Vicissitude Chapter 7: The Tables Do Turn, a kingdom hearts fanfic

DISCLAIMER: Seriously, why is this even here? The disclaimer's sole purpose is to state the obvious and make the authors feel suicidal by rubbing in the sad, sad fact. Of course I don't own Kingdom Hearts... thanks so much for making me hate my life.

So! I was pleased with the reviews! I'm so happy you guys liked the chapter that much! Looking back at it, I feel that I should drink more Red Bull when writing fanfics. It's technically not cheating, considering it simply slaps me out of writer's block... I'm thinking I'll go out and buy a case or six of Monster (better taste plus bigger can equals mmm...inspiration...) for the next few chapters... But I'll probably have millions of errors in my writing due to how hard my hands will be shaking.

Enjoy:)

Chapter 6 - Of Felines, Ice Cream, and Umbrellas

Sora leaned against his bedroom door and slid down to the floor. He closed his eyes and gripped his chest to calm his pounding heart. 'Why is this happening? It was like a date...'

The day started off terrible, then just when things had gotten better, life decided that the dark, black pit into oblivion looked inviting and dove right in.

Not only had he allowed Riku to kiss him, he had moaned in response to Riku's lips moving against his. He had told himself he wasn't gay; that he loved girls, not guys, but he let himself be kissed by his best male friend.

How could he live with himself now? His mother would surely have a field day when... well if he told her, but things between Riku would never be the same again.

However... one thing was for sure. That was the best kiss he had ever had in his life. Granted, it was the only real kiss, but Sora doubted there would ever be a better kiss.

And that confession made him break down.

Chapter 7 - The Tables Do Turn

4:07

Riku tapped his chin and flipped over onto his back, his head hanging off the bed.

4:08

He stated impatiently at the bright red numbers on his alarm clock. Everyone always said time went by so fast. You'd blink and everyone would be grown up—days, weeks, years would pass. There was no time in the world to do anything, more or less breathe. Time could not be taken advantage of because it passed by so fast...

People were liars.

Time was cynical. There was plenty of it to go around. Especially now, when Riku wanted so desperately for it to hurry up and go faster!

4:09

Only three hours had passed. Technically it was 4:06, but Riku took comfort in adding a few extra minutes onto his alarm. It made him feel better.

He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his eye lids. "So-ra..." His voice sang out the brunette's name in agony, wanting to say it to his face. He opened an eye to peek at the digital numbers.

4:09

'Shit.'

4:10

His stomach lurched and he jumped up from his bed. This was useless. A walk would do him good... preferably a walk to Sora's house.

Three hours. He laid in that godforsaken bed for three hours. His bladder was about to burst, his stomach; explode with hunger, and his mind; go crazy from irritation. When he closed his eyes that afternoon, there were no sheep to be counted, no small bleating balls of wool running amuck in his head. There was only a constant replay of that wretched kiss from earlier.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't completely wretched. Just kind of.

Sora blushed and shoved his body to the side, pressing his face into the pillow that carelessly leaned against the wall. He let out a howl of frustration, then promptly proceeded to turn back around, and continue watching the kiss over and over again.

What was the point of laying there, torturing himself? Was it because he felt the need to be tortured? Like he had sinned earlier or something?

Maybe...

But, Sora didn't feel like kissing Riku was a sin. Liking it was a freaking sin, but Sora wouldn't dare go there. Only gays liked gay kisses. And Sora was not gay.

But what if... Riku was?

Sora blushed and covered his eyes with the pale yellow pillow.

And then it came to him— an epiphany! He would completely forget about everything by putting his mind towards something else! Like a swim at the beach...

Sora grinned halfheartedly and jumped out of bed to put his swim trunks on. On his way down the stairs—after using the bathroom and making sure he looked just right—his mother was mumbling something about a recipe for beef goulash and whether or not he'd like it spicy, but he really couldn't care less. Spicy to his mother was just about what a toddler would deem as mild, so either way it was a win-win situation. Spicy foods didn't settle too well with him. "Anything you want, mom, I'll be at the beach!"

As he opened the door, a knuckle made heavy contact with his left eyebrow. "Ow! Riku, what the hell?!"

Riku's face flushed. Oops. "S-Sora, I didn't know you were opening the door! Sorry," He placed a hand on Sora's, which rubbed the injured area furiously. "Does it hurt?"

Sora shot him a look. "No, not really, I'm just trying to rub off the hair." He rolled his eyes and turned around. "God damn it!" More pain came in great amounts.

Kanoko gasped and moved the ice pack away from Sora's face. She was only trying to help, she really didn't think he'd spin around so fast and lunge in her direction. "I'm so sorry Sora!" She whispered feverishly, grabbing both of his hands from his face and placing small kisses on his eyebrow and forehead. When she pulled away she looked at his reddened face and smiled warmly; motherly. "Better now?"

Sora grunted a 'no', feeling awkward to have his mother kiss the 'boo-boo's' on his seventeen-year-old face.

