A/N: LOOOOOOOOOONG mother fuckin' chapter...yay! finally. Yanno, I read Stygian Solace chapter 21...took me TWO HOURS. TWO HOURS!! --U Either I'm a slow reader, or I need to really pick up my own pace here...

'Of Booty and Honor'

-Phase Two: Trysts-

Chapter Eight

"If he's here, then you aren't going tonight! I can't stay and watch him!"

"Why, Sora, why do you want to go so damn badly!? I just need you to hold onto him for a few hours, no one will catch you!"

Cloud and Sora bickered as quietly as they could in a language Squall could understand, both men pacing back and forth and yelling at the other in whispers and glares.

"I just have to, okay!? And I'm no babysitter, Cloud!"

"That's not good enough! Why? You want to save the pirates who crossed the border despite our warning!?"

"It's not like that, Cloud, you wouldn't understand! I told Yuffie and she's never going to speak to me again! I just HAVE to go out there tonight, okay!?"

"Why, Sora? You meeting someone out there for a good fuck or something?" Cloud crossed his arms, glaring daggers into the younger boy's skull. Sora's glare faltered and tears appeared in his eyes as he dropped to the floor on his knees. Cloud too faltered, meeting the younger boy on the cold floor in comfort.

"I-I'm sorry, Sora-"

"I've fallen in love, Cloud..."

And that's when the language stopped, and Squall stopped listening to the gibberish, staying quiet and out of the way, still placed on Sora's bed.

Cloud, at first, blinked awkwardly at the smaller boy, azure locked with azure. Cloud blinked again, cupping the younger face and thumbing a tear away, and rested their foreheads together.

"Me too, Sora..."

The younger boy smiled and sighed in relief. "I-it's just that because Yuffie-"

Cloud shushed him with a finger to his lips. "Yuffie will get over it, Sora...But until then..."

He looked up at Squall, Sora's gaze joining him.

"...We need someone to watch him..."

-T-

Sora and Cloud stood outside in the cold air of the winter night at a seemingly intimidating door outside of the Stronghold with Squall safely tucked in Cloud's jacket. Both spiky-haired ninja's gulped in unison.

"She'd never do it."

"She's done it before. I just hope Squall still looks the same when we come back."

Cloud sighed shakily, watching the two enormous candles surrounding the door flicker with the wind as he brought up a hand to knock on the thin, wooden door. Three heart-wrenching knocks on the door caused both boys and the air around them to silence.

Then the candles flickered out.

Sora stood close to Cloud as the two waited. They both heard the silence shatter with the sound of calm, footsteps coming toward the door.

One last gulp between the two, and the door opened.

The woman had long, full, dark-brown hair tied in a loose bun with four different colored and designed sticks holding it together. Part of her hair covered her left eye, and a beauty mark graced the same side a little south of her full, cerulean lips, currently taking the shape of a confused half-smile as her dark reddish-brown eye scanned both boys.

"Can I...help you, Cloud?"

"Lady Lulu," He began, gesturing a request to come inside and being granted with Sora tagging along. "We...need help."

The two glanced at Lulu as she momentarily stepped outside to relight the enormous candles outside her door with spells and then stepped back inside.

"How may I?"

She glanced the two over again, looking lastly at the weird jacket Cloud was clad in.

"Wanna lose weight or something? I'm a witch, not a miracle worker-"

"No, Lulu!" Cloud said, grabbing the zipper on his jacket and mumbling something about "not being fat". Squall spilled rather gracefully from Cloud's jacket this time, into the older male's arms and was held out to the woman like a baby.

Squall was that thin.

He slightly cringed at the wide eyes of the woman, and cringed even more when she moved the hair from her eye to get a better view of the child.

After a moment, her expression lightened into an adoring smile and even squealed a little, taking the boy from Cloud's arms and putting him on the floor to get a better look. She bent down, opening her mouth to speak, and then pausing.

"He speak Japanese?"

"English." Cloud said in said language.

Lulu looked back at the seventeen-year-old, gently pinching his cheeks and giggled at how he looked at her weirdly afterwards.

She stood up straight and looked at Cloud, "And I am to do what?"

"Sora and I have...business to take care of later. I was just wondering if you would do me a favor and just watch him tonight. Maybe until morning."

Lulu placed a finger to her cheek, and glanced at the ceiling.

"You know, Cloud...you're very lucky he's a Cutie or else I would have said no."

Squall groaned.

