Chapter 7: Disappointment, Acknowledgement, and Denial

Sora slowly opens his eyes, feeling more rested than ever before. He truly doesn't want to move. His limbs are warm and entangled with the sheets. His torso is up against another; he doesn't have to think twice to know its Riku. He sighs; what bliss just to be beside someone like this. Much better than his teddy bear (that he hid from Riku) anyway…

He tries to remember what happened the day before. The details are foggy, but he remembers a majority of what was said. Only when he became sleepy does the recolection get hazy.

Everything is cloudy, he's just so sleep… But he registers being lifted into the air. He knows because his brain feels like a brick, too heavy to lift up. Riku must be taking him to bed. It makes him feel like a small child again, but Sora can't help but be happy about it even though it doesn't make sense. Better yet, Riku joins him under the sheets. Sora can't think of another time the sheets were ever so soft.

The brunet is almost gone, breathing deeper, and his thoughts are becoming more real than the outside world around him. Slipping… Slipping….

Something presses up against his mouth. Warm and soft and-

Sora opens his eyes wide. What… what could that have been? He can only think of one thing… No, it must've been a dream. Yeah, a dream. And then his mind replies with the worst possible statement:

A dream come true.


The boys grew closer over the next week, getting into more mischief and becoming even more inseparable. Inseparable is almost an understatement; they had begun to finish each other's sentences and the amount of inside jokes they accumulated was simply ridiculous. But they finally had to face that new kids would be coming soon- tomorrow, in fact. They had been silent about it, each contemplating how to bring it up and what to say, but finally Sora took the first step.

"So… things won't change when the new people come, right?" Sora asked, shyly looking away from the T.V. screen to his lap. Riku, who sat behind him like a protective cocoon, looked down in surprise, making it seem as though he were kissing the top of Sora's head. If it weren't dark in the room, the silverette would have seen Sora blush.

"Of course," Riku said confidently, but quietly, "It'll be a whole new set of people, but unless we meet a couple people we like, it'll just be me and you." The silverette smiled into the brunet's hair at the thought. A whole new month with Sora, with even more possibilities because the admins will be distracted by the other kids.

"Yeah," Sora said, suddenly cheerful, "You and me!"

At the time, Sora couldn't express how relieved and joyful he was about the simple confirmation. He hadn't known Riku for that long, but he already felt attached. Of course, Sora never ended up mentioning the possible kiss…Even though the memory is so vivid despite being intoxicated, he really isn't sure enough of himself to make the assumption. It'd be an awkward topic. Simply acknowledging the kiss would force the brunette to face whether he liked it or not, whether he is okay with it, and how he would like to treat Riku henceforth. Sexuality has never exactly been on his list of things to ponder. It doesn't help that he's never had a girlfriend anyway…

Wait, why is he even considering this?


Riku begins to worry about Sora when the clock strikes noon the day before the kids are expected to show up. The silverette isn't sure what's up with him. He had told Sora nothing would change with the new kids… Maybe he's nervous anyway? Well. Riku is officially befuddled. Even so, Riku himself feels as though school were starting tomorrow, urging him to fret over having classes with Sora, so to speak. Last 'semester', the Coach made no attempt to separate the groups of friends that almost immediately formed, but the silverette is very used to situations becoming difficult when he least wants or expects them to. The thought is disconcerting.

But before the silverette has time to question the fidgety brunet of what is on his mind, someone knocks on their 'dorm room' door. Sora, being closest to it, opens it immediately, seemingly relieved to have something to do. Maybe the blue-eyed ADHD midget was just bored?

Leaning back from the couch, Riku peers at Coach around Sora through the doorway. "Hey, Mr. Coach!" Sora says stupidly, smiling. "Hullo, sir," the silverette copies casually from the couch. "Need help with something again?"

Smiling a little bit, the big-boned man replies, "Oh, no, we have everything ready for tomorrow. I just figured you guys would want first dibs on the cabins. We are about to start assigning the numbers."

"Oh," Sora says. Riku watches the way the brunet taps his fingers against the doorway, obviously thinking. Sora turns, inquisitively watching Riku, "Where do you wanna set up camp, Ri?"

