Klutz

by blu blade

(On Hiatus) Sora Hikaru has it all. Friends. Good grades. There's only one problem: his clumsiness. Why did everything he touch come back ruined? Why couldn't he stand on his own two feet? And why, after 3 years, was Riku Tarada back in Lucky High? SR, AR and more!

10. The Pregame Show and The Past

Yeah, that's right. Take a long, good look at the size of that scroll bar. Not much there, is there? I hope that makes up for my delayed update.

Two quick things:

1) Who saw Horton Hears a Who? Does JoJo's voice sound, I dunno, familiar to anyone? Lol, he sure does sound like Roxas...

2) Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Is. Awesome. I play as Lucas, how about you?

Reviewers:

calmxbeforexthexstorm: Yay! An update! heh, glad to be of service. The story loves you more!

Kira Sakura: Lol, well at least now you can know what Riku did. Hope your still bouncing for this chapter after so long!

SuperFriendlySoraFan203: S-S-S-S-Sora the Explorer! Lol, and it probably did. Ketchup + sexy hair equals D:

Scootkadooot: Haha, cheerleaders. I was almost one. Almost. (not to say I don't like them- male cheerleaders are the smex!) The chappie loved you more!

hanakitsunechan7: Good question! Guess you'll have to see!

Soraholic: Thank you!

midnightvisions: Hehe, now you'll know. Hope you weren't sitting for too long!

pickle-san: Lol, yeah, I'm just grateful that this story has received as many reviews as it has now. But thank you! That comment made my day!

---

"The Pregame Show"

Or

"The Countdown to Showdown"

---

Enter Axel:

If there was one thing in the world that Axel couldn't stand, it'd be liars.

Okay, so maybe that wasn't a thing, but still. He hated to be fucked with! Maybe it was due to the fact that when he was younger, his parents lied to him about getting a divorce, and then about having a little sister, but either way liars could go to hell.

Riku told him that he didn't know who Sora was, but he miraculously saves him and visits him like they're brothers? What the hell? Axel knew Riku was a nice guy, but no one's that nice to someone they've heard about from a friend.

Axel didn't know what to expect of him now. He'd just felt so damn connected to Riku when they were talking! He could see Riku as someone he could be really good friends with, kind of like when he first met Dem and when he first met Rocky. But now Riku is doing this shit? Did he make it a habit to lie to people who are trying to befriend him?

God dammit. And now he was going to be late picking up Roxas and Namine.

Which brought him back to his first dilemma: should he pick up Namine first, or Roxas?

Technically, Namine had asked for a ride first, meaning that technically, it should be her. But what would Roxas think? He could just imagine the look on Roxas' face when he happily bounced out his house just to find Axel with Namine sitting in the front seat. So which was better? Honor or love?

Actually, the way he saw it he already proved he had no honor.

The truth was that he was still the slutty old bastard that he'd told Riku he wasn't anymore. The problem may have had to do with his self-control- he had none- or maybe it was that lately whenever he saw Roxas, the boy seemed too angry to do much of anything with him.

Whatever the fucking reason was…it wasn't like he didn't have a choice.

And that choice was a bad one.

What'd he do to make him treat him like pure shit?

He slept with Namine. They'd had sex.

No, scratch that, cause' when people say that, they refer to a mistake they made one time. "Oh, I got so drunk that night that I slept with that one guy from band camp." He and Namine had had sex numerous times. They'd been having sex for a week now.

Now, usually Axel wasn't the kind of guy who listened to his conscience but…the guilt was wearing him down. Especially when Roxas would just act all sweet and mushy towards him when he least expected it. Like yesterday, when he apologized for slapping him, even though it was Axel's fault.

And now, the way he saw it…it was time to give Roxas something back.

Enter Roxas:

The only reason he was going to this stupid ass party was because of Axel. That red head was so lucky he was in love with him, otherwise he would literally make a dying pact with Sora to kick Riku's ass.

What the hell was Sora even blabbering about earlier over at that diner? About how he wasn't mad at Riku, but just stressed about Axel? Bull. Roxas was completely and utterly pissed at Riku. Axel only added to the pain.

Now Roxas wasn't the kind of person who angered easily, or at least he didn't think so. But he wasn't a freaking saint. So if Riku expected him to welcome him back with open arms after doing something like that to him, he was seriously mistaken.

Let the bodies hit the floor! Let the bodies hit the floor! Let the bodies hit-

Roxas sighed and dug in his pocket for his cell phone, internally cursing himself for letting Axel program such a headache-inducing ring tone.

"Hey Axel." Roxas greeted, staring at his hair in the mirror. It was shoulder length and straight, and his bangs were practically covering his eyes…and ugh, he had yet to spike it. Just his luck, it was already 5:50 and he hadn't even touched his bangs yet! Nice going, Roxas.

"How did you know it was me, Rocky?" Axel wanted to know, his smirk quite evident in his voice. Roxas rolled his eyes a little and opened his jumbo sized tub of hair gel. He might as well get started while he still had the chance.

"There's only one person who has a ringtone that manages to send all the blood rushing to my head." Roxas pointed out, taking a piece of his hair and running the gel through while the cell phone was on speaker. He could hear Axel scoffing.

"Oh, and here I thought just the sound of my voice would send all the blood rushing to your-"

"Okay, so are you still picking me up?" Roxas interrupted quickly and loudly, blushing at the foreseen sexual comment. Axel laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm standing outside your door right now. And I'm…ringing the doorbell…and…wait, wait, someone's coming, someone's coming…Hi, Mrs. Haiku, how are you doing…? Yes, yes, I'm here to pick him up…."

Roxas rolled his eyes, and grinning, poked his head out of his bedroom door. "HI AXEL! I'M IN MY ROOM!" He shouted, then as an afterthought, "AND STOP QUESTIONING HIM, MOM!"

"I just want to know where you're going!" His mother cried out guiltily, sparing Axel an apologetic look. Axel just shrugged. "We're going over to Kairi's."

"Oh, thank heavens! You're going to Kairi's house! That girl is such a sweetheart!" Roxas' mom sighed in relief, retreating back to the living room. "Have fun!"

Axel watched her go for a second before shaking his head at the Kairi thing- seriously, what was that woman talking about?- and making his way up the stairs, whistling to himself out of sheer nerves.

Roxas didn't even glance in Axel's direction as the red head entered his room, plopping down on his bed tiredly. "I'm tired." Axel pointed out unnecessarily, as if the sudden attack of his bed wasn't evidence enough.

"Why? All you did was hang around your house all day and then drive over here." Roxas snorted, finishing up the last touches of his hair with proud flourish. Getting his hair to defy gravity was no joke.

Axel was silent and Roxas turned around to face him, his face softening into concern. "What's the matter?"

He cleared his throat and plastered a smirk on his face, one Roxas could damn well see through. Alright, he was more than tired of being out of the loop. It was time Axel told him what was really bothering him.

"What is really wrong?"

Silence. And then:

"Roxas…I have to tell you something."

Enter Zexion:

"So basically, you forgot about me." Zexion clarified, folding his arms and glaring. Riku, the object of his glare, was sitting on his bed, wincing as he dragged a comb through his tangled mop of wet hair. Something deep inside of Zexion chuckled evilly at the karma.

"No, Zex, I already told you. I merely planned to pick you up at a later time!" Riku exclaimed, crying out in frustration as the comb became completely stuck in his head. Demyx, who was finishing up the last touches on his own hair, laughed and tossed Riku a wide-toothed comb.

"So basically, you forgot about him. Here, try this one." Demyx grinned, walking over to Zexion and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Although, I can't say I'm not grateful that you did."

Zexion rolled his eyes, but secretly something inside of him fluttered.

"See, I told you, Zex, everything I do is just a blessing in disguise." Riku smirked, and Zexion scowled at him. "When exactly did you say that?"

Riku shrugged. "Somewhere between doing your mom."

Zexion rolled his eyes again and turned back to his reflection in the mirror. That imbecile Riku was lucky he was his friend.

But deep inside, he knew that wasn't true. He was lucky to be Riku's friend…they all were. And if this Sora person didn't realize that by the end of the night, well, frankly…

Riku could do much better.

"So yeah, I can't believe I've never spoken to you before. You said you're from Bastian Bay?" Demyx asked Riku, brushing off a piece of lent from his green Abercrombie and Fitch polo. Zexion repressed an urge to gag. Who in their right minds would wear that crap? Of course, it did look pretty good on Dem, he had to admit.

Riku sighed in triumph as he successfully finished fixing his hair. "Uh, yeah, I spent the first semester of my freshman year at Lucky High before moving there three years ago. But I'm back now. That can attribute mostly to Cloud, Sora and guilt."

"Well," Demyx began with a shrug, "the way I see it, this is also a good chance to start over. I mean, all the girls just fawn over you. You've got the cheerleaders eating out of the palm of your hands, the guys on the sport teams are dying to get you to join them, and anybody else is too intimidated by your sheer sexiness to even approach you."

Demyx paused and turned to Zexion. "But of course, you're not a gorgeous as Zexion here." He gave him a small kiss on the lips.

Riku laughed and cooed as Zexion's face erupted in a fierce blush. "Yeah," He sighed playfully once he'd regained his breath, "I sure wish I looked like him."

"Fuck you." Zexion growled, hiding his face in his hair, ignoring Demyx's pout at the gesture. "It's time for us to head out anyway. The party is going to start without you."

Riku rolled his eyes but stood up anyway. "Alright, let's get the drama over with."

Enter Cloud:

If Cloud had a color, it'd be confused. Sure, that wasn't a color, but who gave a fuck? He was cheating on Sephiroth, for Christ sake. His Seph. The man he'd been in love with since he could speak. And now look. He was fucking a man he'd literally just met about a couple of days ago. And it got worse. He was starting to have legitimate feelings for him, feelings that just refused to go away.

What was wrong with him?

Luckily, though, he got to have a break from all of this. He was sitting on Kairi Tomura's couch, probably his residence for the next eight hours, ready to chaperone the underage drinking and grinding, surely illegal somewhere.

But there was a bright side. He got to be away from Leon, which his lower regions protested wasn't a good thing, and to have time to sort of his remaining feelings for Sephiroth.

Ugh...he needed Samuel Adams, and he needed him fast.

Enter Kairi:

The house was amazing. The normally quite dull exterior of the quiet suburban house had been transformed into the main squeeze place-to-be of the night. The grass had been dyed aqua-marine, the color of the honoree's eyes, and was sparkling with unseen drops of dew. Hollywood style lights were moving back and forth into the night sky, casting a welcoming glow across the whole neighborhood.

A red carpet led to the front door, which was covered in silver sparkles, in honor of the special someone's long hair, but the perhaps the most breath-taking sight was behind that door. The interior was shocking. Where were the couches and the lamps? No one knew. All the party goers knew was that the inside of the house looked exactly like a UK rave. Disco balls hung from the ceilings along with letters spelling out R-I-K-U in sparkly pink letters.

The floor was covered in some kind of hard surface that lit up a different color every time a foot touched it. The walls were splatter painted in neon colors, and in small frames were many pictures of Riku over the years that he was in Destiny Island. Splatter painted neon Mistletoe hung from every corner, Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution and Super Smash Bros. Brawl were in the Game Room, and every type of food imaginable was set out in the Dining Room, which was decorated like a Drive-through, complete with a bubbly brunette serving everyone's food wishes.

