So basically I owe the world a boat-load of apologies for the ten day wait. i'm sorry. I've been distracted by unwritten and the time is just flying by and the next thing I knew, I hadn't updated in over nine days. I was stunned. Any how, I hope the plot progression in this compensates for the wait. And thank you so much to all the reviews so far! And all the favs and alerts. It makes me sohappy to see any/all of them. Thank you so much. And a special thanks, as always, to my lovely beta. Much love to her.

By Chance

It had been twenty days since Sora had begun to live at Riku's apartment. Twenty days of petty squabbles, loving embraces, kisses, curses, laughs, and smiles. Twenty days of getting to know each other, learning about one another, and improving their relations. It was twenty days of something Sora thought he'd never encounter. Something he thought only was possible in those cheesy books. It was beautiful, yes, this affection he felt towards Riku, but something in his heart felt off. It wasn't perfect. It didn't feel perfect, it didn't feel like soul mate material. But no matter what Sora felt, Riku was on his mind twenty four seven.

Perhaps it was the way Riku's touch drove him insane, making him shamelessly beg for more feverish kisses, or more hugs that never ended. Maybe it was the way Riku smirked at him when he went off to work, or maybe it was the way that Riku occasionally smiled, lightening the room. Just for those twenty days, Sora forgot about Riku's prior relations with Cloud and forgot his brother's connection with the pair in general. Just for those twenty days, Sora saw Riku as Riku and Cloud as Cloud.

Although Sora liked Riku and loved the way Riku kissed him, he wasn't necessarily pleased with Riku's utter urgency to deepen their relationship. And by that he meant test his boundaries…

One moment Sora was sauntering around the kitchen, humming cheerfully to the tune on the radio (a familiar song upon his lips), and the next moment he was being shoved up against the fridge. His shoulder blades hitched up as blue eyes stared questioningly into aquamarine ones. Since when was Riku so wantonly affectionate in the morning?

Sora let out a strangled gasp against Riku's lips seconds later, only for it to be muffled by their clashing of lips. Over and over. Wet against wet. Sora's back arched the slightest off the fridge and against his boyfriend's chest. One of the brunet's slender arms reached out, his fingers at once tightly coiling around Riku's shirt, clenching it tightly. The other, meanwhile, slithered up and into Riku's silky soft hair, pulling the other closer.

Riku moaned boisterously into the deep kiss, flicking his tongue along Sora's bottom lip. The silveret relished in the way Sora's breath hitched and his body clung weakly against his. Sora's knees felt shaky as he struggled to stand, only remaining in an upright position due to his boyfriend's body pressed against his.

Riku's kisses were addicting, like candy. They were sweet and always loving and just kept his mind off everything else. Riku was always so warm when he held Sora close, and Sora loved to greedily soak in that warmth and embrace it. Sora loved to shyly hold his boyfriend's hand whenever possible, and he loved the way Riku rarely blushed when Sora said something sweet offhandedly. It was innocent; it was beautiful. But it still didn't mean it was perfect or that Sora didn't feel awkward.

Sora shivered as Riku kept his arms securely around Sora's waist. It was a wonder that either of them could stand in such a comprising situation as this. Sure, they kissed before, but Riku had never, at random, pinned him against the nearest object and attacked him with such passion. No, this was new. Part of Sora adored it and another felt uneasy. It was normal to feel both ways, right? Was he wrong not to feel entirely enamored by the way Riku aggressively kissed him, begging for more? Was it wrong to fear more?

Riku trailed his tongue repeatedly along the perimeter of Sora's mouth, begging for entry into the hot caverns that he had occasionally explored. Usually with Sora it was countless chaste, lingering kisses. It was a rarity that the two engaged in such an activity as this. Was it wrong for Riku to want this so badly that it taunted him in his sleep? Was it wrong for Riku to want to touch every single curve, every single dip, and every single piece of Sora's body? Was it a sin?