To be frank, the silverette doesn't give a single rat tooth as long as he remains with Sora in the same cabin. So in reply he shrugs, "Up to you, I'll just stay in the cabin you pick too." He tries to make it sound casual for Coach's sake. He isn't sure what the adult man had in mind; letting them stay together or not? Maybe Riku is just paranoid….

Unfortunately for them, Riku's suspicions are right on target. Coach grimaces, "Mm… Sorry boys, but we can't let you two stick together. The camp is a teamwork building project, not a…" he pauses, not sure how to phrase it, "Not an army of two." The silverette scowls, disappointment quickly devolving into anger. The brunet obviously takes the opposite reaction and pouts, shoulders slumping. Riku sighs.

"I'll take 1-C then," he says quickly. Right after, Sora mutters, "I'll take 7-B like I had last time too."

An awkward silence settles for a few moments, but the bearded man clears his throat, "Welp. Alright, that works for me. You two can go ahead and settle in so you don't have to deal with the crowd scramble."

After the boys mutter their somewhat sarcastic thanks, the older male departs.

"Meh," Riku says, heaving himself off the couch, "Well, that isn't what I expected." The two boys look at each other.

"It doesn't change anything though, right?"

"No, of course not," the silverette says, glaring at the door, "it just means that we can't do much at night unless we plan it during the day before." Riku shrugs, still disappointed.

"Yeah," Sora agrees, "I mean, we'll be right across the hall from each other. I guess it doesn't make that much difference."

Something about that statement angers Riku slightly more. To the silverette, there is a difference. He was kind of hoping that maybe somewhere down the line he'd be able to cuddle the brunet instead of sleeping alone…and then blame it on sleep walking when all the boys in the cabin woke up the next day. So that would totally break a few bro codes. So that would probably freak out all the other guys in the camp and further fuel the girls into writing gay porn about them. So what?

Okay, so the desire is completely inappropriate and selfish, but still.

Meeeeeeeeeh.


They attempt to cheer each other up as they pack, using the T.V. speakers as their iPod dock (another street trick Riku figured out how to do) and jamming out to radio rock as they organize their stuff. They end up trading a lot of stuff back and forth, so about midway through packing the room looks as though they had a clothes war. Of course, one half of the room is covered by bunches of sports shirts and basketball shorts, while the other creates a huge, black, indistinguishable pile. When they turned to collect their items, they cursed at each other for a little while, confessing their deep hatred of folding. Their argument over who-hates-folding-more progresses into a wrestling/martial arts match, with the single rule that they have to be touching a piece of clothes from the floor at all times.

"Mercy, mercy!" Sora laughs from under Riku, who after much difficulty has pinned the lithe brunet. His fingers poke at the younger's ribs as if they are a xylophone, possibly creating a musical masterpiece. The brunet twitches uncontrollably, amusing the silverette to no end. However, Sora's cries of mercy are still an act of surrender and so he relents after a few more torturous pokes.

"I am superior," Riku replies, smirking.

"Keep…dreaming…" the younger pants, shoving the silverette away so he can breathe easier.

"See, tomorrow will be just fine," Riku comments, somewhat to himself, "you couldn't evade me even if you tried."

"Okay, Slenderman, I get it," Sora laughs back, earning a glare.

And so, after two hours of accomplishing absolutely nothing, they finally fold, and settle their separate cabins.


A/N: Haha hooow's it going bros? wait, I'm not Pewdiepie. Whoops.

Anyway, sorry for the short update, and the length of time for me to put it up. Because of my school schedule, the chapters will be shorter so hopefully there will be more updates sooner. I definitely intend to keep working on and finishing the story, I'm just still trying to adjust to my crazy classes and my own social life. BUT ENOUGH EXCUSES.

Suspense is rising, can you feel it?! I can. But then again, I'm omniscient. Tell me what you guys think will happen next?:D

Thank you guys so much for the favorites and reviews! They have made this story so much fun, talking with all of you. It has made Sora and Riku really… personal and real, at least to me. :) Updates soon!