Author's Notes: We're back in the new universe for this, but still in the past compared to the first entry. And although it wasn't posted in a review, an extra point goes to NinjaDai for getting one of the correct answers to the trivia. (: You'll see the answers in the vignette below.

Hm, I need a new question now. Let's see... Who do you think will be the first person Hayner tells once he figures out the truth of what's happened to him? I plan on addressing this either in the next entry or the one after that.

Warnings: angst.

It's Real

Hayner half expected Seifer to start laughing at him when he told the older boy he was seeing a counselor. The reaction he did receive was completely unexpected.

"Good," his boyfriend said savagely. "Maybe you can finally stop having those damn nightmares."

"I don't think talking to a counselor is just going to end them," said Hayner, stuffing his hands into his pockets and scuffing his feet as they walked. He kept his eyes on the ground; he was still getting used to people actually looking at him. Before he woke up in this strange alternate Twilight Town, no one had looked at him properly in a long time.

"Talking about your dreams is a good way to deal with them. And you need to deal with this, Hayner. It's not healthy."

Hayner shook his head but didn't say anything. How could he tell Seifer that the dreams were actually memories, and that he still wasn't completely convinced this place was real?

"Hayner, look at me," said Seifer, stopping abruptly and seizing Hayner's shoulder. Startled, Hayner actually did look up to meet the older blond's gaze. "No, the counselor isn't going to just reach into your brain and stop you from having nightmares, but what they can do is help you find the line between reality and fantasy again. Don't even try to tell me that isn't your problem," he added when Hayner opened his mouth to protest. "Every time you wake up from one of those dreams you spend ten minutes freaking out and telling me I'm not real."

"Hayner!" a new voice shrieked from somewhere close by. The next thing Hayner knew, a small body hit him at high speed and sent him crashing to the ground. He didn't even have to look at the spiky brown hair to recognize Sora.

"Sora, get off me," he grunted with what little air he could muster out of his lungs. The younger boy was still sitting on his chest.

"Leon's home!" Sora yelled in his ear. He rolled off the blond and tugged at his arm, trying and failing to pull him up. "Mom says to come home now 'cause he just got there like five minutes ago!"

"Let him go, spiky," Seifer ordered. "This is my job." Before Hayner quite knew what was happening, he was being lifted bodily by his boyfriend.

"Seifer, put me down!"

"He has to come home," Sora objected, glaring at Seifer. It was honestly kind of cute the way he folded his arms and pouted, or it would have been if the brunet was actually the eight-year-old he was acting like. At fifteen, it was just a little bit ridiculous.

Seifer set Hayner on his feet and dodged the fist the younger blond sent his way. "Guess you're not coming over tonight, huh?"

"No, I don't think so. Sandlot tomorrow?"

"Sure." Seifer leaned over and kissed the top of Hayner's head, making him feel a lot like the eight-year-old Sora was still pretending to be. "See you." He sauntered off, smirking as Sora promptly grabbed his adopted brother's arm and started to drag him toward the house.

"Sora, I'm coming, let go," said Hayner, but only half his mind was on his annoyance with Sora. He hadn't met Leon since waking up in this strange world, but he'd met him once back in the real one, the place he was used to. If Hayner closed his eyes, he could still see Leon's gaze sliding past him like he wasn't even there.

And now Leon was supposed to be his adopted brother. Would he even remember him? They'd talked on the phone once since Hayner arrived, but Hayner himself couldn't recall much of it, as it had occurred just days after he came and he was still having panic attacks every couple of hours over being stuck in a paradise he knew couldn't be real. Everyone here thought his real world was just a dream, but he knew better, and he was becoming increasingly convinced that Leon would know better too.

Hayner was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realize Sora was trying to get his attention until the younger boy jabbed him in the stomach. "Ow! What was that for?" the blond demanded, focusing his eyes on his brother.

"We're home, dummy," said Sora. "Come on." He vanished through the front door.

With no small amount of trepidation, Hayner followed. Sora had apparently taken the kitchen by storm, because the blond could hear familiar voices laughing and Sora's excited chatter. Hayner opted for the slow and cautious approach, feeling like he was intruding on something personal.

His plan was ruined when Sora came barreling out of the kitchen to grab his arm again. "Hay-ner, what is wrong with you, come on!"

"Let me go!" Hayner barked, flushing a dangerous shade of red. He hated to lose his temper, but he was on edge right now, and Sora was beginning to grate on him.

The wonderful thing about Sora, though, was that he was completely immune to Hayner's anger. He let go of the blond after a quick push towards the kitchen, but the smile on his face didn't waver even a little.

Then Hayner was actually facing Leon for the first time since being dismissed by him in the real world. He bit his lip and dragged his gaze from Leon's feet up to his face.

Leon met his eyes, frowned, and held out a hand. "You look awful. C'mere, kiddo."

Hayner wasn't sure exactly what happened next. All he knew was that he was suddenly in Leon's arms, sobbing, as his older brother rubbed his back gently and murmured to him.

Hayner's thoughts spilled out into his sobs. "It's real, it's real, it's real…"