Cloud laughed, and knelt next to the boy with a hand on his shoulder. "I'll come back for you in the morning-"

"Cloud..." The younger brunet boy said, looking up at him with glassy eyes. "Pleasedon'tgooutthereandkillthe-the closest thing I have to a family!"

The blond man sighed, and quieted the boy. "Squall-"

"No, I've known those three almost all of my life, Cloud, you can't!"

"Kid, stop-" Cloud tried to calm the boy again, proving to be difficult as the boy kept pleading with him and trying to get away from his grasp.

"You just can't, Cloud, I would never forgive you!"

Cloud then stopped, blinking and then sighing deeply. He placed a single hand on the younger boy's shoulder, looking up at him, whispering as he spoke. "I have my orders, Squall..."

Tears rolled down the brunet's cheeks. "Then don't you ever talk to me again. Ever."

The younger boy then marched toward Lulu, stubbornly folding his arms across his chest and huffing, purposely trying to keep his gaze away from the older man's. Cloud erupted a sigh, stood on his feet and nodded toward Lulu. She put and arm on Squall's shoulder and waved the two off as they exited the small home.

Cloud was walking extremely faster than usual, making Sora have to slightly gallop to keep up, "So, Cloud...how are we gonna get out of this one?"

The blond male sighed, entering the stronghold to get ready. "I...I don't know, Sora..." He reached suddenly into his pocket, bringing out a small pendant with a solid gold skull attached to it, fingering the design gently with his index finger. Sora glanced at it carefully.

"What's that thing, Cloud?" He asked, cocking his head slightly as he looked at it.

Cloud sighed, "Took it from Squall when he was sleeping...I just haven't found a right time to give it back yet."

"Taking stuff from the kid now, Cloud? C'mon..." Sora laughed, snatching the trinket away and stuffing it into his pocket. Cloud hardly put up a fight to get the thing back, still caught up in his thoughts, unconsciously forgetting about the necklace and continuing along his way to their rooms.

"When we get out there, Cloud" Sora began seriously, "...I have to go find him, okay...?"

Cloud stopped at the intersection where their rooms separated. He gave Sora an almost glare, but was more serious in the adult way other than being mad at the brunet. "You have to be quick, Sora...Security's tight on the late-night missions when they have orders to keep everyone accept the elders indoors."

"Understood."

"Be quiet as you can..."

Sora laughed gently, "Cloud...I'll be okay. Just be in plain sight where I can see you when I get out there."

"That's the thing...I think I may have to be the one to lead them; I was the last one to see them."

Sora crossed his arms, and tapped his chin with his fist. "Then...maybe...Cloud..."

"Just be out there, Sora...You have three hours."

"Under...stood."

Riku appeared in the younger boy's head as he walked lazily back to his room. Maybe Cloud had an idea and just didn't want to tell him...maybe not. He couldn't risk losing Riku, his first love; the one who broke through the walls Sora built up around himself for protection against something like love. But Riku broke through and made him feel. Feel like there was more to the world than guarding that treasure for the rest of his life. More than to being a shadow. More to being invisible.

More to being a Ninja.

He sighed deeply, pushing his door open and closing it quietly behind him. Three more hours...well, better get ready.

-T-

Sora was now debating on wether or not his hair should be tied back at the risk of possibly being discovered as he looked out his bedroom window. There was not going to be a very large group included in the raid, Sora noticed as he gently stroked the skull necklace in his right hand. He kept a sharp eye on them as they spread out over the grass in front of the stronghold in a line and awaiting Cloud's orders. Since there was a tree near his window, he concluded that would be the safest way into the assemblage. He put the trinket away and glided gracefully through the branches and waited before reaching the ground, securing his mask over his face and deciding to just leave his hair in it's upright position...

He silently crept and blended with the others as they marched into line. He tried avoiding eye-contact with Cloud in hopes of lessening his chances of being discovered. Master Vincent was supposed to accompany the raid, but he was so far-

"What are you doing out here?"

Snaps.

Sora at first stood still, feeling Master Vincent take him by the arm and lead him away from the other members of the raid. He stopped, released the boy and crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at the younger boy for an answer.

Sora only shrugged.

"You are supposed to be indoors at this hour, Sora. You know better-"

"Vincent," Master Auron began, cutting in out of what seemed like nowhere, "May I have a word?"

Sora never knew he could have been more relieved. Master Vincent sighed deeply, giving Sora another "adult-glare-but-not-really-mad-just-serious" look, "Stay. Right. Here. I'll be back."

