Chapter 10 – Model Boyfriend

Moving took forever and carry boxes is so annoying! I official hate moving. Hate it! At the same time I can now say I live with Riku. We have our own two bedroom apartment. We haven't even finished and I'm beside myself with happiness. The majority of unpacking went pretty well and there's only organizing left. We ended up buying quite a few things when we realized the kitchen was so spares and we were living off of everyone's stuff in the other house. We have our own bedroom though. Our own bed with Riku's TV set up. We're not short on electronics, that's for sure. The second room has turned into a nice-looking office for Riku to work on his writing and the living-room is finally livable with a couch and my TV. We've already had sex in every room which was really different. I never had sex in a kitchen before. Having the window open felt naughty, haha. Of course I'll be sad without all the fun we use to have with the guys, but we can still hang out. We just won't live there. I suppose most of all that means I won't have to suffer through seeing everyone else naked. Oh, yes, and now we can be naked all the time. Yes!

I'm trying to make sense of the bookshelf in the study. Hahaha we have a study. Riku's typing rhythmically on his computer while I try to remember my alphabet. Let's see, the first letter of this book on the ground. L… and what's in my pile. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I. J, K, L… right… I hate having to say it a hundred times when the letters are close together. Annoying. Especially M and N. I can never remember. Maybe I didn't pay attention in elementary school but I know that damn song. The alphabet song.

The typing behind me stops and I look at the silver haired man as he rubs his eyes. He blinks like he's straining and returns to typing. I go back to the books. I have a whole shelf filled when it happens again. He stops and rubs his eyes. That's odd. He returns to typing again and I fill another shelf when he slams his hand on the desk and groans, scaring me half to death. "I have a headache."

"Can't you just take a break? You're such a weirdo." I go back to finishing the shelf. All the books are organized so I just need to put them up. He turns in his chair to watch me until the last one is put away. When I stand up he decides to type again like a jerk and I decide to hug him for a minute. I deserve a hug for working so hard. That wasn't even a break but there's no point in bringing it up. He's clicking away even with me on his shoulders.

I read all the articles he's written up until now and his advice columns. I think I accidentally fell in love with him all over again. They were more romantic than I was expecting. He can be graphic without sounding dirty and he can be clever without sounding cliché. I never knew he had such a knack for writing. I don't know much about it but I'd definitely read his book if he wrote one. A second later he puts his hand on his forehead and sighs. "Come on, take a real break."

Reluctantly he lets me remove him from his chair and we head into the living room. It's so quiet I end up turning on the TV just for noise. He disappears into the kitchen to get a drink and take some medicine for his headache. I leave the TV on a music station and turn it down. He's emptying his cup of water in the doorway and I look at him realizing something. He notices my bizarre facial expression. "What?"

He was rubbing his eyes, right? "Maybe you need glasses."

"What?" He barks. "That's silly, I don't need glasses."

"You have a headache though." I can't even explain further because he's waving at me.

I didn't know he was so against glasses. "I don't need them! I was just sitting at the computer for too long." There's a knock on the door and he moves to answer it since he's standing.

I try to picture him with glasses in my head and my mouth waters a little. I bet he'd be super cute. A little nerdy and very hunky. I'm so into that side of Riku. And every side of him really. I wanna jump his bones right now just thinking about it. He opens the door and familiar faces pop in.

Roxas and Axel walk in and I'm so excited to see them I jump up and pull them onto a sandwich hug, me in the middle of course. When I let them go Axel heads into the kitchen with Riku since he brought beer. Roxas in the meantime hugs me again like he wanted his own hug. "I miss you! It's weird not being together every day now."

"I know. I miss you too! I was thinking the same thing." I wave him towards the couch knowing the other guys will head in with beer any minute.

He's looking around in surprise. "Your place looks way better. It was a mess last time we came over."

Yea, that's because we were too busy getting naked. I laugh, scratching my head. "Yea, school keeps us busy." That was a bad cover-up. He's making a face like he knows I'm lying. I should distract him. "It's way too quiet here now. I was thinking maybe I should get a pet. Like a cat."

Easily distracted he looks confused. "Why would you get a cat? Get a dog. They're better."

"But I like cats." I pout.

What the heck are we talking about? "Sora, don't tell me all this time you've been a cat person!?"

"I like dogs too. They're both good."

Riku and Axel join us, my guy handing me a beer and sitting on the floor by the table. "What are you girls talking about?" Roxas barks some nonsensical response.

I'm more interested in watching Axel as he sits on the floor with Riku, close enough to Roxas that he's within his reach. Since I last saw him he'd gotten a tattoo on his back and pierced his lip on the left side. The ring stands out but matches his personality. "Axel, your lip is looking better." He must have just gotten it when I saw him last because he could hardly talk it was so swollen. Listening to him talk always ended with me bursting into laughter.

He smiles at my interest. "It feels better too. It's healed so it doesn't hurt and I can bite it. It's fun." He shows me the weird habit he's developing.

I'm not sure what to think. "That's weird."

Roxas is all smiles though. Obviously he likes it.

With us out of the house Axel is the only one left that still has to move. I still can't figure out what he's going to do. At some point even Namine said she'd move in with Kairi and he could take her place in the apartment with Roxas if he wanted. He still hasn't made up his mind. Something is going on with him and he just won't admit it. He isn't avoiding me so I try not to get under his skin about his bizarre behavior but it's really hard to stay quiet! Roxas doesn't seem to be doing anything. I don't know if he even knows something's wrong. I mean he's had time to notice by now.

Riku changes the subject. "Have you guys seen the girl with Leon and Cloud yet?"

They both get excited and freak out. It's some emotion they're sharing, whatever it is. Roxas is the first to form words. "Holy crap! Yes! She's gorgeous. We only see her when she's leaving or sometimes if she comes over and we happen to be in the living room."

Axel smirks. "We never hear her talk but we hear them have sex. It's kind of hot." He waggles his eyebrows. I guess a girl's voice would be completely different when you get use to hearing those guys at it all the time.

Now it seems like our place is boring! "They're obviously treating her… well…" I snort at trying to make that sound normal. Riku smacks me on the knee. "I mean since they're going to give her a place to live. Not in the dirty way."