Sora gasped shakily, his mouth parting the slightest. The scant opening was all that Riku needed to plunge his tongue in, running it along the areas he could access. Over and over, just like their kisses. It was a cycle. Riku never did something once. With him, it was always over and over.

Sora tried his best to determine exactly how he felt when Riku's tongue brushed against his for a split second. A sensation soared down his back and into his toes, at once making them curl. That was a good thing, right? Sora's stomach, sometimes, knotted, warning him that perhaps he shouldn't be doing these things. Sometimes Sora listened, and other times he didn't. He trusted Riku. He believed that Riku would take things remotely slow… because, honestly, Sora had no idea what to do or when to do it.

And sometimes when they kissed, Sora wondered if Riku had kissed Cloud this passionately. Had Riku been so easily enamored with Cloud that he could kiss him this intensely? Or was this something special? Just for Sora? Riku's personality showed otherwise… Riku did things repetitively... And perhaps Sora was just part of his cycle…

But it felt so sinfully right when he melted into Riku's touch. It felt so damn right when Riku teasingly licked at the back of Sora's front teeth, knowing that it'd drive the brunet insane. Riku adored the cute little shy noises that Sora made. They weren't full blown moans, but they were a sign of pleasure. A sign of acceptance.

Riku continued his deep kiss with the brunet, completely draining them of any breath they might have had prior to this. With every passing minute, second, moment, Riku pushed closer to Sora until their bodies were flush against one another; until he could feel every curve of Sora's body against his, clothing being the only thing between them. And for a moment, Riku imagined them as one.

Sora's tanned hands shakily ran through Riku's hair, periodically tugging at the silver strands, twirling them around on his fingers, and even stroking them. He loved Riku's hair almost as he much as he was infatuated with Riku. Love wasn't in his vocabulary right now. Love was something he believed only Cloud could feel about Leon and Roxas could feel about Axel and Naminé could feel about the people that never returned her feelings. Love wasn't something Sora thought he'd be able to produce.

Sora was content with kisses like this. Kisses that sometimes made him feel dirty or like he had done something wrong, but overall made him feel light and dizzy. Sora figured that this was as far as Riku would take it- as far as most couples did. Sora knew about the other things but he didn't know that they were so commonly demonstrated…so when Riku tested his boundaries, it sent Sora into a state of shock.

Riku broke off the kiss, gasping for air. The male's aquamarine eyes were drenched a hue darker than normal, shining abnormally at his boyfriend, puffy lips and stained cheeks and all. Riku smirked rather suggestively before latching his worn-out lips onto Sora's tanned neck, licking and tasting the skin. Sora. It definitely tasted like Sora.

"R-ri…ku," Sora murmured incoherently, his head thrashing back, making contact with the metal fridge behind him. The brunet was lulled into such a sinful high that he didn't feel the skin on metal contact, nor did he care that a wave of temporary pain shot through his body. No, Sora's mind was entirely focused on Riku's devilish lips and teeth trailing along his neck, suckling and biting and making him gasp.

"Sora," Riku purred against Sora's neck, making a wet noise as he spoke. Sora giggled nervously, despite his pleasure-high. Riku said nothing more and continued to let his actions speak for themselves. Too bad for Riku that Sora didn't know the language. Which one was it?

Riku's right hand slipped upward the slightest. Cold fingers danced up and under the fabric of his boyfriend's shirt, at once making contact with the warm flesh that covered the brunet's sides. Riku savored the way that Sora gasped so damn loudly, and the way his back arched insanely. But Riku downright indulged in the way that Sora's skin melted into his touch, scorching all the while.

"R-riku?" Sora asked in a slur, uncertain of what his boyfriend was doing. Sure, Riku had run his hands over his chest plenty of times before, or ran his hands along his sides… but he had never once ventured under the shirt. Sora's body went from weak to entirely covered in goosebumps. Was Riku allowed to touch him like that? "Riku?" questioned Sora again, his last syllable sounding more like a mewl than anything.