Her smile broadened. "Oh I'm sure... Now," She patted the dust from his shoulders and bent over to pick up the blue-green towel her son had dropped. "No seconds on dessert tonight for that dirty little mouth of yours." She patted his lips with a finger and giggled as she walked away. "Have fun at the beach, honey!"

Sora gaped at her and his blush deepened.

Riku chuckled behind him and walked off the porch, sitting on the grass under the tree in Sora's front yard. He kind of wished he could be the one to kiss away Sora's pain. Hell, he'd kiss anything for Sora. A blush ran across his face as well. What a thought...

"Hey, you there by the tree, Silent Assassin!"

Riku looked over to see Sora shuffling towards him. He had changed out of his swimming trunks and was wearing bright blue shorts and a white t-shirt. He grinned. "Silent Assassin? Me?" A perfectly shaped dark silver eyebrow shot up questioningly yet playfully.

Sora snorted. "Yeah you. Try to kill me again and I'll hang you in this tree." He nodded up towards the branches menacingly.

Riku laughed and nudged the younger boy. "You can't really call it killing, ya know. I tried to knock on your door, but it turned into your face. Purely accidental."

Sora couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. "You and mom had the whole thing planned I bet. 'Hey Riku, come over and blind my kid so I can give him a concussion with my ice cubes. That oughta teach him a thing or two.' Just like that."

Riku tried to catch his breathe. "Teach? What exactly are we teaching you by putting you into a coma?"

"A lesson."

"Why a lesson?"

A thoughtful look flashed through his eyes. For a moment, they became sad with realization. "'cause I've been a bastard to my mother. I'd call you over to knock me out for that." He laughed.

Riku leaned closer unconsciously, hugging his legs to his chest and staring up at the tree. "Hey,"

"Hmm?"

"There's a nest up there..."

Sora's brows furrowed and he cocked his head upward. "Nest?"

"Yeah, you know, the things birds lay their eggs in?"

Sora glared. "I know what a nest is. But why's it there? We don't get many birds near our house. Mom's always using these pesticides for her flowers and they give off this weird smell. We haven't gotten many rabbits, squirrels, birds, or anything lately. I swear it's something illegal she had smuggled onto the island." He shuddered.

Riku laughed again. He loved being around Sora. "Then why's there a nest in your tree?"

"I don't know, Riku, what do you want me to say?"

Riku's eyes gleamed. "Nothing really, just having some fun."

Sora felt like he was being wrongfully interrogated. "Uh huh..." He gasped when Riku suddenly decided to stand up. "Where're you going?"

Riku, still gazing at the nest, stuck out his hand like a surgeon to his nurse. "Ladder."

Sora's eyes widened noticeably. "Ladder?! You're gonna climb up there? Isn't there that thing about if you get your smell around the bird's nest, it won't come back? What if there are eggs, Riku?" Sora paced small lines back and forth, rubbing his hands together like a maniac. If Riku got his scent on the eggs, the mother-bird would never come back and the babies would die. He was freaking out, even Riku could see that.

But he just simply rolled his eyes and pushed his arm out further, shaking it. "Jeez, Sora, relax. It's not like I'm gonna rub myself onto the nest. I'm just going to take a quick look inside."

"But—"

"Ladder."

Sora turned his head downcast, defeated. And he walked off to the garage.

More than halfway up the ladder, Riku shrieked and hugged himself to the wooden steps. "Shit, Sora, stop moving the ladder!"

Sora gulped. "S-sorry." He squeaked.

"If you dare say sorry when I break my neck—"

His hands shot up defensively. "Okay, okay! God—"

The ladder wobbled. "Sora!?"

The brunette made a noise and put his hands back on the ladder. Oops... again.

Riku sighed, this was a bad idea. He continued making his way further up in the tree. As soon as he was surrounded by deep green leaves and spiky bark, he peered around for the nest. It was about a foot and a half to the left of him. "Sora?"

"Yeah?" Oh brother. Was he doing something wrong again? Was Riku going to tell him that he was holding the ladder too firmly? Or maybe he was standing too far to the left.

"Hold on tight, okay? I'm leaning over to take a look."

He nodded, even though he knew that Riku couldn't see him do it.

With a deep breath, Riku hooked a hand on a nearby branch and leaned his weight on it, pushing his head out to look over the edge of his nest. His heart twisted.

Sora was growing impatient. Riku had been looking inside the nest for a pretty long time now. Was there anything or wasn't there? "Well?"

Said boy jumped out of his reverie and turned his attention to Sora. "What?"

"Is there a TV in there or something?"

"Oh, no... just..." He sighed for the millionth time and came back down. Running a hand through his silvery locks, he made eye contact with the younger boy. "There were no eggs." A half-grin appeared on his face.

The tension that welled all over his body in the past ten minutes disintegrated immediately and Sora let out a long breath of relief.

"But, uh, there were baby birds."

