Disclaimer : Kingdom Hearts and its characters do not belong to me.
I can't believe it took me so long to update. Major laziness, the heat, video games and going to my sister's place are the main causes of such a late update. By the way, my sister and I went to the cinema and saw Wall-E. Man, that was just so cute and scary in a way. I loved it. \o/ (I'm a sucker for Disney and Pixar movies.) So, yeah, that was very nice. D Hmm, I think I've said what I needed to say. Thanks a bunch for your reviews and I hope you'll like this chapter, even though I have a feeling it isn't all that great. Sorry if that's the case. As usual, excuse me for the errors.
oooOOOooo
Friday night came before anyone could realize it. It was a wonder how time could pass so quickly when they were all bored out of their minds. Still, the awaited – feared for some of the friends - evening was there and they couldn't escape it. Kairi had spent the whole day worrying and didn't say a word while Sora did his best to comfort her but to no avail. Their other friends tried to say a few words to help her but when it was evident she wasn't listening, they eventually gave up and didn't think about it. They knew she'd come back and laugh at how nervous she was when, really, there was no need to be this anxious.
When the redhead and her brunet boyfriend left the dorms, the others met in Demyx and Zexion's room for the party. Hayner and Olette decided to join them, which made everyone pretty happy even if the two seemed quite distant.
"You two got in a fight?" Axel asked curiously, tilting his head to the side when he noticed the frowns on the couple's faces. They both shook their heads but didn't manage to convince anyone so they just chose to drop the subject for now.
"What are we going to do? Sit here and drink until we're too smashed to stay awake?" Riku asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"Of course not, silly," Demyx replied. He sat on the floor and placed two six-packs of beer in front of him. When no one moved, he motioned them to do the same, which everyone did with curious glances thrown towards him. "Alright, now that everyone's ready, I propose we play a little game that I'm sure everyone will love."
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Axel whispered to Riku, who laughed quietly.
"Because it's natural when Demyx's concerned," the silver-haired boy replied with a shrug.
"I'll let Zexion explain the rules. He made most of them and since I don't remember most of them, it's better that I listen too," the blond declared, patting the slate-haired boy on the back.
Zexion sighed but explained nevertheless. "We've all been friends for a while now so this shouldn't be too hard," he began. "Each of us will ask the others to say something concerning them and if someone gets a wrong answer, they have to take a sip of their drink. We'll keep this game going until only one person can still think straight."
"Maybe Riku shouldn't play. I don't really want to hear him sing some horrible song or something," the redhead teased, which earned him a playful hit on the shoulder from said boy.
"This sounds fun. This way, we'll all learn new things about everyone," Naminé said with a warm smile. If there was something she liked better than drawing, it was getting to know her friends better, even though she believed she already knew a bunch of things about them.
"I'd like to know about what we're supposed to ask everyone else," Hayner asked with a small frown on his face, clearly confused.
"I'll begin so that you all know what to do when your turn comes," Zexion offered with a small nod. He took a can of beer and put it in front of him. He chose to not open it yet, in case he'd only get right answers. He didn't particularly felt like drinking that day anyway. "Name a book I've already read," he stated, looking at everyone with a knowing smile.
"You bastard," Riku muttered as he put a can before him too. Unlike Zexion, he opened it, knowing full well that he'd have to take a sip as soon as his turn to give an answer came. Naminé felt courageous and decided to go first. She took her drink in her hands and began to fiddle with it.
"Let's see," she wondered out loud, carefully choosing her answer. "I think there was Stronger Mind," she offered with a small smile, hoping she didn't make a mistake. When Zexion nodded in agreement, her smile broadened. It was now Hayner's turn to answer.
"Erm, what was that title… I think it was The Barley Righteous Man?" the blond offered. He winced when the slate-haired boy frowned.
"It's The Barely Outrageous Man," he corrected before he pointed at Hayner's drink. The younger took a sip without saying another word.
"Seriously, who would want to read such boring books? Just hearing their titles makes me sleepy," Axel stated with a pout.
"Obviously, I'm one of the few people who read them," Zexion replied with a smug expression. "I like books that don't usually attract people's attention."
"That much we could tell," the aquamarine-eyed teen retorted. He turned his head towards Olette who was next.
"Gossips Never Die," she said so confidently that none of them expected her answer to be wrong. And it wasn't.
"Damn, it's already my turn," Axel whined as he scratched the back of his head. He racked his brains for a while before he eventually offered: "Backwards' Better?"