Master Auron and Master Vincent walked back toward the entrance of the stronghold. Sora smirked inwardly, crossing his arms and waited for Vincent's glances to stop aiming in his direction and to make his escape. He glanced to where Cloud had already begun yelling out his orders toward the small group of Ninja's in front of him, Sora noticed.

Cloud wouldn't disappoint Squall. He couldn't.

Sora sighed gently, finally seeing an opening to slip away from his place and into the group. The other, more elite, stronger, faster...more intimidating...older Ninja's around him. Sora showed no shame in walking toward the front of the group and listened to Cloud's yelling. He seemed to be trying to excite the crowd without really trying and fruitlessly, no doubt.

After the blond had stopped, the team, including Sora, gave a shout in response as a sign of respect and confirmation.

"This is a man-hunt. Three of them are out there, and we intend to return with three dead bodies with cutlass' through their chests. Understood?"

Another shout of understanding.

And before Sora could register, the team was off, including him, into the endless sea of trees. Sora kept up rather well with them...It was Cloud he was trying to catch up to. He kept close eyes on the one's jumping form limb to limb around him in an attempt to find slips so he could somehow get to the blond ahead of the team.

Sora was very fast. One of the fastest of the younger generation on the team. Being only 18, the boy was still full of energy, which both conflicted greatly with his self control skills and added to his speed. Being quiet was one of the issues. He noticed now because the others made no noise as their limbs hit the branches of the trees. When he pushes himself off the branch, the leaves on the opposing end rustled, much to his dismay.

He was the loudest one there!

He decided to screw being quiet and find the elusive Cloud. He passed a few of the elders smoothly, finally creeping toward the front of the pack and finally spotting Cloud as he gracefully flew through the branches. Sora caught up to the older male, keeping a few feet away and waited to be noticed, but instead was just scoffed at.

"What am I doing..."

"Huh?"

"Follow me."

Cloud then began to drop from his leader position, and fell back towards the end of the group.

"Sora...Go find him. Go back home when it's time."

"Why, Cloud? What are you doing?"

Cloud sighed deeply, both boys finally coming to halt on a branch, followed shortly by the brunet boy.

"I don't know. Something I'm going to get in so much trouble for later."

Sora smiled, looking up at him for a moment, then scoping out the area in an attempt to get a lead on where the pirates might have been. He then disappeared, and Cloud was again the leader of the pack, going the completely opposite direction Sora had gone.

-T-

Pirates were definitely smarter than what the team had given them credit for.

Riku left barely a trail behind, and Sora almost decided to give up before the familiar scent of seawater and sweat came faintly drifting in the air. Sora followed the smell, finally catching a stronger scent seawater, sweat, and...something a little sweeter.

Before he even really took notice, Sora had found the pirates' campsite, but was more concerned about trying to identify the third scent. He crept along a branch quietly, finally spotting the silver-haired boy, curled up underneath his coat as some sort of blanket. He smiled underneath his mask as he crept closer to the sleeping boy, still trying to figure out that goddamned scent...

He crept down the tree, keeping close eyes on the tall bald one and short, loud, annoying one. They were the one's he worried about.

Sora soon lingered next to Riku on his hands and knees, shifting to sit on his left leg with his right arm free, noticing Riku's face slightly tilted away from him. He used his free hand to lower the mask and take a breath of fresh air, sighing quietly. Cloud may have been able to grant them a short period of time, but it was not going to be nearly enough. He gently ran his finger through the bangs in Riku's face, moving them aside and hearing him sigh in his sleep. Sora began swirling his hair around his ear in a soothing way, debating on whether to wake him or not to warn them of the raid...

Maybe he was leading them to them right now...

With a heavy sigh, Sora stopped his ministrations and began to look for a quiet way out of the place. He turned over and crawl quietly toward the tree when something grabbed his ankle.

"Where ya goin'? Not even a 'goodbye'..."

He turned around to see Riku wide awake and grabbing onto his ankle with a playful grin gracing his lips.

"You didn't scare me."

"I felt you jump."

Sora grinned, regaining his ankle in the process of returning to the older boy, feeling Riku's hands trace along the sides on his face. He crawled into the older boy's lap like a cat, feeling the warmth his body radiated and sighed contently.

After a moment, the younger boy spoke, his voice barely above a whisper to keep from Reno and Rude's ears and looked up at him. "Riku?"

"Yeah?"

"...Why did you do that?"

Riku furrowed his brows. "Do what?"

"Make love to me."

"Oh," He rolled his eyes, still keeping his playful smirk, "That."

"Yes, that. Why did you do that?" Sora began, grabbing his wrists and stopping Riku's wandering hands, forcing their eyes to meet, "You...you did things I thought I would never see..."