Riku had nearly mumbled, so Sora almost missed it. He stared wide-eyed. "Wh-wha...?"

"And they didn't look too good..."

Sora wasn't what you'd call an animal lover. He wasn't in touch with his feminine side when it came to things in the 'cute' category. But he did care about life, and these babies were losing theirs. So... what now?

Riku looked back up at the nest and then down at Sora again. "Their mom's not coming back, you know."

He knew. "B-but, maybe if we just leave it alone..."

Riku was nearly seething. "Then they'll die. God, Sora, don't you ever use that brain of yours?! It's been raining for days, freezing at night, and windy in the afternoon." He noticed how Sora shifted his weight uncomfortably, giving in slowly. "You still want to wait?"

"No. But what can we do?"

Riku hesitated for a moment, thinking to himself about their situation. "Well," He let himself smile. "Do you wanna be the mom or dad?"

Sora's eyes got huge. "Wh-wh-what?"

Riku laughed. "We'll take care of them. Yeah, sure we don't have a clue about how to raise three baby birds, but that's why God invented the internet."

Sora glared. "First of all, isn't it, like, illegal to take in a wild animal? And second, God didn't invent the internet, some guy did."

Another laugh. "I don't think dying baby bluebirds are wild animals."

Sora opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Besides, God made that guy."

Sora stepped closer to the ladder. "You don't even believe in God, Riku."

Riku stepped closer to him. "But I believe in doing the right thing."

He looked at him narrowly. "That's so corny."

Riku burst into another round of laughter. "Maybe, but you know I'm right." He winked.

Sora ignored that small action. "Okay, fine."

"Which one of us are going up there to get them?"

A look of pain settled on Sora's features. Not excruciating pain, but nauseated pain. This was definitely an anxiety-prone decision they were making. Who would take the bluebirds away from the shelter of the tree? Who would take them away from the only place their mother knows where to look for them? Who would risk their mother coming back, only to see her babies were gone? So difficult...

Sora's eyes met Riku's beautiful light blue ones. "You can go."

Riku blinked at him. "Again?"

"I'll hold onto the ladder better this time."

He raised an eyebrow at him. "Uh huh, I'm sure you will."

Sora smacked him on the arm. "I will."

"Okay, okay..." He chuckled and placed his right hand on one step and his left foot on another. "Here I go."

The way up was relatively easier this time. Sora didn't let the ladder wobble as much so Riku only lost his footing once. But luckily, he was quick to regain his composure. When he reached the top, he did the same procedure as earlier and looked into the nest. The little birds were laying in a small triangle, breathing quickly with closed eyes. Their skin was a pinkish orange and only a few feathers had begun to grow. Maybe they were sick.

Riku unhooked the twigs of the nest from the branch of the tree and somehow lodged the small wooden bowl into his zip-up vest. "There we go..."

"Riku, are you done yet?"

"Hold on Sora. I can't do this in half a second." He stepped down slowly and stood by Sora.

The younger boy averted his eyes from his best friend's face. "Sorry... I just feel weird doing this. I'm...nervous. What if they—"

Riku placed the nest on a step of the ladder and put his hand on the back of Sora's neck, pulling him closer. His thumb made small circles where it rested.

Sora had to bite his lip to hold back a noise.

"All new parents feel like this when they have a baby. But don't worry, daddy's here to help you take care of them." He grinned and placed his head on top of Sora's, enjoying the thought of being a family.

Sora's face burned with embarrassment and he jerked away. "Daddy? Why do you get to be the dad?" He didn't even realize the implication of his words at the time he said them. By saying it the way he did, he gave the idea that he didn't mind being a parent with Riku, only that he didn't get to be the father in the relationship. But he let that pass, almost sure that Riku wasn't going to catch it.

Riku looked at him like it was obvious, but with a smile, of course. "Well I am the one who went through the trouble of getting them."

Sora crossed his hands. "So? Aren't girls the ones who go into labor and have the babies?"

"So you're saying I'm a girl?" He raised a delicate brow and stepped closer.

Sora's blush increased. "N-no! J-just,"

"No? Then I am a guy?"

"Well yeah…"

"So I'm the dad."

"But I'm a guy too! And it's my house…" He mumbled, feeling childish for having to resort to claims.

"Exactly, it's your house; you should've saved them from the tree. I only got them 'cause you were scared. So since I was brave, I get to pick first. And come on, Sora," He moved closer, causing Sora to bump his back against the tree. Their bodies were slightly touching. Before Riku could think some more about what he was going to say, it just came out. "You're so much prettier than I am. You have to be the mom."

And he was immensely thankful that he had said it. The blush on Sora's face made it completely worth it.

"I-I'm not prettier than you." He mumbled and looked away. "Guys aren't supposed to be pretty..."

Riku didn't like that. He curled a finger under Sora's chin and pulled it up, forcing him to look at him. "But you're an exception. You're beautiful..." The last part was a whisper.

