playing the same game we were?

Poke-the-Jello: Don't worry! Squall is definitely not going to be used as a plot device. We'll tell you something—we weren't even sure who Sora was going to end up with until we made the decision a little while ago (try a week ago). Although it's still early. We may change our minds again. Both Squall and Riku play important roles in this story and we honestly love both of them.

Now, on to the story!


Radiant Garden's Red Light District was everything and nothing like Sora had expected. Excitement filtered through to him, swept up to him on the breeze of patrons whose giddy laughter was contagious.

Beneath oddly-concaved and flashy buildings, occupants dressed in scantily clad attire moved from place to place, eager to enjoy the night and its entertainments. Their painted faces were bright and gay but were somehow as hard as the stone that surrounded them. Neon lights cast shadows that swayed in unison along narrowly-paved streets. Groups of men and women trickled in and out of various establishments like moths attracted to bright flames, never quite touching, but close enough to burn.

It seemed as Sora had stepped into a world of no consequence. The brilliance of it pierced the night in a vision of color and shapes. It was foreign to everything he knew. There was a sophistication here that left him feeling out of place despite his eagerness to see more, know more.

It brought to mind his friends back on the Island. What would they think? Naminé had once mentioned that places connected them through the collected memories they shared. Just as the thought occurred to him a peal of laughter rang out and he turned to see a couple holding hands. He couldn't help but feel that this was what she had meant.

He thought of Riku, his newly acquired friend, and how not so very long ago they had been enemies. Maybe their circumstances weren't perfect, but he couldn't help but feel a certain pull toward his former adversary. Despite, or maybe because of the imperfection that had characterized their first meeting, the force that drew them together now was all the more powerful.

He glanced over his shoulder at Riku and noted the deliberate and lazy confidence with which he walked. Sora knew beyond all doubt this was one of Riku's more convincing deceptions. The silver-haired upperclassman was more than capable of springing into action at a moment's notice. Moreover, he remembered their previous conversation, remembered the experienced smile of cold knowledge that had both attracted and repelled him.

Their eyes met and as the cool night air swept over his face, he began to wonder just how much Riku really knew about the Red Light District.

"How often do you come here?" Sora asked as he raised his arms, lacing his fingers comfortably behind his head.

Although they were nearly the same age, Sora couldn't help but feel that there was a tremendous gap between them; something that had nothing to do with chronology and had more to do with life experience.

Riku peered up into the sky as he answered. "I've lost track of the times. Honestly, I used to come here more often when I first started at the Academy."

"What happened?"

"I got bored, as I do with most things."

Sora looked up into the dark sky that had just moments before been the subject of Riku's gaze. He mulled over Riku's word but felt that the roots of his friend's discontent were grounded somewhere much deeper.

He remembered how cold the green eyes had been when he had told Sora about his mother. Riku had looked to the horizon then, just as he was now, and his gaze had been similarly frozen. Sora thought then about his own warm and comfortable childhood and compared it with Riku's. He imagined a silver-haired little boy sitting at home in solitude, staring out his window as he awaited someone who would never come.

"Maybe you were looking for something," Sora said softly, his gaze fixed on the night sky before he turned toward Riku to gauge his reaction.

He wasn't entirely surprised when he couldn't read his expression, and the sounds of footsteps on the cobbled stone from strolling couples and groups of excited men and women faded into the background beneath the silence that marked Riku's response. Sora thought at first that Riku would turn aside his assertion, ignore it, but then he finally spoke.

"Maybe I've already found it."

Sora turned to look at him but again he could read nothing on his face. Any visible emotion there was cloaked beneath a veil of cool observation. He felt in that moment that he would never fully understand Riku—never understand the meaning beneath his words.

"Come on. Let's go."

Riku took the lead then, directing them toward a building aglow in yellow lights. Aqua eyes that had seemed so distant just moments were now wholly cast into shadow, their depths hard and reflecting no emotion. The intensity of his empty stare caused a shiver to course through Sora.

"What is this place?"

"You'll see." Riku said as he smirked, striding up to the entranceway and into the dark enclosure. He paused for a moment to look back at him in question.

Are you scared? His turquoise eyes seemed to ask tauntingly.

Sora knew this had been his idea. He wouldn't allow himself to be afraid. With determination he turned his thoughts forward, trying to recapture the fascination he had felt upon his first glimpse of this underworld. Nevertheless, apprehension skated up his spine and settled at its base and no amount of reasoning caused it to diminish. He stepped toward Riku and the older boy smiled, his eyes glinting with something both reassuring and dangerous.

It'll be great.

But somehow the thought rang hollow in his head.

"Don't you trust me?" Riku asked, his head tilted slightly as he held out his hand. Sora swallowed but took another hesitant step forward and placed his hand tentatively into Riku's.

"Yes."

Riku smiled.


Roxas couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned restlessly, flinging one arm over his head and sprawling his legs outward. The movement pushed the covers down over his thighs and he shivered briefly as the chill of the room penetrated his thin shirt before he tugged them back into place.

A heavy fog lay thickly enough outside that, despite the fact that Twilight Town never reached full dark; the light barely penetrated the haze as it made its way into the room. Hayner was sleeping soundly in the twin bed across from him, an occasional snore issuing from him.

There was no earthly reason he shouldn't be sleeping right now. Roxas was normally a fairly heavy sleeper. Moreover, he was used to falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow and he wasn't prone to restless movement, the way his brother was.

He wondered worriedly if Sora had made it back to campus okay. He knew that he and Riku had planned on doing a bit of sight-seeing in Radiant Garden. In Roxas's opinion, it was one of Sora's less than bright ideas. Sight-seeing with Riku, of all people.

He had not been at all reassured by Riku's promise to look after his brother. Something in the older boy's eyes had been unsettling, the way he looked at his brother when he said it lacking the expected signs of protectiveness. His gaze had spoken more of possession.

Riku looked at Sora the way a starving man looked at a three-course meal. Roxas was very afraid his naïve older brother was going to be gobbled up. He had wanted to go with them but there was no way it would've been possible to go to Radiant Garden and then make his way back to Twilight Town before the last train left.