"Yea right." Roxas laughs. "She isn't going to move in until Axel moves though."

"Blah! Change the subject! Who cares?" The redhead yells and drinks his beer. Awwwwwkward.

Something in that hit a nerve because Riku grabs him by the face. "What's your problem?"

Axel looks startled at first but immediately gets irritated. His phone rings before a fights starts. He ignores Riku and pulls out his cell, shoving in onto his ear. "What!?" He listens and pushes Riku's hand away. "Yea, hold on." Standing up, he steps outside to continue his conversation.

We both look at Roxas. "What is wrong with him?"

Roxas sighs. "I don't know but it's about to drive me crazy."

I collapse onto my friend who leans back against the couch. So it is obvious to him and he was pretending not to notice. "I wish we had a truth serum."

"Oh, actually." Riku drinks his beer while he thinks and finally looks at us, nodding. "This is just an idea really. It's probably not why he's acting weird."

"Spit it out." I interrupt.

Thankfully he listens. "I think this is the first real relationship Axel has ever been in. I only know from what I've seen since I've lived with him but I've never seen him in a steady relationship before." He looks at us but I can't think of anything to say yet. He shrugs. "Maybe he's afraid of commitment. It would make sense that he hasn't moved in with you if he's afraid you'll leave him. Maybe he doesn't even know it yet."

The blonde snorts. "Why would I leave him?"

This time I snort. "He doesn't know what's in your head."

Riku falls onto his back with a sigh. "This is like that nightmare I had with Sora all over again."

"Hey don't say it like that!" I yell but he's right.

He has to sit up just to look at me while he laughs. "What did you say again? Oh my god, are you smoking?" He looks at Roxas. "It was a sucker."

Roxas starts cracking up and I feel completely embarrassed. "Why is that the thing you always tell everyone? It makes me sound like a nag." I haven't even touched my beer so I finally take a drink. I missed this, sitting around with Roxas, laughing and drinking.

The blonde gets back on topic since Axel is still outside, but no one knows when he'll come back in. "Okay so if what you said is true… let's say he's feeling insecure and doesn't know how to tell me, what do I do? Should I just ask? He doesn't pick up on hints very well."

I can see him asking straight out and Axel bolting for the door. "Wouldn't he just get angry and leave?"

Riku looks confused. "He never used to get angry… what's his deal?" He's already finishing his beer. "You're still with him after the tattoo. Not to mention that weird ass lip ring."

"Shut your face. I think his lip ring is sexy." The blonde gets riled up.

It makes me smile. "You guys are meant to be together." He actually starts to blush and hide his face but I grab him. "Don't hide! I wanna see your adorable embarrassed face."

"Nooooo leave me alone." He fights me but gives in within seconds, drinking his beer with bright red cheeks. "What if we just pin him down?"

"That would just piss him off. He'll never be honest if you force it out of him." Riku says and I nod. That sounds just like him.

"What if I cry?" Roxas finally asks.

Neither of us can answer before Axel walks back in. He seems to have calmed down a little and joins us, drinking some of his beer after he sits down. "Sorry. It was Demyx. He was just babbling about all this school music crap."

Now this is really getting out of hand. He's never once put down music, especially if it has to do with Demyx.

Roxas takes the wrong road when he decides to add his thoughts. "Oh yea, did you guys hear? Demyx is thinking of teaching music." That is exciting news and we react in such a way, but Axel frowns. I'm starting to think Riku's idea about him being worried Roxas will leave him is correct. He looks jealous and suspicious.

"That's awesome." I try to change the subject. "This is random but I told Riku today that I think he needs glasses."

They laugh and Riku growls at me. "I don't need glasses." He looks annoyed but he's giving me a knowing face. "I need a new beer." He gets up like he's annoyed and takes his empty bottle.

"Me too!" Roxas runs into the kitchen after the silver haired man.

Irritated again the redhead drinks his beer but it's still not empty. I'm not trying to frown but I can't help it. "Hey." He looks right at me. "You know you can tell me if you're worried, right?"

He sighs. "I thought we had an agreement about you not asking me that kind of thing."

"Shouldn't that have an expiration date?" He ignores me. "You know Roxas will listen too."

"I know."

I try throwing in something random. "Do you like someone else?"

He's caught off guard. "What? No. I love Roxas. You know that."

"Then why haven't you moved in with him?"

He grits his teeth. "Sora, I told you I don't want to talk about this."

"You know he loves you, right?"

He's almost snarling at me. "How would you know?" Maybe adding random thoughts to the conversation isn't working well tonight.

Oh wow, Riku was right. Conveniently timed the two return to the room and end that awkwardness. Riku suggests a movie and we all seem to agree so we stop talking and just watch a DVD, nursing our drinks. It was good timing too because no one had anything good to share. I don't know what Roxas decided to do but he finishes more beers than the rest of us and is drunk and giggling by the end of the movie.

Strange timing, all three of our drinks are gone. Riku burps, trying and failing at being quiet and casually excuses himself. Sometimes the fact that he cares what people think of him really contradicts the constant scowl he always wears to warn people away. "We should play a game with shots."When it matters most he cares about his friends. It's a quality I like in him. One of many.

Axel is in a lighter mood and laughs. "Roxas is already drunk. He'll die."

This time I laugh because Roxas is laying on the couch by himself snuggling with the pillow. I think he's just acting silly and not terribly drunk, but that's okay. "We can just skip him." I start picking up the empty bottles. "Leon and Cloud gave us a nice bottle of liquor as a moving in present. This is a great chance to drink some." I'm in and out of the kitchen in moments with the bottle and three shot glasses.

The redhead is reluctant when he sees the bottle. "Aw, are you sure? This had to be expensive. You don't have some cheap stuff."

"Rude!" I yell, sitting down and laughing. Obviously I had enough to make me ridiculously giggly. "This is better than cheap stuff. And who better to share it with?" Now he looks guilty. Good! I hope he feels bad for snapping at me earlier. He gives in and Riku opens the bottle, filling the three glasses.

