Just to let you know - this is soooooo not what I was going write! I've had this chap up for a while, but then I read it last night and it sucked. So I got up at around, well, early this morning and wrote all this. Then, now, I am posting it after school. No, seriously, except for the names, I don't think a single sentence is the same. They weren't even at school in the original chap!

So... if anyone is still reading this, then, well... thanks. I will - maybe - have another chap up either tonight or tomorrow. I am now obsessed with writing for these two! ARGH! What have you done to me?

And oh, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. WISH I OWNED KHII, BECAUSE THEN IT WOULDN'T BE SO GOD DAMNED HARD! Heh... I'm kinda stuck.

Sora had always felt somewhat oblivious. So that's why, when Kairi and himself turned up at school, he was baffled as to why Kairi whisked Riku away, setting themselves in deep discussion.

Sora felt a sort of ping in his chest, a loneliness, but he didn't go over there. Most likely for his own sake.

Instead he walked over to Roxas, of which he had spotted down the hall, holding hands and laughing with Axel.

He felt sort of awkward after the week before. And Roxas hadn't even dropped around on the Sunday to give Meiko his dirty washing. Sora had used to laugh at that. Lazy bastards, not doing their own chores.

Axel finally learned how to do the dishes, and Roxas was currently in the process of learning. Sora couldn't block the smirk that appeared on his lips at that, no matter how down he was.

He had hoped that no one would notice, and that he could just slip back into their trio, acting like they usually did. But, as per usual, things didn't go his way.

"Sora!" Axel boomed, and about half the hallway turned around to stare. Roxas looked around everywhere – anywhere – and it was obvious that he was just avoiding Sora's eyes.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he slunk up to them, his face red. "Hey, Roxas. You really need a haircut."

Axel chuckled, elbowing Roxas. "See? That's what I said when it got in the way of my-"

Roxas yelped, and Sora couldn't help but bite back the grin forming on his face. Sora found that if he ignored the awkward atmosphere creating itself around his brother, everything was relatively normal.

"That's kinda gross," stated Sora, and his heart felt more alive when he saw Roxas hide a smile at his obviousness. Roxas and Sora had always had different smiles, and Sora loved Roxas' more than his own by so, so much. And sometimes, he even loved it more than Riku's. He jumped at the bluntness of that thought, literally jumping off the ground, and fell back into someone.

"Oh, sorry," he mumbled in a rush, straightening himself out. He went to push the hand of the other person off his shoulder, as they had gotten tangled up together in the stumble.

"Are you okay?" a voice asked, and Sora felt he knew it from somewhere. But he was sort of dizzy form being both clumsy and a not very good sleeper. His mind couldn't concentrate on that one, trivial thing. So he shook his head, his hair splaying everywhere, and tried to get it back together without toppling over again.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." Sora looked up into aquamarine eyes; his hand still on Riku's and gulped. When had they become so... inviting? So life-like, like liquid.

And although he was aware of the stares they were attracting, he couldn't look away. Because nothing really mattered in those few, sweet, blissful moments. It was only Riku and all the secrets he was hiding right behind his thin layer of protection, just out of Sora's reach.

Then Riku cleared his throat. "Ah, hey, Sora. You better, ah, watch your step." Then he turned back to Kairi, and she giggled. He punched her arm lightly, and they kept walking up the hallway, to their first class.

Sora felt a pang of jealousy. Kairi had three classes that day with Riku, and he had none. Also, looking around, he realised that time hadn't stopped, nor had it been hours, like it had felt.

It had only been seconds. "Yeah," he whispered, and the words came from his heart. "I better watch it, or I might stumble upon the wrong place."

Maths.

Such a bad thing, and yet, it was in everything. For instance, how much did Sora like Riku? How long had he been unaware of this fact? And, more importantly, how long ago had he actually starting admitting it to himself?

But he didn't get how knowing how to divide 788593 into a ridiculously long number would help in any way with that current situation.

He found that if he thought about other things, for instance, Riku, then the numbers would just flow through him simply. So, he took to daydreaming.

What will I do if Rikku actually does say yes? It felt like such a good idea at the time, but now... I don't think I want to go through with it.

Ugh. I feel so stupid. Of course Riku wouldn't do that to me- Um, I mean, of course Roxas wouldn't do that to Axel. Because they're, um, together and all that.

His shoulders slumped. Riku and Sora weren't together, though. Which was starting to really bug him. Possibly, he was just a kid after all. Because if Riku had ever felt that way about Sora - which he most certainly did not - then he would have said it ages ago, not worrying about the consequence. So, why coudn't he just say what he wanted to already?

He already knew the answer. Because getting rejected by his best friend wasn't high up on his wish list. He knew that things wouldn't be the same if Sora confessed. Riku would just either brush it away, which would be extremely painful, or withdraw from Sora, either from fear or disgust, which would, obviously, be even worse.

Getting Kairi to say it would always be the easy way, if ever he thought there was even the smallest chance that Riku would accept his very humble offer. But there wasn't, and also, that wasn't going to work, because Kairi had probably done that kind of thing to poor Riku already.

Unless... Sora cringed.

Kairi was a girl, and so naturally she could see straight through Sora. But Riku was more observant than her by far, and he knew Sora just that little bit better.

This wasn't good. This was not good at all. So, what was he going to do? How would he handle it if RIku had known it the whole time?

At the end of Math, he was still stumped.

Riku was having very similar thoughts of his end, only Kairi was there to make them more profound.