"Oh, I almost forgot about that one," Zexion admitted with raised eyebrows. "Okay, your turn, Riku."
"Please, don't remind me," he replied with a small frown. Really, it was only a game. He shouldn't be so grumpy about it. "Can't Get Enough of You?"
"Oh, I loved that one!" Demyx exclaimed with a bright smile. "Too bad Zexion never wanted to give it a try," the blond told his younger friend proudly. With a sigh, the silver-haired boy took a swig of his can.
"That only leaves me," the blond stated, pointing at himself.
"It shouldn't be too hard for you since you guys are fuc-" Axel began with a grin, only to be interrupted when Olette put her hand on his mouth, her cheeks turning a bright red.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Demyx made known, scowling. He didn't like it when people cursed. He himself rarely did. "Fatality."
"Good. It's your turn to ask something, Naminé," the slate-haired boy said, gently nudging said girl who giggled at the ticklish sensation in her side.
"Alright. Name something I don't like, be it food or anything else," she said, looking at everyone.
"That's too easy," Hayner said with a wide smile. This time, he was sure he'd be right. "You don't like anything that's pink."
"Even though there are a few exceptions, I have to admit it's true," the blonde replied with a smile. She then turned her head towards Olette.
"You don't like it when people make fun of others. I think that's one of the things you dislike the most," the brunette said. The blonde nodded in agreement.
"Cute, little Naminé doesn't like girls flirting with Riku," Axel stated, smirking when his blonde friend blushed in embarrassment but nodded anyway. Who would like to see people coming on to their lovers?
"That was low, Axel," Riku told his friend with a sigh. "You don't like creamy desserts."
"You don't like it when people look at your unfinished drawings," Demyx added cheerfully, knowing it to be true since he'd learned that first-hand. And the game went on and the more time passed, the more Riku learned he actually didn't know as much about his friends as he'd thought…
sOxOs
It was a few minutes past eighteen when Sora and Kairi made it to the hospital. When the redhead saw the small crowd in the waiting room, she was glad she had an appointment with one of the doctors. The two friends sat on chairs and waited. The ticking of a clock in a corner of the room was the only sound they could hear and when it usually didn't bother either of them much, it was down right annoying this time.
"This guy sure likes to take his time," Sora commented as he crossed his arms, showing how annoyed he actually was. And bored.
"We just arrived. You can't expect him to know we're here. Besides, there could be someone he's seeing right now. Just wait," Kairi cooed as if talking to a child, which wasn't that far from the truth when she thought about it.
So, the two waited and a few minutes later, the door to the office opened and revealed a woman and her child. The little boy's nose was runny and his eyes puffy but somehow, he still managed to look fine; as fine as a sick child could.
"Kairi Nishimoto?" a tall, robust-looking man asked as he held the door open, his hand still on the doorknob. The redhead immediately stood up and entered inside the office, Sora following close behind. Sora didn't waste time exploring the room and headed for a nearby chair. He sat next to Kairi and waited for the man to sit as well.
"Alright, so if I remember correctly, you're here for a check on your baby, right?" the tall man asked after a short moment of silence during which his eyes quickly glanced through a few documents he was holding in his right hand. "Do you know how old it is?"
"I'm not sure. I think it's three, maybe four weeks old," the redhead answered uneasily. She felt a hand on top of hers then and realized it was Sora's. He gave it a gentle squeeze and even if it didn't make her less nervous, it still felt good to know she wasn't alone in this.
"It's alright, most women aren't sure when their pregnancy began either," Doctor Lexaeus told her in a soft tone of voice. He was even smiling a little if one paid enough attention. "This question might seem strange, even rude to you but I still have to ask it since you're pretty young," the man began, his expression completely serious at that moment. "Do you want to keep it?"
He wasn't one bit surprised when Kairi's eyes widened. "Of course I want to!" she exclaimed. "There's no way I'd kill it," she whispered as her hand came to rest on her stomach in a protective manner. The doctor only nodded in understanding.
"Alright." the man simply replied.
"I have one question. Are pregnancy test kits reliable? I've done one but I'd like to have blood tests done. I need to be absolutely sure," the redhead replied.
"It depends on what kit you bought and, of course, if you followed the instructions properly. If you did, then there shouldn't be any mistake," the man replied with a small shrug. He then took a sheet of paper and began scribbling on it. "I'm afraid I can't help you that much. The doctor who was supposed to see you had an emergency and couldn't come so he asked me to give you another appointment. But before that, I'll need to take a blood sample," Doctor Lexaeus explained.
