A/N: This one is mostly about Sora and Roxas. It's very sad. Plus I have skipped their last two years. They are now nine. Sorry about that all.

Warning: So- you know the drill. This contains male on male pairings, child abuse, and really angst stuff. So if you're an angst fan keep reading. If you lean more toward humor, I've other stories in the works you might want to check out.

Disclaimer: Lawyers said 72 cents isn't enough to buy the Kingdom Hearts games, let alone get it from Disney. Damn you Walt…

Summary: This is the story of poor Cloud. He and his twin brothers live with their abusive father. After a while, his friend Leon becomes suspicious. What happens then?

Remember:

"Talking."

Thoughts.

Time Skip

Emphasis on words.

Self-explanatory.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter Seven

For the last two years, it was very constant. Cloud had his best friend, Leon, who helped with school work and babysat the twins whenever he could. Roxas and Sora had their two best friends as well. Riku and Axel. They were… Well, they're cute.

Anyways… It should have remained a constant, but Sora was being distant. Roxas was more than worried. In fact, he was incredibly afraid some thing was wrong with Sora. He was so caught up looking around for his twin brother he didn't even realize Axel was talking to him. Axel groaned and threw a grape at the boy.

Roxas blinked from across the cafeteria table at the red head that looked ready to burst. Riku rolled his eyes and lazily proceeded to sweep his aqua orbs over the lunch room. Roxas sheepishly turned his attention back to his companions. "As I was asking, Roxas, you two coming over?" Axel inquired.

Roxas sighed and looked at the floor. Today was Tuesday, and every Tuesday their father got off early, so Cloud always went to study at Leon's on Tuesdays. Roxas and Sora normally went with him… The problem was Sora was being a stubborn brat. The last couple of Tuesdays Sora was reluctant to go to Leon's.

"No…" Roxas sighed with a shake of blond hair. Axel's brows came down in concern. Riku sat up a little straighter.

"Why not?" Riku demanded. Roxas didn't want to look up and tell Riku the truth. But part of him was deeply troubled over his twin's sudden resistance to leaving the house. Roxas was spared as Sora entered the cafeteria with Namine on his arm. She handed him a small bandage and pranced off. Sora walked over to the table red faced.

Roxas stared up at his twin. "Where were you?" Roxas asked quietly. Sora gulped audibly. He threw up his arm, showing a nasty scrape. The blond nodded in understanding. The silver haired boy jumped up and took gentle hold of Sora's arm.

"Jeez…" he muttered. He shook his head before grabbing an ice cube from his glass of soda. He sucked on it for a moment, making sure it was clean of soda. Sora felt his eyes increase in size as Riku carefully cleaned off the scrape of dirt and blood. Sora winced and Riku blew on his injury for a moment making sure it was dry before the Band-Aid was on it.

"There!" Riku exclaimed. "All better." Sora's face went from red to… a complete rainbow. Axel smiled peevishly from behind his sandwich. Roxas felt his eyes sadden as Sora scrambled from Riku and hide behind his food. Roxas watched as Sora ate with out word. Riku's face fell a little, but you wouldn't notice unless you look.

At Home

It was quiet; unnaturally so. Today was the first day Roxas and Sora had been left home alone. Cloud was studying at Leon's and allowed them to come home despite a hollow feeling in his gut. But he knew he couldn't baby the twins forever. He just warned them to be good. Cloud would be so proud when he found out they never spoke a word… or would he?

Roxas sighed as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. Their father was downstairs, but that was easy to forget when he told them to shut up and leave him alone. The blond twin was sitting on his bed as he watched Sora but Mickey in a purple ball and roll him across the floor. His eyes were dark in thought. Roxas didn't like it on his outgoing brother.

Finally Roxas could stand it no longer. He jumped from his bed to the floor. A loud thump could be heard echoing through the house. Sora looked up startled and Roxas trod across the room. He yanked Mickey away from his chestnut haired twin and stomped his foot impatiently. "What the hell is your problem?!" Roxas shouted.

Sora blinked, confused. After a moment Sora's head hung down in defeat. "I don't know what you're talking about," he mumbled. Roxas growled and stomped his foot again.

"Bull!" he yelled. Sora had jumped again at Roxas' statement. Roxas held out his hand and breathed deeply for a moment. When Roxas regained a some what level composure he continued talking, "You've been weird lately. Tell me why."

Sora had grimaced and looked at his tan hands. Finally he balled them into a fist and stood to equal height with his brother. "No!" Roxas was taken a back the fierce words. Once he realized Sora was trying to glare at him the blond glared back.

"Tell!" he ordered.

"No!" Sora shouted.

"Tell!" the blond screamed.

"NO!"

Words ended and soon the pair was wrestling on the floor. Mickey's purple ball had bounced out of their hands and skidded over the floor. It broke and circled around. Both boys had gasp and stumbled to get him, but the mouse had scurried too fast for their hands. This caused such a commotion that their father downstairs had marched up the stairs. He had swung open the door in a fury, hitting Roxas' head.

Sora had fallen as the man had entered the room, and knocked him over. As the man stomped down, the mouse had run about in fright. Their father had looked down, and startled at the sight of a running mouse in the room, flung his foot at the creature. It hit his shoe and flew across the room and cracked against the wall.

The man huffed and looked at both boys, Roxas cradling his skull and Sora grasping his inured knee. Sora had looked over the floor for his pet, and saw him, twitching, by the corner. The brunet gasped and scuttled to Mickey, he covered his mouth with one hand while he lifted the creature with the other. Roxas looked up to see the man still seething.