Oh and don't forget the stripper poles and the run way, courtesy of a familiar, blonde, quite older friend of hers.

To add to every adventurer's needs, there was a rock wall, an arcade, and a trampoline in the Morning Room. There was even a movie theater with a huge projector, fading lights, and a popcorn machine in the basement.

All in all, the party was going to be rocking out hard.

It was six o'clock on the dot, and people were just about to start arriving. The honored had yet to arrive, but said person's companion was already there. And what was he doing? Well…

Sora was freaking out again.

Kairi pursed her strawberry flavored Kiss Me! Gloss covered lips in irritation. If she had to breathe with Sora one more time, she was going to explode! True, Sora was her best friend, and true, Sora had asthma, but come on! She deserved a little fun, right? If she wanted to enjoy herself at all at this party, she would have to initiate her plan now.

"Sora, Riku is not even here yet. Calm down. In fact, why don't you go to the kitchen and play bartender until Roxas gets here." Kairi suggested, pushing her best friend into that direction. Actually, she hoped Sora wouldn't bar tend all night. Roxas was the best drink maker on the island, and frankly Sora was…well, clumsy.

Speaking of which, Sora hadn't really broken anything in a while. Well, scratch that, he had been breaking tons of things, but not as many as before. Could it be that Riku's mediocre "awesomeness" lessons were actually working?

Kairi tugged on one of her locks in thought. This may work in her favor.

Her half-assed just thought of a couple of minutes ago plan was quite simple. Stick Roxas, Riku and Sora in a closet. Rikku would be the recorder¸ Paine would make sure no one came in, and Yuna would…well, if all went according to plan, flirt with her! Sure, Yuna was straight, but still…if Kairi was able to switch over to the dark side, there was still hope for Yuna!

Actually, she'd had a really great plan formulated in her mind that she had originally planned to use. But it had required her to lie to Roxas and Sora, and it would require Riku and some other people to hurt them in order to get them to be themselves again.

So she pretty much decided it wasn't worth it. At least not yet.

Ding Dong!

Kairi grinned mischievously. Time to get this party started!

---

"Riku's Welcome Back Party! Part One"

Or

"The Past"

In celebration of a loving, caring, quite sexy silver-haired hottie who is finally back in Destiny Island for good!

---

Enter Sora:

It took a while, but after much consideration, I'd finally discovered just what the heck Riku had meant earlier when he said, "You don't want to see what had her running out of the Shack? I mean, there has to be a reason why she just up and left you like that." And of course, I assumed he was just trying to get a rise out of me.

Boy was I a dumbass.

"Hey Klutz! Can you mix me a Strawberry Pina Colada flavored Sex on the Rocks?" Some guy who I recognized to be in my geometry class asked me, holding an attractive blonde girl in his left arm. I blinked at him.

"Does it look like I know how to mix you a Strawberry Pina Colada flavored Sex on the Rocks?" I asked him back sourly, reaching in the cooler next to me and pulling out a Bud Light. "Here, just take this and get slammed somewhere."

The guy rolled his eyes but took the beer. "Wonder what crawled up his butt." I heard him asking the girl who was in his arms.

I sighed. Parties weren't really my thing. But of course they weren't; I was hardly ever invited to them. Kairi tried to drag me to some of them last summer, but honestly my heart wasn't into it.

The next thing I knew, the house was full of people and I was still sitting here in the outfit that Riku picked out for me earlier. Was that why he bought me a new outfit? Because he knew about this party? Figures.

Just as I prepared to crank open a beer myself (I actually don't like beer, but getting totally wasted would be better than just sitting here), Cloud came up to where I was "bartending" (basically just handing out beers) and plucked it from my hands.

"Hey Sora." He greeted, lifting his beer in a salute. I merely gave him an odd look. Wasn't he supposed to be, I don't know, chaperoning?

"Shouldn't you be-?"

"Nope. Well, yes, but I intend to get shitfaced while I sort out my love life in a drunken stupor. And stopping anyone else from getting completely trashed would make me a hypocrite." Cloud explained with a long swig of his beer.

I rolled my eyes and reached for my stolen beer, but Cloud merely dangled it above my head where he knew I couldn't reach. I pouted. "How come tons of kids on the island that you don't even know can get shitfaced but I can't?" I protested.

Cloud grinned at me. "Because I'm not best friends with their fathers."

I groaned. "Being your god kid sucks, Cloud. It sucks hard."

"Harder than finding out that the guy you're infatuated with is getting serious with someone else?" Roxas suddenly supplied, showing up in between Cloud and I. I tilted my head at him in confusion.

"Who? Axel?" I wanted to know. Roxas gave me a stupid look.

"No, Sora, the Easter Bunny." He mocked with a scoff, ignoring my pout. Well, gosh, that was no reason for Roxas to get all touchy. It wasn't my fault that he and Axel were having problems again.

Cloud laughed loudly before letting out a small burp. "Oops." He giggled.

Roxas stared at him a moment in slight disgust before turning back to me. "Right. Well anyway, Sora, I was wondering if-"

"Roxas! Would you stop being a baby and just talk to me?" Axel's red spiky hair was suddenly visible a few people away, and his deep, deviously seductive voice rang throughout the house. I could see Kairi over by the DJ station- being managed by Wakka until Demyx arrived- glancing from Roxas to Axel nervously.

Roxas merely turned his back to him, shooting me an irritated look. "Why does he always have to be so damn loud?"

Ignoring that question, since I knew it was rhetorical and because I knew that Roxas didn't mind all that much since he loves Axel's voice, I asked the million dollar question on everybody's mind.

"What did he do?"

Axel was heading our way fast, and Roxas acted quickly. If by acting quickly you mean grabbing my wrist and pulling me into the kitchen and under the table.

"Okay, I had to make sure the coast was clear." Roxas informed me in a hushed tone, observing his surroundings with care. I cocked my head and gave him a weird look. Just what the heck was he taking?

"Uh, Rox?"

"Alright, the going looks good." He determined. He looked back at me. "So now that we're alone…you want to know what he did."

I nodded. Duh.

"Okay, well, once I tell you, you're going to be all, 'oh Roxas, that's so stupid.' But this time, in my heart, I feel like I actually have something to argue with him about." Roxas explained. My heart raced a little despite myself. It must be serious.

"Axel is getting serious with Namine."

"What? But…I thought you guys were just dating. Isn't he allowed to see Namine if you guys are just dating?"

Roxas regarded me with exhausted eyes. "Sor, when I say serious, I mean…serious."

I nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I get that. What I mean is-"

"They're having sex, Sor."

Silence rung throughout the kitchen- well, except for the music and the party-goers at least. Was he serious? He couldn't be serious…Axel wouldn't do that to Roxas! He knows just how much Rox loves him! Doesn't he?

Whatever. It didn't matter if Roxas never told him. All that mattered was that I was right from the start. Roxas deserved much better than anything that Axel could give him.

"Look Roxas, I don't want you to think that I don't like Axel. Of course I do, he became one of my closest pals after Riku…after Riku left. But I've always kind of thought that you were more deserving of someone that will love you for who you are." I told him seriously, taking his hand. Roxas glanced down at our entwined hands and blushed a little.

"Uh…that's really sweet, Sora."

I gave him one of my trademark Sora Smiles. "No prob, Rox."

Enter Riku:

I was an hour late to my own party…how tacky.

Zexion and Demyx turned out to be perfect for each other- but that was expected of course, since he was all Zex talked about back in Bastian Bay, and he never talks highly of anyone- but as it also turns out, they fight like a married couple.

"So, the talking box says that we should get on Ansem the Wise Bridge, and then take a right on King Mickey Street, and we should be in Painted Papou Drive, where Kairi lives." Demyx would say. And of course, Zexion would just have to correct him by saying,

"I believe you're referring to the GPS Navigational System, and you must be mistaken. There is no turn off of the bridge that allows me to make a right."

Demyx: "Well, sweetheart, the talking box happens to disagree with you there. Besides, you're not even on the bridge yet, so how would you know?

Zexion: "Must you be so childish? I'm not on the bridge yet because if I get on the bridge and my calculations are correct, there will be no right turn that gets us on King Mickey Street. Then we'll both be sitting here like dumbasses while Riku cries like a baby because he can't see his precious coconut-"

Me: "It's Kiwi."

Zexion: "-So excuse me if I don't listen to the GPS NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM, and use a little common sense. Honey."

Demyx: "Must you be such an asshole? Baby cakes, I'm just listening to the TALKNG BOX like you asked so we can get to the party before Riku has a meltdown over his mango."

Me: "It's KIWI!"

Zexion and Demyx at the same time: "Who cares?!"

And then it's back to the bickering.

So after thirty more minutes of this, we finally rolled up to Kairi's house. And don't even look at me like that, like I should know where she lives. It's been three years, and I have no clue how to get there from Zexion's new apartment, nor do I remember how to get there from anywhere else on the island. Like I said, it's been three years.

Three years without seeing Kiwi or Roxas.

But tonight, all of that was going to change. If Kairi's plan succeeded, I would be able to see those two, especially Kiwi, all I wanted. And all I had to do, apparently, was wait quietly and obediently in the closet like a good little boy, and Kairi would handle the rest.

Part of me was wondering why the hell I had to wait in a closet, but who am I to question the master? The fact of it is, I came to her for help (well, sort of), and I'll be damned if I was going to bite the hand that was feeding me.

When Zexion pulled up into Kairi's driveway (surprisingly it wasn't filled up completely like one would assume), I couldn't hold back the surprised gasp that had escaped from my throat. The house looked incredible!

Kairi did all of this for me, despite my behavior in the past. This really was…this meant a lot.

"Jeez, Tarada, don't cry." Zexion snorted, unbuckling his seat belt. I sniffed and let my bangs cover my eyes a little bit. Zexion was always right, and this was no exception. I won't lie; there were some tears that were threatening to fall. But I shook them away. I had to be a man!

Get your head in the game, Riku!

"Shut up." I retorted back smartly, opening my door as well. Demyx laughed and patted me on the back. "Good one, Riku." He said sarcastically.

A strange, dorky sounding chuckle from behind startled me, causing me to lose balance and go stumbling into the bushes, true Sora-style. Two shadows faced Zex, Demyx, and I and out of the corner of my eye I could see Zexion slipping his hand into his cloak, stroking the book that lay inside.

"That was the worst driving I've ever seen!"

"Well, gawrsh, there's no need to be rude!"

"There is a huge need to be rude!"

Demyx and I shared looks (these guys didn't sound like crocks) and relaxed confusedly, while Zexion withdrew his hand hesitantly.

"Show yourselves or perish." He said into the shadows, causing the faded arguing to cease. All three of us held our breaths as two horrible, monstrous, evil-

-animalistic looking dorks came out to greet us. Oh.

Oh, jeez, not these two losers again.

The two shadows belonged to none other than Goofy and Donald, Sora's two goofy friends. Everyone has a pair of friends that, even though they might not be the closest, they can trust enough to be themselves with, and these two have always been Sora's.

Pssh. Whatever. I don't see what makes them so much better than me. But it's not that I'm jealous or anything. Sometimes a person just needs to be with a different set of friends.