"Hm?" Riku hummed against Sora's neck, leading his lips down to the junction of his boyfriend's neck and shoulder, surely leaving marks. "What's up?" he murmured, the innuendo flying over both of their heads due to their clouded states and hazy minds.

"What are you d-d-oing?" Sora wondered, his back once again arching against the other's.

And that was when Sora's self control suddenly shattered onto the kitchen floor. Something in his body lit on fire. Something pounded in his heart the moment he felt Riku's body fully against his. Something wild and fierce and lusty developed in Sora's core (the innocence and curiosity of a virgin, perhaps).

Sora's arms betrayed their earlier positions and relocated, desperately slinging themselves around Riku's neck. He tangled his arms together there, begging for support before his body slumped to the ground from the sudden wave of heat and dirty pleasure that shot through his body. His cheeks flushed and his body ached, making it so damn hard to breathe.

"W-w-hat?" Sora slurred, burying his face into the crone of his boyfriend's neck. "T-that?"

Riku purred shamelessly against Sora's jaw, kissing it with growing fervor. God, whatever Sora had just done he wanted to produce it again. He wanted to feel that close to Sora. That close right here and now. "Sora," Riku downright groaned in a tone that Sora had never heard the other use.

Was that… lust?

"R-riku…" Sora warned, his body feeling far too warm. The brunet suddenly felt like he was going to faint and that he needed to sit down. He tried to wiggle free from Riku's grasps, wanting to declare that that had been definitely enough for now, but Riku was having none of that.

"Mmm..sh…" mumbled Riku incoherently. The teen all but grinded his hips against his boyfriend's, feeling needles of pleasure piercing into his body. Riku moaned the brunet's name in desire and downright want as he clung mercilessly onto Sora's body. Sora. Sora, his Sora.

"Ri-ku!" Sora shouted, half from alarm and half from ecstasy. What the hell did Riku just do? The brunet's toes curled and his mind went blank for a moment and all he could see was white and then he was just aching for that again. But with that pleasure had come moans and grunts and something Sora's mind wasn't capable of accepting at this moment.

So before Riku had time to even reproduce that delicious feeling, Sora's nails dug into Riku's exposed neckline as he slurred out a pained, "S-stop."

Riku blinked and loosened his hold around Sora. All his actions ceased as his hands dropped from Sora's hips, landing idly by his sides. Aquamarine eyes flashed questioningly to Sora who was a bright red, a thin film of sweat appearing on the brunet's forehead. Beads of sweat. How poetic.

"'Stop'?" Riku echoed as he panted, pathetically trying to catch his breath, doing nothing to hide his obvious arousal. "S-sora… god, why?" he moaned desperately, burying his face into Sora's neck.

"B-because," Sora barely managed to answer. The brunet's eyes were drenched with uncertain pleasure, curiosity, and fear. It was amazing how those three could all live happily together in harmony. "I just… don't…" By now Sora was rambling insensibly.

Riku stared at Sora for a long while, aquamarine eyes fixated on his boyfriend. It was obvious that Riku's eyes were darkened by lust that threatened to leak out at any moment. "Sora," Riku breathed, groaning at the end.

Sora knew right off the bat that he was disappointing the suave Riku. Was he supposed to be seduced by Riku's dexterous touches and huskily spoken words? Was he supposed to let Riku 'defile' him that easily? Two weeks wasn't that long, especially when you went your entire life without a boyfriend. "Please, you're making me feel bad," whispered Sora.

Riku sighed and grunted in response. The silveret remained where he was, refusing to let Sora slip from his grasp. Not now when he was so damn worked up. "You don't want to go farther?" A blunt question from a blunt person, it seemed.

Sora blinked and sheepishly looked down. Was he ashamed? "Not now," Sora answered honestly. Taking things too fast seemed like a horrid idea, so Sora strayed away from it.

"When?" asked Riku almost automatically.

Sora tensed. Was Riku that eager to go that extra step? Flashes of the notebook danced into Sora's head, along with images of Riku with his brother. With Cloud. No matter what Sora did, he couldn't shake the intense feeling of betrayal. Did dating Riku make him a bad person?

