I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. It took me awhile to plot with my lovely beta, but I'm pleased to inform you all that I know have a direction and idea for the next few chapters, so be happy. At first, I thought that this chapter would be fillerish, but after writing it, I realized that this chapter is quite crucial to all of the character's development. As well as the relationship and insight into how Sora's mind works. I'm hoping that everyone will enjoy this and know that the next few chapters are going to lead on into the drama and whatnot. I apologize, yet again, for the delay on updating this. That lemon I wrote took my attention away from this for a few days. Any how, this is finally up and I hope you all enjoy it. Leave a review, if you can. please.
By Chance
It was hard for the brunet to get to sleep that night. The events of the day prior kept replaying in his head, over and over. What was mostly on his mind was the bittersweet kiss that the pair had shared. Blue eyes fastened onto the closed door, as if expecting the silver haired male to walk in at any moment. When he did not, the brunet emitted a strained sigh and nuzzled his tired head against his pillow. The hour was ten in the morning. At most, Sora had slept for three hours, on and off.
Who am I kidding? The kiss was amazing, Sora thought weakly as his fingers played with the fraying ends of his blanket. Riku kissed me. Riku kissed me, Sora repeated in his head, the mantra never ceasing.
"Does that mean he wants to be with me?" wondered Sora as his eyes shifted up towards the ceiling. Briefly, the brunet pretended that the white-washed ceiling held all his answers. In another moment, he pretended that when he asked a question, the ceiling responded with its own words. When that moment ended, Sora sighed and covered his tired blue eyes with his hands.
"I need to stop thinking so much!" Sora decided in a strained voice as he violently jerked his pillow from behind his head. Shortly after, the brunet allowed the plush object to make contact with his head. A whimper of pity passed through Sora's lips seconds after.
"I do want to be with Riku," Sora reasoned with himself as he snagged the diary from beneath his bed. "But… this author…" Sora trailed off as he rose the maroon notebook to his eyelevel. Careful cerulean hues inspected the object before a frown materialized on Sora's features.
Sora hurriedly flipped the notebook open, pausing at the page he had left off on. "Let's see… where was I, where was I," Sora repeated under his breath, his trembling fingers prodding at the pages attentively. After a moment of more ruthless searching, Sora finally came across the excerpt he had left off on. The brunet then began to read out loud, under his breath.
"Today was a horrible day. My best friend informed me that she was leaving for a week, my other best friend said that he was planning a trip out of the country, and then at work I spilt coffee all over me. Steaming hot coffee all over new clothes does not make for a good mix, trust me." Sora laughed and then smiled before continuing.
"When I returned home, I was looking through my old photo album and yearbook. It's amazing how much people can change over a course of a few years. I mean, I looked back at my two best friends, and they look completely different now. A lot better too.
"And then I looked at my old school picture. Haha. I cringed. It was so bad. Not that I'm anything worth a second glance now, but still (though people have told me otherwise). Then I came across a picture of my ex boyfriend. That was so difficult. He was my first boyfriend, my first kiss, and the first and only time I played submissive in a relationship. Though, it never went farther than shameless groping, but you get the picture. I sure do." Sora set the notebook down.
His blue eyes stared up at the ceiling, attempting to conjure up a face for the no-named author. What did he look like? Did he look half as good as Riku? "Riku…." Sora whimpered and covered his hands with his eyes, splaying his fingers.
"I can't kiss Riku again if I like… this author…" Sora reasoned in a mutter, smacking his forehead. "it wouldn't be fair to Riku. It wouldn't be fair to me."
After a moment of deliberation, Sora declared loudly, "I'll go see him then! But how?…" Sora sighed and went back to reading aloud, desperately trying to put a name to a face while part of his mind imagined what it'd be like to be beneath the author … or to be beneath Riku. His thoughts were audacious but Sora really didn't care.
"Any way, my friend suggested that I write my address in this-" Sora began and then squeaked abnormally loudly. The brunet's eyes widened as he quickly read over the words, unable to speak.