"You… You killed him…" Roxas said, a cold fire growing in his belly as he did so. The man's head snapped to blond, a sneer painted over his features.

"And whose fault is that?" he questioned. Roxas eyes widened and he had to look away. Sora's hand shook and he looked up to his father, eyes watering. His father scowled. "Don't cry over a rat," he warned.

"He was a mouse!" Sora screamed. Roxas shouted as he saw the hand fly down and strike his brother. The dead pet fell with a soft thump on the creamy carpet. Sora reached up and held his stinging cheek, unable to believe his father had struck him so hard, if at all. Roxas jumped to his feet and kicked at the taller male's shins.

"How dare you hit him!" Roxas shouted. Roxas had let out a terrified cry as a hand grabbed his silky blond locks. He struggled to get away but their father kept a tight hold.

"Do you want the punishment room?" he asked lowly. The blond cried and shook his head over and over again. The man was beginning to drag Roxas out the door, even though Sora tried to hold on to Roxas but Roxas kicked too hard for anyone to keep a good hold. Through all the confusion, they all still heard the telephone.

With a snarl the dark haired man released the boys and went down stairs to answer the phone. Little snippets of conversation carried up stairs to the trembling boys. After a moment or two of silence the man had walked back up stairs to point at them.

"Get this damn mess cleaned! Otherwise you'll wish you were the rat!" He growled. Roxas was clutching his head and Sora was standing by, unsure of his response. "Got it?!"

Sora had squeaked before nodding vigorously. Then with a snort their father took off downstairs and out the door. Once the car engine had started and the rumbling sound faded down the block, Sora knelt next to his twin.

"Roxas…" he whispered. Big, scared, azure eyes stared up at him. Sora fell to his knees and pulled his twin into him. Pain prickled the edges of his own blue, blue eyes. "I've never been hit before… Is this what it feels like for you?" he asked as he rocked his golden haired brother back and forth. Roxas sobbed into his shirt, not once did he answer.

For once, Sora knew what it was to be Roxas…

The drizzle was spiraling, making little pin pricks of dark brown on the shoe box. After a second they bled into the box and you wouldn't know they were even there. Sora panted and gulped down air as he nodded to Roxas. The blond had kneeled in the mud, lowering the box carefully until it hit the bottom.

He sat up, looking up to Sora. Sora gave him a tiny smile. Then he pushed the dirt over the hole. Mud had splashed and hit them across the face, but Sora kept throwing more dirt down. Roxas began to help with his fingers. Quickly they patted up the makeshift grave. Sora stood up and crossed himself once before pulling up Roxas and taking them both inside.

He and Roxas stripped from their wet and muddy clothes. Roxas ran off to start the washer while Sora quickly wiped off as much dirt as he could. He rang out the excess water as best as it could be before they threw in the clothes. Sora had pushed Roxas into a big bath so they could warm up. Once he was sure that Roxas was visibly less shaken did he shove pajamas at his brother.

Then they changed and made ready for bed. Sora brought his brother up to the bed they shared and laid down. Roxas held on to his pillow, eyes drained. Sora brushed away Roxas' bangs and his brother flinched. Sora sighed and left Roxas hair alone. "Do you know why I'm weird?" Sora finally inquired. Roxas shook his head.

The chestnut haired boy smiled. "I don't want Riku to hate me," Sora confessed. Roxas looked at his brother, unsure of his answer. "Riku says he hates lairs… and that's what we are Roxas," Sora had explained. The blond began to shake his head negatively but Sora held up his hand.

"We're lying to the people we love most…" Sora said sadly. Roxas looked into identical tearful eyes of blue. His hands cradled his face and he wept. Sora hushed him until they both fell asleep fitfully. Why won't people believe the truth hurts?

The Next Morning

"WAKE UP!" Cloud shouted cheerfully as he yanked the blankets away from the twins. Both boys looked up groggily before lying back down. The blond sighed and jumped on the bed until the boys had fallen to the floor. Finally they were awake and whining about another day at school. Cloud flopped on the edge of the bed.

"So how was your day yesterday? Enjoy being home alone?" Cloud questioned. Roxas looked at his twin and Sora stared at the blond. In unison the twins had shrugged.

"It was boring. Next time we're just gonna come with you to Leon's," Sora answered. Cloud laughed as he ruffled the soft brown spikes. The eldest had glanced over at the other end of the room and noticed the empty cage.

"Where's Mickey?" he inquired with a slight concern. He hoped their father wouldn't find the poor thing and step on it by accident. As Roxas saw the worry flicker over his oldest brother's face he sighed.

"Sora was playing with him outside and now we can't find him," Roxas replied, grimacing. He hated the lie. He hated that he was a lair. He hated Cloud's sad look before the blond just patted their shoulders.

"Sorry guys… Why don't I make you some chocolate pancakes?" Cloud asked. Both boys nodded enthusiastically even if they didn't much feel like it. Cloud beamed and quickly shoved them down the stairs. Roxas and Sora looked at each other before giving themselves a nod.

No more, they promised. No more lies…

Even if it hurts?

Especially if it hurts…

TBC

A/N: Ouch, my heart hurts now. Damn! I'm so mean! I love chibi fics though. I just had to have one more chapter dedicated to the cute kid crushes. Worry not; next chapter is all about the Leon and Cloud love! So hurry and review and you'll get it faster!