"Riku! What is this guy talking about?" Donald demanded, stomping his orange colored converses. He was wearing a blue shirt that reminded me distinctly of a sailor, with matching shorts. His pale, pale skin glistened in the setting sun, casting almost a feather-like quality to it and his hair, bleached blonde because he thought it was cool, looked almost like the same color. His facial features were sharp and shaped, and his mouth was puckered ad pushed out slightly thanks to his orange braces.

Goofy, on the other hand, who had randomly pointed out that, "Riku looks so wise now!" (I always did like Goofy better than Donald), had more of a dog-like quality to him, and I don't mean that he was loyal (but really, he was). He had a long nose that rounded out on the tip (kind of like a who from Whoville) that was sprinkled with dark freckles, buck-teeth and warm brown eyes. His hair was black and pulled into shoulder-length dreadlocks, but he always braided them together into two pig-tails, making the two pieces of hair kind of look like dog ears. He wore big baggy yellow capris, a black vest over a long sleeved green zip-up, and pulled his black socks all the way up.

I can see where Sora got his hideous fashion sense.

"You know them, Riku?" Zexion asked, his voice dripping with judgment. Of course, it couldn't have been that harsh since Demyx was already making friends with the two boys as I was scrutinizing them and that was a major factor in who Zex decided to associate himself with.

"Yeah," I admitted, scratching the back of my head sheepishly, "they're Sora's friends, actually."

Zexion had turned to no doubt lay one of his sarcastic comments on me, but something else seemed to catch his attention. What? He was staring pretty intently at me. I fidgeted uncomfortably. He knows I don't like when people stare at me, so what was he looking at?

"Uh…" I started but just as I soon as I started Zexion returned to his car to fish out something from the glove department. My narrowed a little bit. Could it be a…gun? Zexion was known for doing some crazy shit. Stupid crazy shit. I was assuming he planned to be on his best behavior tonight, but…

Zex, after locking his car again, made his way back over to me, the hand with the article in it stuffed in his pocket. I immediately prepared to whip out my black sunglasses and get into James Bond mode. Just in case, though, I would give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Zexion…what's that? Is it a gun? Because I know you don't plan to…" I trailed off. He had pulled out the object (not without giving me a weird look, might I add) and, uh, it was a roll of bandages. Ah. Yeeeeah, this was pretty embarrassing.

"Opps."

Ignoring me, he quickly and swiftly rolled the bandages over my arm- the same arm that I had unknowingly cut up when I fell in the bushes. Aw! Zexion did care! He was so concerned about my arm that he fixed it right up for me. That was so sweet, and so…un-like him.

Zexion gave me a stupid look before pushing past me. "Come on, Tarada, before I shoot you."

I started to laugh before Zexion wordlessly lifted up his black hoodie- revealing a silver pistol nestled in his jean pocket.

What the hell? Why the fuck did Zexion bring a pistol with him? It's not like he didn't already bring the damn book…how much power does that man need?

"Zexion…."

"Riku, don't even start with me on that power trip mumbo jumbo." Zexion cut me off, holding up a hand to make sure I would speak no longer. "I have a valid reason this time."

I narrowed my eyes in disbelief. "Oh yeah? Let's hear it then." This oughta be good.

Zexion lowered his voice. "The Organization…they'll be arriving in Destiny Island tonight."

My eyes widened. WHAT?

"Why the fuck are they doing that?" I questioned coldly, my confusion making me a little too harsh, just to be shushed again.

"Because," Zexion snapped, probably trying to hint to me to shut up, "I ran away half-way through the initiation."

If possible, my eyes widened ever further. I must have looked like Sora. "Why? I thought that's what you wanted."

"I thought I did too. But then I realized that…these were the same guys who, I thought at the time, killed Demyx. So I couldn't do it."

I sighed. Zexion had really gotten himself in a mess when he started hanging out with that gang. Granted, they really were like a family…and true, they had strange supernatural abilities (no, I'm not freaked out by it; been there done that). And to add the topping on the cake, Xiggie, Zex's older brother to whom he never got to see…ever, was in it. But that didn't mean that it was the right place for Zexion.

In fact, they'd even tried to induct me, despite the fact that I don't have weird powers or the ability to make random objects appear in my hand. I declined, of course. Well, if declined means shaking my head and saying, "Nah. Maybe later."

But Zex? Yeah, he was in some deep shit. All we could do now is go inside, make sure Kairi had an escape route or plan or something, and pray that the Organization wouldn't come to Painted Papou Drive.

We entered the house, hearing Dem and the dorks behind us, and I couldn't help but let out a gasp of surprise. Oh wow…Kairi had really outdone herself. The house looked even better on the inside!

Of course, it's not like I had time to really look around or anything, since right when I stepped inside I was embraced by a warm body.

"Hey man! Long time no see!" It was Tidus. I grinned and patted him heartedly on the back.

"Tidus! How's it been, dude?"

Tidus' grin widened and he gently pulled a pretty short-haired brunette in front of him. My eyebrows couldn't help but rise a little.

She really was gorgeous. She had two different colored eyes, one blue and one green, and had mahogany colored locks- sort of the color of Sora's hair. She was wearing a tank-top and jean shorts, with a flowing belt that was open on her right side. A strange but beautiful intricate necklace completed the look, completely an overall dazzling effect.

"This is my girlfriend, Yuna Highwind." He continued with a knowing wink. I blinked. Wait. When I left, Tidus and Kairi were still going out. When did they break up?

And why didn't Kairi tell me? Well, it's not like she had time to; she's been such a great friend helping me and Sora that she's been ignoring her own life.

I frowned; jeez, I really felt like a jerk today.

"So where's Sora and Roxas?" I asked instead, my eyes scanning all of the different features to the house. There was a rock wall?! Where did she even get that?

Tidus' expression suddenly turned mischievous. "The last time I saw them they were under a table together."

Oh, that was nice. Despite all of the anger directed at me, I'm glad that Sora and Roxas were able to remain a healthy friendship and-

Wait. Under a table?

Together?

"What do…what do you mean?" I wanted to know, scowling at Tidus' handsome suntanned face. He raised an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look, Riku. It's exactly like it sounds. They used to date, you know."

My frowned deepened and my eyes grew wide. They use to date? When was this?!

"What? When?"

"Uh, I think about a year and a half after you left. They were pretty hot together, actually. They both kind of look the same so it was a pretty sexy coupling." Tidus explained, turning to Yuna when she subtly tugged on his arm.

"I got to go get Yuna something to drink, Riku. But you stay cool man."

I didn't even notice him anymore. "Yeah. Sure."

Enter Tidus:

As Tidus passed by Kairi, she casually pressed a crisp twenty dollar bill in his outstretched hand. And that, friends, is what bribes can get you.

Enter Riku:

Now, I know that this emotion I was feeling wasn't the least bit justified but…I couldn't help but feel a little angry. While I was in Bastian Bay, feeling guilty and lonely what with my blunt lack of friends (minus Zexion, of course, but he didn't even go to school) while they were kissing each other up?

Something about that just didn't seem right.

The scent of daises and apples surrounded me, and I looked up to see Kairi waving a hand in my face, smiling brightly. I couldn't help but give a little smile as well. It was the least I could do, what with all this work she'd put into the party.

She could totally tell I was faking though.

"Alright, let's hear it. Out with it; what happened?" She demanded to know, placing her hands on her hips. I glanced over at her before looking at my feet. She looked pretty; she had on a cute little dress that zipped and her hair fell in a very appealing sort of way. I idly wondered who it was she was trying to look good for. But once again, my selfishness prevented me from asking.

"How long did Sora and Roxas go out?" I tried to ask casually, but I'm pretty sure it didn't come out that way. Kairi sighed and pursued her lips.

"I don't know; a couple of months give or take?"

I cursed in my head. I don't know why it made me so angry but…it did. I won't lie; it made me completely and utterly upset. Maybe it was the feeling that I was being excluded? The feeling of being left out? Or maybe it was just jealously.

Whatever it was, I didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Riku…you okay there?" Kairi asked me, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder. I gave her a fake smile and nodded vigorously. Might as well pretend as if I wasn't bothered by it…it was worth a shot to pretend, right?

"Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, why would I be upset about that?" I pointed out with a forced scoff, letting my bangs cover my eyes. One of the worst things about my eyes, besides the fact that they were so squinty- as I pointed out earlier- was that they couldn't lie. My eyes were so damn expressive…it was a fucking curse.

Kairi rolled her eyes and pointed to a door a couple of steps away from us. "Just go wait in the closet, Riku."

I opened my mouth to protest. "But-"

"Nope; I don't want to hear it. I need to finish my preparations for the party games before I can tell you 'the plan', so go wait in there like I told you to. I'll be there in a second." She interrupted, holding out a hand in front of my face to prevent me from speaking.

"But I-"

"Ah." She held up a finger and interrupted me with a single syllable.

"Kairi, I-"

"Ah."

"You're being-"

"Ah."

"Fine." I blew out air frustratingly, ignoring the way my bangs flipped up and opened the closet door. Closing the door, I suddenly realized that I definitely left Zexion. Again. Demyx would be at the turntables, DJ-ing for Kairi, so he wouldn't have anyone to hang with. I'd told Zex that he could stick with me.

I reached for the handle, only to slam my hand on the door. Ow!

The hell? Where were the handles?

I kicked the door roughly, but it still didn't budge. "Kairi! It won't open!" I shouted, in hopes that maybe she'd open it, or tell me the location of the handles. All I heard, though, was the giggling of Kairi's voice.

"I know!" She called back happily, and I could hear her footsteps retreating.

Well, this was just wonderful. I was stuck in a damn closet. Ugh, what kind of idiot doesn't check for door handles when they enter a room?

Apparently, me.

I sat down on the floor in the darkness, staring out into nothingness, hearing the party carry on without me.

Well.

Fuck.

Enter Sora:

As I crawled out the table, I noticed that Roxas wasn't following.

"You gonna get out from under that table, Rox?"

Roxas gave me a half smile and leaned back on one of the chair legs. He shook his head like I was stupid. "Dude, does it look like I feel like dealing with Axel's bullshit tonight?"

I laughed. "No."

"Didn't think so."

Exiting the kitchen, I happened to pass by Axel, who was looking more than a little put out. The angel in me began to feel immensely sorry for him. Unfortunately for Roxas, the devil in me was currently harping on Riku at the moment to really stop me from feeling a little empathy.

"Hey, Axel. You alright, buddy?" I asked, genuinely concerned. He let out a bark of pathetic laughter and regarded me with an amused smile. It was so forced that even I could see through it. Aw, poor Ax!

"No, I'm not. I really need to talk to Roxas. I hurt him, and I want to make it right." He confessed, running a hand through his red spikes and tugging slightly. "Did he leave? Or is he just hiding?"

Sneaking a back glance at the table Roxas was hiding under, I raised my voice and arched an eyebrow.

"SORRY AXEL, I THINK HE LEFT ALREADY!" I spoke out loudly, but meanwhile pointing slyly at the kitchen. He stared at me for a second before realization dawned on his face.

"OH DAMN! I GUESS I'LL GO BY HIS HOUSE THEN!" He played along, creeping into the kitchen. 'Thank you!' He mouthed, retreating into the kitchen. I paused. I heard an eep! and then a, "Sora, you fucking traitor!"

I snickered and fled the area. It was smarter to stay clear of Roxas when he's in a pissy mood. And right now, it was one of those times.

I ended up running right into Kairi, however, who was whispering into some kind of walkie talkie to Rikku and Paine.