Sora felt his eyelids grow heavy as Riku leaned in closer. He could feel the warmth of Riku's face and the way their breath mingled. "N-not in front of the children..." It barely came out of his mouth. If he had hesitated a second later, he would have let Riku do as he pleased...

Riku lost his cool and couldn't help laughing. "You really are a mom." He pressed his forehead against Sora's and let the laughter subside. "Okay, not in front of the babies. But... we'll be alone later."

Sora couldn't swallow— there was a heavy substance... like this glue, in his throat and he could barely breathe. He could feel his heart shooting out against his ribs. Move away, Sora, move away.

He couldn't.

All he could do was stare into those amazing sea-colored eyes and attempt to stop himself from passing out.

Riku could not believe he had just said that. But Sora seemed to like it... so maybe it wasn't a bad thing? And he wasn't pushing Riku away either… so maybe Sora was developing feelings for him?

"Th-the birds... let's take care of them..." His voice was dream-like.

Riku grunted in agreement and rubbed his nose against Sora's. "Sure. But I'm the dad."

Sora blinked slowly and looked away. "But—"

"Dad's are dominant, and I'm apparently much more dominant than you are."

Sora eyed him, but then just nodded and walked towards the nest. His blush was increasing with every step he took towards Riku. Good God, please tell him that he was straight! Sora wanted so badly to know that he wasn't gay. If Riku was, then fine, but he just wanted proof that he himself was a hundred, thousand, million percent straight!

As he came in front of the nest, his thoughts of Riku vanished. He was anxious now; worried, nervous, scared, curious...

His breath caught and his heart stopped when he looked in. The babies looked awful. "Riku..." He whispered.

Riku threw an arm around Sora's waist, letting it rest on his hip. "Ugly, I know. But hey, all babies're ugly when they're born. Your mom showed me your hospital pictures. Damn, Sora, you looked like a dried cat."

Sora shot him another glare. "You probably weren't any cuter either Riku."

Riku leaned in and stuck out his tongue. "But I'm cuter now."

Sora began to say something, but then stopped. He hated his next thought, it was so gay. Riku was cute. Really cute. "Whatever." He mumbled solemnly.

A huge grin spread on Riku's face. It reached from ear to ear. Sora just implied that he was cute. He hadn't denied anything!

"Can we just take them inside now?"

Riku continued smiling. "Yeah, let's go to your room. We can use your computer."

Sora was about to ask why it would be his room that the birds would live in, but he figured it didn't matter. And they'd get more privacy at his house.

At that moment, when they crossed the walkway and stepped into Sora's house, he had no idea why he suddenly felt excited about having privacy with Riku.

"So... 'Care of Abandoned Baby Birds'. That seems about right." He mumbled to himself, not really knowing what he was looking for. He skimmed through the first paragraph and a half. "Hey Sora, c'mere. Do these look like our birds to you?" He spotted a sentence or two in the third paragraph. "Do ours look hungry?"

Swallowing heavily and finally removing his wide eyes from the three helpless animals, he shakily walked over and leaned into the screen next to Riku. "Not really... they look more dead than anything..." He mumbled regrettably.

Riku shoved the leather chair back until it wheeled over to the bed. The nest lay on a short navy blue towel. In it, the babies were in the same position as before, breathing quickly. "You idiot, they're not dead."

Sora growled mentally. "So? They'll be dead soon 'cause we moved them— Oh! Hey, look! It says to bring them to a vet if things don't look good." Even if they would die soon, maybe they should give them a fair chance... He turned to the older boy by the bed. "You used to have a dog, where's your old vet?"

"Er... the dog died six years ago, so... I'm not really sure. Somewhere along the north coast, I think. My parents probably know."

Sora was way ahead of him. He pulled the receiver from the wall and began dialing Riku's home phone number. He knew it by heart— it was like reciting his ABC's.

Riku rolled his eyes as Sora began questioning his mother.

"Doctor Raizen?" The name was so familiar yet so peculiar on his tongue. "You here?" Riku peered into the room from behind the door frame. "Hello?" No one answered, so he walked in for a closer look.

Sora went in after him, reproachfully. He held the nest tightly to his chest, but carefully enough not to squish the babies. The room was medium sized and bright white. One wall was a pale green color with paw prints running along the corners and middle. Other than the various tables, tools, and equipment, it seemed... empty.

"Raizen, hey, are you in here?" Riku pushed back the curtain from a corner of the room.

Nothing.

"Here to see me?"

Riku spun around, bashing his elbow into Sora's arm, causing the younger boy to bite his lip and let out a squeak of pain.

"Riku!" He whispered angrily.

But he didn't acknowledge him. In front of Riku was the cause of the fright. There stood an awkward man, tall with brownish gray hair. He seemed to be in his mid-fifties. A grin spread across his face at the familiarity of the kind face. "Hey doc."

Raizen smiled warmly. "Hello, Riku. Your mother called to say you're coming in today. It's been quite a while, hasn't it? Did you get a new pet?"