"Thanks a lot, Doctor," the girl said as she stood when Lexaeus was done. They shook hands and then the two friends left.
The brunet heaved a sigh when they eventually left the building, noticing the same people were still waiting in the waiting room. He sincerely hoped they were more patient than him.
"So, I'll have to go to the hospital again. Gosh, that doesn't make me feel any better," Kairi muttered with a frown on her face.
"I'll go with you," Sora offered, turning his head towards his friend to give her a genuine smile. It disappeared soon, though, when she shook her head no.
"I'll be okay," the redhead replied softly. "You know, I've been thinking about this all day and I think it's unfair to make you take responsibility for what I've done. I don't regret having this child one bit, don't get me wrong, but I don't want you to go through this when you're not even involved. At least, not directly."
"I don't mind at all, you should know that," the brunet retorted, arching his eyebrows. His expression softened when Kairi gave him a small, almost sad smile.
"But I do," she whispered loud enough for Sora to hear. He didn't really know how to reply to that, knowing anything he'd say wouldn't make her change her mind. That's how the rest of their walk to the dorms remained silent until they got into their rooms.
sOxOs
The party in Demyx and Zexion's room was pretty much over. Almost everyone had gone back to their own rooms except for a silver-haired boy who was still sitting on the ground and staring at his empty can of beer with what looked to be sadness. There were still a few cans left but the older boys thought it would be better to not give any to Riku. Overall, the party had been great. They had fun, teased each other in a friendly way and did learn a lot about their friends, like how Axel used to hate taking a bath when he was a child especially if there were bubbles. He still hated those damn, cute things to no end. It was even a wonder why he called them 'cute' when he didn't like them all that much. And since when were bubbles 'cute'? Those were Demyx's thoughts before a long sigh interrupted his train of thought.
"I don't want to go back," Riku whispered as he lowered his head. He stared at the ground and bit his lip.
"We'll throw another party soon so don't be so sad," the blond comforted him with a pat on the shoulder. To his surprise, he saw tears rolling down his friend's cheeks. "Oh, so you're that kind of drunk, after all."
But Riku didn't hear him. "He'll be there and I don't want to be left alone with him any more. It hurts too much," he continued, his rant interesting the two more and more. "I've always had that small hope than maybe he'd look at me someday but now, it's over, I know it. He'll never leave her now that she's pregnant." And sobs ensued.
Though the sight disturbed the lovers a great deal, it was nothing compared to their states of mind after what they'd just heard. They gaped at each other for a short moment before Zexion eventually regained his composure.
"So, you were talking about Sora?" the slate-haired boy asked even though he already knew the answer to his question.
"Of course! Do I have that many friends whose girlfriends are pregnant? Or is it that you guys are hiding something from me?" Riku replied, wiping his tears away.
"Now, you're being ridiculous," Zexion retorted with a scowl on his face.
"But what about Naminé?" the blond asked, interrupting his friends' bickering. Aquamarine eyes met his gaze and he almost regretted he ever asked. Almost.
"I don't want to make her sad," Riku admitted with a shrug as if it were nothing.
"Dude, you guys are going to marry. It's something serious," Demyx told him with a shocked expression. "You don't get engaged to someone you don't even love!" Silence met his statement and during that small moment, he made a decision. "You have to tell her the truth. You or someone else has to before it's too late."
"Demyx!" Zexion hissed, getting to his feet to sit again, this time with his friends on the floor. "You can't do that! It's his problem and I don't think it would be wise to interfere. He'll tell her himself, period. We can't tell a soul about what he just told us."
"Does it look like he'll ever tell her? They've been dating for about three years now," the blond told his boyfriend with a frown. They didn't say anything for a while and when they eventually looked at Riku, the youngest had fallen asleep.
"Maybe he didn't even mean what he just said. He's drunk, Dem," the slate-haired boy stated with a shrug. "Let's just go to sleep, okay? I'm tired and getting moody and I don't want to take it out on you."
"Did anyone ever tell you you're like a child sometimes?" Demyx asked with a small smile playing on his lips. Really, there were lots of times when Zexion reminded him of a kid. Like how he'd get grumpy whenever he was hungry or tired. Or how he'd do anything in his power to get what he wanted. He was just a big, spoiled child. His spoiled child.
"Yeah. You did," the other replied, already climbing in his bed.