"Okay, just make sure he stays in there. I'm sending in Sor-" She froze upon noting who it was that she'd just bumped into. She laughed nervously. "O-Oh! Hey Sor!"

I narrowed my eyes. I could have sworn that she'd been about to say my name in that walkie talkie. Sure, I was naïve but I wasn't stupid.

"Why did you just say my name?" I asked her bluntly, folding my arms and glared at her playfully. I wasn't really mad; just curious. She cleared her throat.

"Oh, Sora, you're so silly sometimes. It's not even that serious. I was just telling Rikku that we were going to need some more beer since Cloud was drinking it all-" We both paused to look over at Cloud, who was surrounded by girls, teenage girls, mind you, and drinking another can of beer.

"-And I was going to ask you if you could go get some more from the closet." She finished with a smile. I cocked my head at her.

"Why are you keeping beer in the closet? Won't it be warm?"

Kairi laughed. "Oh Sora, you really are a party virgin, aren't you? Don't you know that warm beer is all the rage now?"

I scowled at her. I was NOT a party virgin. Okay…so maybe I was, but still! She didn't have to say it like that! I totally knew that warm beer was cool!

"I know that, I was just asking to make sure… your closet wasn't making it cold and…not warm…and…" I trailed off when she gave me a look. "I'll just get the beer now."

"Thank you!" She cooed, leading me to the closet. Well, jeez, if she planned to actually go over there she could have just gotten it herself.

I opened the closet and went inside, my eyes swiftly looking for the beer from the light in the hallway. Huh? I didn't see any beer.

Turning around to tell her this, I felt pressure hit me in my derrière.

Now, I could have been mistaken but…it looked like Kairi just slammed the door on my butt. I reached up to open it just to hit the door itself with my hand.

"What the- hey Kairi! The door is locked!" I cried, pounding on the door in frustration. Uh, where the heck was the handle? And why did I get the feeling that something horrible was happening that I just didn't understand?

An irritated scoff from behind me let me know I was correct as I went flying into the air, startled. "This was her master plan? Lock us into a closet?"

I swirled around and clicked on the light, letting my eyes adjust. Nope, it wasn't just an illusion. The owner to that voice was in here. "Riku?! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I shrieked, retreating to the opposite side of the small closet. Riku rolled his eyes.

"Well, I think what I was doing was waiting in here as I was told. But, you know, I'm not sure." Riku answered sarcastically, folding his arms. I stared at him in surprise as he glared at me. What the- was he mad at me? It sure did look like it. But what did he have to be mad about? He was the one who-

"Tell me, Sora. How long did you and Roxas date after I left?" Riku sneered. My mouth fell open in shock. How did he know about that? It's not even like it was that serious. I was lonely without Riku, despite my anger, and he was there. I mean, Roxas is an attractive guy, and he has this weird sexy mischievousness about him…and I missed Riku, dammit!

I won't lie; I had feelings for Roxas for a while. But they were never as strong as the ones I had for Riku. And besides…Riku was the asshole who broke my heart. So in my book, I didn't have to explain jip to him.

I folded my arms as well and sent him a glare of my own. "That's not really any of your business, now is it?"

Riku growled and opened his mouth to speak, but sounds outside the closet door grabbed both of our attention.

"Roxas! Talk to me, god dammit! Let's be fucking adults here!"

"No, I don't deserve to talk to you, remember?"

"I didn't say that, and what I didsay I didn't actually mean. I was frustrated. Just…let's just go in this closet and talk, alright?"

"Fine."

I repressed a sigh as Roxas opened and slammed the closet door shut. Great. Now we were stuck in here with Roxas and Axel. There was no way in hell I was coming out of here alive.

"Roxas, look, I-" Axel paused as he took in the sight of me and Riku on opposite sides of the closet. His shoulders sagged and he sighed exasperatedly. "Okay, what the fuck is going on?"

Roxas shot a beautifully frightening scowl at me. "Sora, what are you doing in here with him?"

Riku answered for me before I could answer in a way that would calm him down. "Kairi trapped us in here; you can't get out from the inside. And apparently, that was a fact that escaped you when you decided to come in here."

"I don't like you. Or your tone." Roxas growled, making to attack Riku before Axel stepped in front of him. He glared at Riku as well.

"Chill out, fairy, we didn't know. Besides that, it wouldn't be such an issue if you had known that prior to coming in here with a guy that you apparently don't know." Axel retorted, earning a confused look from me and Roxas and a guilty one from Riku.

"Hold on Axel, before you jump to conclusions, I-" Riku started but I didn't even hear him speak. Why did he tell Axel that? Did he not want to know me? But that would make no sense, seeing as how he's been trying to be near me ever since he came back. No, it couldn't be that. Or…maybe…

Oh god. I could feel the air from my lungs compress indefinitely and my breathing quicken. I knew what was going on.

"Riku…did you…were you…are you embarrassed to know me?" I asked quietly, looking down at my shoes. I could feel Riku's shocked gaze boring down on me but I still wouldn't look up at him. I couldn't. I didn't want to see the truth shining in his beautiful aquamarine eyes.

"No! Kiwi, it wasn't like that! Listen, I-" Riku reached for me but Roxas intercepted his arm and bent it behind his back, slamming him to the wall. My eyes widened in concern despite myself, and even Axel looked a little bit sympathetic for Riku.

"No. You just stay the fuck away from him. Every little thing that comes out of your mouth just ends up hurting someone in the end; just like you ended up hurting me. So just leave us alone!" And with that, Roxas slammed Riku into the wall and released him, watching as he slid to the ground, groaning.

Axel glared at Riku before turning to Roxas in suspicion. "What do you mean he hurt you?"

Roxas glanced up at me before quickly returning his eyes to Axel's narrowed ones. "He…didn't…."

Axel grabbed Roxas' wrists and shook him a little bit in obvious frustration. "Roxas! What did he fucking do to you?"

Roxas squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, but Axel shook him harder. "ROXAS! ANSWER ME!"

"IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO!" Roxas screamed, shutting up Axel immediately, "And….I was thirteen years old…me and Riku were together back then. And it was beautiful…"

Three years ago

June

Roxas watched as Riku slept peacefully in his bed, staring as the silver haired male hugged the sheets to himself. Riku was so beautiful. Sometimes, mostly when Riku was doing something unknowingly perfect, Roxas would sit and wonder just how the hell he ended up with someone like him.

"Rox…why are you up over there, babe?" Riku asked groggily, opening his eyes a little. Roxas was sitting by the window sill; he couldn't sleep. Even with this heavenly relationship, and his cherished friendships, he could help but feel as if there was something he wasn't seeing; something almost horrible-like…that he wasn't getting.

"I was just thinking. Hey, you think maybe you should get going? It's already one o'clock, and mom said if she saw you here again past midnight she was going to-" Roxas began but Riku interrupted him with a grin.

"I know, I know. 'I'll ground Roxas so hard he won't be able to take a piss without feeling a pair of eyes on his long, beautiful rod.'"

Roxas burst out laughing before Riku slammed his hand over his mouth with a pointed smile.

When he felt like Roxas could control himself, he released his hold on his mouth. "She did not say that and you know it, you loser." Roxas hissed with one last chuckle. Riku shrugged playfully as if he didn't know any better before pulling on his yellow tank top.

Riku paused at the window before turning back to Roxas with a sly smile. He cocked his finger as if he wanted him to go to him. Roxas obliged. Riku pulled him into a kiss by his chin and Roxas downright melted in his arms just like earlier that night.

"Thanks for tonight, Riku." Roxas whispered.

"Thanks for moving here, Rox." Riku whispered back.

"Wait," Axel interrupted with the wave of his hand, "Are you telling me that you two had just had sex?"

I gasped a little, but Roxas just had the nerve to look a little disgusted. "At the time, I wished. But no, we didn't. All we had been doing was cuddling."

"Oh." I mumbled. That was a relief. I looked up and Riku was staring right at me with a pained look in his eyes.

"Kiwi-" He started but Axel stopped him with a warning finger.

"Shut up, fairy, and let Rocky finish. You're on my radar as it is already."

July

"Boys against girls! Boys against girls! Kairi, that means you have to switch sides with Sora!" Tidus joked, earning a few chuckles from Selphie, Riku and Roxas. Kairi and Sora didn't look so amused.

"Are you calling me a boy?" Kairi asked indigently, placing her hands on her hips. Tidus grinned and pulled her to him by the waist. "Aw, baby, I was just playing around. You know you're my stunning, beautiful female counterpart."

Kairi grinned back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I know." Then they proceeded to kiss.

"Hey! None of that! You'll give Reno a heart attack from seeing so many straight pairings!" Cloud shouted out with a laugh from his position on Sephiroth's lap. It was Fourth of July, and Sunny and Cloud were having their annual barbeque at Aerith's house. Almost everyone on the island was invited, with the exception of a couple of homophobes, which were rare anyway, seeing as how the island prided itself on being considerably accepting.

Sunny burst out laughing as he flipped a pair of ribs on the grill, Sephiroth smirked, and Reno merely scowled at Cloud from where he was sitting between Rude, who had on his glasses and was leaning back with his arms folded and Rufus, who was playing absently with his Reno's red hair.

"I'll have you know I swing both ways!" Reno shouted back, ignoring the disbelieving scoffs that erupted from everyone else in ear shot.

The kids, err, pre-teens, however, were preparing for a rousing game of touch football, which apparently was going to be boys against girls. Because, obviously, that was fair.

"Hey wait! That obviously isn't fair! We can't have boys against girls, especially when Sora, Riku and Roxas would be on the same team with all the other guys!" Selphie suddenly pointed out. A couple of other girls agreed.

Wakka , the oldest of all of them, since he was already in high school while the rest of them were in middle school, had an idea. "How about we put Roxas, Riku and Sora on one team, and everybody else against them?"

Sora gave him an odd look while everyone else avidly agreed. Roxas just shrugged and went over to where Riku was standing, the said male looking a bit unfocused.

"Riku? You okay there?" Roxas asked concerned. Riku just looked over at him, and Roxas couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw guilt flash in his eyes before they quickly returned to their normal playful state.

"Yeah, Rox, I'm straight." Riku grinned. Sora scoffed as the three took their positions on their side of the yard.

"I'm pretty sure that idea was banished from the first time you kissed another dude." Sora pointed out with a smile as Roxas laughed and Riku playfully smacked him on the back of his brown pointy spikes.

"Shut up."

The tweens soon found that even with the uneven ratio of people on each side, it was still quite unfair. Roxas, Riku and Sora were beating everyone else by twelve points at least, but most of that was from Roxas. Riku and Sora were all over each other, in a sense, with all of their whispering and flirting and teasing.

Roxas tried not to notice; to pretend that it didn't bother him. It did, ho boy, it did. But he found that telling himself that this was just their way of showing affection to each other, that this must be what Sora felt like whenever he and Riku got all affectionate in front of him, and that kind of helped.

Of course, at the time, he was forgetting one key thing. Roxas was Riku's boyfriend, not Sora. That was the difference.

To distract himself from all of the attention Riku was giving Sora, Roxas threw all of his will and strength into the game, not allowing the other team to ever get the ball and doing amazing plays.

Riku and Sora never even looked up.