Riku laughed nervously. "Well, not really. We, um, kinda found these..." He gently took the nest from Sora's hands and placed it on the table that divided Sora and Riku from the elderly veterinarian.

"We sort of took them from their tree. I don't think their mom was coming back and they seemed sick when I went up there to check so..."

"So you want me to give them a check up." He smiled softly again.

Sora stepped forward. "We don't have much money, but if we can just get an idea of when they'll d—Oof!" Straight in the stomach.

Riku shook his head, giving him a warning. "Sorry, Sora's got this crazy thought that they'll die soon..."

Raizen was immersed in the baby birds. He tilted the nest gently and looked over, on, and under them. "No, they look perfectly fine to me. They're just hungry, that's all. If you give them some food, they'll definitely live."

Sora blinked. "Really?" A sudden surge of happiness shot through him. It was mild, but noticeable. "Great!" He grinned.

Riku chuckled. "I thought you wanted them dead."

A pretty blush covered the brunettes face. "I didn't want them dead..."

Raizen handed the nest back to Riku's outstretched hands. "Honestly, I'm not sure why their mother wouldn't be coming back. It seems as though they've already been fed before. Maybe she was on her way. I really think you should have left the nest in it's place." His smile faltered and he pursed his lips. How tragic— these poor baby birds.

Sora felt his eyes water. "I knew it!" He turned to face Riku. "Riku, you said... you said it'd be okay! You... Ri-ku..." He groaned.

Sora was much like a woman in labor. His constant mood swings were almost too much to handle. One minute he was swelling with glee, and the next he looked as though suicide was the only option. Riku looked from Sora to the birds and back. He came to a resolution. It would still be okay. "We'll take care of them Sora, just like how we planned. It'll be fine."

A deep green bucket with a picture of a worm was placed on the metal table in front of them. Sora and Riku looked up at Raizen, half perplexed, half thankful.

"Just blend these slightly until it's a coarse mixture and feed it to the birds with a turkey baster." That grin was once more placed radiantly on the man's face, taking years off.

Riku stammered at his generosity. "Th-thank you, but—"

"And as for the price, don't worry about it. Just old friends doing friends a favor." He patted Riku's back and extended a hand out for Sora to shake. "And it was very nice meeting you, young man. I feel so rude for not introducing myself earlier. Forgive me; my name is Akira Raizen. And you are...?"

"Oh, S-Sora..." He murmured and shook the offered hand. He felt suddenly embarrassed as well for not saying anything either.

"Sora, what a nice name. You and Riku have been friends for a while, right?" He nodded, seemingly knowing the answer already.

Sora smiled. "Heh, yeah." Strangely, he felt very proud admitting that.

Riku grinned broadly and put himself into the conversation. "Oh, we're more than just friends, Doc."

The blood rushed to Sora's face and Raizen's eyebrows lifted, confused and surprised.

"We've decided to adopt the baby birds, so now we're parents too." He winked at Sora. "Isn't that right, honey?"

Raizen cleared his throat quietly. Oh, so that was it. The sheepish blush that tinted his cheeks at Riku's announcement faded quickly. He thought perhaps Riku meant that he and this boy were... And then something clicked.

"Ah! Sora! That's right!"

The look Sora gave him made him clear his throat again, this time louder, embarrassed by his sudden outburst.

"I just mean that, I remember you now." He smiled happily, as if proud of his memory. "Riku used to come in all the time with Parru, and while the nurses cleaned the cuts, he would show me pictures and tell me stories about a little boy he seemed quite fond of."

The blush was back, and Sora tried desperately to force it back.

Riku's smile deepened. "Oh yeah!" He looked at Sora. That was before these confounded feelings started to surface. But then again, he had always felt a certain way for Sora. Maybe it just wasn't as clear what that feeling was then as it is now. He snapped out of it, continuing with his previous thought. "I used to tell him about our adventures in the creek, and then when Parru was hurt, I'd make up some story about pirates. Man, Doc, you never did tell anyone about all the times Parru almost died." A wave of sadness crashed against the shore of Riku's aqua eyes, but as soon as it had come, Sora noticed it was gone.

Parru was Riku's dog. He was a big thing, with dark gray fur and long legs that were strong enough to carry both a six year old Sora and a seven year old Riku across a wide meadow. Even in typhoon season. The dog was around for a long time, but one day... the ocean had it's way with him. Riku didn't accept that he was gone until years after.

"Well of course not. As a doctor, I'm not allowed to share my patients' information with anyone else."

He agreed. Riku swayed unconsciously in his spot, eyeing Sora from the corner of his eye. "Maybe we should get back now." His eyes met the doctor's. "Thanks for everything. Sora's mom's a great cook, maybe she can make you a cake or something."

Raizen put his hands out. "No, no, it was simply a favor."

"Well, we'll see anyway, right Sora?"

Sora nodded and smiled shyly.