The fact that Axel hadn't gone with them either, that he had decided to stay in Twilight Town rather than return with Sora to Radiant Garden, had driven a spike of fear into Roxas's heart. If anything happened to Sora, if Riku did something to him…

He tried to block out his worries, pushing them away with an effort and rolling over on his side. He closed his eyes for a moment but as his lids shut an image of bright narrowed emerald eyes invaded his mind, causing him to once more turn over, shifting onto his stomach.

Axel.

The red-haired older boy had left abruptly after receiving the phone call from his father. He hadn't allowed Roxas to hear what was being said. He'd gotten up from the rocky hill they'd been perched on, giving him a twisted smile before striding off down the narrow strip of beach.

Roxas had returned to his friends but he hadn't been able to concentrate, his thoughts still on Axel, on how the red-head's face had looked when he'd answered the phone, on the bitterness of the smile he'd given to Roxas.

What would cause such concern and antipathy in someone like Axel?

Axel had returned to the group half an hour later, a hard weariness etched into his expression as he explained that he had something to do in town. Sora had argued with him briefly, worried that Axel would get in trouble for not returning to campus but Axel had reassured him sourly that it had been taken care of. His father had already called the school to let them know his son wouldn't be returning for the remainder of the weekend. The acerbic smile he'd given Sora had been a warped version of the one he'd shown to Roxas an hour earlier, the one that had made him almost beautiful.

In truth, it was really none of Roxas's business what was going on with the red-haired senior. If Axel had wanted Roxas to know, he would've told him. Besides, it wasn't as if they were friends.

Roxas scowled at the thought. He didn't even really like Axel. He was too abrasive, too underhanded, too—

He rolled over onto his back and once more flung an arm across his eyes, as if that could shut off his pointless musings.

Still, maybe Axel would tell Sora what had happened. Then Sora would tell him and then he could go back to not caring.

It wasn't as if he really cared now, it was just a little…a little bothersome. But still, no big deal. Really.

Roxas rolled over again, tired of arguing with himself, and after long minutes of agitated movement he finally drifted into a restless and uneasy sleep.


"Is everything all right, Sora?"

Sure, why not? I'm in a sex club. Guys are excited by sex clubs.

"Yeah," he said dispassionately as he looked away from Riku.

A woman moaned as she was penetrated by one more man. She now had two men beside her, one of which was pushing his way between her thighs as he…Sora closed his eyes and turned away. He couldn't help it..

"Sora, stop."

"What? Why?" he asked as he faced Riku. He couldn't make out his expression through the heavy brightness of the colored lights. It was warm, almost unbearably so, and he felt as though he was beginning to suffocate. But more importantly he felt the need to get away.

A crowd of people watched the spectacle with shadowed eyes, some with partners, others not. They reminded him of the animals on Discovery Channel. Hyenas, and vultures, and other scavengers he'd seen on a program about the Pride Lands. Really, all that he'd ever seen of sex had come from there. Until now. He took a few steps away but his arm was grabbed by Riku.

"Where are you going? I told you to stay close." Riku's voice was soft but Sora could sense a desperate undercurrent. He didn't understand.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just…I never thought it could be like this." He hadn't. It was so public and vulgar, and the fact that some people did this in front of others with multiple partners somehow cheapened the act for him.

He had always imagined it differently. Especially for himself.

"Like what?" Riku asked and Sora could read curiosity in his gaze. The older boy had been to this place before, but he didn't seem to be at all affected. He had, in fact, spent the entire time looking at him, as if trying to measure his response. What was he hoping to find?

Sora admitted that originally he had been somewhat fascinated. And his body had been affected; uncomfortably so, he thought, squirming slightly in his seat. But he didn't want what this place had to offer. Should he be honest with Riku?

Sora hesitated before saying. "I always thought…never mind." He shook his head. I can't say it. He couldn't. Not with Riku staring at him in that cold and calculating way.

"Tell me."

"No, it sounds stupid and you'll laugh." You will laugh, and I'll feel embarrassed, because people like you are experienced and...It wasn't that he was ashamed of how he felt. No, it was actually the opposite. If there was one arena in which he found himself not wanting to compete with Riku, it was this one. Why bother? He knew what he wanted, and this wasn't it.

"I won't laugh. Promise."

"Yeah, you will. I know you." Sora wanted to believe Riku. Especially with the way he was looking at him now.

"I promise not to laugh. I thought you said you trusted me. Was that a lie?"

Crap. Sora knew that Riku had shared a part of himself with Sora, a piece of his past. Yet, he couldn't find the words or courage to tell Riku what was on his own mind?

"No, it wasn't." Sora said, gritting his teeth as the woman on stage moaned again. This sucks. He shook his head at the double entendre. That piece of flesh was huge and it was currently shoved down her throat.

I didn't know a woman could bend like that. He turned away and shuddered. His reaction had nothing to do with pleasure. He felt bad, even though Riku had reassured him before that these women came here for the specific purpose of doing this.

"Fine," Sora said quietly. Riku looked at him expectantly as he crossed his arms. "I just didn't think it could be this way. I always thought that when two people are in love…"

"What?"

"They make love. Or that's the way it should be, at least for me. I want to do this with someone I feel connected to. I don't want it to be meaningless. I don't want to forget." Sora wanted Riku to understand. Suddenly, more than anything, it seemed the most important thing in the world that he did.

"I see."

Sora couldn't read his companion's expression. There was nothing there to read. "Do you think it's stupid?"

"No."

"Oh. Okay. What about you?"

Riku's eyes visibly narrowed. "What about me?"

"What do you think about this?" Sora turned once more toward the stage, grimacing as he gestured to it. His clothes were sticking to him uncomfortably and he closed his eyes but that didn't help. Nothing could block out the sounds coming from the front of the room or the panting readiness of the crowd as they watched.

"I don't think anything. I'm not like you, Sora. It is meaningless and I do forget. But it's not because I want to. Not anymore."