"Should we play a game?" Riku suggests but I don't have anything in mind.

I grab a shot without spilling even though he filled it way too full. "How about, here's to us finally unpacking all that shit." They can't argue with that and we knock glasses in cheers. Oh great… now I have to drink this crazy full shot Riku poured. Why couldn't he make this smaller for me? I take a breath as the other guys drink theirs and I have to join them. As fast as I can I drink my shot and it goes down… smoother than expect. This is great liquor. No horrible burn I hate from those cheap ones. It has a nice aftertaste too. "Another!" I slam my cup down. They both look surprised and start laughing. They both know I acknowledge my own pansy way of drinking with pride.

Axel pours this time, lifting his glass when they're full. "How about, here's to the ridiculous friendship we've created thanks to that house."

Riku nods and I smile. "That's perfect." We drink again and I know if I don't do something else I'm going to be unpleasantly drunk. "Let me go get some blankets before I forget. You guys are staying here tonight, right?" I ask to be polite but he can't really say no. He can't drive after those shots. They'll hit him soon enough and I'm sure he's not done yet.

He smiles pleasantly which I like to see. "Thanks Sora."

I wander down the hall to the closet and hear them toasting to something else. I'm glad Riku knows he can drink without me because I'm an easy drunk. I'm also glad he can compete with Axel; who else would? I grab a few blankets and two pillows not knowing which one they like and carry them back to the couch. They're locked in a toasting discussion as I throw my armful onto Roxas.

He laughs and manages to scrabble out from beneath the mass without it falling off the couch with him. They're in the process of drinking another shot when Roxas rams into Axel. Most of the drink makes it to his mouth but spills a little onto his pants. "Aw, Roxas. Come on."

"Aw, I'll get it." The blonde buries his face into his lap but Axel's not in the mood. Either the drink is starting to confuse me or Axel isn't in the mood.

"Roxas, stop." He tugs on the boy's shirt but he doesn't relent. Finally he snaps at him. "Roxas, I said stop it!" He jerks him up by the arms and looks right at him.

It startles me so I can't imagine how it makes Roxas feel. He answers my question within seconds because he starts crying. Sitting on the floor in front of Axel he just cries. Axel looks confused. I'm confused. Riku's face is saying 'what's going on'. I'm surprised for a few seconds until I realize Roxas is a big fat liar. He drank enough beer to make it easy to cry. What a jerk. I move towards Riku knowing he'll say everything he wants to right now.

He's sobbing so hard it almost hurts my feelings. His words come out in little gasps and it really is just like me when I had that fight with Riku. "Why don't you… love me anymore, Axel?"

"What?" He's definitely caught off-guard by the over exaggeration and he can't argue with the tears. They're real. "Why would you say that? I knew you had too much to drink."

"I didn't drink too much." Roxas yells and that's more confusing than his crying. He's trying to wipe his tears away. I can't tell if he's doing it on purpose or really freaking out now. He always had a bad temper in fights. "If you loved me you'd tell me. And you'd move in with me. And... and you… why are you always angry now...?" He grabs him by the shirt and pulls him into a kiss which Axel responds to after the initial shock. I've never seen him this aggressive before so he is drunk, but I know he knows what's happening. I'm almost clinging to Riku hoping they won't remember we're still in the room. Axel has forgotten about his limbs all together and Roxas is pulling him into the kiss, obviously attacking him with him tongue until I see his lips pull on the lip ring. Oh wow… I see why he likes it.

Axel's cheeks are flush but he's still aware of the fight. "I do love you. I tell you all the time."

"You're lying." Somehow Roxas stumbles to his feet. "I don't believe you!"

Axel is on his feet now, obviously egged on by the other boy acting up. "Why are you acting like this? I know you aren't drunk." He grabs him by the wrist as he's flailing.

Everything starts to fall silent and Roxas calms down to a concerning level. "I am… a little." He's not crying anymore but his face is still wet from before. "I don't know any other way to act…"

They're quiet for so long that Axel drops his wrist… I'm starting to get worried. When the redhead finally talks he doesn't say anything I want to hear. "I'm leaving. I've had enough of this." He takes a step towards the door.

"Fine." Roxas is in front of the door in an instant, blocking his path. "If you're leaving let me tell you how I feel first." Of course this stops him in his tracks. I don't expect what happens next. He punches him in the mouth and Axel stumbles back before falling on the floor. Even from my position on the floor I can tell he has a bloody lip. He touches the cut and cringes in surprise. He doesn't have the chance to move or speak before Roxas continues. The blonde is standing over him with a hardened expression like he's finally fed up. "You're being a complete dick. I was pretending I didn't know you were acting weird but that'll stop now. I fucking love you and I want to spend my life with you but not if you keep acting like a jerk. If you can't talk to me then we don't need to be together." He stumbles back with a shiver like that was all the strength he had. He's lucky the couch can catch him but he's really about to lose it. "Just leave already." He covers his face with his hands. I'm not sure if the other two can tell but he's crying for real this time. It's only real if he's trying to hide it. Honest tears.

Stricken, Axel stands up, ignoring his bloody lip and heading for the door. He looks back at us sitting on the floor looking lost. "I'm sorry we ruined the night…" He's gone a second later, slamming the door.

This is probably something I should deal with so I turn to Riku. He's zoning out, probably still lost in what just happened. I touch his cheek and he focuses on me. "Can you… go hide out for a little while?" He's understanding and kisses me once before heading for the study. He even shuts the door out of courtesy. Why is he so nice? No one can possibly know how pathetically sweet his is. I'm sure he's also thankful I'm taking care of our friend so he doesn't have to.

Roxas is bent over still; I can see him shacking from the fight. I move to sit beside him on the couch. I'm kind of glad they decided to fight here. I'd hate to leave him alone right now. I turn off the TV and I can hear him struggling to keep quiet because he's crying. "Roxas." As gently as I can, I pull his hands away from his face. He doesn't resist much and he lets me hold them as I grab his attention. "It's okay. It was just a fight. Everything will be different tomorrow."