When the game was finished, basically when the other team quit in favor of playing something that they had a better chance of winning at, Roxas went over to where he knew Riku and Sora were, to share high-fives.

But Riku and Sora had already walked off with Sora on Riku's back, going off into their own little world.

…A world that Roxas was obviously not allowed access in to.

"I had been confused." Riku whispered, holding his head in his hands. I wiped my eyes a little bit. How could we have been so…so inconsiderate of Roxas' feelings? As if what we did wasn't enough…

"What?" Roxas finally asked in reference to Riku.

"You know when you said that I had been looking unfocused? I had been confused. I was starting to have these strange new feelings for Sora, but I still loved you. I was…confused." Riku explained quietly.

Roxas shook his head and covered his eyes with the palms of his hands. But he continued.

August

It had started, just like he knew it would. He and Riku were drifting apart. High School hadn't even started for Riku yet and they were already drifting. But of course, it wasn't for Sora and Riku. If anything, those two got closer! As if that was possible.

But he didn't want to bring it up to Sora. He and Sora had also been growing closer too. Sora was like the brother he'd never had. If it wasn't for the frequent asthma attacks and the constant worrying, Sora would be almost as perfect as Riku.

The only one in their little group that wasn't perfect was him.

Lately, as in the past week, Roxas had found himself sitting alone on the roof of an old apartment complex, watching the people go by and taking pictures of those who interested him.

Why was he alone? Well, Sunny, Sora's dad, and Cloud, Riku's soon-to-be step-father, had been taking an end of the summer trip to Halloween Town, and well…Roxas wasn't invited.

But that was okay. It was better here, watching these people that he almost considered his own personal friends (that's how long he'd been watching them) then to watch Sora and Riku flirt some more.

In his heart, he knew that Riku would never hurt him. But it was hard to tell sometimes whenever the three of them were around. Whenever Roxas was with Sora or Riku individually, everything was alright. But as a trio…it all fell apart.

Anyway, he sat up there the entire day, with his lunchbox packed and with an endless supply of film, and watched all of the people who passed by. He snapped pictures of families, of children, of gangs…

But there were three people in particular that he used the most film for, and that was…

A little boy named Denzel who was an orphan. Roxas saw him every morning searching around the area for money. Enough money so he could go to elementary school. The boy was always so optimistic, even with the obvious sickness he had. Roxas always threw down a twenty dollar bill each day when the boy wasn't looking so he could "find" some more money for his fund.

Second was a woman named Tifa, who always liked to take a walk around the complex for her lunch break. She never actually ate during her break, but Roxas liked to take pictures of her, not because she was beautiful, but because of how fragile she looked when she cried. And she cried every single day. It was such a strange fragileness that he could help but wonder why she was so sad. All he knew was that she always gazed at an old torn photograph when she sobbed, a photograph of a young baby boy.

And lastly, his most favorite subject to photograph was a tall red head. Most times than often he would be with a different girl each time Roxas saw him. He liked photographing him because whenever he was with a girl, he looked so…uninhibited. But lately when Roxas would see him at night, the red head would just stand there, staring off into space, looking completely lonely. And what's more, when Roxas looked at him…his expression of depression mirrored his own.

And for some strange reason…that comforted him. Because for some reason he couldn't understand how he was in a relationship with a guy like Riku, and still feel completely alone.

"It was me, wasn't it, Roxas?" Axel asked Roxas in amazement. Roxas just looked away, his cheeks burning. I shared a guilty look with Riku as we both realized what complete assholes we'd been. I somehow realized that Riku wasn't the only jerk on the island. I thought it had been all Riku's fault, but I was to blame as well.

"I had just moved to the island. It was half way through the summer, and I figured the only way to make friends was to pretend to be someone else. Didn't know it would make me even lonelier than I already was, though." Axel murmured, taking Roxas into his arms.

Roxas smiled a little into his chest. "I know; pictures don't lie."

"But people do." Axel suddenly sneered, glaring over at Riku. This time, Riku didn't even flinch.

"You're right. Roxas, tell him the rest." Riku whispered.

September

"I still don't get it, Kai. Why would you want to hang out with me without Sora and Riku?" Roxas wanted to know, taking a long sip of his Dr. Pepper. They were both sitting in The Hollow Connection, the crew's favorite restaurant. For some reason, Kairi had asked him here to hang, which was shocking to say in the least.

Sora and Riku were Kairi's best friends, not Roxas. Kairi and Roxas were good enough friends, but they weren't someone that the other would usually just…chill with.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I don't only hang out with them exclusively. And I'm sorry that I gave you that impression, because I would really like it if we could become better friends." Kairi said earnestly, also taking a sip of her Sprite.

"Uh…okay. Do you, uh, mind if I ask why?" Roxas asked, although he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little distracted. The red headed guy worked here, the one he took pictures of. It would amazingly awesome to see him in person, up close.

Kairi looked shocked that Roxas would even ask. "Why wouldn't I?! You're the most fun guy on the island! You're playful, cute, and always keep everyone in constant laughter and fun. That's why! And I realized the other day that I've got to branch out and make more friends than just Sora and Riku."

Roxas returned his eyes to Kairi once he realized that the red head wasn't around. She thought a lot more highly of him than he did himself.

"Kairi, is this because of Sora telling you that he's worried about me?" Roxas asked pointedly, raising an eyebrow in amusement as Kairi looked away in embarrassment.

"That could be what spurred the call, yes. But I really do want to become better friends." Kairi explained. Roxas paused and let that sink in before accepting it.

"Okay."

"Oh, and Roxas? Riku and Sora have been best friends for a long time, even longer than you and Riku have been together. I don't want you to think that Riku doesn't love you anymore just because he's been spending a lot of time with Sora lately." Kairi pointed out with a comforting smile. Roxas' cheeks burned.

"Don't you think I know that? I know how to deal with it." Roxas said, not unkindly. Kairi rolled her eyes and leaned forward.

"Dealing with it is not hiding away on a roof, taking pictures of other people's lives. Live your own!"

Roxas stood up and slammed his palms on the table, shutting up Kairi efficiently. "Enough! I said I'm handling it! And I'll do it my way!"

Enter Kairi:

Kairi watched all of this on her iPod, through the camera that Rikku was recording them with up in the air vent on top of the closet. And, no, she wasn't enjoying it.

She bit the inside of her cheek nervously. This wasn't going as expected. Besides that, she hadn't been able to summon enough courage to actually speak to Yuna at all.

All the times she'd ever talked to Yuna, it'd been with someone else, be that Sora, Roxas, or Rikku and Paine maybe. But to actually talk to Yuna, the epitome of female perfection…that would take a lot of work.

Although she wouldn't lie; she looked pretty good. She was wearing a sexy pink halter dress that zipped up and let a little peak of her white tank top show. Her hair was the best it had ever looked in her life, with her bangs falling to the side perfectly and her auburn, almost red if you looked close enough, locks tumbled down her shoulders in just the right way.

But beauty didn't necessarily always give you confidence…and she'd already admitted that she had a fear of failing.

Kairi shook her head and stood up, ignoring the gasps of surprise that a couple of people couldn't hold in at the sight of seeing her crawl out from under the table. Yuna had her back against the wall, texting someone on her Razor, looking a little put off for some reason.

This was her chance.

"Hi, Lady Yuna. Who are you texting?" Kairi asked sweetly, clasping her hands behind her back. She bit her lip. Maybe that question was a little too personal for her to ask. "I mean, you're not out there having fun with Tidus?" She rephrased, hoping she didn't sound too jealous at the prospect of her and Tidus being together.

Yuna looked up at her, and Kairi had to bite her lip again to stop herself from melting at the sight of Yuna's beautiful different colored eyes. She gave her a half grin and raised an eyebrow. "Well, I was texting Rikku and Paine to see what they were doing since I haven't seen them the whole party, but apparently they've been doing a favor for you."

Kairi's cheeks burned and a panicky feeling began to fill her lower stomach. "I-I know; it's for Riku, Roxas and Sora."

Yuna's grin softened into a smile. "I know. And I think that you are a very good friend for trying to help them like this." She complimented her. Kairi was silent. Yuna actually…thought she was a good friend?

"I mean, all Tidus does is talk about what a good person you are, if I even so much as mention your name in a conversation all everyone does is gush about you, and you managed to throw this whole party in honor of your friend who hasn't even had the decency to call anyone for three years." Yuna continued, taking a step towards Kairi. Her heart began to thump wildly in her chest. "And what can I say about you? Nothing. Because whenever I try to talk to you, alone, you always run off. And when someone else is around, you barely speak two words to me. Did I do something wrong?"

"NO!" Kairi quickly assured her, grabbing Yuna's hand in what she hoped was a convincing gesture. "It isn't like that! I just…I…I've kind of always admired you."

Yuna smiled wistfully and fumbled with her necklace with her free hand. "Is that why you won't call me by my name?"

Kairi blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You call me 'Lady Yuna.' Like everyone else at school…"

"I didn't think you wanted me to call you Yuna, or Yunie like your friends do…because it's like you said, we don't talk much." Kairi confessed.

Yuna raised their enclosed hands and turned them over, kissing Kairi's hand softly. "Well, because it's you…you can call me Les."

Acting like she wasn't blushing like a glass of V8, Kairi gave her a questioning look. "Les?"

"Yes. My full name is Yunalesca, named after my mother, and my father used to call her Les all the time. It's a term of endearment."

Kairi's eyes widened. Did Tidus call her that too?

But just as she was about to ask, the devil himself bounced up to them, Wakka and Selphie, who actually was supposed to be tending to the food, following close behind. Kairi smiled slightly in nostalgia. That was right; wherever Tidus was, Selphie and Wakka were always near. He actually had the nerve to invite Selphie on their dates.

Needless to say, Kairi didn't really like Selphie all that much. Sure, they had acted polite to each other earlier at her house, but that was only because Tidus had come up to her and asked that they try to be nicer to each other.

It really wasn't working.

"Hey, Yuna!" Tidus greeted happily, leaning over and giving Yuna a kiss that was too tender for Kairi's liking. Then he looked over at her, his grin fading a little.

"Oh! What's up, RiRi?" He asked with a hint of awkwardness in his voice. It was so awkward that he didn't even notice that he'd called her by her old pet name.

"Nothing special, minus Riku coming back." Kairi answered casually, turning her gaze to Wakka. "Hi Wakka! How are you?"

Wakka gave her a big grin. "Ah, nothing much, as usual. I know you heard I had to fire old Klutz, though. Didn't wanna do it but, business is business, right?"

Right. Sometimes the rest of them forgot that this was Wakka's only way out; his business. He was so serious about it that he was even willing to fire Tidus that one time.

Selphie's normally quite consistent smile was replaced by a frown. "Oh…hey Kairi."

Kairi scowled at her in return. "Selphie."

Both girls were silent as they glared deeply at each other, so deeply that they didn't notice the worried looks that Tidus and Yuna were shooting them.

"Heeeey Kairi, how about a dance? You hired an excellent DJ." Yuna offered, grabbing her hand regardless of the answer and pulling her away from Selphie, who looked like she was about ready to gauge her eyes out.

"You mean Demyx?" Kairi answered, blinking over at her. Yuna smiled and shrugged sheepishly.

"Yeah, I actually just wanted to get you away from them and keep you for myself for a while." Yuna admitted, fiddling with her necklace again. Kairi's heart began to race again at the words.

