Disclaimer: All characters of Kingdom Hearts is property of Square-Enix and Disney.
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"Once you become this group's member, you must obey the rule or you'll pay the consequences."
"The most important of them all is to never break the rule."
"The second most important is never, ever, befriended with gay-lover."
"The third most important is never date with someone of the same sex as you."
"Just by following this rule, I guarantee you will live happily till the end."
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"It was an Anti-Homosexual Group. I joined it five years ago as soon as I broke up with Roxas. No one knew about the existent of this group but Vayne introduced it to me…"
"How many members are there?" Leon asked.
"I'm not sure. But five years ago, Vayne told me the group has more than one hundred members worldwide," Riku replied. Leon rubbed the back of his neck before he looked at Cloud.
"Worldwide," Leon said. Cloud nodded. "That would be hard but we can try looking for them within this island first."
"Good idea. First thing first. I want to catch Vayne first," Cloud said. Leon nodded. Cloud then looked at Riku and his brother as well as his brother's friend. The three of them had been quiet ever since they arrived at the hospital except Riku who answered whatever Leon asked him. Just an hour ago, he was busy spending time with his husband, Leon, when Roxas called him and told him that Sora was in hospital.
He was surprised when the officer of the scene told him what had happened and that included what had happened to Sora. It was hard to accept the news but it was much harder to calm Leon down when the man tried to punch Vayne's friends. It took like five police officers to hold the man down from beating the culprit.
"Is that why you broke up with me five years ago?" Roxas asked. "After you met him during festival…after that you broke up with me. Was it because of him? Because of his teaching?"
"…I'm sorry," Riku said. Roxas grunted.
"I told you not to talk to him," Roxas hissed. Riku bowed. "I don't care about our past relationship. I won't forgive Vayne for what he had done to us five years ago but…" Roxas's expression darkened. "I definitely not am going to forgive what he had done to Sora…" Roxas hissed. "I won't forgive you."
"Roxas…" Axel clutched Roxas's hand. Silent. Then the door opened and walked out man in white from Emergency Room. The three teenagers stood up and watched as the man in white scratched his messy blonde hair. A stick is dangling at the corner of his mouth.
"Cid, how's Sora?" Cloud asked. Cid, the doctor, sighed.
"Sorry Cloud. His eye…"
"What? What happened to his eye?" Roxas asked, panicked and worried.
"The damage was…very bad, Cloud," Cid said in disappointment. Roxas gulped, staggered backward until he fell on his butt on the chair. Axel quickly rushed to his side. Cloud hugged Leon tightly.
"Leon…" Cloud cooed. He looked at Riku who was standing, biting his bottom lip. Cloud smiled weakly. If he knew better, compared to the rest, the news gave a huge impact on Riku more than on anyone else.
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"Here you go, dear," a young woman said as she handed a bouquet of flower to Roxas.
"Thanks ma'am," Roxas said. He paid for the flower before he walked out of the Flora Shop. Axel smiled upon seeing Roxas.
"Done?"
"Yup."
"Oh, you bought a bouquet of sunflower," Axel said. Roxas nodded.
"Sora likes sunflower," Roxas said.
"That's nice," Axel said. Roxas smiled. "Well then, let's go. I bet Sora's waiting right now."
"Okay." After that, they went to the hospital, which located just next to the flower's stand. They went up at the fifth floor and entered one of the rooms on the floor. Inside, the room was dim. The only source of light is the small lamp at the ceiling. Even though the room is a private and solo room, nothing-special item added into the room. There is only a bed, bedside table, small cupboard, a sofa, a table with a chair and a vase on bedside table.
On the bed, there was a brunet sitting while leaning against the headboard. While his left eye is covered by plaster, his right eye is half-opened, staring at nothing. Then, on the sofa, just opposite of the bed, Riku is sleeping. While Roxas walked over to Sora's side, Axel approached sleeping Riku. He knelt down and poked Riku's cheeks.
"Don't disturb him," Sora said. "He's really tired…"
"Of course he is. If he wasn't being so stubborn to stay awake for the whole night, this wouldn't happen," Roxas said as he put out the flowers he bought. He looked at the vase and found there was a new group of sunflowers. He looked at Sora. "Who brought the sunflowers?" he asked. Sora looked at him, at the sunflowers before he looked back at Roxas and smiled.
"Riku bought it. He went to buy the flowers just now," Sora replied.
"Oh?" Sora nodded.
"I don't know how he knew that I like sunflower, but they're nice," Sora said, smiled.
"That's very nice of him," Roxas said as he put in the flowers he bought together with Riku's flowers. Then he glanced at Axel who still poking Riku's cheek. "Axel, stop it. You're going to wake him up."
"But he's so cute like this," Axel said. Roxas rolled his eyes then looked back at his brother. He took a sat on the chair next to bed and smiled at Sora.
"How's your eye?" Roxas asked.
"Still hurt," Sora said, smiling weakly. Roxas bit his bottom lip. "But it's much better than last week. At least I can eat now." Sora grinned widely.