"Riku—" Sora started, but Riku waved his hand and cut him off as he spoke.

"It's all right, Sora. Look around you. This is the way it is."

"No, it's not. Not if you don't want it to be."

Riku's lips turned up at the corners into that familiar smirk. There was no humor in his eyes, however.

"I do envy you sometimes, Sora. You and your naïve optimism. Your sense of what's right. You're so oblivious to reality."

"That's not fair."

"In case you hadn't noticed, Sora, life isn't fair."

Anger and frustration mingled together then inside of him. Why was this so hard? To make Riku understand, to see that it didn't have to be this way. What had happened to Riku to make him become this…bitter boy?

Sora turned toward him and scowled. "Yeah, maybe not. But just because I have a viewpoint that isn't your own pessimistic one, doesn't mean that it doesn't hold some truth. You say that you want to change but you don't even try. You surround yourself with things that are bad, so what do you expect to find? You set yourself up, Riku. Your reality is this way because you want it to be."

"I didn't say I wanted to change."

"What?" He asked as he tried to hear Riku over the moaning woman in the background. It was too much. The smoke, the smell of sex, and the press of the crowd…he felt suffocated. But he could have handled if it hadn't been for Riku's expression. It was utterly devoid of emotion, as if something sharp and hard-edged had scraped any trace of it away. Sora shivered under his regard.

"I never said that I wanted to change. That was your interpretation."

"But don't you?"

Riku was silent as he simply studied him in that calculating way. But there was something hidden in the aqua depths and, had it been anyone else but Riku, Sora would have called it sadness.

I have to get out of here. The club was smoky and hot, and all of a sudden it was all too much. He shook his head as he swallowed. Riku just didn't understand. He kept misinterpreting his words, twisting them to mean something they didn't. And he hadn't been mistaken. There was more than just a trace of melancholy in the older boy's expression but for once Sora didn't know how to handle it. Not with his own emotions so close to the surface. He needed space.

"Where are you going?" Riku asked as Sora stood up.

"I don't know. To the bathroom, I guess."

"Are you mad?"

Sora looked back at Riku. He looked concerned and Sora felt it weigh down on his chest as sadness once more made its home there.

"No. It's just, you gotta think positive. Surround yourself with things that are good for you."

Riku looked at him dubiously. "Yeah, I guess."

Sora leaned over and tried to smile. "You don't look so sure."

"That's because I'm not."

Sora shook his head and began to move away toward the back of the room where he was sure the bathrooms were located but a sudden hand around his wrist stopped him. He looked around at Riku expectantly.

"Wait, Sora?"

"Yes?" he asked, feeling only slightly guilty for needing to distance himself from Riku. It wasn't just him, though. It was everything. The whole club made him uncomfortable. Had this conversation been under different circumstances, he would have stayed.

The hand around his wrist tightened for an instant before it let go completely. "Nothing. I'll tell you when you come back."

"Sure."

And with that Sora moved away. The hot press of people around him felt closer than ever and he stifled another grimace. This night had not gone the way he'd thought it would. He had been hoping to find some common middle ground with Riku. Furthermore, he had hoped that he could share something of himself with his former rival—to perhaps attain some mutual understanding. Instead he felt more distanced from Riku than ever.

He narrowly dodged a groping hand as he made his way through the crowd of people and tried to close his ears to the sounds coming from around him. Out of the corners of his eyes he saw people pawing at one another, aroused by the performance on stage.

He hadn't been ready for this. He was fairly certain that he would never be.

He finally reached the narrow corridor that he was sure led to the bathrooms and breathed a sigh of relief. The air was cooler here, felt less close. He turned around a corner and passed by a pair of men coming toward him. He didn't pay attention to who they were or even look up. He didn't care. He just wanted to escape.

He missed the two sets of green eyes narrowed on him and was surprised when one of them grabbed his arm.

"Well, look what I found, Loz. Riku's little boyfriend."

Sora felt the second man come up from behind him; felt the warm presence of him against his back. Then there was a sharp pain at the back of his skull and his last thought before darkness closed over him was

Riku.


Riku felt a sense of foreboding. He had felt it since they had gotten there.

This was a mistake.

The thought had been circling in his head all night and no matter how often he tried to shrug it away it didn't matter. He hadn't liked seeing the sadness in Sora's eyes. He had never wanted that. And it was only now that he realized how unsuited Sora was to all of this.

Long minutes passed and Riku could feel his tension rise. It had nothing to do with the increasing gasps from on stage or from the panting crowd around him. It had everything to do with the fact that Sora wasn't back yet. What could be taking him so long?

Riku stirred restlessly, looking around but he couldn't spot Sora's short mane of brown spikes. Not that he would've been able to, anyway. Sora was far too short to be seen over such a crowd. He cursed beneath his breath and began making his way toward the back of the room in the direction that Sora had gone, but something caught his eye. Someone. A man with shoulder-length silver hair similar to his own.

Kadaj.

He was smiling at him, and the malice behind the expression was evident.

Riku's blood turned to ice. He knew in that moment that Kadaj had something to do with why Sora hadn't yet returned from the bathroom. His hands clenched into fists as rage and adrenaline began to pour through him. Sora.

Fear for Sora filled him; that, along with anger combined to have him seeing everything in a red haze. He charged forward, intent upon the man who had caused it.

Kadaj was retreating into a narrow corridor and Riku's steps didn't falter as he stalked toward him. He finally caught the other man as he turned the corner, grabbing him by the shirt then slamming him into the nearest wall.


"Where's Sora?"

Hands fisted themselves in Kadaj's clothing, jerking him back as they slammed him against the wall. Eyes a shade lighter than his own flashed at him in contempt and he could see his own smirking reflection staring back at him from their depths.

His silver hair fell into his face and he flipped it back with a slight shake of his head, giving a disdainful smile to the boy holding his collar. The grip on his shirt tightened, causing the fabric to twist around his neck and he came uncomfortably close to choking. His breath wheezed in an out of him in unsteady pants.