"Alright." He laughed. "Be safe on your way home, you two."

After waving goodbye, Raizen watched the two teen boys leave his office, happy to see an old face again. Riku was really a bright child, and he used to be one of his favorite regulars, too. He loved the imagination the boy brought with him every time he came. It really was as thought Riku was another son to him. As they walked through the doorway, Raizen noticed how Riku placed his hand on the brown-haired boy's lower back and leaned closer. He also noticed Sora's blush immediately afterwards. Maybe there was something going on after all... But Riku was technically a patient, so he wouldn't bring this up with his parents. It might just be a misunderstanding. With a furrowed brow and a shake of his head, Raizen returned to the back room to finish filing his documents.

Riku fell back onto Sora's soft bed with a stretch and a groan. "Ugh, what a long day!"

Sora shuddered. "What a gross day..." They had just finished making a chunky worm smoothie and the image of it could not be removed from Sora's fragile mind.

The long slithering pink worms being thrown into their glass funeral. Then… the silver blades cutting and blending the small critters into a frothy, bubbly, gray, and slimy substance. Disgusting.

Riku laughed and patted the space to the left of him. "What lucky little birdies they are to have such a nice mommy and daddy. You did good today. Almost choked one of them, but hey, everyone makes mistakes the first time around."

Sora blushed yet again. He was becoming quite accustomed to blushing lately. Pretty soon, he would be so used to it, he wouldn't be able to tell if he was or wasn't. "Yeah, well, you dropped one of them."

"But I caught it, now stop talking and come lay down." He yawned and looked over at the alarm clock.

7:14

Not bad. It wasn't too late, but he was still pretty tired. The birds were a hassle since they left the doctor's office. They woke up in the car and started crying out for food. After they reached Sora's house, they wouldn't stop crying, even with the turkey basters shoved down their throats. And when Riku was sure they were full, they started chirping again. In the end, they just needed some time to settle. But getting the worms, and blending the worms, and making—yes, making—a softer bed-slash-nest for them, all complete with Sora's mother scuttling across the kitchen floor trying to finish cooking the dessert, proved to be much more difficult for two teenage boys that it might seem.

It was all over now thankfully, and there was enough mush in the fridge for feeding the babies in the morning when they were hungry without having to go through hell making it again.

However, due to the difficulty they've had with the birds, and after having talked about the hazards (to the birds) of taking care of them, Sora decided it was best if they just gave the birds to Dr. Raizen. Riku agreed hesitantly… He would have much rather continued being Sora's pseudo-husband.

Peeking up at Sora, he realized he was just watching him and not coming to lay by him. He was about to complain, but he followed his gaze down to... he gulped. When Riku had stretched, his shirt lifted and about two inches of his stomach was exposed. And now... Sora had been staring.

He became very excited at the idea that Sora liked his body. "Sora?" It sounded huskier than he wanted it to.

Said boy blinked and looked up at his friend, blushing an insane color of red when he saw Riku's subtle smirk. He'd been caught! His inner self shrunk down to minuscule size. But he really couldn't help it. His eyes ere just been wandering and they landed on Riku's smooth, pale skin, with his abs just barely hinted through the layer of skin. He told himself to get a grip and look away, but it was so hard.

"Uh, I-I-I-I... um, I..." He stuttered dumbly and looked down at his feet, embarrassed beyond belief.

A warm pair of hands gripped his own and pulled. His eyes met Riku's. "R-Riku, I'm not tired, I—"

"You don't have to be, but just lay down next to me, okay?"

Sora's heart was pounding.

After everything they'd been through; all the awkwardness and the kisses, he thought Riku would rid himself of this phase and be done being this way. But no. And even though he wanted to be mad at him, he couldn't find it in himself to come up with this feeling called 'anger' that came to him so easily before.

Damn it.

Riku's cheeks glowed with a light pink tint and his stomach erupted with butterflies. No, with dragons it seemed. He laid back down on the bed and pulled Sora towards him. But because Sora's leg hit the edge of the bed, he didn't fall as smoothly as Riku did. And instead of falling next to Riku, he fell on top of Riku.

Sora gasped and felt his face heat up. "S-Sorry." He whispered.

Riku gazed up at his eyes. His hands trailed up from his wrists, to his arms, to his shoulders, and finally rested on the back and side of his neck. "S'okay..." He slurred back.

Sora rested on his elbows which were propped up on both sides of Riku's head. He stared down at him, breathing slowly.

"Sora."

"Yeah?" It seemed as though his voice had left him, leaving nothing but a faded whisper in it's place.

"You really are pretty." Riku's voice was low and his eyes continuously moved from Sora's eyes, to Sora's neck, to Sora's lips.

Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit... "I-I am?" He didn't know why it hit him just now. Riku called him pretty before and he didn't like it. Now, however, he wanted nothing more than to be told he was pretty for the rest of his life. Preferably by a silver-headed...

Stop!

This was wrong. Yet...