He's shaking more than I thought. He's focus on the floor but I'm sure he's playing the fight over and over in his head. "I hit him…" He tries to swallow the knot in his throat. "I just lost it and I hit him…" He rubs his eyes, attempting to calm down. "He was bleeding. Why did I have to hit him?"

I try to lighten the mood. "I told him when you first met that you were feisty."

He laughs a little but it's half a sob. "That doesn't help me Sora."

He's never cried this much before. I've comforted him after a problem but not like this. Then again he's never really loved someone. Maybe Axel's feeling the same. I try to hug him and though he's against it at first when I finally get him in my arms he's practically crushing me. I pat him on the back while he tells me his problems and I comfort him in any way I can. At one point Riku comes out of the other room on the phone, silently apologizing a million times as he's heading for the door. He leaves without tell me why but that's not really important right now. After a while I convince Roxas to lay down in our bed and lead him towards the bedroom. When he's finally laying down under the blankets he actually passes out pretty fast. It's kind of ironic really. I leave him alone to sleep in the bedroom, shutting the door the leave him to recuperate.

When I'm exhausted and alone in the living room my phone rings and I answer quickly. "Yes?"

It's Riku. Who else would it be right now? "Hey. Are you guys still in the living room?"

"If you mean Roxas, no. He's asleep in our bedroom. He passed out just a few minutes ago." He sounds relieved on the other line. "Where exactly did you disappear to?"

"Axel called me."

"Really?"

"Surprisingly yes. We're heading back to the house. Is it okay if I bring him inside?" Now that he's asking I can hear the wind whistling in the background. They must be walking nearby.

"Yes. Of course. Bring him up." Then again I don't hear Axel at all. "Is he okay?"

"He's drunk off his ass, but he's fine." Now I hear the redhead, mumbling something just out of range. "We'll be there soon." He hangs up, a little busy.

I sit in the silence for ten painstaking minutes before they come through the door. Axel is being pulled in with one arm over my lover's shoulder. I even have to jump up and close the door for them. They both topple over. Axel sits up with a pathetic expression, his face red with alcohol for once. "My lip hurts."

Riku is still laying on the floor. "That was so difficult." He complains. He sounded perfectly fine on the phone, I guess he is drunk.

"My stomachs upset." Axel mumbles with him eyes closed.

How am I the least drunk here? "I'll get you some water." I hurry at fast as I can without tripping and get a plastic cup so I can get him water. Just in case I fill two cups and hand them out to both of them.

The redhead is staring so intensely at the cup that I almost remind him its water. He starts talking all of a sudden. "He punched me in the face." He drinks half the water I gave him. I'm glad it wasn't full. "Roxas hates me." He pushes his cup onto the table before laying on the floor.

"He doesn't hate you. He's just worried." Riku sits up, grabbing at his legs to keep his balance.

These guys suck at talking. "He was crying."

Axel focuses on me with such intense tunnel vision that he sits up again. "He was just faking."

"No…" I'm not sure I should be telling him this but my inebriation thinks I should. "When you ran out he was really crying." I'm so tired… I just want to go to bed. I move onto the floor and take the water from Riku, drinking the last of the cup. "He really loves you forever so just make up okay." Tugging on one of the blankets I pull it off the couch and a pillow follows. Lucky! I wanted that too. "Go to sleep okay."

Like I'm the boss Axel gets up and moves towards the couch, grabbing the pillow and laying down. He even pulls the blanket on before falling quiet.

For a while I roll around on the floor with the exhausted version of Riku. One of us remembers to get up to turn out the light. Who was that? I forget. We pass out snuggling on the floor.

I drank too muuuuuuuch. My head is pounding, ugh. Do I have a hangover? I never get hangovers… I sit up even though my limbs are all screaming at me, feeling heavy and weak. My brain throbs painful and I groan. I should have had more water last night… I have to be dehydrated.

"Here." A deep voice tells me and I feel the cold hard surface of a cup being pushed into my hands.

I open my eyes as little as possible and still growl at the brightness of the world. What is it? There's water in the cup I've been given. Since my eyes are already dying I look at Riku whose sitting beside me. "You have no idea how much I love you right now." My head pounds again and I whine as I sip my water. "Even talking huuuuurts…"

I hear a scoff as footsteps enter the living room. "You're still here? I thought you left." It's obviously Roxas and he sounds as angry as usual after a fight.

Riku is helping me to my feet as Axel speaks up. "Can we talk?"

We're stumbling towards the kitchen but I hover in the doorway. Roxas is watching my obvious hesitation to leave. It's like he can read my mind, even if it's annoying him to admit it. "Yea, sure. I guess we can just talk here since these guys witnessed our fight anyway."

I'm suffering through the screaming in my head to watch them. Riku's standing at my side in case I get unsteady, but I feel a lot better if I don't move.

The redhead stands up and they're both near the table. "Then before we start let me give you something." What, a bribe? After a fight? Rude! He punches him in the stomach and I gape in confusion. "That's for hitting me in the face last night."

Roxas grabs at the pain. "Kay… guess I deserved that." Not expecting the assault the blonde moves to sit on the couch. "You start…" Like nothing even happened Axel kisses him forcefully on the mouth, receiving a shocked noise in return. What's wrong with these two? I swear I don't understand why they fight in the first place when it always turns out like this. Do they enjoy fighting?

The taller man is pushing the blonde onto his back on the couch when he curses and breaks the kiss. "Damn… my lip still hurts." With a disappointed sigh he sits up. "Anyways… I'm sorry."

A little shaken up by the pounce but overall looking pleased Roxas clears his throat. "Yea, me too. I mean… I'm sorry too." He's trying to hide his nervousness. "I'm really sorry I gave you a bloody lip."

Axel's spirits have already raised and he smiles. "I'm just glad you didn't get my piercing. That would have sucked."

This seems to calm them both down. "…I'm sorry about what I said."

He just scratches his head. "That's okay. It was kind of true anyways. I'm sorry I've been a douche lately… I was just… I dunno, feeling bad I guess."

The blonde grabs him by the face. "I want to be with you. Move in with me."

The initial surprise turns into… I don't know. Sadness? I've never seen sadness on Axel's constantly smiling face. "What will happen when you're bored with me? You'll throw me out."