Still, it was worth it just to see the look on Riku's face. That particular expression was all he'd hoped to see on this boy, this son of Sephiroth. The thought caused him to sneer through the lack of oxygen.

"I saw you with him," he said with a scornful curl of his lip.

"You were watching us," Riku spat back angrily.

How like his father he was. So like him, yet so different. Sephiroth's anger was always icy, no matter the circumstances, no matter the provocation, the man never lost his cool, never batted an eyelash. Still, he had a temper similar to his son's. But unlike Sephiroth, Riku more often ran hot than cold. Probably something he had received from his common whore of a mother.

Kadaj was usually one for pretense, and had he the time, he would have drawn this out to its greatest length. But there was someone important he had to meet. His employer would be eager to hear how Riku had fallen into his web.

"How could I not? You looked so unlike yourself. The fact that you showed up at all…"

"Means nothing. Listen here, Kadaj. I don't care about whatever lame revenge scheme you have planned. If you have a problem with Sephiroth, take it up with him, but fuck with me or mine, and I will make sure that your life is spent shitting piss out of your ass in prison."

The threat tasted bitter in Kadaj's mind as fear began to crumble his resolve. Maybe this had been an error in judgment. Vengeance was all fine and good, and he'd more than anticipated finding retribution by using Riku, but…he was turning out to be more of a pain than he'd expected. He should have predicted this outcome. The boy's father was, after all, the biggest pain in the ass he'd ever had the misfortune to deal with. Still, it seemed the pretty brunet boy meant more to Riku than he he'd thought.

How wonderful. He could bide his time. For now.

"I'm not scared of your empty—"

A fist tore into his face violently, felling him to the floor. He lay on the hard wood; prone mercilessly there while the metallic taste of blood invaded his mouth.

Kadaj dizzily saw Riku bend over him and he struggled not to choke on the blood flooding his mouth.

"Where?" The boy's eyes were narrow slits of rage and in that moment Kadaj was certain Riku was going to kill him.

"Loz and Yazoo…they—"

He felt Riku bend down and search through his pockets until he found his phone. He was hazily aware of Riku flipping it open. Kadaj knew what he was looking for. The phone had a GPS tracking system that was connected to both his brothers.

His vision was blurred and he knew it to be one of the beginning symptoms of a concussion but he tried to ignore it as he sat up.

"You're of no use to me now. Not that you ever were. It's really no wonder Sephiroth disowned you," Riku said contemptuously, tossing the phone derisively onto Kadaj's chest.

He hated the way those turquoise eyes looked at him, as if he was someone to be pitied, something less than human. He'd seen Riku on many occasions, in this same club, groping at the whores at his side. Despite the physical similarities, he was really nothing like Sephiroth. Riku was a useless replication that would never reach the heights his father had. He wanted to hurt him, jab a hole so deep that it would echo his own pain.

Just as Riku was leaving he taunted him from his position on the floor. "You think you're so different from me, Riku? Look at where you are! In my company, as you've been on many occasions, even if only incidentally. You brought that boy here. You are responsible for what happens to him."

Riku paused at the doorway, not turning to face him, before leaving the room and shutting the door with a hard slam behind him. But Kadaj sensed that he had succeeded in causing a fracture in Riku's self-confidence. Someday, perhaps soon, that crack would shatter him.

Kadaj would make sure of it.

He knew Riku's weakness now. The thought made him smile through the blood filling his mouth.

His benefactor, the power behind the underworld of Radiant Garden, would be here soon. Sephiroth had become a pain in both of their respective sides and his boss would be greatly entertained to hear what had happened tonight. Kadaj stood up and busied himself, straightening his clothing and spitting blood onto the floor before wiping at his mouth.

Riku. Sephiroth.

Neither Sephiroth nor his son had any idea who they were dealing with, and Kadaj found that he almost pitied them.

Almost.


Sora woke to a hard slap against his cheek. His eyes shot open at the sharp stinging sensation. The feeling was unpleasant but what was worse was that he had no idea where he was.

"Rise and shine, pretty little boy."

The voice cooed at him from above and Sora realized that he was lying prone on hard cement. He blinked into narrow green eyes surrounded by long silver hair and for an instant he thought it was Riku standing over him, thought that Riku had been the one to slap him. But then his vision finally focused on the face and he saw that the features were more delicate than Riku's; prettier but somehow harder.

Sora gingerly sat up and swallowed. His head hurt and he felt a bit dizzy. He lifted a hand to tentatively touch the hard bump at the base of his skull and winced at the tenderness of it.

"Where am I," he whispered and a second voice from behind him laughed.

"Look Yazoo. Riku's little boyfriend is confused."

Sora tried to turn his head to catch a glimpse of the second man but he was stopped by a hand under his chin. The pretty one—Yazoo, the second voice had called him—was squatted down beside Sora and was squeezing his face between his fingers.

"Well, we'll have to clear things up for him, won't we, Loz?"

The braying laugh once again came from behind him and Sora's jaw tightened.

"Listen, I don't know who the hell you guys are but—"

His words were cut off by another ringing slap only this time Yazoo used his closed fist. Sora felt his lower lip instantly begin to swell as he tasted blood.

"Now, now. You want to be polite to us. You really do."

Yazoo leaned forward and kissed Sora lightly on the mouth and it was all he could do not to draw away in revulsion. The older boy—for really he couldn't have been more than a few years older than Sora—leaned back and licked his lips, Sora's blood clearly staining his mouth. He made a pleased humming sound and Sora struggled not to show him a reaction.

Where's Riku?

It was the only thing he could think when Yazoo leaned in to caress his cheek.

"Has he fucked you yet?"

The question shocked Sora and he was momentarily confused.

"Who?" he asked warily, bracing himself for another one of those close-handed slaps.

"Why, Riku of course."

"Riku?" Sora's confusion deepened. "You know Riku?"

Yazoo gave a light laugh and Sora once again had to fight to keep from moving away. The other boy's hand was still lazily caressing his cheek.

"Didn't I say so before? That's why you're here after all."