Riku's weight channeled to his hands on Sora's neck. Sora felt the heaviness of his limbs pulling his head down closer to Riku's. Their faces were a mere few inches away. At this moment, their kiss from the bench replayed in Sora's head.

Flashback

Riku pressed his lips to Sora's soft ones, tightening his hold on him.

Sora's heart beat a thousand miles a minute, his brain was screaming against this but he couldn't hear it. His eyes fluttered closed against his will and his hand securely fisted around Riku's shirt.

Riku felt as though his breathing had halted. He pushed closer, tilting his head. The feeling of Sora's mouth covering his own was blissful. He was so warm; so delicate. Riku slightly parted his lips against Sora's, closing them again around the brunette's lower lip.

It took all Sora had not to moan out loud at Riku's action. This was his second kiss, but his first real kiss. He couldn't move; it seemed as though he was trapped between Riku and a hard place, and Riku seemed like a better option. A blush spread across his cheeks as he felt Riku's mouth open once more and a wet tongue lick his bottom lip. Riku was being extremely gentle and it was hard not to admit that this whole experience was somewhat... arousing.

Riku pulled his tongue back in and pressed closer, nipping at his lip.

Amazing.

Sora's lips were on fire; his entire body was on fire. He had forgotten the cold, forgotten the rain. It was only himself and Riku. But when Riku bit his lip, it brought forth a sensation Sora hadn't known. And that's when it happened.

He moaned.

End Flashback

That time in the park, Riku's lips were so soft and gentle against his own. They moved perfectly, as if Riku was born knowing how to kiss. Which he probably was...

Sora felt a sudden want, a need, to feel Riku's mouth on his again. Even if only for a moment, he wanted to experience another warm, passionate kiss from him, regardless of the fact that this was what he was against all this time. He stared down at his lips and, unknowingly, his tongue darted out and wet his lips.

Riku noticed this gesture. Sora was really in for it now. "Sora...?"

A mewling sound emitted from Sora's throat, answering him.

His breath came out in quiet, deep, pants. "I really... really... really, want to kiss you."

Sora's heart violently shot out against his ribs. Oh god.

Riku continued pulling Sora's head closer. Their lips weren't pressed together, but the tip of each boys' mouth was touching the other. Riku inhaled the scent of Sora, taking in his half-lidded eyes, his gazed look, his flushed cheeks. Riku was having difficulty staying conscious. The bed was getting smaller and smaller and if felt like Sora was getting closer. "Sora... please...?"

Something inside of him broke. His sanity probably. Riku's glazed, pleading eyes were too much for him. Sora slammed his lips down on Riku's and, for the first time, he kissed him.

But it was Riku who, even though he was shocked, took control of the kiss. It was extremely gentle at first. Riku kept his lips closed and simply touched their lips together. Then he started moving them open and closed, taking in Sora's bottom lip and sucking delicately. His tongue left his mouth to taste Sora. His hand tightened on the back of his neck, and his other tangled itself into Sora's brown spikes, pulling him closer.

Sora's eyes watered. If felt so heavenly... A flurry of dirty thoughts whipped through his mind, but he ignored them. He held back a loud moan as soon as Riku started biting his lip again. He tilted his head slightly into the older boy's for better access to the kiss. Why did he like it so much?

Riku was trembling. He wanted Sora so badly. He wanted everything about Sora... A moan escaped him as he felt Sora begin to respond. This surprised him greatly. Riku had been nipping and sucking and licking Sora's lip, then stopping to kiss him, when Sora, out of nowhere, came out and enveloped Riku's lip in between his, making shy, awkward movements of his own.

And it felt wonderful.

"God, Sora..." He moaned again as Sora's hands dug under his neck and gripped him tightly.

"Riku..."He squeaked out, then purred as Riku flipped them over and buried his head into the crook of Sora's neck.

Sora tilted his head every which way, moaning quietly and pulling Riku closer. He couldn't get enough. Riku was enticing.

Riku's body completely enveloped Sora's small frame. He arched his back up and pressed his hips close to Sora's. If this didn't stop...

"Dinner's rea— Goodness!"

Riku stopped his love bites and looked up at the door.

Kanoko, Sora's mom, stood there, blushing and covering her mouth. When she moved her hands away, her smile was so bright, so magnificent, it would have put the sun to shame. "Oh, my!" And with that, she turned around and left the room, skipping giddily down the steps and into the kitchen.

Sora shot up in the bed and cupped his mouth, crawling away from Riku. Oh god, oh god!

Riku grinned. "We've been caught." He came closer, an inch from Sora's face. "But she looked okay with it." He laughed and quickly placed a kiss onto Sora's lips before leaning back in for another one.

Sora shook his head. Riku seemed oblivious to the awkwardness that was quickly filling the room.

A spark of pain flashed through Riku's eyes, but for just a moment. After that, he was back on track. A fine, silvery eyebrow rose and seemed to grin on its own at Sora. "Shy?" Riku's voice cracked with another laugh, this time more excited than it had sounded since a long, long time ago. He leaned in for yet another kiss.