I think my heart melted. I hug Riku and my head beats me to death again. OH this stupid headache! I forgot about it. He wraps me in his arms, rubbing my back gently as we listen. It looks like Roxas melted a little too. He blinks away the unnecessary tears. "I need you." He kisses him on the corner of his mouth, avoiding the cut. "I need you." He just repeats it over and over until Axel's getting emotional and this time I talk them into going into the bedroom. I can't listen anymore. They should talk alone.

When I feel better and I've had a drink of water for the hundredth time I let Riku lead me to the couch. I feel all weird after all that junk with our friends and I curl up in his lap while we watch TV. He even turns down the volume so it doesn't hurt my head. I'd love to make out right now if I wasn't being such a baby. He doesn't seem to mind anything.

We end up laying down and falling asleep.

Days pass and with Riku constantly working I'm starting to drive myself crazy. If I'm in the office with him I can't stop pestering him until he yells as me. If I'm by myself I just act useless. I can never make up my mind about what to do. I finally make the decision to get a pet. I need something to love! I search online to get ideas!

I'm still set on getting a cat but I try to be patient. Hmm, a puppy would be fun. If we did get a puppy our place might be a little small. I wouldn't want the little guy to get lonely and sad about not having enough room to play. Maybe not a puppy. I couldn't think of getting a ferret. Knowing me I'd get two because the first one needs a friend… and then I'd go crazy and we'd have like ten. That's nine too many. And I can't just get one! Okay, fine, no ferret. I was never any good with fish. And you can't cuddle with lizards and snakes. Spiders just creep me out. It's creepy just thinking about spiders. Gross ew. Let's see. Birds? Again, no cuddling available. My mom had a bird once. That stupid thing always bit me and their beaks are really hurt. I think she had lovebirds too. Stupid birds. Hm… a bunny. Just thinking about getting a bunny makes me laugh. Would Riku kill me? No matter what choice I make he'll love our new pet to death without trying. What if he made friends with a bunny? I almost want to get one just to see that! I get lost in thought about Riku holding a bunny.

All the little animals like mice and such are out. And I hate to admit it but I'm not sure if I'm smart enough to have an exotic pet. I mean those sugar gliders are so cute. And I love hedgehogs… I'd love to get a hedgehog… but they take a lot of care too.

Okay my final decision. We're definitely getting…. A cat or a bunny. Should I run it by Riku? I'll take the chance even if he's working on writing.

Knocking on the door to the office twice I let myself in. He's typing away but stops when he hears me. "My dear sweet lover, I have a question for you." I move towards the desk, wrapping my arms around his shoulder and hugging him from behind. It's been maybe an hour since I last saw him but I still snuggle into his neck and smell his hair. It always smells so good.

His hands touch mine and his fingers start caressing my skin like I'm made of porcelain. "When you say things like that, it's obvious you want something." He starts kissing one of my hands and his soft lips feel so nice I relax against him even more.

I almost forget what I'm about to tell him. "Just a question this time…" His teeth are starting to nibble on my wrist. "…uh… I… was looking at pets."

"Oh?" Kisses are traveling up my arm and he's pulling me around so he can pull me into him lap. I'm struggling to hold him off because I'll never focus if he starts molesting me.

I'm already breathing heavily and I try to clear my throat to keep myself in line. "I've narrowed it down to two kinds… and I thought I'd ask you which you'd like."

He's licking his lips. "Oh really? Only two?" That is so distracting!

I starting thinking of him holding a bunny and about die. So adorable! He finally pulls me into his lap but I'm too busy laughing to succumb to his perversion. He gives up… for now. "Okay so I was thinking either a cat, like a kitten. They're always fun. Or we could get a bunny."

"A bunny?" He smirks. "Are you serious?"

Again with the imagine of him in my head! So funny. "Bunnies can be really cute and cuddly too. What if we got one with long ears too? Gaaaaah they're so cute!" I'm grabbing onto his shirt resisting shaking him.

He's busy lifting up my shirt. "I thought you wanted a cat. Where'd a bunny come from?"

My voice rises as his fingers pinch a nipple. "I just thought you'd look cute… cuz I know you'll like our pet no matter which one we get." The second his lips are on my skin I give up. That feels too good. I find his belt with my fingers struggling to undo it while he rolls his tongue around my nipple. My libido is more insistent than this conversation obviously. Maybe I'm challenging myself but I undo my own belt too. His hands are busy keeping my chest against his mouth anyways.

When he releases me we help each other out of our ever restricting pants. "Here, we'll be quick this time." He helps my start molesting him while he does the same for me. I'm wobbling all over the place trying to focus on following his rhythm on me. His free hand travels to the small of my back to keep me sturdy. In the mean time I use my free hand to hold up my shirt because it's getting in my way and I can't see as much as I want. This is the first time we've just touched each other in his chair, it's really turning me on for some reason. Suddenly his hand moves up to my neck to pull me against his lips, still keeping my erection busy until I can't stand it anymore. Oddly enough he ends up being the most dirty so we use his shirt to clean up and I go get him a new one since it was my fault for the unintentional but ever welcome seduction. He did the coaxing but I entered the room. It was an equal effort. I'll remember to try again another time.

On a free day we head to a pet store to look at animals. Riku seems to be enjoying holding my hand as we shop in the very busy store, drawing as much attention as possible. He's looking through the glass at the array of cats while I blush in happy embarrassment. "If you can't decided which one to get let's just get both." He looks at me with an understanding expression.

I'm too spoiled! A bunny and a kitty! "Both! But… but what if they hate each other!"

He raises an eyebrow. "Then just get a cat."

"But I thought you'd look so cute with a bunny."

"Then get a bunny."

"But… Riku…"

He groans and leads the way to look at the bunnies. They have an open case for a few dwarf bunnies and I pick one up thinking, this will help me make a decision. It's so soft! The little black and white ones just kill me. They feel amazing and they're so timid. I want! This makes my decision even more difficult.

Riku seems to understand the look on my face. "What about this? We can get a kitten for now since that's what you've always wanted. Then you can decide if you want the bunny."