"I'm here because of Riku?" Sora's bewildered question was answered by another slap and this one was harder than the last one. He felt his cheek blaze red and the inside of his mouth cut against his teeth.

"Now, now, pretty. I'm the one asking questions here. Has he fucked you yet?"

Sora swallowed another mouthful of blood and he fought not to wince. Something told him that to show weakness in front of these two would have very bad consequences.

Squall.

He closed his eyes and thought, for the first time in hours, of the older boy back at the Academy. Of how safe he had always felt in his presence. He willed himself back to the present with an effort and faced Yazoo.

"No." Sora still wasn't sure exactly what these men wanted from him but for right now he needed to play along, to bide his time.

"You're not lying to me, are you, pretty one?" The caressing hand was back, only this time the touch was harder, causing pain to streak through his already blazing cheek.

"No," Sora gritted out, trying to remain still. "Our relationship isn't like that. We're just friends."

The braying laugh came from behind him again. Loz—that was what the other one had called him, leaned down and spoke into Sora's ear. "Riku doesn't have friends. He has followers and people he fucks. You don't strike me as one of his little fans which means you must fall into the other category."

Yazoo smiled across from him. "Oh, we all saw the way he was looking at you. If he hasn't fucked you yet, he will. You can bet on that."

Sora glared. He wanted to argue but he knew that it would be stupid—stupid and pointless and probably only cause him more pain. So he just clenched his jaw and ignored them as he tried to figure out a means of escape.

"Can bet on what, Yazoo?" The question came from the doorway to his right. It was only then that Sora realized that they were outside the club in some kind of alley.

Sora stared as the figure came toward them out of the shadows. Riku.

Loz stood suddenly moving toward him, and Sora tensed.

"Don't get any ideas," Yazoo said from in front of him but he didn't listen. Sora punched him as hard as he could in the face.

He didn't wait to see how much damage he had done but instantly rose to his feet. As he finally stood he was grabbed from behind and forced into a head-lock. He struck out, trying to punch the stomach of Loz who had come to his companion's rescue but Sora could feel that he hadn't made a dent. His fist probably hurt worse than Loz's stomach.

Suddenly the arms around him loosened as Loz dropped to the ground in front of him, apparently unconscious. Riku stood over him, his stance tense and ready. What Riku had hit him with, Sora had no idea but before he could say anything a sudden kick to his knee had him crying out.

Sora crashed to the ground as he heard Riku yell his name. Yazoo had managed to get to his feet and stood above him as Sora rolled over clutching his knee. He gritted his teeth against the pain and with great effort sat up; slamming his fist will all the power he could muster into Yazoo's groin. The silver-haired man gave a pained gasp and crumpled to the ground.

Sora struggled to rise, hissing at the throbbing ache in his knee as he finally managed it. Riku came to stand beside him, looking down at Yazoo who was still wheezing in pain and clutching himself. Riku laughed lightly, flipping his hair back as he put a hand on Sora's shoulder.

"Nice work, Sora. Remind me not to get you mad."

"Too late," Sora ground out and Riku chuckled.

Riku then leaned down over the still gasping Yazoo and put his foot on his chest. "If you ever, ever come near me or Sora again, I will kill you. Believe it." He turned around and gestured to Sora.

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

Sora had a ton of questions—why these two had come after him, how Riku knew them and why they apparently hated him so much—but despite the rush of adrenaline, the pain in his knee was reaching agonizing heights. And they still had a long way to go to get back to the Academy. The thought almost made him groan.

Sora was limping heavily by the time they reached the Academy's campus but instead of accepting help, which Riku had offered numerous times since they had escaped the Red Light District, Sora insisted upon walking without any aid.

Idiot.

Riku was uncertain whether he was directing the name at Sora or himself. There was no doubt that the night had gone nothing like he had planned. He had wanted to show Sora a different world, to open him to new possibilities and show him the perfectly bright world in which he had lived his entire life hid a wealth of intriguing surprises. He had been sure that something so completely unfamiliar would appeal to someone with Sora's curious and outgoing nature.

The glitter had faded from that world for Riku long ago but with Sora at his side he had been hoping to see it through new eyes, to steal a little of Sora's innocence for himself.

Well, he had gotten his wish, he though bitterly. He had definitely stolen some of Sora's innocence. He hadn't, however, succeeded at seeing anything new through Sora's eyes. If anything, Sora's eyes had reflected a combination of bewildered confusion and stony disillusionment. The mixed expression had been disturbing on someone so sweet-natured and joyful.

Throughout the long hours of the evening, Riku had witnessed Sora's stunned expression. His mouth, so mobile in its expressiveness, had turned down at the corners, and his summer eyes hadn't been able hide his inner flinching of things Riku had learned to ignore long ago—the underage prostitutes, the men and women who sought oblivion in drinking, gambling, and whoring.

Riku turned then to look at him, not sure what he expected to see in his face, but his expression was tense in concentration, presumably in an effort to stay upright. His pale features were visibly bruised even under the heavy shadows of deep midnight.

He had done this, was responsible for the marring of Sora's clean and simple beauty.

"Sora," he whispered. He hadn't expected that the brunet would hear him, but he turned to look at Riku, his sapphire eyes both piercing and questioning, his lips tilting up into a small smile. It was just a shadow of his usual one. Still, it was better than nothing.

"Yeah?"

Riku should've felt relieved that Sora hadn't yet tried to take his head off after what had almost happened. But he didn't feel relieved. He felt sad because he knew that he deserved it.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sora?"

His brow furrowed in irritation and his bruised lower lip jutted into a pugnacious pout. "I told you I'm fine, Riku. I get worse than this when I spar with Roxas. Seriously, it's no big deal."

Riku scowled dubiously back at him but Sora deliberately ignored his glare, turning away and straightening his spine, obviously trying not to favor his right side as he'd been doing.

Traversing the tunnel took longer this time, mostly because Riku was forced to watch Sora limp slowly but determinedly down the dimly lit corridor. He saw Sora wince as he took another step, biting down on his lower lip as he did so. He had, however, forgotten that his mouth was also injured, purple and swollen as it was, and he hissed slightly as his teeth bit into the sensitive and bruised skin.

