DISCLAIMER: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, it would not be available for public viewing, seeing as it would be rated NC-17 and most scenes would not consist of an adventure, but rather a small room, a bed, a cute brunette, and a sexy silver-haired boy... and possibly a whip.

It's been... well, basically forever since my last update. And forgive me PLEASE! I've just been busy. Yes, I know, bad authoress... but I really can't help it! This next week is finals, and this last year has been a ton to bear. I'm in charge of so many things at school that it's basically killing me, and my friend is planning our summer trip to Europe together. And.. I know you don't really care about any of that stuff, just as long as the chapter is up, but just understand that I have a lot to do, that's why I'm not updating often. But I'm making an attempt to update! See here? Proof! Woo!

And enjoy the chapter— bask in it's glorious suckishness!

Oh, and I know everyone knows this already, but what the hay... "talking" and 'thinking'

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Chapter 4 - The Heat of a Sunday Afternoon

That was his first kiss. Riku had probably kissed a million other girls before this, but Sora never had kissed anyone— aside from his mother.

But that didn't count.

And now, his first kiss was taken away by his best friend, a boy at that. And Sora felt… uneasy about it. He was confused. Why did Riku kiss him? Why did Riku act so strangely lately. And… why did Sora's heart jump when Riku finally leaned down and captured his lips? Sora's breathing was labored. He felt sick to his stomach, and the smell of rain and summer's heat wasn't making it any better.

Riku's heart pounded and his blood rushed from his face. He felt sick. He just kissed his best friend; scared him away… What now? The kiss was more than he'd imagined it to be, and, for the second and a half that it lasted, he was more happy than he'd ever been.

But now…

Hands shaking and throat closing up, Riku looked away from the boy and up at the sky. He saw no fireworks, no color, no happiness.

Just darkness.

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Chapter 5 - To Forgive and Forget?

The ride ended slowly. As their cage halted at the bottom of the ferris wheel, Riku felt his stomach do an unpleasant flip. It was as if his stomach wasn't ready to stop the ride and made like it's own ferris wheel inside of him. Just the thought of having to walk out of the park with Sora and actually make conversation with the boy made Riku's stomach trampoline up to his throat.

Awful night.

Sora's thoughts ran along the same lines... almost. He was more shocked than anything. He was disgusted, angry, confused, and at the verge of sobbing like a four-year-old with cookies in devastatingly unreachable view. But even though he felt like this, his face was hard-set and blank. His movements were slow and awkward. He felt too numb to cry... for once.

Sora took a shaking breath. He had come to the park to have fun (even though it was his mother's idea in the first place); then he had climbed on the ferris wheel to see the fireworks. The fireworks for God' sake! And he left with a heavy weight on his shoulders and on his lips.

"Have a nice night." The gum-smacking girl handed them flyers as they passed the ropes and headed for the ride exit. The flyers were packed with coupons for sodas, buy-one-get-one-free burgers, and a free ferris wheel ride valid up through the next month.

Riku smiled at her politely, crumpling up the paper as she looked down with a blush. God damn all the people in the world who liked him and were not Sora.

Said boy picked up the pace as they stepped through the gate. The boardwalk seemed to go on forever, and Sora had switched on the 'speed walk'.

Riku ran to catch up to him. "Sora, wait—"

He stopped abruptly, taking a deep breath. He turned around and stared at Riku unnervingly. "You can go home, you don't have to walk me. Just... just forget about today, okay?" And he ran home.

Riku's throat clenched closed. He felt everything he had eaten for the past month threaten to came out the way it came in. He had just chased Sora away.

Fuck.

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"Sora, Riku! Welcome back! How was...the... Riku?" Kanoko looked around. She reopened the door and looked all sides, even up, frighteningly enough. "Young man, what did you do to Riku?"

Sora's fists shook. As he walked home—or more so ran home— the emotion boiled up inside of him. He didn't even know why he was feeling like this. It was just a kiss! But... it was a kiss from Riku, his best friend. This was even the second kiss he gave him! There was a bigger chance of God and the Devil sending him and his mother an invitation for their wedding than things ever going back to normal with him and Riku. And now his mother went and questioned him about the object of his...despair, even? He willed himself not to make a scene, he begged his instincts to just shut up and take a vacation, and he bit his tongue to keep it from spewing word-daggers at the woman who had the power to take him out of the world just as she had brought him in. But no such luck. "If you like Riku so much, then why don't you make him your son and leave me the hell alone?!" He stomped up the steps to his bedroom and slammed the door, fuming.