I put the bunny back in his home before jumping the silver haired man. "You're so right! Why do you always know the answers?"

He pulls me into a kiss before smiling. "I just threw out ideas until you chose something." He shrugs. "You're welcome." We kiss again and other people are starting to clear their throats around us. Embarrassed but this time not minding the talk, love is blind after all, we look for the right kitten but they're all older than I want. I was hoping for a young kitten that we could teach… not that I don't love older cats, but kittens are just so funny. I'm determined though so we look for what seems like all day before going home with a new baby.

I carry the little black ball of fur into the apartment about to fall into pieces. I love him already. He's just so cute. Whether you like cats or not, cats, dogs, bunnies, whatever, there's just nothing like the cute-meter of a baby animal. I set him down in the living room to let him explore, it's always good to get him use to the new environment first. I only wait long enough for Riku to close the front door. We already bought all the cat things we need and just watching him wobble around is fun. I move to the couch to sit, pulling my lover down beside me.

Even he can't hide his smile. "Have you thought of a name?"

I haven't but now is as good time as ever. "What about shadow?" Some little memory in the back of my head pulled that thought out… but from where?

He seems confused. "Wouldn't that be ironic?"

"Would it?" I can't remember why. Something about shadows…

It doesn't matter anyways. "No, we're not naming the black cat shadow."

"Ok..." I think harder. "Oh! Oh! I know. Let's name him biscuit." He just stares at me. "Oh come on. You can't tell me that's not cute."

"…that's… not really a name for a cat, is it?"

I'm busy watching him scurry around when he finds something big and can't decide if he should attack it or be scared. "Why not?" He looks like a biscuit to me cuz I just wanna eat him up! …wow I just sounded like a little old woman… or maybe a perverted old man. Hm… the line between the two seems oddly thin at the moment. "Well, do you have a better name?" He lists off a few ideas I shoot down. "No way, all of those names are like every other cat ever named." While we've been bickering our new baby decided to jump onto the couch, struggling a few times before he manages to make it. He crawls into Riku's lap and meows like he knows we're talking about him. I smile automatically. "Thank you for getting a kitty with me." Or should I say for letting me get a kitty. After all, we share this apartment now. As if we had to compromise, he likes cats too.

I'm starting to love this life of leisure where I can do whatever I want… with some control of course. A random sound scares me half to death before I realize it's my phone ringing. My stupid ringtone… I thought buying a song for once would be a good idea. Obviously I picked the wrong song if it scares me. Grabbing the little machine I check the name, confused by the caller. Of all people to be calling. "Hello?"

Zexion's voice calls back to me. "Oh my god Sora we're coming to your house right now! I have to show you this video I found!"

"I'm good, how're you?" I retort in a casual way just for a giggle. I can tell he's about to explode from excitement and it's too fun to tease him.

I hear a car door slam. "Are you home or not?"

"Are you here already? Yes, yes we're home." The knock at the door answers my question and I jump up. "Is that you?!" Running over to open it I yell in happy greeting when he's standing in the hall. "You're here!"

We commence in a hug and stumble over each other's feet as he steps inside with me. Tagging along behind him is his new delicious looking boyfriend. Talk about tall dark and handsome. Well… maybe not dark. He's definitely tall and handsome with platinum blonde hair shaved attractively short and a nicely trimmed beard. His ears are pierced twice which is cute. He always has this odd intense frown going on with his eyebrows which I don't normally notice on people, but it's a nice look on him. Strange. So whatever crush Zexion had on me has passed and now this guy is attracted to him. I wonder how that's working out. Not without that awkward and embarrassing video failure… it's passed. His name is Lux… something or other. If he lasts I'll try to remember. That sounded mean but lately it's just the truth.

Zexion greets Riku and notices the kitten. This baby voice comes out of nowhere. "Oh my goodness you're so cute." He reaches down to pet the little guy with a smile. "Sorry, just ignore the fact that I'm petting this kitten so close to your crotch." He laughs and just keeps on going even when Riku frowns. Obviously he didn't mind until he pointed out the awkward proximity. Eventually Zexion moves on to take over the TV, so intent on showing us this video that he's doing everything himself. Neither of us mind so it's not a big deal. We all pile onto the couch and the blue haired boy takes the remote to the DVD player. For a moment we're all silent as he skips through random junk to get to the main screen.

My face grows hot as the music plays and pictures flash on the screen, obviously images from the video. It looked normal for a second but then I swear I just saw naked… nakedness… soooo much nakedness. I squeak out something but it wasn't understandable. Riku seems to notice and speaks for me. "You're showing us porn?"

Zexion is so serious it's like he's unaffected. "Technically yes, but that's not it. Just hold on a second." He flips through the scenes with such speed it's like he's watched this video a hundred times. I'm looking sideways at him with a stupid face and he notices, turning scarlet. "I swear we don't watch porn that much. It was just this time."

My smile widens. "Suuuure." He's fast forwarding trying not to look embarrassed. "Obviously you guys are doing well."

He smacks my leg trying to keep his eye on the video as I laugh. "Oh wait, here we go." He hits play and it's literally in the middle of two guys having unusually loud sex. This is so awkward because I definitely don't want to get a boner sitting on the couch with these two and a horny Riku. Who knows what he'll do. Thankfully the painful time passing doesn't last long before-

My eyes go wide like they're about to pop out of my head. "Holy… shit." I stand up without meaning to, still staring. "Holy Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh- Is that-?!" I'm about to die!

Zexion is looking at me. "Doesn't that look just like Demyx!"

Even Riku, the always cool and calm Riku, is sitting on the edge of his seat. "Doppelganger?"

My eyebrows pinch together in disbelief. "You mean someone that looks exactly like him but isn't actually him? No way." Somehow we all end up double checking none-the-less. Okay! I can't hold this in anymore! I pull out my cell and yell, "I'm calling Roxas!" at the exact same moment as Zexion pulls his out and yells he's calling Axel. It's unusually perfect timing. As if we're in a race we're both frantically dialing, waiting for the phones to ring on the other end. The moment someone picks up it's like we're all yelling. "Roxas!?"

"Sora?"

"Axel?" Zexion says at the same moment.