"O-Oh. Well okay, I guess I can dance for a while."

Enter Sora:

The story seemed almost never ending.

Roxas wouldn't admit it, but he and Kairi's little spat had a profound effect on him. After he had strode out the restaurant she had run after him, and they ended up spending a nice day just talking and goofing off. Well, the goofing off was mostly on Roxas part; come on, he was a playful guy! Sue him!

Being himself again with Kairi made him realize what he wanted. And what he wanted was to be with Riku again. To really just be with him.

This whole time, he'd just been making a big deal out of everything, and being overly sensitive. He was being a horrible, jealous friend to Sora, and a distant boyfriend to Riku. And it was time to change that.

School was going to start in a couple of days, and that would be the ultimate test of Roxas and Riku's relationship. And that was going to be one test that he refused to fail.

That's how he found himself climbing into Riku's bedroom via window the next day, praying to all that was holy that Riku wasn't actually in there. He just planned on leaving a romantically apologetic letter on Riku's desk and then bounce.

Lady Luck never did like him very much.

"Roxas?" Riku asked in a confused sort of tone. Roxas froze, which turned out to be a big mistake since he went tumbling into the room. Riku let out a concerned yelp and rushed over to help him up.

"What are doing here?" Riku wanted to know, carefully sitting Roxas down on his bed. He looked up at Riku with tearful eyes.

"I miss you. I feel like I haven't been with you in weeks. And I understand that most of that is my fault. I just want to let you know that I'm willing…no begging…for you to give us another try." Roxas explained hurriedly before he lost his nerve. Riku stared at him uncertainly.

"But…we never broke up, Rox."

Roxas stood up, crumbling up his letter. Screw the paper; it was time to let Riku know just how he felt. "But we did, Riku! Emotionally, we did! The only time we act like a couple is when we're around other people, but when it's just us we barely even act like ourselves anymore! What happened? Do you not love me anymore?"

There. He asked the question that had been plaguing him for the past couple of weeks. Riku frowned at the carpet for a couple of silent moments before looking back up at Roxas with a determined look in his eyes.

"Roxas Colden Haiku, I do love you. I will always love you. So no matter what ever happens between us, just promise me one thing."

Roxas' eyes watered and a light blush dusted his cheeks and his nose. "What?"

"That you'll never settle for anybody less than you deserve…and that you'll never forget that you'll always hold a special place in my heart."

I finally found my voice. "I guess that made what happened even worse than it was." I pointed out guiltily. I was on the border edge of bursting into tears, but I knew that I had no right to shed anything. That was Roxas' and Roxas' right alone.

"I meant what I said, Roxas. I still love you, even now. It's just…a different kind of love." Riku declared quietly to Roxas. He just shook his head and buried it into Axel's chest.

"Sora was right…" Roxas whimpered, "It did make what happens next worse."

After that, Riku divided his attention between Sora and Roxas when the three weren't all together, and it felt nice. But it still felt…wrong. Whenever Riku kissed him, Roxas didn't just feel sparks. Well, sure, he still felt those, but now it was accompanied by a strange feeling of wrongness. He couldn't explain it. But he remained silent about it. He didn't want to drive Riku away again.

Riku started sneaking off at random times in the day when it was just the two of them hanging out and Roxas found that he was growing a little less trusting of Riku as the days went on. He still couldn't explain it. But he still didn't say anything.

Soon the first day of school came and went, and Roxas found he was faced a new problem: Riku's popularity. He started hanging out with the jocks a lot more since he joined the football team, and while he and Sora were always invited to tag along, the rest of the gang wasn't so lucky.

It hurt Kairi the most, as she used to be on the same pedestal, relationship wise, as Sora. But now she was being traded in for beautiful cheerleaders and older jocks, and that hurt her. Besides that, she and Tidus were starting to have problems. On more than one occasion she would three-way Roxas and Sora on the phone and confess that she just didn't love him anymore, and didn't know what to do.

Roxas didn't know what to tell her, as those were the same feelings he feared that Riku had just a while back. Any feedback he gave her would just come out insulting and offending. So he pulled away from her.

He then spent most of his time with Riku, but things weren't the same. Riku wasn't the same. Even naive little Sora noticed this change and had stopped seeing Riku all together. Roxas didn't want to be as brash, seeing as how he just got Riku to notice him again, but he was starting to grow concerned as well.

He started confiding in Selphie, someone he'd never really spoken to much until then. She always just seemed so bubbly and loud; it kind of repulsed him. But he realized that she wasn't like that on the inside, and so the heartfelt chats began. A beautiful friendship blossomed, and a weak spot for her soon formed.

But that was beside the point. The point was that Riku was different. And Roxas didn't know what to do.

His old habits returned, although instead of retreating to the roof again and hope to see the red head that fascinated him so much, he went straight to the restaurant when he was feeling down. There he could just sit and think and stare at the working red head.

And suddenly, all of his problems disappeared. Sora and Riku started hanging out, Riku started acting like his boyfriend again, and Kairi was brought back into Riku's life.

And then…it happened.

Three weeks later

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Roxas! Happy birthday to you!" That was what Roxas woke up to that morning. His parents were standing over him with two separate boxes of presents in their arms, and an overwhelming sense of love had filled him. Still, that didn't change the fact that he'd completely forgotten that it was his birthday.

"Oh yeah. I forgot that today was the day." Roxas said sheepishly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His mother scoffed but merely straightened, tossing his present on his floor just as he reached for it.

"Hey!"

"No, Roxas, this gift is special. You're not allowed to open it until tonight, when you're with Riku and Sora." His mom explained with a smile. His dad, always the stern one, just handed Roxas his gift with a grunt.

"Happy birthday, son. Go ahead and open yours." He commanded. Roxas quickly did as he was told, ripping off the wrapping to see…

A beautiful silver ring lay nestled inside a tiny black velvet box. Inscribed on it were the words, 'Pain will heal over time. But love and forgiveness are one of a kind.'

Roxas looked up at his father with intense blue eyes. Was this an apology for all of the years his father ignored him and treated him like a fellow soldier and not a son?

"Roxas…I love you son." His father blurted, embracing Roxas with an awkwardness that should have never been there to begin with. But Roxas recognized the gesture and hugged him back.

This birthday would be the start of some wonderful beginnings, he mused.

When Roxas turned ten, he had been given the sex talk. Along with it came the sexual orientation talk, the attitude talk, and the socially acceptable talk. And ever since he'd had those talks, he'd been dying to have sex.

Preferably with Riku Tarada, the love of his life, but that was a given.

After he'd had that epiphany, he had run to Riku and declared, "Riku. I want sex!"

And Riku, who was eleven and obviously so much more mature, had said, "No you don't. It just fascinates you."

"Yes I do, Riku! I want to have sex with you!"

"Okay," Riku had said with a grin, "We'll be each others' first, no matter what age we do decide on doing it."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

And even three years later, on this birthday date, him just having turned thirteen, he remembered that conversation. And ho boy did he want it.

It didn't matter that at this age it wasn't socially acceptable. He wanted to be one with Riku, to feel him inside of his deepest core. He wanted that connection. He'd wanted it ever since he'd learned about it.

And today would be the day.

A birthday party worthy of Zeus, three thousand munny, a new camera from Sora (ever since Sora gave Roxas his first camera on his tenth birthday, he'd made it a tradition to give him an upgraded camera) and an awesome khaki jacket with a checkered strip going across it and a red trim (courtesy of Riku, who knows that Roxas favorite color is khaki and favorite pattern is checkers) later, Roxas was in a great state of mind.

He wrote a romantic note for Riku to meet him at his favorite spot: the strange shaped Papou tree on the beach and gave it to him just as he was leaving the party. Riku acted no differently. So what happened next was a shock.

Roxas went to the spot that night, a little late because he'd wanted to develop his film for the last time before he used Sora's new one, with his unopened present (he'd figured he'd open it with Riku after they finished making love) and an anxious smile (he was so excitedly nervous.)

But what he saw changed him forever.

Moans of Riku's name spewed out of Sora's mouth like a volcano about to erupt. Sweat poured down their bodies as Riku made love to Sora in his favorite spot, murmuring sweet nothings into the younger boy's ears.

"I love you, Sora." Riku whispered as his pounding became uncontrollable. Tears of joy and pleasure were streaming down Sora's face as he scraped his nails down Riku's back, drawing blood.

Roxas' heart broke into two. He could barely even register that he was still standing there, still staring at them as they took each others' virginity. It wasn't until a crackle of thunder sounded, lighting struck, and the screaming of Riku's name filed his senses that he slowly started to back up.

He didn't know what to do, he mulled, as raindrops began to fall down on him. There was no way things would be the same now, but even behind his deep pain and anger he realized that whatever he did would push them farther away from him.

Then he would be alone.

It was starting to really pour, but Roxas didn't care. He found his feet taking him into The Hollow Connection, sitting him down into an empty booth. Ignoring the stares he was receiving, he hollowly ripped open the present.

It was a huge scrap book filled with pictures of him, Sora and Riku, together forever. Yeah, right. Despite himself, Roxas hugged the book to his chest.

It would be alright tomorrow. As long as Riku didn't leave him alone, it would be all alright.

The next morning, Riku was nowhere to be found.

By that afternoon, it had been discovered that Cloud and Sephiroth eloped, taking Riku with him.

It had also been discovered that, as indicated by the text message Riku's grandmother sent, Riku went willingly.

And Roxas completely shattered.

"And that's when you came to the Hollow Connection that first time I saw you." Axel finished distantly, staring off into space. Roxas just sobbed. I covered my mouth with my left hand. How could I have hurt him like that?

"So…" Axel began, shutting his eyes tightly and struggling to control his voice, "You're the asshole…who broke Roxas' heart…?"

I nodded guiltily. "Yes. And I'm-"

Axel shot me a glare so heatedly cold that I choked on my own words. "Shut up!" He roared, shaking the entire closet. I gulped nervously and by the lack of music outside the closet I could tell that it was silent throughout the house.

"I'm talking to Riku." He ground out, clutching his head. "Well, Tarada?"

Riku was still staring brokenly at Roxas. "Yes." He answered, his voice no higher than a whisper.

Suddenly, with a fury I'd never seen before, Axel lunged at Riku and began to choke him. I screamed and attempted to pull Axel off of him, but he just shoved me off roughly onto the floor. Now, under no circumstances am I weak, but Axel's anger was making him un-humanly strong.

Roxas slowly stood up and placed a hand on Axel's shoulder. "Axel," he began softly, "let him go. It's okay."

Axel shook his head and growled deeper. "It's not okay, Rox. It's NOT okay." But his hold on Riku's throat had loosened considerably.

"Roxas." Riku croaked out, his aquamarine eyes looking serious and solemn. "I…know I've made a lot of mistakes. I really have. And I know that your trust is something that I may never regain. But for what its worth and I know it's not worth much…I'm sorry."

Roxas wiped at his eyes with his sleeve and let out a small bark of laughter. "You're right, it's not worth much." He began to laugh harder.

Despite all that had happened, I found myself laughing with him. There was nothing really particularly funny, but it just struck me how royally me and Riku had screwed up. And for some reason, that was funny.

Riku even let out a hoarse chuckle. It was Axel, however, who didn't find the humor.

"What the fuck?! Roxas! He broke your heart, and you're just going to forgive him and laugh? Just like that?"