Kanoko stood with a hand on the doorknob and her jaw on the floor. "Oh dear..." Her eyes softened with sadness. Not so much for what Sora has said to her, but instead at the fact that the chances of her son and that wonderful boy ever getting together and being happy were decreasing. She knew Sora and Riku were happy together, and that was all she wanted. If it meant being yelled at and hated for awhile, she could take it.

She closed the door after taking one more hopeful look for the silver-haired boy, and walked into the kitchen to prepare a quick dinner to take up to Sora's room. Maybe the poor baby was just hungry...

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"Riku? Where have you been all day?!" Riku's dad walked into the living room from his study. "I've been waiting for you to come home since dinner last night! Your mother was worried sick! She even thought about phoning the police. And now it's been nearly 24 hours. You didn't even call!"

"Riku?" A voice came from the kitchen. A woman emerged with long black hair and pale, porcelain skin. "Riku! Oh Riku..." His mother held him close to her, pressing the side of her face to his. "Where were you?!" She whispered furiously.

Riku never once thought about hating his mother. He loved her very much, and only somewhat hated his dad. But she was very clingy. And since his parents were so traditional, he could only imagine the looks on their faces (he could almost imagine the look of their tombstones) if he told them about his sudden affection for the boy who lived across the street.

"Hey mom."

"That's all you have to say to your mother? Not even an 'I'm sorry'? I thought we'd raised you better."

'Apparently not.' If he was feeling the way he was about Sora and scaring him away, then they obviously had trouble raising him properly. "Sorry..."

Riku's mom looked at him with hard eyes, but then they softened and teared up. "Oh my baby!"

Riku felt the air whoosh out of his lungs as his mother crushed him with her love. "Mom... Mom! Mom!! Please?!"

She pulled away and dragged him to the kitchen. "Come eat dinner, you must be starving!"

'Not really...' His stomach would burst with the shame he felt, adding food to the problem was like deciding you could drive off of a cliff and onto an imaginary road. Both dangerous. Both stupid. Both unwanted. "Yeah, sure."

She paused for a moment, looking him up and down. "Riku, dear, are you alright? Girl problems?"

Inner-Riku scoffed. 'Girl problems? Dear naive mother, it's time you know that your son has grown up and passed the stage of women, entering into the painful world of brown-haired boys.'

Riku nodded. "I think I'll just take my dinner upstairs, if you don't mind."

His mother's bottom lip quivered. "But... you just came home, and... and I was scared silly... and... and... Riku, you've never had issues with girls before... I—"

"Mom, we'll talk tomorrow." He didn't want to leave her alone like that, but he couldn't help it. Riku never cried. Ever. And now, he was a hair's width close to breaking.

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"Sora? Sora? Hey, Sora!"

"Go away Tidus." Sora's muffled response came from under his pillow.

Tidus jiggled the doorknob for the millionth time. "C'mon Sora! I seriously gotta talk to you! Open the damn door already."

"I said, go away!"

"But Sora, it's about R—"

The door was yanked open. "Go. Away."

Tidus gulped. Sora's hair was almost floating around his head and his eyes were dark. "I don't want to talk about Riku."

"R-Riku? What's your problem, Sora? I was talking about Roxas! He got himself into trouble with the principal again." He snorted. "Figures. School's out and Roxas still manages to annoy the crap out of Anura. I swear it's fate."

Sora exhaled the sharp breath he'd taken. "Roxas?"

"Yes. Roxas. God Sora, are you taking something you shouldn't be? You're actin' all weird. Now go and get Riku so you two can go bail him out of the juvenile department, okay?"

Sora stuttered for a moment, then regained composure. "Why do I have to go with Riku? Can't you just go?"

Tidus grinned promiscuously. "I'd love to an' all, but... I have a date with Selphie."

His eyes narrowed. "You don't like Selphie."

Tidus shrugged. "Yeah... but I thought I'd give her a chance. That and she got us passes into that crazy new nightclub in the city. Man, I've been dyin' to go!" He did a little jump and hooted, throwing his hands in the air. "Well, bye!"