"Glad to hear that, Sora. You know, it scared me when you couldn't even smile last time," Axel said. Sora chuckled. "Hehe. That's better." Axel smirked then turned to look at sleeping Riku again. "So, did the Silver Prince say anything to you within these few days?" Axel asked. Roxas watched as Sora smiled weakly.
"The usual," Sora said. Roxas heard the redhead sighing. "It's not his fault, I've told him that many times but he kept saying it over and over again."
"I blame him," Roxas said.
"Roxas…" Sora whined. Roxas crossed his arms and frowned.
"That's the true," he said. "If he hadn't made contact with the stupid Vayne, this wouldn't happen." Sora sighed. No matter what Riku did, everything seemed to be wrong for Roxas. Sora knew Roxas was angry with Riku for leaving him because of Vayne but Sora knew better. He knew the real reason why Riku broke up with Roxas and Sora was glad Riku did.
"I wish he would stop blaming himself…it pains me to see him feeling guilty all the time," Sora said. Roxas stared at his brother. Something is triggering inside of him. Then he looked at Axel who happened to be looking at him.
"I'm going to buy drinks," Axel said as he stood up.
"I'll come too," Roxas said. "Do you want one?" Roxas asked the brunet.
"U-Um, 100 Plus for Riku?" Sora said. Roxas arched his eyebrow. "He hasn't eaten anything since he comes this morning."
"Fine…" Roxas said lazily. Sora smiled and watched his two friends left before he glanced at sleeping Riku. His smile faded slowly.
'Riku…' He bit his bottom lip. Then, carefully, he climbed off the bed and slowly approached Riku. He knelt next to the sofa, flinched when a strike of pain hit his left eye. This made him unconsciously gripped whatever within his reach, which happened to be Riku's arm, causing the Silver Prince to wake up in start.
"H-Hey." Riku panicky sat up and held the brunet's hand as Sora pressed his left eye in pain. "Are you all right?"
"S-Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up," Sora said. Riku shook his head.
"That's okay. I think I have enough of napping," Riku said. He removed Sora's hand from his left eye and checked the plaster. "You shouldn't have moved much…"
"Sorry."
"What are you doing here anyway?" Riku asked. Sora gulped and bowed.
"You…have been taking care of me, Riku," Sora said. Riku silent. "When I see how tired you are, it made me feel guilty. What if you get sick because of me?"
"No…it's not your fault. My health is not your concern. I can take care of myself," Riku said as he caressed Sora's cheek with his palm.
"But…"
"Shh…" He pulled the brunet into his arms and hugged him tightly yet warmly. He buried his face on the brunet's hair and inhaled a deep breathe. Sora's sweet and aromatic smell was a toxic to him, making him felt something was about to rise inside of his heart. After a few minutes, which seemed like eternity, Riku broke the hug. "You should take a rest," he said. Sora nodded without protest. He allowed himself to be lifted by the famous guy and sat down on the bed.
"You should take a rest too, Riku," Sora said. Riku smiled.
"Of course."
Outside of Sora's wardroom, Axel and Roxas are leaning against the wall. Both of them are holding can of drink and an extra of plastic of drinks hold by Roxas. It did not take a long time for them to buy the drinks but they did not enter the room when they heard Riku's voice. Roxas asked Axel to stay with him outside while letting Sora to spend more time with Riku.
"Riku's changed," Axel said. Roxas glanced at the redhead. "I haven't seen him for a long time and he's not like Riku I've known before."
"You're Riku's best friend, right?" Roxas asked. Axel nodded. "You weren't with him when he and I were together…"
"Nope. I was busy with Demyx and the others, recording our first song," Axel replied. "By the time I returned, you two broke up already." Roxas nodded. "He's changed since that time."
"…Oh?"
"Yup. He's becoming…quieter," Axel said. Roxas arched his eyebrow. As far as he could remember, after Riku broke up with him, the famous guy had been talking all about being anti-homo. He even lectured all of his friend not to fall for the darkness of homosexual. "Of course, you don't believe it but that's because you're only seeing his mask."
"What do you mean?"
"When Riku's with me, he took off his mask. He told me everything…with no enthusiasm," Axel said.
"…I never know that," Roxas said. Axel grinned. He looked at Roxas and rested his head against the wall.
"That's because you're not his best friend," Axel said. Roxas frowned then snorted. "He looked miserable after he broke up with you actually."
"Oh really?"
"Yep. Only I can see it though," Axel said then leaned his back against the wall back. He stuffed his hands into his trouser's pockets, stared at the ceiling. "At first I don't know who you are. I never care to find out about you. I just listened to Riku about his feeling towards you and how you both ended your relationship---"
"He ended it, not me," Roxas said. Axel smiled weakly.
"Yes…how he ended your special relationship. All I could think at that time was…how very unlucky and how I felt sad about Riku losing his special person." Axel sighed and closed his eyes. "But…I'm kinda glad now that he broke up with you." Roxas looked at Axel instantly, in shock.
"W-What? Why?" Roxas asked, confused. The redhead rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and grinned stupidly.
"Well, that's mean that you're no longer his now," Axel said then smiled genuinely. "Which mean I can make my move on you, Roxas."
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A/N - Awkward...Short story of AxelxRoxas, my second favorite pairing, will be in the next chapter.