Roxas took Axel's hands from Riku's throat and placed them within in his own with a watery smile.

"Just like that. You know something? As I was standing here recounting my side of the story, I realized something. My whole life has been wrapped around Riku. I've been letting him control my happiness and my emotions ever since I moved here. When you attacked him, at first, I felt a sense of vengeance, because I wanted him to feel the pain I went through. But then, I noticed that he was once again deciding what made me happy, even if that happiness spurred from revenge.

"So now, I'm just going to…let it go. By forgiving him, I'm relinquishing his hold on me. By forgiving him, I'm finally taking control of my own emotions, and I'm finally deciding what makes me happy. And Axel? You make me happy."

Axel blinked for a second before his entire demeanor softened. "Likewise, Rocky."

"But…sometimes that isn't enough," Roxas continued, his voice going flat, "to maintain a relationship."

Axel furrowed his brow. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that as long as you're getting serious with Namine, I just can't continue to date you." Roxas finished, looking away from him. My mouth fell open in shock. WHAT?

"Sora was right. I deserve better than being just another notch on your belt. It's time you decided just what exactly it is that you want." He declared confidently.

And just like that, the doors opened and Roxas strode out, ignoring the stares he was receiving and the shocked look that had blossomed on Axel's face.

"What the- Roxas!" Axel stormed out of the closet and sped after him, leaving me and Riku to ourselves…well, minus the crowd that had formed at least.

Riku wouldn't look at me. And I can't explain it but…it hurt. It hurt a lot.

Biting my lip, I dejectedly crawled out to see the tearful faces of almost everyone at the party. Great. Did the whole island hear what a jerk I was?

Kairi was the first to speak. "Uh…um, okay! Let's get this party started again! All is forgiven, and we can't forget who we're here for!"

"RIKU!" They all shouted, grabbing Riku and pulling him back onto the dance floor. I blinked after them. Well, I guess some things never change. Even so, I had been hoping, maybe, that we could talk. But I guess that was out of the question.

Not that it mattered. It was apparent that he didn't want to talk to me anyway…

Enter Leon:

They were going to be late.

This was his big chance to woo Cloud, and they were going to be late. All thanks to Yuffie and the stupid mission that she just had to involve him in. He told her that he couldn't help her tonight, but she insisted, and he could never resist Yuffie when she got like that.

Didn't matter, though. He still wasn't speaking to her.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I didn't think that a couple of freaking heartless would take so much time!" Yuffie whined, tugging on his arm. Leon rolled his eyes, but he addressed her pathetic excuse anyway.

"Yuffie, you know that Malicefant is getting stronger with each day. It's only natural that the heartless would too." He pointed out, sharing a serious glance with John, the driver. It was true. If the guardians didn't hurry up and train the chosen ones, the mercenaries would be knee deep in missions. And that wouldn't bode well for their rivalry, since they weren't even allowed to touch Malicefant without permission from the guardians.

"I guess I'm still trying to believe that the Organization really didn't betray us." Yuffie said quietly, for once the seriousness evident in her voice. "I guess I'm trying to hold on to the small thread of hope that says they'll come back."

Leon sighed and took Yuffie's hand with an awkwardness that resulted from years of locking his heart away. "I know." He whispered comfortingly, allowing her to squeeze his hand.

"I know."

John glanced up at them through his rear view mirror and cleared his throat loudly. "We're practically here. Leon, don't you have a Cloud to woo?"

"Hell yeah! John, you are totally on the ball with that one! You go get your man, Squall!"

"Yuffie?"

"Yeah, Squally?"

"Shut the hell up and stop calling me Squall."

And with that, the limo sped down the street, serving as a chariot for Leon's soon-to-be Cinderella.

Little did they see, however, that a shiny black Volvo was following them in the distance, foreshadowing an incoming disaster.

Enter Zexion:

Windows?

Check.

Chimney?

Check.

All doors?

Check.

Zexion silently fingered the gun in his jean pocket.

Gun?

Check.

That seemed to be everything he could do for the innocent people who were here. All he could do was block the barricade and hope that no one got in. Because at this point, leaving would only do more harm than help. He'd locked and chained each area that he'd mentally just checked off, but there hadn't been much he could do with the front door. If he chained that, everyone would freak and want to leave. But not chaining it seemed like he was inviting the Organization in.

Besides that, it wasn't uncommon for party goers to be really late to parties. He glanced down at his watch. What time was it? It was nine o'clock, three hours since the party started. He had a long ways to go before he deemed it safe.

His only choice was to sit on a chair against the door, and survey its ringers before he let anyone in. Sure, it wasn't the most enjoyable activity, and sure, he didn't get to be with Demyx.

But in a way, this was guaranteeing that he would be later on.

So here he sat, glaring at nothing in particular with his hair covering his eye and his black hood covering his head. He looked like a damn emo kid. Curse his small build and teenagers' ability to stereotype…

A couple of minutes ago his source of entertainment had been the double-door closet that was the closest room to him. He had noticed immediately that you couldn't really open it from the inside, but that was a fact that seemed to miss Riku…and that clumsy, awkward kid that Riku liked…and then that screaming couple.

He idly wondered if they knew that, by raising their voices, almost everyone could hear every single fucking detail of their twisted love triangle. Probably not. Slowly but surely a crowd started forming once the shouting had started…quite amusing actually.

Zexion's pocket began to vibrate. Blinking at it, he reached his hand inside and pulled out a sleek, impersonal silver cell phone. It was nothing special on the outside, but on the inside it had the same features on his car, his laptop, and iPod. Hey, those were the perks to being tight with the Organization.

Flipping it open, a glance told him he had gotten a text from Demyx.

Zexy, where are you??

The corners of Zexion's lips tilted upwards as he replied:

Why don't you take a guess?

The message was sent with a happy envelope going into cyberspace. That was another interesting little fact about him and Demyx. Neither of them liked to use abbreviations or IM speak, as they called it. Both of them typed out all of their words with normal accuracy.

Another rumble.

Oh, so you want to play it that way, Sexy Zexy? Alright, well…the bathroom? No, no, you pissed before we came, and you couldn't be jerking off because now you have me to do that for you.

Zexion's face broke out into a full blown grin now as he texted back quickly.

Cold. You're getting way cold.

"Hey…how are you doing? Can I get you a drink?" His text conversation was interrupted by a tall pretty girl trying to flirt with him. He looked her over. Meh, she was cute enough. But she was way too tall. Besides…

"I'm gay." He said simply before turning his eyes back to his phone.

I don't know, Zexy, I think my body has to disagree with you there. Just thinking about you jerking off in the bathroom right now has got me on fire. So where are you really? Well you couldn't possibly be in my pants since I've been trying to get you in there since we met.

This time Zexion burst out laughing. Jeez, Demyx was dirty when he was texting!

"What the- Roxas!" The tall, alluring red head that had been in the closet shouted, following the cute little blonde boy who looked slightly empowered at the moment. "Are you fucking breaking up with me?"

The blonde swirled around and glared at him. It wasn't an angry glare, per say; it was more frustrated than anything else. "No Axel, I'm giving you a choice."

His eyes shifted from the red head to the little blonde girl behind them, who was toying nervously with the side of her hair.

He looked back at the red head with a sad smile. "A choice that you're obviously not willing to make."

Zexion watched with detached interest as he waited for the red head to say something, anything to get the blond, who had walked off, to come back. But instead all he did was clutch his heart like it was hurting him, and go to the kitchen to get a beer.

He shook his head. Obviously whatever ultimatum that the blonde had given him was too much for the red head to handle.

Another rumbling made him remember what he had been doing.

You still there?

Zexion glanced back up at the crowd that had formulated. Riku was being dragged out of it and whisked away to the dance floor, not even noticing that his little love interest was gazing after them, looking every bit as sad as a kicked puppy.

He scowled. What the hell? Riku does all of this to make that kid forgive him, and then he just leaves him like that, after what seemed to be a very emotional discussion?

Damn. He'd have to go to Riku's defense.

I'll come find you later, Dem.

He texted quickly only to receive another text a couple of seconds later.

I'll be waiting.

Zexion slid the phone back into his pocket with a sigh. He peeked out the window. No one was there. There were no cars passing by the house and all of her neighbors seemed to be asleep. Good. That meant everything should be okay if he left his post for a while.

He had just walked over near the little brunette klutz when a lean, muscled guy with long black hair got up in his personal bubble. He growled, frustrated. What the fuck now?

"What?" He snapped at him. The guy chuckled darkly. He reached up tucking Zexion's hanging hair behind his ear. Zexion glared up at him and pulled it back out. He did not appreciate anyone touching him other than Dem and Riku.

"Oh, I like em' with an attitude. I'm Harrison, you're new fuck buddy." He introduced, bowing towards Zexion. He stared at him, quite disgusted.

"Why don't you just do yourself a big favor and FUCK OFF?" Zexion retorted, bringing up his knee and colliding it with the guy's gut. He doubled over and groaned, but not before reaching out and grabbing Zexion's wrist, catching him off guard and pulling him towards him.

"Look you little shit, that wasn't an option. It was a promise. Now you can act like the stubborn bastard I know you are and cause me to get angry or you can come with me and get an amazing night of passion. It's your call." He hissed in his ear. Zexion smirked and was just about to reach in his hoodie for his book until he was tossed to the ground.

He looked up, confusedly. Coconut was holding the guy up by the neck, glaring up at him.

"You left out the third option. You getting the shit beat out of you." Coconut spat, delivering an amazing uppercut to the guy's jaw. Unfortunately, his shoe laces got tangled up together and he lost his footing, falling straight forward and onto his face.

It didn't matter; actually, the damage had been done. The guy scurried off embarrassedly. Zexion stood up and walked over to Coconut, offering a hand.

"Here, I got you."

Coconut smiled up at him sheepishly and took his hand, bouncing up on his feet. Even then he stumbled a bit. Despite that little display of pure clumsiness, Zexion was impressed. But he should have known that a love interest of Riku's would have to be able to defend themselves. Riku was just picky like that.

"Thanks, Coconut. He caught me off guard there for a second."

Coconut blinked. "Coconut? Who's that?"

He frowned. Maybe he was wrong; maybe he was a clumsy idiot. "You?"

Coconut blinked for a couple of more seconds before finally something clicked. His expression cleared and he began to laugh. "You mean Kiwi?"

Now it was his turn to blink. Kiwi…is that the fruit Riku called him? Oh. Huh. It was Kiwi.

"Oh. I suppose I do. I apologize."

Kiwi smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, you must be friends with Riku. Actually, my name is Sora. He just calls me Kiwi because…" He paused, almost looking away as if something had suddenly hurt him.

"…he likes you?" Zexion supplied, regarding this Sora was suddenly exhausted eyes. What had he been thinking, coming over here? He had his own problems to deal with. Sora just shrugged non-committed.

"Maybe. I guess."

Zexion sighed and took Sora's hand, leading him to an empty area. He sat him down on a couch and sat across from him, ignoring the baffled look he was receiving.

"Look. I don't know you very well. In fact, I don't know you at all. But I know Riku. And I know that there must be something different about you that he likes. Besides that, I know you have to be someone intelligent for him to even consider you for a crush. So you've got to use that brain of yours." Zexion stressed, tapping Sora in the middle of his forehead.

Sora winced and frowned. "Huh?"