"I don't know," Sora replied nervously. Bashful blue eyes stared nervously into aquamarine, glad to see that Riku was calming down. "I just don't want to rush things… I'm sorry, Riku."

"Don't apologize," Riku murmured chastely. The male then kissed Sora's cheek. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Now it was Riku who was doing the apologizing. How the tables could turn in an instant, it seemed.

"Am I a bad boyfriend?" Sora felt compelled to ask. Sora had no idea. All he wanted was some level-headed guidance from someone who had been through a relationship. Someone who could fully explain what came with a relationship. Movies and books and watching from afar only got you so far in the end.

Riku's eyes widened, and then he gaped at the brunet in front of him. "God no, Sora. You're amazing," Riku cooed. "You're loyal and honest and affectionate, and downright adorable. You're an angel, and I'm honored to be considered part of your life."

"Riku," Sora said with a smile appearing. The brunet wasn't sure how much of that Riku meant, but he was convinced, in his heart, that those words had bled from Riku's soul and fallen from his lips like the god he truly was.

And they kissed again, too caught up in the moment to care about anything else. And all Riku wanted was to touch his beautiful angel, to make him his.

xxxxxxxxxx

"You're speeding." Riku winced as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "Twenty miles over the speed limit. Eighty miles an hour, Riku. Slow down. You're gonna cause a bloody accident!" Riku sighed and distractedly lowered the pressure onto the gas pedal. Aquamarine eyes stared out the window at the cars around him. Lanes and lanes of colorful cars.

"My mind's displaced," Riku provided as he slowed his speed down to an acceptable amount. Sea-green eyes didn't dare look over at the red-head beside him. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on the outside world, pretending for just that moment that he was such a careful driver.

"Why?" Axel wondered as he cocked his head to the side. "Your boyfriend break up with you or something? Or is this about Cloud? Or…"

"Axel, shut up," Riku snapped and tightened his hold onto the steering wheel again. "I'm just feeling weird lately. It's nothing to worry about. Let's just change the subject. How are you and Roxas?"

Axel blinked thrice and then combusted into fits of laughter. "Oh Riku, you kill me. Something is obviously wrong. You never just ask about my relationship out of nowhere, because you know that I'll just go into an hour long, detailed rant about what we did the past few days. Every. Single. Second. Every little detail. And I know you don't want to hear that, so you must be pretty desperate to-" Axel rambled only for Riku to smack his friend upside the head.

"You're an idiot," Riku concluded and huffed, looking quite irritable.

Axel stifled his laughs. "Now, on a serious note, what's up?"

Riku sighed and decided to be as blunt as he could. "I tried going farther with Sora and he made it a point to say that he didn't want that." Riku didn't dare shift his gaze over to Axel.

"Wow," Axel drawled, eyebrows wiggling. "When I asked Roxas if he wanted more, he hissed at me for talking too much and dragged me onto him. And we all know what happens after that, don't we?" Snicker.

"That's good for you," Riku grumbled darkly and tapped his fingers onto the steering wheel. "I'm so pleased that you got an easy lay for a boyfriend."

Axel mocked frown. "Oh Riku, don't be mad that Roxas and I love one another. I'm sure that Sora just loves you and all the things you can do with that crafty tongue of yours. I bet it drives him insane. I bet he dreams about you at night and wakes up in a naked sweat panting your name."

Riku cringed at the mental images. "Are you always this sensual?"

"Only on Tuesdays!" Axel hummed cheerfully.

Riku rolled his eyes and adjusted his gaze back onto the crowded New York streets. It was a long moment before Riku spoke up again. "He asked me if I wanted to stay and go shopping with him and Naminé. He said that he wanted to introduce me to his friend who just came back home from vacation. I told him I had things to do."

"You? Things to do? That aren't sexual?" Axel arched a brow, stroking his chin rather thoughtfully. "You lied to him?"