…in this in case I lose it. Any how, it's 333 Grove Street, off of Picket Street. That one. Sora grinned widely and tried to think of where that was. I think that's a few blocks away? Sora wondered and tapped his chin. This was Destiny Avenue … and he could have sworn he saw a sign for Picket.
"I'll ask Riku where it-" Sora began but then frowned "Riku will think I'm trying to see Zexion again… he won't let me meet a complete stranger." Sora smacked the notebook against his forehead in utter vexation.
"But I have to know!" Sora argued with himself, the frown still visible. "I have to know who this author is! I just… I just need to know if these stupid feelings I have for him are actually real." Sora sighed and ran a tired hand through his head. Sora, right now, had an abundance of torpor.
Sora thought for a moment. "I wonder what his name is… I bet it's something really unique."
Sora grinned and put the notebook under the bed, committing the address to memory. This won't be like it was with Zexion. I'll ask Riku to bring me to the mall. I'll tell him that I want to do some shopping and that he should come back in three hours to pick me up. That'd be a good plan. Yeah.
"I'll do that," Sora concluded. "Tomorrow."
Sora taped his fingers against his pillow and then swung his body off the bed. Slender fingers rose and pressed themselves to his lips, trying to remember exactly how the other's kiss had felt. Riku… Sora thought weakly and exited his bedroom.
Sora was at once greeted with a sweet aroma of what seemed to be pancakes. "I love pancakes!" Sora declared, oblivious to the fact that Riku was standing at the end of the hallway in the archway to his own bedroom.
"They're cooking right now," Riku informed Sora as he walked down the hallway towards the brunet whose back was facing him. "They should be done in a few minutes," Riku went on to say as he brushed past Sora, his aquamarine eyes peering over his shoulder at Sora as he went. And those eyes shimmered.
Sora blushed and eyed the wall. I'm pathetic. I'm crushing on my brother's best friend … and an author I've never met! Wonderful! I should get an award for my idiocy!
Sora sighed and walked into the kitchen, hugging his arms to his chest. It wasn't until Sora had entered the kitchen that Riku noticed that Sora was wearing the pair of pants they had purchased together. An enigmatic grin spread across Riku's crafty lips as he stared at Sora from a few feet away.
"Did you know that today marks an entire week that we've been living together?" Riku asked as he turned around and went to removing the pancakes from the pan. The male's skilled wrists flicked at just the right time, removing the fluffy food with ease.
"It's amazing," Sora said with a laugh as he graciously took the plate that Riku offered to him. Their eyes met and Sora froze to the spot, his hands trembling as he held the pancakes.
"Sora?"
"Yeah?" Sora asked wearily, his breathing turning heavy all of a sudden.
"The tags are still on your pants, you doofus," Riku said in a low voice.
Sora blushed and cleared his throat, completely embarrassed. His embarrassment grew when Riku's hand had extended into the air and went to ripping one of the two tags off; the one that hung off the hip. The sticker, though, that was stuck incredibly close to the brunet's inner thigh was the last to go. Dexterous fingers of Riku tediously ripped the sticky object away, the pads of his fingers lingering on the clothed surface.
"Thanks," Sora said quietly, not trusting himself to say anything more.
"Got any plans today?" Riku asked casually as he took a seat at the counter, beckoning for Sora to come over.
Still a dark red, Sora sauntered over and placed his pancakes onto the counter. The boy's body still shivered from the near-suggestive touch. He was just being helpful… I mean… He didn't mean anything by that, right? "Not really," Sora replied honestly, poking at his breakfast with a fork.
"It's raining," Riku pointed out and motioned over his shoulder to the window above the kitchen sink. "Want to stay in and watch movies and all that cheesy crap?"
Sora laughed and grinned. "Sounds like a plan."
Riku twirled his fork around his pancakes, bearing a mirrored grin. "Good."
"How'd you sleep?" Sora wondered after he swallowed, loving the taste of the pancakes. They were milky and soft and fluffy and fruity all at the same time. The combination was breathtakingly marvelous.
"Eh… okay," Riku answered and used his free hand to rub his forehead. "I had a lot on my mind. It took me awhile to get to sleep."