Funny enough I can hear Axel in the background of my own conversation. "Why are you guys calling at the same time?"

I explain our situation so quickly it comes out as babble and Zexion explains it again with real words. Of course we end up on speakerphone with my cell and Roxas's cell instead of four. That's silly. Honestly telling them we were watching porn is a laughing problem for about ten minutes. "Okay! Shut up! I'm trying to ask you! I swear Demyx is in this porn." Actually we left it on and there's interesting moaning in the background. We're busying talking but I have this feeling Riku and Zexion's boyfriend are a bit distracted. The kitten has long since started another round of exploration.

"Are you serious!?" Roxas sounds surprised but Axel continues to say he needs to see it to be sure. An hour later they're in our living room and it's our second time through the video.

The redhead's mouth is hanging open. "That looks just like him."

"That is him." Roxas is already nodding.

Frustrated, Riku grabs me from the couch like a princess and moves around the table. "Don't fuck up the living room. We'll be back." I have a feeling he means that literally but I'm too busy being embarrassed by the way he's carrying me. I wrap my hands around his neck as we're moving towards the bedroom. The four are whistling in excitement at our departure. At least I know they'll watch the kitten in the mean time.

The moment the door closes he sighs. I'm all smiles because I know why. "Were you going crazy wanting to rip my clothes off?"

He's setting me down on the bed, deciding in seconds that he should lock the door. "It was more frustrating that everyone was in the room actually. Not to mention I've seen over half that room naked. And I've been able to have you whenever I want lately… I got cock blocked by our friends." He's already pulling off his shirt and my eyes move over his muscles with a little smile. Looks good enough to eat…

Should I be mean right now? Yes… I should be mean, soooo so mean. "Riku." He looks at me curiously and I lay back, bending in just the right ways as I lift my shirt up and bite my fingers. "Do you want to eat me up?"

He's frozen like he's about to explode, his eyes frozen on my body but moving up to my lips. He just drops his belt on the floor like its dead. "You're trying to kill me with cuteness."

"I am not." But I still laugh. "How about this?" I pull my shirt off and toss it aside. I'm trying to unbutton my pants and repeat the earlier sentence but he pounces and I scream! "Waaaaaaaait! That's no fair!" His lips are on my chest, kissing the flesh. "Wait a second." Surprisingly he sits up and gives me a second.

"Fine, I won't rip your clothes off. But you won't mind this…" His fingers hover above my skin, sliding across my stomach like feathers, so gentle it almost tickles.

Okay, I have to admit it. "That does feel good." I feel myself relaxing against his touch. It almost feels romantic to just be touched like this, even better than sex. …well, different than sex… The light touch is replaced by gentle rubbing until I'm suddenly getting a back massage. It took me a moment to figure out when he was rolling me onto my stomach still planning on being nice. Straddling my butt he starts a gentle rhythm. Where is all this gentleness coming from? Sometimes he's so excited about attacking me it's rough but that turns me on too. Gentle is making me feel more embarrassed by the minute. I've never been one to hide my true feelings though and let myself sigh in relief at every touch. "This is just another reason I love you. You spoil me."

I hear him laugh. "I love you too and I enjoy spoiling you. I didn't realize a massage made you so excited. I'll have to do this more often." His hands are so warmth its giving me chills when the cold air touches the place he just left.

Dang, now I'm starting to think about him massaging in another place and it's getting me excited. I try to wrestle him onto the bed but his position on my ass is keeping me flat on the bed. He's so doing that on purpose. It takes a minute of tickle torture for him to let me go but I'm in his lap a second later. Sometimes my need to have him all to myself is overpowering. We spend so long alone in the bedroom I forget we have guests outside the door. We even fall asleep… I hope they can manage themselves.

I wake up completely naked on top of a naked lover with all remnants of the bed on the floor. The room is still dark… what time is it? I can't even find the clock. Did we knock down the alarm clock in the middle of the night? Well that's annoying. I have to roll off of Riku to get up and of course it stirs him from his slumber.

He groans, looking around with one eye half open. "What time is it?"

That's exactly what I just said. "I dunno. The clock ran away." Throwing my legs over the edge of the bed I stretch and a few bones pop. Gross, the sound of aging. I hate it. What day is it? Do I have class today? No, it's still the weekend.

He grabs me, pulling me back onto the bed and I snuggle into his arms. He clears his throat from the sleep. "I have so much to read today…"

Already thinking about reading? "What are you, a bookworm? Nerd." Even better I convinced him he needed to get an eye exam and what do you know, he needs reading glasses. I can't wait for them to be finished!

He tickles me. "You're a butthead. You realize you just had sex with a bookworm? Nerd hater."

I can't help but laugh as I turn over. "I don't know what you're talking about. I love nerds. Obviously… since I love you." I kiss him on the lips. "Though you don't look like a nerd, or whatever you want to call yourself."

He finally sits up, looking for his phone. "How do you know what a nerd is supposedto look like? You're a terrible judge of character." He has to stand up and search his pants from last night and finally finds it. The time doesn't seem to bother him. He starts getting dressed which pulls me to my feet. Obviously I should be getting dressed too. "Everyone comes in different shapes and sizes, don't you think?"

Blah, fine, I have to admit that's true. "My mistake. You're right."

When we're both dressed we move into the living room and the guys are still passed out. Zexion and his man date are snuggled up on the couch under a blanket. They look kind of cute actually. It makes me wonder even more if they'll stay together.

Slightly less attractive but more hilarious is the unusual position Axel and Roxas seem to be sleeping in. They do have a blanket… sort of. All in all at least I know they can make their own beds instead of waiting for us. Good thing too. Roxas is on his back sprawled out with his head on Axel's arm instead of on the pillow. The blanket is covering one leg so it's obvious he's only wearing boxers. At least he's not naked. Axel is on his side, not noticing the weight on his arm. When he wakes up he'll definitely be complaining about it being numb. That'll be funny. The blanket is almost covering his entire lower body but I can see he passed out in his jeans. Another plus.