"Wait, Tidu—" Sora sighed. He sat on the floor in front of the doorway. So what now? Maybe he could go by himself and get Roxas out. No... that wouldn't work. First he needed a ride, and Riku was one of the few who could drive. No one really needed to drive though, everything was within walking distance. So why the hell did they make the city so far away?

Then he also needed help, seeing as Riku's people skills were better than Sora's. That, and many of the workers were women who loved Riku's looks, so they basically melted in his hands.

"Fine." He would have to collect himself before asking him though. It was awkward enough already.

"Mom?"

"Yes?" Came Kanoko's cry from the bottom of the stairs.

"Put breakfast in a bag for me, I've gotta go!" He scratched his head and yawned.

This would be a long day.

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"Riku! Wake up, Sora's here!" Called his mom from the door. A soft "shhhh" could be heard coming from Sora as he waved his hands frantically in a "no, no, I'm still not sure if I want him to see me" kind of way.

Riku sprung from his bed and bolted down the hall to the top of the stairs. His mother was walking away and Sora was standing at the door looking at a photograph of Riku and his family smiling and laughing on their boat. The top step creaked as Riku's foot pressed on it, and Sora turned to look at him.

Any other day had Sora seen Riku in his boxers and a bare chest, it would have been okay. He might have even made the casual "put something on; you'll scare away the girls" comment. But now... Sora blushed and stared at his face, refusing to let his eyes wander and his mind think naughty things. Those things weren't even about Riku solely, but more of what Riku would do to him while Sora cried and tried to get away. And for a brief second or two, Sora found himself thinking that Riku's body wouldn't scare anyone away.

Damn the inability of teenage boys to clear their minds of unholy thoughts!

"Sora—"

"Roxas is in the juvenile department again, Tidus said we have to go and get him out." It all came out so fast. "So... get ready, I'll wait outside." He stepped out and closed the door before Riku could get a word in.

He sighed.

Long day ahead.

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"Mom, I'm leaving!"

Riku's dad stood from his chair across the door in the family room, in what seemed to be defensive position. "Oh no you're not, young man. After being out all day and all night, you expect us to let you go out again?"

Riku nodded.

"Enough of your sm—"

"Oh hush, honey. Let him out for awhile. He'll be with Sora." His mother intervened, holding a plate in one hand and a semi-wet dishcloth in the other. Her husband eyed her for a moment, ready to argue against it, but he just shook his head and sat back down in defeat.

Riku smiled at her. "Thanks." He mouthed, and then out he went.

"Ow! Riku!" Sora jumped back from the door and rubbed his head feverishly.

Riku's face flamed and he leaned down to help Sora friction the pain away. "Sorry!" How was he supposed to know that Sora would be sitting half a foot from the door?!

"It's... Just forget it, let's go." He mumbled and began walking away.

Riku wasn't ready to live the rest of his life in awkward silence around Sora; being avoided and ignored. "Sora, wait."

Sora stopped in his steps and stiffened. What now? He really didn't feel like talking now. And especially not to Riku.

"Sora," He started, walking up to him. Riku stood behind him, looking at his shoulders rise and fall as Sora took deep breaths. "I'm sorry. Really. At the ferris wheel..." He looked up for help to tie his words together, hoping to see a phrase or two in the clouds above that might help him in this situation. "I just... I don't what happened. I'm so sorry. Please, just... just don't be like this."

Sora spun around, eyes narrowed and finger pointed. "Are you serious?!"

Riku blinked and cocked his head back, surprised.

"Don't be like this? You scared the crap out of me when you... you..." He didn't want to say what Riku did. Saying it would be like confirming it happened, and Sora just wanted to pretend that it never did. "And you expect me to just say 'it's okay Riku, I forgive you, I always forgive you!'? Well I don't know if I can!"

Riku was having trouble swallowing. His face was heating up with shame and embarrassment.

"You acted all weird before that too! You... you freak me out lately, Riku! I don't know what's wrong with you, but I can't really take any more of it. If you can't go back to being Riku, then just go away!" Sora panted. It felt damn good getting it all off his chest!

But Riku wasn't happy with this at all. Sora's name came from him in a whisper.

"What?" He spat bitterly. Talking to Riku like this was awful. Sora's heart hurt and his head hurt and all of him just ached. Riku was like a brother to him. He'd taken care of Sora for his entire life. When they were little, Riku was the one to cheer him up after his nightmares. He was the one to scare away potential bullies. And now, insulting him like this was a horrible feeling. But it had to be done, right?