"Same," Sora responded and swung his legs back and forth over the edge of the seat, feeling a bit awkward all of a sudden. "These are good," he whispered, daring not to look over at his host.
"Thanks." Riku smiled brightly and closed his eyes briefly. "These are like the only things I can cook. I suck at cooking."
"You had me fooled," Sora said with a grin. "Everything you've cooked has been good."
"Now you're lying, buttering me up. What do you want?" Riku asked curiously, his eyebrows arching in such a way that a rainbow could be put to shame.
The question was taken in the wrong notion by Sora. What do I want? Sora repeated in his head, the color returning to his cheeks. I want to kiss you again… but that'd be selfish and Cloud would kill me if he knew that I liked his best friend and oh my god, I need to stop talking to myself. "Nothing," Sora lied in a slur.
"Okay." Riku seemed to accept the answer without hesitation. For that, Sora was thankful.
"Cloud said that he learned how to tango," Sora said with a snicker, trying to make the awkward air disappear. I need to stop thinking about Riku as anything more than a friend. It's obvious that I like him… but he kissed me. Does that me he really does like me back? Or was he just being nice? Or was he just trying to fulfill his own needs.
"I can't imagine that," Riku said with a chuckle and a toss of his silvery head. "Cloud's never been good on his feet. Tango would be the last thing I could see him doing. I bet Leon bribed him with money… or sex. I bet Cloud would have done it for the latter."
"Or would he?" Sora challenged, sticking his tongue out childishly at the silver haired male.
"He wouldn't," Riku concluded as he resumed eating his breakfast.
There wasn't much conversation after that. Just chewing and random exchanges of glances. When Sora finished his meal, he looked back to Riku with a contemplative look. "You seem awfully happy this morning," Sora noted.
"Because I am," Riku replied simply, exchanging a look with his best friend's brother.
Sora turned a shade of red and looked back down to his empty plate. Silence reigned supreme over the pair as Sora began to play with his fork. "Any particular reason?" Sora finally willed himself to ask.
Riku smirked and said nothing. The silveret arose from his seat and marched across the room and headed towards the sink. Before he did such, the silver haired male snagged Sora' plate to bring with his. Sora glanced curiously over his shoulder at his host. "Riku?" the brunet wondered.
"Hm?" Riku hummed in inquiry as he shot a curious stare over his shoulder at Sora. Both males said nothing as Riku retreated from the sink and headed towards the living room section, beckoning for Sora to come and sit with him.
Sora sheepishly made his way off the stool and headed towards the couch. Shyly, the brunet sat down beside Riku. Blue eyes watched Riku curiously as the silveret turned on the television, flipping to a different setting to start a movie. Sora squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, wondering if watching a movie on a rainy day with Riku would be a good idea. Sora chose to say nothing and just sat there politely.
"It's The Dead Poets Society," Riku explained casually.
Sora inhaled deeply, a bit relieved to discover that it wasn't a cheesy romance movie. However, Sora's eyes snapped back up to meet Riku's. "You like that movie?" he asked. Riku didn't seem like the intellectual type. No. The author of that notebook seemed more like the type to be watching a movie such as this.
"Mhm," Riku drawled, eyebrows hoisting themselves into the air. "Is that a problem?"
"No!" Sora answered quickly, shaking his head vigorously to the side. The brunet flushed another shade of an off pink and settled back in his seat, hugging his arms close to his chest. For the first thirty minutes, Sora eyes never did flicker away from the movie. Though, towards the middle, those eyes did stray over to the male beside him.
Riku seemed to catch this because when Sora went to turn his attention back to the television, Riku had reached up and slipped his pale hand onto Sora's cheek. A dark rose color spread across Sora's tanned cheeks as his eyes cautiously looked back over to Riku. Sea-green instantly met blue.
"R-riku?" Sora squeaked, feeling his face heat within Riku's hold.
"Hm?" Riku answered huskily, leaning forward just the slightest to breathe hotly into Sora's ear. A smirk appeared on Riku's face when he felt the teen tense beneath him. "Something wrong, Sora?"