There was no doubt that Sora was a mess. His shirt was ripped at the collar and down through the sleeve: it dangled precariously from his shoulder like a rag. The back of his shorts was caked with mud and something that smelled like a combination of garbage and vomit, probably something he had picked up when he had fallen in the back alley, when two of the triplets had tried to—

As Sora winced once more, Riku had finally had enough and moved to the younger boy's side, wrapping his arm tightly around Sora's waist to help brace his weight. The brunet looked up at him in startled surprise.

His inquiring look melted into a scowl and he opened his mouth to protest but Riku cut him off.

"Forget it, Sora. It'll take us all night to reach the dorms at the rate you're going." Riku was careful to keep any hint of pity out of his voice. He knew Sora well enough by now to realize that he didn't like to show weakness, especially to someone like him—someone who had taunted him, ridiculed him.

Riku swallowed down his regret and tightened his grip around the small waist as Sora placed his arm reluctantly around his shoulders. Their height difference made the going awkward but at least Sora wasn't wincing after every step.

Riku smirked bitterly at the irony of finally having Sora underneath his arm. It was not, by any stretch of the imagination, the way he would've wanted it. Once upon a time he wouldn't have cared how the ends were accomplished, as long as got what he wanted. But that was before—before Sora. The cynical smile deepened as he thought that his whole life should be marked that way: Before Sora, After Sora.

"Stop it, Riku," Sora said quietly.

"Stop what?"

"Stop feeling guilty," the younger boy clarified. "It was my idea to go into Hollow Bastion in the first place."

"Hollow Bastion?" Riku asked in confusion.

"Yeah, Hollow Bastion. It's what Radiant Garden used to be called."

"Where did you hear that?"

Sora shrugged as his brow furrowed in thought. "I don't remember. I must've heard it somewhere."

Riku frowned. His thoughts were still on Sora's statement earlier that none of this was his fault. He shook his head at Sora's naivety. He had maneuvered him into the position of entering the Red Light District, had made it seem to Sora that if he didn't, he would forever be branded a coward and unsophisticated hayseed. Unsophisticated Sora may have been, but cowardly he was not. He had proven that tonight, putting up a fight then limping back to the Academy without hysterics or protest.

"I said stop it," Sora hissed into his ear and Riku looked down at him.

Sora's swollen lower lip was once more protruding into its customary pout and if not for its injured state, Riku might have been tempted to lean down and suck it into his own mouth. Riku thought wryly that Sora hadn't changed him that much. If not for his injuries, he would surely have taken advantage of the opportunity.

They finally reached the end of the narrow tunnel and Sora shivered beneath his arm as a heavy draft infiltrated his thin ripped shirt and passed over his bare legs. He was still wearing the swim trunks he had been wearing at the beach, not at all suitable for the chilly night air of Radiant Garden.

Riku breathed out a sigh as they reached the elevator that would take them to the second floor. Somehow, now that they had almost reached their destination, Riku felt anxiety pierce him. Once Sora got back to his room, once he had time to think, would he blame Riku? Would they go back to being enemies and would Sora still see him as a villain?

The sad thing was that he couldn't deny the truth behind it. He was a villain. Sora didn't know yet the measures he had taken to get rid of Kairi, and now that he knew him, was more familiar with Sora's idealism, he feared the consequences of what he'd done.

Even now, he couldn't really bring himself to regret it. Kairi would've interfered with any possible friendship they might have developed and would definitely have protested anything beyond that. He knew he hadn't been mistaken about her interest in Sora and if the brunet had to choose, he was certain that Sora would pick Kairi's friendship over his own.

Of course, it had only been a day since Sora and he had managed to establish something beyond the rivalry that had characterized their relationship since they had met. He still had time.

If Sora would give it to him. Only one thing was certain in Riku's mind. He wanted Sora. Period. Whatever he had to do, whatever he had to be—Riku wanted the beautiful boy beside him to be his.

The elevator finally reached the second floor and Riku moved to Sora's side once again, wrapping his arm around his waist. This time Sora didn't stiffen but leaned heavily into him. Riku was certain it was because Sora was tired rather than for any romantic reason; still, he savored the feel of him tucked so closely against his side. He wasn't certain he'd have another opportunity like this one.

Riku reached the heavy wooden door that lead back to the dorms, propping it open slightly before he looked down at the younger boy. Sora was panting and exhausted from trying to keep his weight off his right side and his eyes were heavy-lidded in fatigue. Riku again felt the heavy pangs of guilt eating away at his heart. The feeling was so unfamiliar that it had taken him awhile to identify it.

"Well, it looks like you made it back in one piece. Barely."

The familiar sarcastic voice came from Riku's right as they stepped fully into the carpeted corridor. He turned slowly, staring directly into accusing narrowed gray eyes. Leon.


Squall couldn't recall the last time he had been this angry. Sora was a mess; a bruised and battered mess, his clothes torn, blood seeping from a gaping cut on one knee. His blue eyes were wide and exhausted beneath spiky brown bangs that drooped across his forehead. Riku, on the other hand, seemed completely untouched aside from the slightly windblown tangle of silver hair that swept down to his shoulders.

Sora tried to straighten himself, moving away from where he'd been leaning against Riku's side. A flagrant blush worked its way onto his cheeks, all the more noticeable because his face was pale beneath his tan.

Instead of letting him go, Riku hugged Sora closer to him. The proprietary way he had his arm wrapped around the brunet's waist had Squall's blood boiling in his veins and his heart beating hard at his temple.

Riku's gaze was direct and challenging. He tossed his silver hair away from his face, ignoring Sora's struggle to push away.

"Hello, Leon." Riku's voice was flat, his face expressionless.

For a moment longer there was silence. Then Sora's loud whisper to Riku broke it. He pushed hard at Riku's chest.

"Let go. I can stand on my own."

Riku squeezed his waist tightly once before he reluctantly withdrew his arm and Sora hopped once in place to get his balance. He couldn't hide a slight wince as he placed weight on his right leg.