"Sora would never forgive me if I slipped about our relationship in front of his judgmental, single-minded friend," Riku grunted and shook his head in dismay. "Our relationship is complicated and it's only been two weeks. Go fucking figure, huh?"

"All relationships are complicated, Ri-ku," Axel pointed out and shook his head. "I mean, just look at me and Roxas. We started dating due to a bet. And then we just grew to love one another and bam. We're together. And it's staying that way for a pretty damn long time. If love wasn't complicated do you think romance novelists would be so fucking rich?"

Riku snorted. "I suppose you're right."

"I know I'm right," Axel hummed nonchalantly. "Besides, you're dating your best friend's virgin brother. You're playing with fire."

"The fire is what? The fact that he's a virgin or that he's Cloud's brother?" Riku wondered and spared Axel a curious look.

"Both," Axel concluded. "I mean, isn't it written somewhere that you really shouldn't date your-"

"I'm sick of people saying that and me thinking that and just stop," Riku snarled and shook his head. "I know the fucking saying and I know that Cloud is gonna be pissed. I get that. This is getting redundant. Can we please change the subject?"

"… Fine, someone's grumpy," Axel mumbled and sighed. "I was just trying to help. Geez."

"I know but I hate talking about the same thing more than once. It's annoying," Riku groaned and passed a car, gaining speed once again. "Sora's been fretting about Cloud finding out since the beginning. That's all he ever says. I know that we're taking a risk, but, please. I don't want to constantly worry about him."

"You care more for Sora than Cloud?" Axel finally asked, tilting his head to the side.

Riku froze, his hands gripping the wheel tighter. "Did you just ask me that?"

"Yes?" Axel replied uncertainly, cocking his head. "I mean, I'd understand if Sora would be more important since you're dating him, so don't feel bad if you-"

"I don't."

"What? Don't feel bad?" Axel wondered, blinking thrice in confusion.

Riku shook his head and grumbled darkly, "I don't care about Sora more than Cloud." And he left it at that. And for some reason, he felt like he hadn't only betrayed Axel and Sora, but himself.

xxxxxxxxxx

It had been an amazing day, in Sora's opinion. Naminé had met Tidus and the chemistry between the pair was obvious. Sora had never been good in science, or biology for that fact, but he even he could see it. The brunet smiled fondly as Tidus and Naminé stood to his right, casually chatting, occasionally asking his input in a matter. Sora replied cheerfully each time, glad that his friends were getting along so well. And that smile on Naminé's face, it was just beautiful. She seemed so happy.

They had spent the majority of the day wandering the mall, chatting, and sight-seeing. Around five, they returned to the mall, waiting for Riku to pick Sora back up. Tidus informed the pair that he could walk home. With a sweet goodbye to Naminé and a hearty one to Sora, he left, waving them off.

And Sora found the blush on Naminé's cheeks adorable.

"Seems like you had a good day," Sora commented as they sat on the stonewall outside the mall. The wind lightly brushed past them as the sun beat. Summer always meant long days, after all.

"I did," Naminé agreed and smiled fondly at Sora. "Thank you for inviting me."

"You're welcome!" Sora answered and laughed. "You and Tidus really seem to get along. I hope you guys will see each other again." And seeing Naminé and Tidus happy, he could be happy himself.

"I hope so," Naminé concurred and stared up at the sky. "Love's such a funny thing, huh?"

"That it is," Sora agreed and crossed his arms to his chest. "What does it feel like exactly? If you don't mind me asking…"

Naminé shook her head, blonde bangs falling against her pale face. "Not at all. It's hard to describe, but I'll try my best," she said warmly. "For me, at least, it's an enormous force in my life. Whenever I fall in love, I get butterflies in my stomach and can't keep his face out of my mind. It's just… well, you'll know. It's such an unbelievable feeling, and I can't really it explain it to someone whose never felt it." She sighed.