The blond decided it was best to sleep for now. They'd just have a talk with Riku the next day.
sOxOs
When Sora got back to his dorm, he was surprised, to say the least, when he didn't find Riku already asleep in his bed. In fact, no one was in the room. So the brunet just supposed his friend was still at the party and went to sleep. He began to be really worried when morning came and Riku still wasn't back. The quickest way to find out where his friend could be was to ask Demyx, who was supposedly the last one who had seen the silver-haired boy.
The brunet rushed out of his room then towards the blond's and knocked on the door, panting heavily. When a wary Zexion opened the door and looked at him strangely, Sora knew something was wrong.
"What are you doing here so early, Sora?" the slate-haired boy asked, discreetly warning his friends of the blue-eyed boy's presence. The two shifted nervously and Riku tried his best to look as casual as he could.
"Someone didn't go back to their room so I was a bit worried," the brunet replied a bit curtly, his tone of voice making the silver-haired boy cringe just a bit.
"Come on, Sora, we're all living in the same building. Nothing could happen to us," Demyx intervened with a small smile. "Besides, Riku's a though boy so you don't have to worry about him."
"Yeah, I know but I just can't help it. Anyway, next time you decide to sleep in someone else's room, Riku, warn me so that I don't worry for nothing," the blue-eyed boy said, crossing his arms. He blinked a few times when he realized he sounded like his mother but kept it to himself. No one needed to know that. "Anyway, I'll be at the cafeteria with Kairi so if you need anything, just come find me, okay?"
"Okay," Riku answered with a quick nod. "Have fun," he added with a smirk that made it difficult for Sora to fight off the blush that was about to appear. The brunet simply nodded and left.
"Man, that was close," Demyx sighed, rubbing the back of his head. The other boys silently agreed. "So, what will you do, Riku?"
"What do you mean?" the aquamarine-eyed boy asked, arching an eyebrow. When the only answer he got was a pout, he heaved a long sigh and stared at the floor. "Things will just stay the same. It's best this way."
"Riku, you-" the blond began, only to be interrupted by his boyfriend who put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head slowly.
"Stop interfering, Dem. You did what you could. Now, it's up to him to break up with Naminé or not," Zexion told him softly before he looked at the youngest. "The last thing I'll tell you is that I think you're wrong but I won't make you do something you don't want to do."
Riku didn't reply and just stood. He left the room and returned to his own. He felt sticky with sweat and felt the urge to take a good, long shower. He was so lost in his thoughts about what had happened in the last few hours that he didn't even realized it when he passed Naminé.
sOxOs
The week-end ended soon and another week began, much to Sora's disappointment. He didn't get a chance to finish his paper for his last class and already knew the teacher would give him a nice speech about how lazy students didn't go far in life. But it seemed like his lucky star was on his side that day and made the teacher leave the college earlier for unknown reasons. The brunet made sure to finish his essay that evening and to begin the few others he had to write. But not without Riku's help, of course.
"How come I have to do this with you?" the silver-haired boy asked with a sigh. He leaned his elbow on his bent knee and rested his chin in the palm of his hand, looking bored. They were both sitting on the brunet's bed, facing each other, with books occupying any empty spaces. Riku always wondered how their room could be so tidy when his best friend was obviously messy. He guessed he just didn't want to be a nuisance.
"Because you're my friend and friends help each other," the younger replied, not looking up from his sheet of paper on which words were scribbled and sometimes crossed out. He was chewing his pencil and supposedly thinking hard.
"Then, how come you don't help me more often?" the older asked with a raised eyebrow.
The younger instantly lifted his head up and looked at him with a shocked expression. "You just didn't mean that. What about that time when you couldn't get your sword and I got it for you? And that time when your mother didn't want to give you ice cream and I had to come late at night so that you could have some without her knowing it?"
"We were children, Sora. I'd like to know what you did recently that helped me," the older asked, now curious as to what his friend had to reply to that. It wasn't like he minded helping Sora all the time and not get help in return but he was currently bored and teasing the brunet was far more amusing than working on a stupid essay.
"Well…" the blue-eyed boy began, tapping his chin with his index finger as he raked his brains. "Oh, I helped you get together with Naminé!" he exclaimed proudly.
"Like that helped me at all," the other thought with an audible grunt. "You got me on that one," he quickly said, noticing the strange look Sora was sending him, most likely confused by Riku's reaction.
"You can't be the best at everything, Riku," the brunet teased before he began to work once again, proud that he managed to have the last word. At least, he thought he did. "Let's get back to work! Now's not the time to slack off."
"Man, that's your homework," the older muttered but he still caught a pen and began scribbling on a sheet of paper. "You better buy me a smoothie when we're done with that damn essay."