"What are you-" Sora began nervously in inquiry. I want him to kiss me again, I really do… but would that be fair? Would it be fair to kiss Riku when my heart is stuck between him and this nameless author?… I'm so pathetic… But I need to know. I need to know. I don't want to put Riku into a tough situation. B-besides…
Sora's thoughts were cut in a similar fashion of a knife through butter. The brunet's eyes fastened shut when he felt feather-light lips on his jaw, massaging the area with precision. Sora shivered into the touch, a soft gasp falling from his lips. "Riku," he whispered gently, his neck instinctively arching to access the tanned skin to the other.
Riku took that as an initiation to continue. Dexterously, Riku placed his lips against the side of Sora's neck, thrilled when he saw tremors shoot up and down Sora's body uncontrollably. "It's the pants," Riku offered with a grin, licking cautiously at Sora's neck.
"W-what?" Sora slurred, trying to suppress the moan that was caught in the base of his throat.
"The pants," Riku confirmed, teeth grazing over the side of Sora's neck. "They're too irresistible on you," he explained. The silveret did not bite or nip Sora's neck, just ran his teeth along it and gently kissed it. Somewhere in the male's mind, he knew that doing any more would frighten off Sora.
"O-oh," Sora replied stupidly, gasping when Riku's tongue lapped at a sensitive part on his neck. "R-riku?"
"Don't tell Cloud," Riku murmured, sucking briefly on the sensitive area, causing Sora to emit a barley audible moan. But it reached Riku's ears and made the teen shudder right down to the core.
"Tell…Oh. I…. won't," Sora stammered as his breathing became heavy.
Riku pulled away after a few more minutes, his aquamarine eyes darkened by a veil of lust. Silver bangs hid this lustrous look from Sora, thankfully. "We're missing the movie," Riku explained as his eyes met Sora's, refusing to kiss the brunet, but willing to tease the boy into submission. Riku was so sly.
"Heh. Y-yeah," Sora answered quickly as he laced his hands together in his lap, a bit ashamed of the small reaction he had got from Riku's ministrations. Something Riku had done had hit a nerve, making his whole body heat up. And that just led to embarrassing situations.
Sora couldn't let that happen again. Not until he knew. He couldn't lead Riku on until he knew.
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"You seem quite displaced tonight, Sora," Roxas noticed as he leaned his elbows against the tabletop of the booth. Bright blue eyes watched the younger brunet, as if determined to figure out what was on the other's mind. Determined to figure out what was troubling the young adult.
"I do?" Sora whispered back as his eyes pried off Riku's ghostly form which was resting at the piano.
"You do," Roxas confirmed as he offered a smirk at the brunet. "You just keep staring at him. Are you undressing him with your eyes, by any chance? Because I bet you most of the people in this place have already beat you to it."
"I'm not.." Sora blushed and fought off the urge to picture Riku shirtless, dripping wet from a shower. The teen shivered and the proceeded to stick his tongue out at his new friend. "He just plays really well."
"That he does," Roxas concurred as he tilted his head, watching his silver haired friend play. "He's been such a help around here. He's really a great guy," he murmured.
"So basically you guys own this place together, right?" Sora asked, eyes looking back over at Roxas once again with curiosity shining in them. Sora just wanted to get to know these people better.
"Along with Naminé, yeah," Roxas replied with a sudden smile.
At first Sora thought the smile was directed at him, but he noticed that Roxas' gave was resting upon a form behind him. Curiously, Sora glanced over his shoulder, at once noticing a fiery male striding over to the booth. The male reminded Sora of Riku, in some aspects. Tall, skinny… and daresay, sparkling green eyes. Though, Riku's had more a glint of blue than this man's. But still. The resemblance was a bit unnerving.
Sora blinked in surprise when he watched the red-head take a seat at their booth. Sora was about to question it but silenced himself when Axel draped an arm protectively around Roxas' shoulders. Without the slightest hesitation, Axel leaned closer and pecked Roxas' cheek. The male the murmured into his lover's ear, "Hey."
Roxas cleared his throat, trying unsuccessfully to hide a blush. "Axel. I told you not to touch me during work."