Sora's breath halted and his eyes glittered with tears. His mother had just caught him. Sora had just caught himself doing something completely… There were no words for it, but he was mortified, to put it mildly. And in this moment of crisis, Riku, his best friend, didn't see his discomfort. Yet here Sora was, scared to death after what happened. He didn't just kiss Riku—that wouldn't have been nearly as bad, seeing as they had done it before—but he liked it, he started it.

He couldn't think, he couldn't speak. He could only use actions to express himself and his feelings; his anger, fear, and guilt.

In a quick flurry of movement and shrieks, his palm collided with Riku's jaw in a devastating collision. The sound echoed in the small room in a duet with Sora's tiny shriek and then, everything went silent.

Riku had to grip onto the baseboard of the bed to keep from tumbling over the edge. He was, to say the least, shocked out of his mind.

And hurt.

You cannot forget hurt.

The pain he felt in his cheek numbed, but the feeling of a crack deepening slowly and painfully in his heart could not be cleared with any anesthetic or any amount of time. It resonated in his ears, deafening him.

In all of his life, and especially in these short days that he had made his love, like, lust, whatever it was, clear to himself, he had never been more sure than he was now that he was wrong. He was terribly wrong about one main thing— Sora, no matter how much Riku dreamed, wished, or imagined, would never, ever feel the same.

Sora didn't want him. Sora was disgusted by Riku's kiss; by Riku's touches.

Now Sora might hate him.

The pushing away from before came back to him. All the awkwardness that Sora forced upon any given situation in which Riku was intimate became clear. Riku had been listening and paying attention to Sora's discomfort, yet at the same time, he'd been completely blind to it. He had thought that maybe, in time, Sora would see that Riku's love was genuine and a hell of a lot better than any girl could offer. But he was just being a pompous, ignorant jerk.

And he could see that now.

He would take these newfound feelings and lock them up. The key would never be uncovered and the chest, never opened.

Slowly, Riku heaved his body off of the bed, making quick, heavy footsteps out the room and down the stairs. He ignored Kanoko's generous offer of staying for dinner, boasting about how particularly spicy her goulash was going to be and how she knew Riku loved spicy foods. He could hear the underlying meaning of the phrase 'spicy foods' in her tone, obviously referring to her son in the little scene she had the pleasure of walking in on. He ignored the chirping of the awakening birds in the living room. He even ignored the soft pitter patter of the beginning of the hundredth storm that little island has seen within the last week.

He just wanted to go home and sleep. And hopefully never wake up.

Sora stayed frozen in his awkward position in between the wall and the weightless air. His outstretched arm remained in place, not moving an inch. His eyes stared blankly yet intently ahead.

What had he done?

His bright blue eyes, not dimming in realization, skimmed over his fingertips and finally landed square on his palm. He looked it over, analyzing every millimeter; every cell, quite possibly. His other hand moved up to run every finger across the tingling skin. Sora couldn't get it into his head that he had just struck Riku.

Hard.

And when he did accept the fact that it wasn't a daydream and that he did, in fact, hit him, he didn't know what to do.

Don't really know what this sparked, but hey, whatever goes, goes. And anyway, I rather like it, despite it's repetitiveness. It's somewhat unique, and provided plenty of awkward moments for me to write. And I love awkward moments (writing them, not experiencing them... lol).

The beginning was kind of slow, but there was fluff at the end! So yeah, it was kind of exciting to make Sora more into Riku. He's falling for him! It'll take some time before he's head over heels for the guy, but for now it's good enough. And please ignore the bit of angst and the annoying ending. Thank you!

Anyway, I like what happened in the end, it's turning out exactly as I want it to! Yes! I was debating nonstop about adding some more to the end and not leaving it so… morose… but I decided not to. However, I promise you all one thing, one big thing. This will be the last angsty chapter for a long, long time. The rest should be more lighthearted, cute, humorous, coincidental, and of course, awkward. Damn, should've called myself "AwkwardDragon"…

Oh, and I'll give you a clue now as to what'll happen, okay? If you want to read it, go ahead, if you don't, don't! 'Tis italicized below!

Now Riku will be disheartened about Sora hitting him, and he'll think Sora doesn't want him in any other way than as a friend. So he'll ignore his feelings and won't come on to him anymore. Sora, on the other hand, starts to recognize feelings for him, and he starts to want Riku to do things. How will this play out? We'll see... ;)

Woo! Please ignore the spoiler in italics if you don't like knowing what will happen. It's just a very broad idea of what'll happen though, nothing big.

Okay! Please review and give me some much preferred constructive criticism! Or some nice comments saying you, like, worship me or something. Kidding… though that would be nice, lol. And I'll try to have more up in about a month or so after I come back from vacation. Thank god for SUMMER!

HAGS all. :)

- Dragon