He released the silver-haired boy's wrists and thread them through the hair on the back Riku's head, inching them both closer.

"You did things...I thought I would never feel."

Closer, still.

"You...touched me..." Sora paused to laugh gently, "I never thought it would happen to me...I thought it was only for the lucky."

Barely and inch apart, Riku again unleashed a devious grin, "Wanna do it again?"

Sora gently laughed at the older boy, granting him a small peck before giving his answer. He drew Riku's head closer to himself, making sure the older boy felt his breath ghost across his neck.

"Yeah."

Before Riku could even decipher the answer Sora had locked their lips together hungrily, feeling the older boy push him back onto the ground, breaking the kiss for only a second.

Sora wrapped his legs around the older boy's waist, making their hips grind softly, granting the younger boy a low, quiet moan of approval. Sora's tongue poked gently against Riku's, enticing it to play. Riku melted at the younger boy's touch, feeling the sensitive spots the other had miraculously memorized from the first time burst into flame at the slightest ghost, sending tendrils of heat throughout the rest of his wanting, needing, yearning body.

Their grinding hips and wandering hands fueled the sudden, yet painfully slow, movement of trying to regain control of at least one of his arms to get the younger boy's pants undone. As an attempt to clear his head, Riku lead a trail of rough bite marks down Sora's neck, reaching toward the sash tied around his waist, granting him access inside his pants.

Nearly succeeding and his head clouded, Riku heard his name faintly and felt his wrists stop moving. He looked up hazily at the younger boy, Azure blue meeting Aqua green.

"N-not here..."

The WORST possible thing Sora could say at a time like this.

Keeping his arrogance, Riku sighed and rolled his eyes both annoyedly and agreeingly. He rolled off the younger boy, closing his eyes and furrowing his eyebrows. He heard Sora sit up next to him, laughing gently, "Come on. I want to show you something, okay?"

Riku reopened his eyes, sighing deeply and smirking.

"The question is...Can Riku stand up?"

Sora laughed quietly, standing easily and watching the older boy with his hands on his hips.

Riku groaned, sitting up and glancing up at Sora. The brunet stuck out his hand and helped Riku to his feet, wrapping his arms happily around his waist in an innocent embrace.

A sudden stir from the other two made both boys jump, Sora's hands clamping harder onto Riku's shirt. They both eased when they realized it was only Reno, falling from his position against Rude's back and onto the ground, snoring dully with Chrome Dome now sleeping on top of him.

Riku chuckled, feeling Sora's hand grasp his and begin to lead him away from the others.

After a few moments of dodge tree branches and wading through bushes, Sora turned back around and granted him a small peck before they immerged from a few more trees. A small patch of grass spread over the ground before the edge of a cliff, stretching over a huge canyon. The night sky gleamed as Riku stepped forward to get a better look, feeling Sora's hands snake around his waist.

"I used to come here as a child to get away from training days and to think..." He laughed, "I'm surprised you three have made it this far..."

Riku chuckled, "Sora...You underestimate the sheer Brilliance of All That Is Riku." He wrapped an arm around his shoulders, still looking over the canyon. In a matter of minutes, and after Sora had started inching Riku's shirt up and biting him, Sora was on the ground underneath the silver haired boy. Sora giggled, finally letting the older boy untie his sash and toss it aside.

-T-

The two began walking back toward the camp, with the occasional detour into a tree and a make out session and the off-chance complete glomp of the other along the way. Again, Riku had Sora pined up against a tree, gently rummaging around the endless hiding places of his shirt, and stopped when he hit something hard.

He carefully pulled it out, not breaking the kiss until he was sure he could playfully jump away with the thingy in hand. He did so after a minute, hearing Sora's "Hey!" in protest and looked at the object.

Sora, already exhausted from the night's activities, decided against a fight, and merely wrapped his arms around Riku's waist instead. Riku looked at the necklace carefully, noticing how it shined in the moonlight, kind of like that one necklace...that...

Riku grabbed Sora by the shoulders suddenly, forcing their eyes to meet. Sora's eyes widened, Riku's stare hardened.

"Where is Squall?"

-Deadline-

A/N: LULU OOCNESS!!

And the necklace...totally came outta nowhere, I'm aware of that, but...if I added it to a chapter before, and since I KNOW most people don't read chapters over and over again, it would not have been noticed...so...I think this was the best way to take care of that, don't you?

Yeah...A Little longer than usual, doncha think? I did anyways...

Kay...Tell me whatcha think. R+R?