"Roger," the other replied with a smirk. He just knew the perfect place to get them and he was sure Riku was thinking about the same shop.
sOxOs
While Sora and Riku's relationship seemed to have gotten back to what it used to be, two other people couldn't say the same about themselves. Naminé and Kairi were cleaning their room up after the blonde decided she'd finish a few of her projects and spread chaos into the small room. Paint, eraser crumbs and charcoal powder were on the ground and the desk she worked on. She was talented but so messy. So, after the redhead came back from town and saw the damage her friend had caused, she decided they'd clean everything together. And while they were busy doing this, Olette had barged into their room, crying her eyes out. It took her a quite long time to calm down and explain what was happening that made her so upset. Somehow, Kairi wasn't that surprised when it involved Hayner but she showed no sign of it and pretended to be as shocked as her blonde roommate.
"How come you guys got in a fight?" Naminé asked timidly, not knowing what else she could say. It was the first time she'd seen Olette in such a state.
"He's been so distant lately so I asked him what was wrong. And just as usual, he got all mad at me for asking him and we ended up yelling at each other and… And he just broke up with me," the brunette informed her friends, sobbing softly. "That's when he told me everything. He told me how he didn't like me as much any more and had been seeing another girl for a few weeks now. I got so pissed I slapped him and stormed off. God, if I ever find out who the bitch is, I'll rip her eyes out and feed them to her," she seethed as the handkerchief the blonde had given her was being twisted in her hands.
At this, Kairi gulped and unconsciously rubbed her eyes. What would the brunette say if she found out the girl Hayner had been seeing was pregnant? She truly didn't want to know and hoped she'd never discover it.
"What are you going to do?" the blonde asked after a moment of silence that only the girl's sobs broke from time to time. Hearing this, Olette stared at the floor and didn't say anything for a long while, until she looked up and glared at the wall before her with a determined expression.
"I'm leaving," she stated, standing up.
"Wha- What?! But –" Kairi began, alarmed.
"I can't stand to be near that jerk any more. I'm leaving this town. It'll be easier to forget about everything," the girl continued, not paying the redhead any attention.
"But what about us? Olette, you can't possibly leave like that! What about your studies? Are you just going to drop them?" Naminé asked as she shot to her feet to stand before Olette and put her hands on her shoulders. She withdrew them quickly when she felt her friend shake lightly and saw fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry but I – I can't stand this any longer. I have to leave," the brunette replied, rubbing her cheeks.
None of them said anything and the room went quiet once more. Eventually, Olette left and this time, the blonde didn't try to stop her. Deep inside, she felt that her friend needed to separate herself from everyone else before she began to feel better, so she let her leave.
A few days later, Olette was gone without even saying goodbye to her friends but no one blamed her for it. The last proof of the brunette's presence in the dormitory was the bruise Kairi had gotten on her cheek when her former friend had left. No one knew what had happened between the two girls, except for Hayner and Sora. It seemed like the redhead couldn't bear the guilt that had been eating away at her any more.
Things wouldn't have been so bad had they been left at that.
"Why the hell did you tell her?!" Hayner exclaimed angrily, glaring at the redhead before him. They had left the dormitory and decided to have a talk in the small park near the buildings, where no one could hear them.
"Because she's my friend, that's why! She deserved to know the truth!" the girl replied, gripping at the hem of her shirt nervously.
"And what good did it do? You just made her sadder than she already was," the blond snapped as he looked to the side, folding his arms across his chest. "Besides, you didn't even do that for her. You just didn't want to feel guilty any longer, so you told her everything to make yourself feel better."
"No, I…" Kairi began, only to heave an annoyed sigh. "I'll admit that's part of the reason why I told her I was the one you were seeing, but that only comes second. I'm not the kind of person who puts herself before the others."
"Really? It didn't seem like it that afternoon, when we slep-" the blond began, only to be interrupted by an angry shout right behind him. He found himself falling head first to the ground after a rather strong hit in his back. When Hayner sat up to glower at his attacker, he blinked a few times when he realized it was Sora. "What the hell's wrong with you?!" he exclaimed angrily.
"Shut up, you bastard!" the brunet yelled just as furiously. "How dare you talk to her like that when what's happening is obviously your fault?!"
Now, the blond was seriously pissed.
"You don't know anything. Stay out of this, Sora," he said lowly as he stood up. He brushed his pants to remove the few blades of grass and the mud on it.