"Sora, I said I was sorry..." His words faded. He wasn't exactly crying, since he didn't want to admit that he liked Sora enough to cry for him. But... it was getting hard to see clearly. He could tell his eyes were getting wetter than normal.

"So when someone gets raped, the guy can just go and say sorry?! You think they'd let him off the hook?"

And that broke him. Rape? It was that bad?

A sob escaped him, one that stung Sora.

His eyes widened. Riku never cried. The last time was when his lizard died when they were nine, but that was because Riku accidentally stepped on him. He was mortified that he just murdered something so special to him that he cried for days. But here he stood before him now... crying. And it hurt Sora more than he thought it would. "R-Riku..."

Rape.

That's what Sora compared Riku's act of affection to.

And it sucked.

"L-Lets just go get Roxas." Sora murmured. He backed up, waiting for Riku to follow. Was he supposed to apologize? He'd never been in this position before, so he didn't know what to do.

Riku clenched his jaw and looked to his side, backing up as well. When his heel hit the first step of his porch, he fell back, sitting without caring if his white shorts would get dirty. His mind was screaming.

Sora gripped the front of his shirt. Why was it Riku could get angry and say stupid things and get away with it, but Sora could not? He was always the one who was limited. Always the one who went overboard.

"I won't... I'm—" Riku sighed in defeat, still looking away. He brought his wrist up and swiped the blue wristband under his nose.

Why did God care so much about Riku? Why was it that everything Sora did turned out wrong? And why couldn't he just be mean to Riku for once?

Riku took shaky breaths. Why was his life turning out like one of those television dramas? The girl is in love with the guy who loves someone else, so he leaves her to drown in her tears. Or throw up. That's what Riku felt like. He was so...ugh-feeling that he could throw up. A shadow cloaked him, darkening his vision of the sidewalk. He looked up, eyes brimming with glistening tears.

"If... If I forgive you this time, will you tell me why you're being so weird?" Sora's face was dark as it blocked the sun. Riku could not make out his features.

Was he smiling? Was he frowning?

He didn't have time to say anything or think any further. Sora was on his knees in front of him, arms around Riku's neck and chin on his shoulder. Riku looked away again, refusing to return the hug. Maybe Sora wouldn't like it.

Sora made a noise of disapproval. "Hey, Riku, what's up with you? I thought you developed a hug fetish or something."

Riku couldn't help the small chuckle he gave. "Nope."

Sora smiled slightly. This was more like it, aside from the fact that he was still holding Riku. "You liar. Come Christmas, you're not getting any presents."

"I can be naughty and still get gifts. It's been proven." Sora gave him a present every year, regardless of what he did or didn't do.

"Well so can I. I can get up now and not forgive you, you know." He sounded quite morose, but guilty as well.

Riku felt a sense of panic surround his heart, stopping it for a moment. His arms encircled Sora's small waist and pulled him flush against his chest. The only thing was, his legs were spread open and Sora was very close.

But he'd ignore it! He would...

"Now, admit you have an unhealthy obsession with hugs." Sora mumbled into his neck.

Riku exhaled. "I admit I have an unhealthy obsession with hugs. But only if they're from you." He laughed.

Sora did the same. "There you go again being weird."

"You like it when I'm weird though, you know you do."

"Yeah, yeah. Keep dreaming."

Riku hummed in content. But it still bothered him what Sora said about his kiss.

"Hey... Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"Did... did you mean it? Wh-What you said before, I mean..."

Sora's heart sunk. He didn't have to ask what it was to know. And he didn't know if he should push it any further. Maybe it was a bit extreme what he had said... "No."

Riku smiled and let out another laugh. His grip on Sora tightened and he buried his face in his hair. "I feel better now."

Sora unwound his arms from around the older boy and sat on the step below the one Riku was perched on. He leaned back until his head was against Riku's chest. Riku's arms still held him and Sora couldn't say he didn't like it at all. "Can't have that."

Sora's tone of voice was very playful, and Riku knew it well enough not to be offended this time.

"You know... in a way, it was like rape, Riku."

Riku laughed. "Yeah, I raped your lips."

Sora blushed. It was a real kiss. "It lasted half a second. You're the worst rapist in history."

Riku was feeling so slap-happy all of a sudden. He could have laughed at the stupidest comment possible. "You were angry as hell, so I think I'm a pretty good one."