"You're making it sound like I'm molesting you," Axel chuckled, rolling his cat-like eyes. Suddenly, those eyes glanced over and settled upon the brunet, noticing him for the first time. "Who's this?"
"This is Cloud's younger brother, Sora. He's staying with Riku for the month," Roxas explained casually, shrugging off his boyfriend's embrace. Apparently Roxas wanted to stay personal in the midst of his workplace. Sora, oddly, didn't blame the blond.
Axel smirked and then whistled quite suggestively. "Riku's shacking up with a cutie."
"Hey!" Sora automatically answered with, his eyes widening with shock. "He's my brother's best friend! That's why I'm staying with him while Cloud's in Bermuda!"
Axel grinned playfully. "You're so defensive," he hummed as he began to amusedly play with his lover's hand, receiving a glare from Roxas. "I've been wondering why Riku seems so much more normal lately."
"Normal?" Sora echoed, tilting his head to the side.
"Ah…" Axel trailed off and cleared his throat, red locks of hair flaying out in every direction. "Maybe I shouldn't say? Hm…"
"Just say it!" Sora urged, leaning expectantly.
"Before you came, Riku's been in a sort of slump. He couldn't play or write for the longest time. His aura was bad and he just attracted bad luck and whatnot. Hell, he couldn't even find himself a date. I felt sorry for the guy. But this week's been completely different. And now I know why," Axel hummed cheerfully.
Write? Riku writes too? "Oh," Sora answered simply.
"You must be his inspiration," Axel teased with a suggestive arching of his brows. "Little Sora Kayaki and Sexy Riku Karada. What a match made in heaven."
"Are you implying that we're dating?" Sora nearly spewed, alarm flashing in his eyes.
"Nope," Axel spoke with a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "Not yet, anyhow. I give Riku one more week, tops, before he pins you to his bed and takes you."
Sora shuddered, shivered, and gasped silently at the thought, his mind conjuring up not-so innocent images. "I don't think he'd…do that. He's just a friend."
"That's what they all say. That's the cheesiest line ever. Even I used that one before I got together with Roxas," Axel chuckled as he leaned over and nipped at his boyfriend's earlobe, dragging Roxas' attention away from Riku and back to the conversation.
"Don't do that," Roxas mumbled as his face heated countless degrees.
"Besides, I don't think my brother would want me dating his best friend. Isn't that against the rules… of life?" Sora wondered in a gentle voice, Riku's music wafting in and out of his ears, making his whole body melt.
"Sort of," Axel agreed with another chuckle. "But then again, Riku never has played by the rules. I mean, he fell in love with his best friend for-" Axel began cockily but was shoved in the shoulder violently by Roxas.
"You're not supposed to say that out loud!" Roxas snapped.
"I know already," Sora murmured, shaking his head to dismiss the anger. "Riku told me a few days ago… It's okay."
"Oh," Roxas sighed and cleared his throat. "He told you? I'm surprised."
"Proof," Axel hummed mischievously under his breath. "There's the proof that he wants you. He told you about his past lack of relationship with your brother. That obviously means that he's attracted to you."
Sora smiled and then looked down at the table. I know that… he may be attracted to me physically, because he's kissed me and stuff… but does that mean he likes me as a person and actually likes me, likes me?
"Oh, the heart is so complex!" Axel swooned dramatically before he was smacked, yet again, upside the head by his blond boyfriend.
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"Naminé, you look awfully sad," Sora whispered as his eyes settled onto Riku at the piano yet again. Sora had wandered away from the bickering couple after that had begun an argument that made no sense to Sora. Something to do with chores, prostitutes, and an evening in Las Vegas. Sora didn't dare to ask, and he really wasn't too keen on figuring it out, anyhow.
Naminé, who was leaning against the counter, her eyes glued to Roxas and Axel, spared a look over at her brunet friend. "I do?" she wondered with a sad smile.
It was odd to see the pretty blonde looking so upset and depressed. "You do," Sora agreed and frowned as he took a seat at the counter. Their blue eyes met and Naminé laughed nervously and looked away, eying her shoes.
"What's wrong?" Sora asked, concerned for the wellbeing of his new friend.