Zexion sighed. "Why would he be willing to hurt a guy he'd been with for about five years or so for you? Why would he come back after three years and beg your forgiveness? Why would he fucking wait in a closet for an hour just to be given instructions on how to get you back?"

"I-I-"

"Because he still loves you, Sora. He still likes you, and he obviously wants to be with you. Riku…does a lot of things that he doesn't mean anything by. The teasing, the manipulating, the flirting…it's all just part of him. So if he comes across as if he's ignoring you…"

Sora's cheeks flushed and he suddenly got angry. "Why wouldn't he look at me, then? Why wouldn't he step up and admit that he loves me like you say he does? Why won't he tell me why he left me?" He shouted.

Zexion stood up as well. "Why were you hiding the fact that you've been hanging out with Riku from Roxas? Why did you two hide it back then?" He shot back.

Sora's face fell and his shoulders slumped. "We were scared that if he found out, we would lose him."

"Could it be possible that Riku is afraid that if he tells you everything, he'll lose you as well? He's already lost Roxas…"

Sora opened his mouth sharply as if he were about to retort something, but no words came out. Zexion hid a smug smile as Sora's mouth opened and closed like a fish as he tried to find the correct response. Finally, Zexion answered for him.

"You should try and talk to him. If my observations are correct, he probably thinks that you don't want to talk to him."

Sora looked up at him with wide blue eyes. Despite himself, something tugged in his heart.

"I think what your problem is, Sora," Zexion finished with a sigh, "Is that you've been trying so hard to hate Riku to make up for what you've done to Roxas, that you haven't even taken the time to evaluate your true feelings."

"But I…no. You're right." Sora reasoned, looking up at him with a smile. "I can see why Riku is friends with you."

Zexion smirked, and prepared to compliment him as well, but a knock on the door grabbed both of their attention. He growled.

The guests had arrived.

Enter Cloud:

That's right, folks…he was still drinking.

He'd actually lost count of how many he'd had; all Cloud knew was that he was bound to get alcohol poisoning at this rate. Jeez, he'd admit it: he was being way too dramatic about his situation. Hell, some people had it a lot worse than he did and they didn't try to drink themselves into oblivion.

Then again…he wasn't them.

Notoriously, Cloud was one of those drunks who barely showed any symptoms. He didn't slur his words, he didn't start complaining about how his life sucked…he may giggle more than usual, but it's not like that was a big deal.

He even managed to have a slightly clear head through his drunken stupor. Hence why he was drinking so much. Well, okay, maybe some things were a little fuzzy, like his memory, or his perceptions on what were happening, but other than that…clear as the sky.

For example, he blinked and suddenly he was surrounded by teenage girls. Uh, okaaaay. How long had he been in the lion's den? And where was Sora and Riku? Wasn't he supposed to chaperoning them or something?

"So…how old are you, Cloud?" One teenage girl asked, clutching his arm. He furrowed his brow disapprovingly at her. He'd told them his name?

"Old enough to know that this is quite illegal." He pointed out, walking away from them. He could hear them sighing in disappointment, but he didn't care.

Another blink and he hear people knocking at the door. Huh. That was funny; why would anyone be three hours late that Kairi didn't know about? She was standing a little ways from him, her eyes glued confusedly at the door with a beautiful brunette girl next to her, holding her hand.

Zexion, Riku's best friend and practically his brother back at Bastian Bay, had his hand inside of his jacket, a move Cloud remembered he only did when he was about to whip out some sort of weapon.

Alright, alright. He wasn't so incoherent that he didn't recognize when he needed to do his part as chaperone.

Cloud made his way to the door, pausing only to touch Zexion's shoulder comfortingly and give Kairi a reassuring smile. He took a deep breath; not because he was nervous, but because it would be pretty embarrassing if he barfed or something in front of everybody.

"Cloud, wait don't-" Zexion had tried, but it was too late. Cloud had already whipped open the door, not even bothering with checking through the peephole to see who it was. And who it was…shocked him to the core.

"L-Leon?" He forced out, nearly choking on his own words. Sure, he'd seen Leon only yesterday, but he'd never seen Leon like…this.

He had his hair out of its normal professional style; it was down and to his shoulders and had his bangs falling into his beautiful gray eyes. His pants were almost impossibly tight, hugging his ridiculously chiseled ass in just the right places and….oh, god…

Those muscles…those beautiful, tanned muscles that were radiating such a warm, inviting aura, so unlike Sephiroth's cold beauty.

No, nothing about Leon said 'cold.' In fact, everything seemed to scream 'HOT!'

"Hey, Cloud…mind if we crash your party?" Leon asked seductively, causing Cloud to actually wobble a bit on his legs. His legs had seriously just turned to jelly.

"Yes! YES I MIND!" Riku shouted from where he was being forced to dance with Demyx, but no one paid him any attention.

"N-No! Of course not! Come on in!" He stammered, opening the door even wider to invite him in. Leon smirked and peered over his shoulder at Yuffie, who merely smirked on back.

"I told ya' the black shirt was a good idea." She muttered as they followed Cloud into the threshold. Leon winked back at her.

"Remind me to let you pick out my clothes more often." He murmured back.

Cloud was freaking out. This was supposed to be a man-less day! What the hell? Well, yeah, alright, so it wasn't like he was really complaining but…

Still. Sexy Leon in the house after he'd had a countless number of beers would not bode well.

"Do you want something? Samuel Adams? Miller Lite? Budweiser? Sex on the Beach?" He offered without thinking. When Leon raised an eyebrow at the last option, Cloud quickly scrambled to make up for it. What were some appropriate drinks? "Uh…Ecstasy? Screaming Orgasm?"

Well, fuck.

Yuffie burst out laughing and Leon gave him a slow, sexy smile. "I'll have a Screaming Orgasm. But only if you're the one who gives it to me."

Cloud seriously cursed the laws of physics. If only the floor could swallow him up right now…

"Do you want your drink, or what? Or were you just flirting with Cloud?" The slightly annoyed voice of Roxas came from behind them. All three of them turned around to see Roxas holding out a glass full of the alcoholic substance with an impatient frown on his cute little face.

Yuffie poked him in the forehead. "Aren't you a little too young to be mixing drinks, Haiku?"

Roxas regarded his combat teacher with exhaustion. "Aren't you a little too old to be at a high school party, Miss Yuffie?"

Yuffie gaped like a fish before scowling. "I have half a mind to fail you for that."

"Do all the teenagers on the island have an attitude?" Leon whispered to Cloud. He smirked and ruffled Roxas' hair proudly.

"Of course! He learned it from yours truly."

"Yo, yo, yo! It's Demyx on the DJ stand, and I'm here to get this party back on a roll! There's a little too much drama and not enough partying, so let's start up again with a song that everyone can jam to!"

Leon and Cloud both looked at each other as the DJ's voice filled the air, gaining everyone's attention in the house. They all wanted to know what song he'd be playing next.

"Well she's not bleeding on the ballroom floor…

Just for the attention

Cause' that's just ridiculous…ly odd."

Cheers erupted around the house, and what seemed like everybody flooded to the dance floor. Of course Demyx would choose one of the best party songs there is.

Even Roxas was putting his drink mixers down and preparing to go out on the dance floor. And the boy barely shuffled his feet.

"Hey…you want to dance?" Some random teenage boy asked Yuffie, taking a sip of his Budweiser. Yuffie giggled and took his hand, ignoring the scandalized look on Leon's face. "Hey, if you got it, flaunt it! Besides, it's just dance." Yuffie insisted as she was dragged to the dance floor.

Cloud watched them before turning back to Leon, startled to see the sexy man staring dead at him. Jeez…way to make someone's heart race….

"She sure is gonna get it.

Here's the setting: fashion magazines on the walls, now.

The walls line the bullet holes…"

"Dance?" Leon offered, raising an eyebrow as to ask the question for him. Cloud bit his lip and clutched his beer tighter. It wasn't like he was about to fuck the man again. Besides, no one would even see him.

"Uh…sure."

"Have some composure, where is your posture?

You're pulling a trigger, pulling a trigger…

Oh, no, no!

You're pulling the trigger

Pulling the trigger

All wrong…"

Leon was a surprisingly good dancer. Not as good as Cloud, but he kept up pretty well. And Leon wasn't a stripper/ exotic dancer.

Then again, most of what Leon was doing was in reaction to something Cloud did.

Cloud grinded his backside into Leon's hips and wrapped an arm around his neck, breaking into a grin when he felt something hard poke him in his lower back.

"You like this, huh?" He shouted to him above the music. He could feel Leon chuckle against his back.

"Give me envy, give me malice, give me your attention

Give me envy, give me malice, baby, give me a break!"

"What tipped you off?" He answered sarcastically. He kissed the back of Cloud's neck just as Cloud reached back and grabbed the older man's ass. Leon bit down on Cloud's neck in surprise. Both moaned simultaneously.

"When I say 'shotgun' you say 'wedding'

'Shotgun' 'Wedding' 'Shotgun' 'Wedding!'"

"Cloud, you are just too good; you don't even know." Leon whispered into his ear, causing a shudder to go down Cloud's spine.

Leon didn't have any clue how right that was.

Enter Zexion:

"She didn't choose this role

But she'll play it and make it sincere

So you cry, you cry"

His calculations were incorrect. The Organization hadn't arrived yet. He checked his watch again. It had been three hours and thirty minutes since the party had started. If the Organization had planned to come, shouldn't they have come already?

"Are you alright? You're been staring at the door ever since Leon got here." Sora asked him, waving a hand back and forth in front of his face. Zexion blinked and nodded absently.

"Yeah, I guess I'm alright. I've just kind of been expecting something horrible to happen…but it hasn't yet."

"But they believe it from the tears

And the teeth right down to the blood

At her feet"

Sora blinked a couple of times but otherwise didn't say anything. Both just stood there in silence for a while before Sora finally just shrugged and gave a little sigh.

"I guess I better go find, Riku, huh?"

"Correct. Go find him."

"Oh, by the way. What's your name?"

"It's…Zexion."

"Oh. That's a pretty name. But, then again, you are quite pretty. Well, see you later!"

And with that, Zexion's first encounter with Sora was over, leaving Zexion smiling to himself. Alright, alright, so the little klutz was worthy of Riku. He just hoped Riku wouldn't screw this up this time.

And suddenly, at the exact, rare moment when Zexion was so got off guard that he'd forgotten to lock the door, it swung open. Three cloaked, masked men towered over him, and Zexion tried to jump back, to himself time to get out his weapons, but time just wasn't on his side.

Simultaneously, three arms reached down and grabbed Zexion by the throat and tugged him out the door.

The door shut with a bang! making the house jump a little bit.

But no one noticed the disappearance of Zexion, dragged and vanished into the beautiful, silent darkness.

"Boys will be boys

Hiding in estrogen and wearing Aubergine dreams…"

---

Song: Time to Dance by Panic! At the Disco (good song, you should listen to it)

:hides from akuroku fans: Don't hate me! You know it was coming! Axel can't have it both ways. Besides, I like an empowered Roxas. Alright guys, don't exhale that held breath, we still have part two of the party! I do have to say though, part two will not have NEARLY as much drama, but it'll have most of the fun and the games I know you guys really want. And action. And the rest of my hidden characters.

Riku...! Huh. Dunno what to say, really. Poor Roxas?

Oh, and part two won't be as long. Seriously.