"Hey, you'd be mad if I went and kissed you out of no where." Sora turned and looked him in the eyes, playful grin still on his lips.

"Would not." He defended.

He scoffed. "Oooh... you so would."

"How much do you want to bet that only you would get so mad at something like a kiss?" Riku grinned and leaned his head forward. This was dangerous and flirtatious, but he was having fun. And so was Sora, he could tell.

"Nuh-uh!"

Nice comeback.

"And besides, even if I would get mad—which I wouldn't, by the way—you don't have what it takes to kiss me." It ended in a whisper, hopeful that reverse psychology worked.

Sora's lip twitched with anticipation now. He wanted to show Riku that he could, but he just wasn't sure if he should. "I could, but who'd want to kiss you?"

Riku's smile widened. "Obviously not you, 'cause you couldn't."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Fine! I'll show you then, ya big jerk." Sora's smile widened. But when he flipped his body back around from leaning against Riku to facing him on his knees, his smile had almost disappeared.

Riku's heart pounded loudly in his chest. He couldn't even hear the trees swaying or the leaves rustling. "Your all talk, Sora. Always have been."

Sora's breathing quickened. Maybe this wasn't right... but he wanted to prove Riku wrong. Even if it was only a joke, he hated to be picked on by Riku. "I will show you this time."

"Then go ahead." His reply was husky.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine..." Sora placed his hands on Riku's knees and flexed his body up a little, leaning forward until his face was a few inches from Riku's. Maybe he shouldn't... maybe he should just agree with Riku... Tell him he was right... Prove to him that he was right... Like he always did...

No freaking way.

'Here goes.'

Sora leaned in and closed the gap between them, pressing his lips onto Riku's soft ones.

For Riku, it was bliss, he didn't even have to initiate anything this time. As Sora's warm mouth covered his shyly, he felt his heart stop beating.

Sora was blushing like crazy as he pushed closer. He felt Riku's lips move against his and pulled back. "S-s-see?"

"I-I guess you're right. But..." He took some time to breathe. "I'm more outgoing. I'm the one who starts the hugs and I've kissed you twice." He eyes shone mischievously.

Sora tried to calm his heart and his breathing. Riku was playing with him again. And this time, it sounded like he was challenging him. "Really?"

"Yep." Riku lifted an eyebrow. "Definitely."

"Maybe." Sora stood, enjoying the confused look on Riku's face. He's thinking that Sora's just giving up, isn't he? Well he wasn't going to. He'd be more outgoing. He wouldn't do anything too extreme, but extreme enough to prove himself.

Riku's brows furrowed.

"Now, are we gonna leave Roxas in the juvenile department or what?"

Riku blinked, momentarily forgetting what he was talking about. "Oh. Oh, right." He laughed awkwardly. "Well, let's go." He stood and stretched. "Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"You are so lucky my parents didn't see your little act of love." He winked at him, enjoying the shocked look on his face and the blush that spread across his cheeks.

Very cute.

"Oh shut up and drive me downtown." He mumbled and walked to the car.

Riku laughed softly and shook his head. Sora was definitely something. And a part of him swelled with happiness that Sora didn't deny the 'act of love' part.

Now then, about Roxas... He'd have to thank him later for getting into trouble. If he hadn't, Sora would have never come over. And after thanking him, he'd have to kill him for getting locked up again.

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So... the chapter sucks, I know! But the important thing is that it's out:D I hope everyone enjoyed! And just so you know, after finals week is over, I should have more chapters up. Longer chapters.

Anyway, this chapter was just about Sora forgiving Riku. I swear, these chapters are getting more and more angsty! I don't even like angst, and here I am writing it. But that's what I get for planning the plot as I go. lol.

So please don't hate me because I'm such a terrible writer and review! It makes me happy and trust me, it makes a difference. I update because when I get reviews, I feel guilty for not updating soon enough. :D It's a nice chain that makes both me and you guys happy. :)

And again, Dualism's review made me almost cry! Firstly because of how sincere and genuine the review was and how amazingly nice a person Dualism is! But then I wanted to cry because I felt like I was a big let-down for taking forever to update... I'm so sorry Dualism!!!

I'm sorry to everyone again... I should just make chapter five a huge author's note explaining in details why I'm sorry... lol.

- Dragon