"It's… nothing," she replied, obviously not wanting to bother the brunet with her own petty problems. After all, she was a therapist… she shouldn't have problems. But she did. Boy did she.
"Please?" Sora requested with a forced smile.
Naminé sighed and brushed her thin fingers through her hair. "You see Roxas and Axel over there?" she asked with sadness drenched in her voice.
"Mhm, I was just over there before I came over to talk to you. What about them?" Sora asked, briefly looking over his shoulder back at the pair who were discreetly holding hands under the table, still quarreling.
"It hurts to see them together," Naminé replied honestly.
At once Sora understood. "Oh… right. You like Roxas…" Sora trailed off as his own frown materialized onto his face. "I'm sorry, Naminé."
"Unrequited love is so horrible, isn't it?" she murmured as she leaned her cheek into her palm, holding back tears from clouding her eyes. She was strong. She wouldn't break down in a public place in front of her new friend. No, that would be weak and uncalled for.
Sora stared down at the floor. Unrequited love, huh?…
"Roxas usually ignores me… before he got with Axel, I tried dropping hints that I wanted to be with him, but he ignored them. Instead of telling me that he had his eyes on someone else, he ignored my obvious interest… it hurt," Naminé whispered in a pained voice.
Is that… how Riku…feels when I?… Sora felt guilty all of a sudden for not having reacted or responded to Riku's earlier touches. Was I supposed to kiss him? Was I supposed to do something back?… Was I supposed to openly show my … pleasure for what he was doing?…
"Riku was the same way," Naminé admitted as she shook her head. "Except I found the courage to tell him how I felt. Of course, learning that he was now completely gay didn't help the matter. I thought that maybe there was a chance for me. But Riku… he's stayed close friends with me, and I can't ever be angry at him about that. Riku's more mature than Roxas," Naminé said gently.
"You don't have good luck, do you?" Sora questioned sadly.
"Nope," Naminé said with a gentle laugh. "At least when it comes to love. I've got Riku as a friend, and that's lucky. I have other friends too who are all healthy and happy. And I'm happy for the most part, so I'm not entirely unlucky."
Sora smiled a bit at Naminé's optimistic view. "You're a strong person… a lot stronger than me," he whispered to his friend.
"Thank you, Sora," Naminé said with a smile leaking onto her lips. "You are as well. Your brother should be proud of you."
"I think he is," Sora answered with a questioning look.
"I bet he is," Naminé countered and giggled softly. "Riku's looking at you."
"Huh?" Sora looked from Naminé over his shoulder to the stage where Riku had just recently stopped performing. Sea-green eyes were glued to Sora's form, following the brunet's gaze. Sora felt something in his lit on fire from the eye contact. Something mischievous and true flickered in Riku's eyes as he stood there, a smirk curling onto his lips. And that look was so handsome that Sora had to try his hardest not to let his mind wander.
"Love's a funny thing," Naminé said as she looked at Riku.
"Mhm…" Sora agreed as Riku exited the stage, the male's eyes never once leaving Sora's form. Sora shivered as he kept the eye contact from across the room, feeling his body continue to heat. I have to like Riku. There's no other way around it. I like Riku as more than my brother's best friend, or even my friend. I like Riku in a romantic way… and it hurts to know that I can't do anything about it until I meet this author…
Sora felt his heart sting at the very idea of putting the romantic author before Riku. There's a connection between me and Riku… but there's an unsaid one between this author and I. We both connect on levels that are hard to imagine… And I'm sort of terrified to meet him. I'm terrified of feeling something real about anyone other than Riku. Beautiful, charming Riku…
Sora had no idea that a troubled tear had leaked down the side of his face until a ivory-skinned hand whipped it away. And Sora had no idea that things were far more complex than his mind could even begin to imagine. Riku had his diary, and Sora had Riku's notebook, it was as simple as that. But what wasn't going to be simple would be the resolve…figuring out the identity of the author.
Would it makes things easier or more difficult?
All Sora knew was that come tomorrow, he would meet the author, and finally know where his interests lay. Time changes everything, but a heart ceases to change.