"Hell no. I know more than you think," the blue-eyed boy stated. "Like how you just used Kairi when Olette wasn't too willing to do as you pleased."
"Now, you've just crossed the line!"
The redhead could only look everywhere and hope someone would come and stop the fighting boys. Why did things turn so badly whenever she was around?
"Stop it!" she tried to tell them but neither listened and just continued to throw punches at each other's faces.
The girl's prayers seemed to be heard when she saw a flash of silver hair in the distance. She ran as fast as she could towards Riku and realized in mid-run that he was with Axel.
"Guys! You have to stop them, please!" she called and when she got the boys' attention, she pointed towards the fight that was still raging a few metres away. They didn't need to be told twice and ran towards Sora and Hayner, quickly telling Kairi to stay right where she was.
Axel grabbed Hayner, who was straddling the brunet and punching him as hard as he could, and yanked him to get him off the injured boy while Riku stayed by his friend's side and asked him if he was okay. By the looks of it, Hayner was way stronger.
"You dumbass, she's the one using us!" the blond shouted as he tried to break free but the redhead had a firm grip on him and made sure to not let go. "She's even using you! What kind of friend would do that? Huh?"
"I was the one who offered to help her after you toyed with her and left her to take care of the mess you left behind you! Tch, seriously, I don't know what she found so attractive about a jerk like you," the brunet muttered as he wiped the blood on his chin.
"At least I don't fight like a girl," the other snapped with a smirk as he tried, once again, to free himself but to no avail.
"How about you go back to your room and cool off?" Axel suddenly stated, effectively ending the argument. "It's evident you guys aren't thinking straight and need some alone time to sort things out."
He eventually let go of Hayner who stalked off with a grunt and a last glare sent towards the brunet who didn't even bother to look in his direction. The blue-eyed boy got to his feet and brushed a hand against his sore jaw, sure that it was badly bruised but it was nothing he couldn't stand.
"Man, I have to agree with him on the fact that you don't know how to throw a good punch," the silver-haired boy teased, hoping it would lighten up the mood.
"How's Kairi?" Sora asked, ignoring his friend's comment.
"She's fine but you guys really scared her," Axel made known with a scowl on his face.
"It was stupid to fight like that but I couldn't help it. If only you had heard the horrible things he told her! It made me so mad," the younger explained as the three of them joined Kairi, who was waiting for their return where she had found the two older boys.
When she saw Sora, she rushed to his side and held him close to her, whispering how glad she was that he was okay. She then complained about how it was a shame that his cute face was bruised and made it a point to clean his wounds herself until Riku stepped in and told her to go back to her room and take some rest. It was clear she was shaken up. After all, she had never reacted well to fights, especially when they involved someone she knew. So, Kairi did as she was told as left. When it was only Riku and Sora in their room, the older boy eventually asked what had happened.
"I can't tell you everything without Kairi's consent. All I'll say is that Hayner was being a jerk," was the only reply the aquamarine-eyed boy got.
"Alright," Riku said with a small sigh. He really didn't like it when Sora hid things from him but he supposed it should've been serious if his best friend went as far as to fight against Hayner. Heck, Sora never fought. As he had told Riku one day, it was against his policies. "You should be thankful I have a first-aid kit in our room. It should be enough to treat your wounds."
"They're just bruises, Riku. They'll be gone in a few days, nothing to worry about," the younger sighed as he was led to the older's bed to sit, which he did reluctantly.
"Don't talk back to me, young man. I know what I'm doing," Riku said as he sat next to his childhood friend and began applying a cool ointment on his bruises. The younger sighed again, this time in contentment, and let the other rub the ointment in. "You know you guys will eventually have to explain everything to us, right?" the silver-haired boy asked. He didn't need to say anything else to make the younger understand the meaning of his question.
Sora slowly opened his eyes and almost jumped at how close Riku's face was to his own. The brunet heaved a sigh and turned his head to the left, hoping he wasn't blushing too hard. The last thing he wanted was his friend asking him questions.
"Yeah, I know," he eventually replied in a soft tone of voice. "But I just can't tell you without Kairi's consent."
That made the silver-haired boy frown. What could be so important that Sora couldn't even tell his best friend? He figured it had something to do with Kairi, seeing as the brunet was fighting against Hayner because of something the latter had told the girl. But since the blue-eyed boy wasn't one to take friendship lightly, Riku decided to trust him on that and nodded in agreement, which seemed to make the younger relieved.
Little did Riku know it was just the beginning of his problems.
oooOOOooo