"S-Squall, I…" Sora said and then trailed off, as if struggling to come up with some excuse. There was none however and both he and Squall knew it.

"Go back to your room, Sora. Now." Squall had to fight to keep his voice steady, to keep the anger out of it.

Goddamnit, he had never wanted to care this way again. He had never meant to. Even as Sora had become part of his nightly fantasies, he had never thought it would go any further than that. Worrying about his safety during the duel had been one thing. Sora was a student, a young one at that, and it was his job to look out for him.

But now—now he couldn't pretend. It was intolerable. He didn't want this; he didn't want Sora in his life, messing up the measure of peace he had struggled so hard over the last year and a half to gain. It was going to end now before it went any further.

"But Squall, I don't—"

"Don't have any common sense, apparently. This is not the time to be arguing with me, Sora. You broke at least a dozen school rules today. If I was any kind of dorm leader, I would report you. Lucky for you, I know a bit about your situation. You're on scholarship here, aren't you, Sora?"

Sora's eyes widened, at the severity of Squall's tone or the question, he didn't know. He didn't care. Anger still pulsed through him making it hard for him to think.

"Wait a minute, Leon. This is my fault. I'm the one who—" Riku started to say but Squall cut him off.

"Shut up, Riku. You're in just as much trouble as he is. You're both lucky it was me who found out about this and not one of the other dorm leaders."

He was more than aware of how much of this Riku was responsible for. Never again, Squall thought, clenching his jaw as he tried to hold back an angry tirade of words.

Sora swallowed hard before he started to speak. "But I didn't mean to—"

"The intent of your action means nothing. If administration found out about this, your ass would be out of here faster than you could say 'fencing scholarship'. I warned you before about consequences! God help you, if you ever do it again, I will exercise everything in my power to make sure you don't step another foot on this campus. Am I clear?"

Riku was silent through the exchange; his confused and angry gaze moving from Sora's stricken expression to Squall's seething one.

Sora swallowed hard and for a moment Squall was certain he saw tears in the bright blue of his eyes before he blinked hastily and bowed his head.

"Yes, Squall."

"The name is Leon, Sora. Don't forget it."

Sora's head shot up and his mouth dropped open in hurt disbelief. Perhaps that had been a bit cruel but Squall was past the point of caring. He had been up all night, pacing and waiting and worrying. It was intolerable.

"Here," he snapped, shoving a potion into Sora's hand. "Drink that and then go to bed. If I hear even one peep out of you, it's over."

Sora bit his lip, not realizing that the action caused blood to seep from the cut there. The sight caused something in Squall's chest to tighten.

No! He wasn't going to give in to pity. Or to that damnable urge that had him wanting to put his arms around Sora, to reassure him everything would be all right. Goddamnit!

Sora popped the top of the potion and drank it down hastily. He coughed once and grimaced before gingerly trying to place weight on his right leg. He must have been more injured than Squall could see. Potions worked on the worst hurts first, the more shallow ones last, and the cuts and bruises on Sora's face were still there. If he had been only slightly hurt, the wounds on his face would have cleared right away.

What the hell happened?

Squall's gaze shot to Riku who was now studying Sora with narrowed eyes. He was going to get some answers. But not with Sora there. It was time he and Riku had a talk. A conversation between them had been a long time coming.

"Do you need another one?"

Squall tried to keep his voice dispassionate and he must have succeeded because Sora's face was still the blank mask it had been when he had shoved the potion at him. Something inside him hurt at the utter emptiness of Sora's expression but Squall did his best to ignore the painful twinge. He had to deal with Riku first.

"No. I'm fine."

"Take another one, Sora." Riku placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder but Sora shrugged it off, moving away. Riku's face dropped at Sora's action but then an emotionless mask fell into place, hiding any emotion there.

Sora didn't notice. He was too busy staring unseeingly at the wall in front of him.

"I said I'm fine. Goodnight, Leon. Riku."

Sora looked briefly at Riku, just a slight flicker of blue, before he began to walk away. He hadn't even bothered sparing a glance for Squall.

Not that he blamed him. Not after the dressing down he had given him. Still, Squall couldn't deny the slight sting he felt, or the sinking in his stomach when Sora had called him Leon. He had ordered him to call him that, after all. What had he expected?

"I'll see you tomorrow," Riku said to Sora's back.

Over my dead body, Squall thought. If he had his way, Riku would only see Sora from a distance from now on. From a great distance.

Sora didn't acknowledge Riku's statement; instead, he walked faster down the hallway until he was almost running. Sora

A part of Squall wanted badly to go after him, to run his hands over Sora's body to make sure he was really alright—that and to beat him within an inch of his life for making his worry the way that he had. And that was why it was better that he stayed away. Nothing good could come from their relationship.

Riku and Squall both watched until his retreating back passed out of sight around the corner and then they turned to face one another.

Riku's stare was challenging but there was something in his eyes that hadn't been there before tonight. Some hint of shame.

Good.

He was going to do everything he could to take advantage of that. The one thing Squall was going to do before he cut himself off from Sora was to make sure he was safe.

I owe him that much.


Despite the fog of the previous night (if it could be called that in Twilight Town), the next day dawned bright and clear. The sky was streaked in a bright wash of pink and gold, and only the tiniest of clouds dotted the horizon. Roxas thought about how different the sunset was in Destiny Islands, how instead of pinks of golds, the sky around his home was painted in shades of red and orange with the occasional purple seeping through. Although purple usually meant a storm was on the way.

Roxas shuddered. That was one thing he didn't miss about the Islands. His father had died in a storm and although he didn't remember him well, the knowledge of how the catastrophe had taken him away was enough to cause him more than just a casual dislike of the phenomenon.

With an effort he turned his thoughts away from home and back to the present. He wasn't sure what he was doing in T-Town. He had a pile of homework to do and he had promised to meet Olette in the library later to complete their English assignment. In light of that, it was stupid that he had hopped the train into downtown. Still, sea-salt ice cream was reason enough. There was nothing like it back home.