I'll go ahead and start the coffee before anyone starts to come back to life. Riku comes in to see if I've magically made coffee in the last two seconds and tries not to look disappointed when I'm in the middle of adding water. A moment later I hear the door to the office close. The coffee begins to gurgle and I hear noises. People noises. I have zombies in the living room, I knew it. Now that coffees done I grab the kitten food out of the cabinet. The sound draws immediate meowing and he scrambles into the room, skidding across the floor since he has no traction. I start cracking up.

"What are laughing at in here by yourself?" Axel asks in a deep husky voice. Still sleepy, but humored by the racket I'm making when he sees the kitten finding his way towards the food.

"Just watching this little guy wobble all over the place." This cat just kills me. Good thing he isn't a person; I'd be so taken I couldn't do anything about it.

He's already digging in the cabinet for coffee cups. He takes out two and looks at me. I nod and he pulls one out for me as well. "What did you name him anyhow? I only ever hear you call him cat or kitty. Or kitten?" He's practically grabbing for the handle of the coffee pot and it's still filling up.

I smack his hand away and he sticks out his tongue. Pulling out another cup for Riku I add it to the army on the counter. "Uuuuhhh to be honest… haha… we haven't come up with a name yet." We only just brought him home last night.

Roxas is suddenly in the doorway. "You're a horrible owner."

"What?" I blink, not expecting him to sound so awake.

"You haven't named him yet? What kind of person let's their pet go unnamed for so long?" He moves towards us and grabs a cup but it's empty. He complains making random noises. I was right about the zombie thing.

Axel speaks before I can say anything. "Not true, I think I heard Riku call him butthead a few times. Or was it little jerk?"

Mean! I push them out of the kitchen and they unwillingly leave. I wait alone for the coffee to finish, watching the kitten chomp away at food. He decides he's thirsty and turns towards the water. Obviously there's something in there but it's clear. He sticks his paw in and jumps out of his skin in surprise at the wetness, dumping half the bowl on the floor. Oh the joys of having a kitten. They're just so clumsy and funny, tripping over their own feet… unable to control their own butt when they roll over themselves. The coffee finishes and I realize uuuuuuuugh they're right. Why haven't I named this cat? If he could talk he'd be yelling at me too. What a lie… I clean up the mess and refill the water so he can try again.

I tell the others the coffee is done and make my own cup along with Riku's. All four of them are awake by now when I head into the office. I knock a few times before opening the door and my lover greets me with a smile and a kiss. He takes the cup with much appreciation and I find a seat near him to sip away at the warm drink. He's typing away as I mumble in complaint. "Axel said our kitty's name is butthead cuz you called him names."

"I called him butthead when he was being a butthead." He pauses to look at me. "With love, of course."

"I'm serious." I whine. "We really need to name him."

"What about TK."

I think for a moment. "That's actually cute." Then he laughs and I'm immediately suspicious. "TK meaning what?"

"The Kitty."

"Stop thinking of dumb names on purpose!" A well timed meow catches my attention and I head to the door. Sure enough the little ball of fur is on the floor looking up with big adorable eyes. It's like he knew we were talking about him. Picking him up I move back to my seat. "See look, he's so cuuuuuute. He says stop thinking of dumb names daddy."

I can tell Riku's giving in to that cute kitty face. "How about something ironic. Like Vicious."

I frown. "Yea, but I always name my dog that in video games. So we can't do that."

"Boss." He smiles.

"Same thing..." I take a minute to look at the little guy and he looks thoughtful. The fact that he doesn't care about me holding him is nice. "What about Prince?" Maybe he's just confused considering he's being picked up by a giant and being carried around here and there.

"Then we have to kill his father. Let's just name him King if you're going to be that ridiculous." He returns to typing so it must be the end of the conversation.

"King." I look at the kitten. "You look like a king right?" He meows and licks me which makes me melt. Must be the right name. "Okay! Then it's decided. Yay! You have a name!" Riku goes back to zoning out, his fingers ticking furiously at the keyboard. I give him a kiss on the temple and leave him be for now. I get to the kitchen before I remember I left my coffee cup behind and go back to get it, returning to the others when it's full again.

I spend the morning bickering with the guys about that stupid porn until we finally move on to hanging out. Zexion and his guy leave after an hour to go out to eat. After a short break I get impatient and call Demyx out of curiosity. It goes straight to voicemail. That's weird… he always answers. Actually he's always free. Suspicious!

Axel is getting excited too but at least he's holding back. "Maybe he's just busy. You don't know he's…" He pauses to make air quotations, "working."

"Working." Roxas laughs. "That would be too ironic."

"Okay, I'll just text him and give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he's in the shower." Then I look at the redhead like that idea is preposterous. Who showers in the afternoon? Definitely not Demyx. Weird timing, he calls back within the hour.

My phone rings while I'm in the kitchen and Roxas practically screams. "It's him! Hurry up, Sora!"

I scramble back into the room without my coffee cup. "Hello!?"

He doesn't seem confused by the out-of-breath way I answer the phone. "Hey Sora, sorry, I was in the shower."

I try not to laugh because that's ridiculous! Hurriedly I put him on speaker phone. "Shower, right. So I haven't seen you in forever! Come hang out!"

There are a few noises in the background I can't really make out. He's in the kitchen maybe? The sound of cabinets banging and the sound of cup… or maybe a plate. "I can't right now. I have to go meet my manager."

Axel covers his mouth so he won't say something stupid. I clear my throat so I don't laugh. "You have a manager?" The look on Roxas's face is cracking me up. "What does he manage?"

He seems hesitant. "You know… stuff. Manager stuff so I don't have to do stuff."

"Stuff." I snort.

"I gotta go. We should hang out soon though."

"Oh, okay. Bye." He hangs up and I realize that conversation was so awkward!

Axel is shaking Roxas and reads my mind. "That was so awkward!"

The blonde adds, "Is it just me or was he avoiding any real answer?"

"What does this mean!?"

We're in the middle of freaking out when Riku enters the room. He watches us with an odd expression before going into the kitchen. A few minutes later he appears, just staring at us before finally his curiosity gets the better of him. "What are you guys doing?"

We pull him into our conversation and he's so absorbed that he forgets about work.