"Thanks for trying… it sounds really nice from what you've said. Cloud always seems like that when he's around Leon," Sora pointed out and nodded to his own words. "I'm really happy for him."

Naminé nodded. "Naturally," she agreed.

The pair paused mid-sentence when they saw the silver haired male approaching them. Sora grinned profusely and jumped off the stonewall. Forgetting about he early morning uneasiness, and then replaying Riku's words of beauty in his head on infinitive loop, Sora ran up to his boyfriend. The brunet then proceeded to throw his arms around Riku's chest, hugging him increasingly tighter.

"Sora?" Riku asked in stun and then laughed nervously, returning the embrace. "How was your day?" he asked, trying not to seem too flustered by the brunet's sudden display of affection.

"Good, but I missed you!" Sora stated with a sharp nod as he kept his arms tightly woven around Riku's chest. Sora propped his chin onto Riku's chest so that they could make eye-contact. "Did you miss me?" A smile.

"Of course," Riku said, fairly certain that he meant those words.

"Good," Sora sighed blissfully and then tore himself out of Riku's grasp and motioned for Naminé to come over. "Tidus and Naminé met today. They seem to be potential best friends!" Sora informed Riku.

Naminé blushed as she stood beside the couple. Riku noticed this blush and eyed her for a long while. Something inside him felt different, but he ignored it. His attention turned back to the younger Kayaki brother in his arms. "That's good," Riku said simply.

"What'd you do today?" Sora asked Riku, smiling sheepishly at his boyfriend. Riku always made him feel so damn nervous. But for some reason Sora enjoyed that.

"Work with Axel and stuff," Riku replied vaguely. "Nothing really exciting…" Except that I admitted that Cloud means more to me than you… That's pretty shallow, huh?…

"I see," Sora hummed and nodded, looping his right arm around Riku's neck, a tiny smile forming. His sapphire hues glimpsed back over his shoulder at Naminé, flashing his blonde friend an equally vibrant smile. Sora was just full of joviality today.

"I'm going to go now. I have an appointment with a client," Naminé said, breaking off the tender, hugging moment between the lovers. "I'll see you both tomorrow, all right?" She smiled and waved them off, only leaving when she received an acceptable goodbye from the pair of them.

Everything was going good… until later that night…

xxxxxxxxxx

"Mm… yeah, Cloud. I'm really tired… had a good day," Sora said with a yawn, leaning his head against the pillow. A soft sigh filtered out of the brunet's lips as he nuzzled the pillow, at peace with the world. Riku was a good boyfriend overall. Perhaps it wasn't love, but hell, it was enough for Sora right now. And as long as Riku was willing to accept his boundaries, all was right in Sora's world.

That was, until…

"Sora, please, listen to me," Cloud said for the second time. "I need you to pay attention because I don't want this to come as a surprise to you…"

Sora's ears perked up. "Huh?… What is it?" He was now alert. He was now actually paying attention to his brother and not daydreaming about special nobodies- namely Riku in the next room, half-naked. Neh.

"There's a bad storm coming, and Leon's worried that we'll be stranded here if damages are that severe. So we're flying back home tomorrow morning… We should be home around five if all goes well, and I'll stop by at around seven to pick you up. Make sure you're ready," Cloud said slowly, acting as if this information would please his younger brother.

Sora paled. Tomorrow?… Aren't I supposed to have another week and a half or so with Riku…? What… "You are?…" Sora asked stupidly.

"Yeah," was Cloud's simple response.

Sora sighed. He couldn't argue. What could he possibly say? That he wanted to stay here at Riku's because they were dating? Still… keeping the relationship from his brother wasn't settling well with Sora, but he'd learn to get over it. Sora sighed, again, and nodded. "All right, Cloud. I'll see you then."

"Bye, love you, Sora."

"Love you too," Sora whispered and hung up. The brunet banged his head back down against the pillow, tightly holding it to his lithe chest. I don't want to go home.. I like it here… I like being with Riku…

And then Sora thought….How is Riku going to take this?

review, please :)