Really, he was becoming quite proficient at lying to himself. He knew why he was here. And it was most definitely for the dumbest of reasons.

Still, he couldn't help from looking around, from trying to spot a mane of red spikes. Axel was supposed to be in Twilight Town the rest of the weekend and that meant that at some point in the day he was likely to appear downtown. If he didn't decide to stay holed up in whatever house his father lived in.

Roxas frowned at the thought. His budget was pretty limited despite working all last summer. Just the tuition for Twilight Town's Academy had cost him more than half of what he'd made and the books and school supplies were another chunk from of his savings. That left him with barely enough to scrape by on the rest of the semester. He was probably going to have to cave and find a job somewhere in Twilight Town. The cost of the trip into town had not been a bright idea in view of that.

He looked down at his ice cream and sighed as he gave it another lick. Practicality served no purpose when it came to his favorite sweet.

Roxas looked around again. The bench he was sitting on was in the heart of the Market District. The place was practically empty now, still too early in the day to draw more than the occasional shopper and the stores were working with skeleton crews, as late in the tourist season as it was.

Roxas sighed as he sucked the last of the ice cream into his mouth, licking the sticky remains from his fingers before wiping them on his shorts. He tossed the left over stick into a nearby receptacle but as he did a sudden flash of red out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned around fully to see Axel making his way up the hill toward Station Heights. Roxas leapt from his seat on the bench, hastily grabbing for his skateboard before following him.

What am I doing?

He had no idea what he would say to Axel once he confronted him. This came pretty close to stalking in his book, something he had never been reduced to. The thought almost made him turn around, almost caused him to get on his skateboard and go back to the Academy campus where he belonged.

But curiosity stopped him. Curiosity—something he and Sora had in common. More often than not it led them both into trouble.

Roxas held his skateboard beneath his arm, not sure why he wasn't riding it but some inner voice told him not to let Axel know he was there. He wanted to know where he was going, what had made him act the way he had the day before.

Roxas sped up as he saw Axel pass around a corner into a back alley. He cursed under his breath as he tripped slightly over a crack in the sidewalk, quickening his pace until he was running. He rounded the corner and slammed into something hard, bouncing off of it and barely managing to stay on his feet.

An arm reached out and steadied him and it was only then that he realized that he had crashed into a person. He opened his mouth to apologize but he was left speechless as he looked up into narrowed green eyes. The emerald orbs were alight with anger and something else, something that Roxas couldn't define.

"What are doing here?" Axel hissed, pulling on his arm and gripping it so tightly Roxas was sure he was going to have bruises the next day.

"I was—I saw you and I thought…"

"You thought what? That I needed a tag-along? A little stalker? Listen, kid, I don't care what you thought. You were fun to play with for a while but I've got larger fish to fry. So forgive me if I throw you back in the water."

Roxas lifted his chin, ignoring the pang of hurt in his chest. He didn't care what Axel thought of him. He'd known this was a stupid idea to begin with.

"What are you so afraid of, Axel? Afraid that I'm going to find out you've been dealing drugs? Or maybe you've been—"

"Get the hell outta here!" Axel gritted between clenched teeth as he looked around desperately.

Roxas frowned in confusion. Axel didn't look angry now. He looked scared. Scared for Roxas, if his anxious hold on his arm was any indication.

But what would cause Axel, know-it-all and king of the savoir-faire, to have that kind of fear? He wasn't so sure he wanted to stick around and find out but he didn't want to leave Axel here either.

"Come on, let's go," Roxas said, pulling away from the redhead and tilting his head toward the alley entrance.

"What?" Axel asked, bewildered.

"I said, let's go."

Roxas tapped his foot impatiently then thought fuck it and began walking toward the entrance. He spared a glance for the redhead over his shoulder to see if he was following but Axel was still standing, frozen, looking at him with a perplexed expression; that and something more. Once again that indefinable something was present in his eyes. Whatever it was caused Roxas to shiver. He had never been looked at like that before and the unfamiliarity of it left him feeling unnerved.

When Axel walked toward him and placed his hand once more on his arm, Roxas instinctively moved away and looked up at him irritably. There was only so much manhandling he was willing to take.

"Jesus, you really are as thick as your brother." Axel shook his head and sighed, running his hands through his spikes in aggravation.

Roxas ignore that in favor of asking the question that had been on his mind since the day before.

"What's going on, Axel?"

"Listen, pipsqueak. Just because I paid a little attention to you yesterday doesn't mean I owe you an explanation for—"

"Cut the bullshit, Axel. You and I both know this goes further than your gigantic ego, so just stop. What have you gotten yourself into?"

"What're you gonna do? You gonna save me?"

Axel's words were sarcastic but there was that hint of desperation once again in his eyes. It screamed at Roxas to save me, save me, save me. It woke that part of him that Sora had in spades, but that only came to Roxas at rare times and with rare people. It was the urge to protect, to defend, to save.

"Tell me. Tell me what's going on." Roxas said quietly.

Axel looked undecided for a moment before a steely determination replaced the expression. When Roxas looked once more into his eyes he was met with an opaque green wall. Axel had shut him out.

"Go home, Roxas. Forget you ever saw me. Hell, forget you ever met me." Axel laughed and the bitterness in it was sharp enough to cut. Roxas flinched away for an instant as his chest tightened uncomfortably. Why did he even care?

"Axel—"

"Well, well, well. It looks like you made a new friend, Axel. And here I was almost sure you didn't have any. Really, you must introduce us."

The voice was soft and sibilant and came from behind him. Something sinister lay beneath the words. Roxas swallowed hard before he glanced up to gauge Axel's reaction, but the same stony look was on the redhead's face, obscuring any emotion. His expression showed only the twisted travesty of a smile.

"Hello, Saix."


Despite what Squall thinks, there are tutoring sessions coming up in the very imminent future so don't worry! Lucky for us, Squall has no say in it! We are the gods of their world and hence there is no free will. Poor Squall.

Now stop and please take a moment to review!