"Kairi," he growled through bared teeth. "Please, for both our sakes, shut up."

She scoffed, lifting her nose up. "Fine. But, ya know, I have information that you need."

Riku grimaced, looking away. So tempting. But no, he wasn't falling for it. "If I want that information, I'll go ask Sora for it personally."

Kairi giggled. "When did Sora come into this?"

Riku's eyes went wide. "But you said-"

"Yeah, but I never mentioned Sora."

Kairi grin told Riku that he had fallen in the trap, and as annoying and pointless as that was, he found he couldn't deny it. He just glared at Kairi until she got the message and started looking genuinely a little scared. Riku looked down at his history book, reading the words, but not processing them.

"Ah, Riku, up the back. What do you think of what I just said?" his very arrogant female teacher called out, and Riku grinned, a glint in his eye.

"Well, actually," he started, loving the feeling of suspense before his teacher's smirk would be wiped of her face. "I have to disagree, actually. They didn't rebel for the sake of it. There was a reason, naturally. As there always is. And I'm guessing it was because they had something they wanted to say, but they couldn't express it any other way. They had to say it best they could, and wait in hope until their opinion was either heard, or they were punished. "

And, just like that, the smirk was gone. She didn't say anything, taking to just nodding curtly. Riku does his own signature smirk in return. "Happy to oblige," he says, getting the message clearly.

The bell rings at the moment and everyone stands, grabbing their books and racing for the doorway. To them, that signified freedom, the chance to roam freely without distraction. Riku and Kairi on the other hand, liger back, both knowing that Kairi is going to say something involving Sora, Riku, and a major confession. Riku turns to her. "Yeah?"

But Kairi looks sad, and Riku takes off the smug look, replacing it with a mystified look. She had been fine two seconds ago. PMSing? Probably.

"Riku," she says, looking up at him with wide blue eyes. Okay, maybe not PMSing. Then she says something, and Riku stared at her dumfounded. All sound had left him, all his senses numb. He loses control of himself, and he blinks. In the one moment, Riku felt his heart shatter, the pieces scattered too out of reach.

"Sora, he, um, likes someone else."

Riku entered the cafeteria, automatically searching for the table with Sora sitting at it. He found him right away, and he looked sad. Riku felt a flash of anger go through his heart and soul. If that person had rejected Sora...

Then Roxas said something to Sora, and his eye shone. He looked over at Riku, grinning.

"What the..." Riku mumbled, making his way over to their table. Hadn't he been... Riku shrugged, sitting down. Sora was just as bad as Kairi at the PMSing thing. It was probably nothing. But, looking back at Sora, Riku read through him easily. He was hiding something, and Riku wanted to know what it was.

"So, how was Math?" he asked Sora, knowing full well how much Sora hated the subject. Sora groaned in reply, and began to repeatedly beat his forehead against the lunch table.

Riku cringed. Something really was wrong with him. Maybe he had been rejected. But by who? And when? And why? No matter how hard Riku thought about it, he couldn't think of one reason why someone wouldn't love Sora, or be upset or uncomfortable that Sora loved them in return.

Sora smiled, and Riku found his mind distracted. He rubbed his forehead, wincing. "Ouch. I have a hard head."

Axel laughed. "We all know, Sora."

Sora blushed. "Shut your mouth."

Riku laughed along with Axel. "Ooh, touchy."

Several things popped into Riku's head at the words mouth and touchy. Axel seemed to get this, being the kind of guy he is, and he laughed loudly, elbowing Roxas. Roxas cried out, and glared at Axel, before the tall red haired boy leaned down and whispered the joke into his ear. Then the blonde pinched his lips together, trying to stop his grin from cascading across his face.

Riku grimaced. "You, my friend," he said, picking up his apple juice and toying with the empty bottle. "Are so dirty that I don't how Roxas manages to stay as innocent as he is."

Axel just smirks.

Sora couldn't help but notice how alike Axel and Riku were. He looked back and forth between them, and felt the jealousy returning. Why couldn't he be part of this inside joke? Oh, right, because everyone saw him as the younger one, the one who didn't know anything except how to keep good grades and choose the best Blitz ball seats.

Sora looked down, studying the pocket on his jeans thoroughly. He felt suddenly depressed, and the fact he was depressed for no reason made him feel even worse.

"Sora?" asked a soft voice, and he looked up. Rikku was standing next to his chair, on the opposite side of Riku, looking down at him. "Are you alright?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah." Then he realised two things. One, he had given Kairi the instruction to bring these two together. Two, he had given Kairi the instruction to bring these two together, and Roxas was there, across the table from him. Well, how peachy.

Roxas audibly growled. It came ripping from the back of his throat. "Anything you'd like, Rikku?"

Rikku grinned. Sora couldn't hide his smile. Rikku had always ignored the obvious pressure between Roxas and her brother. "Yep, but don't you worry yourself. I'm not going to steal away Sora." She looked at Sora, a message coming through her eyes. "Sorry, Sora, Tidus bet you to it. And I, uh, said yes."

Sora winced. The message came through, just as planned. Kairi wants you to tell Riku how you feel. Wish I could help. Sorry.

"Um..." he said, trying to think of a way to reply what he wanted to say, without actually saying it. "Nah, its okay. I'll be fine." As in, I'll be fine without telling him, thanks.

Rikku looked at Sora worriedly. "If you're, um, sure."

Then she turned and ran out the door before anything else could be said. Sora slumped down in his chair. No, Rikku, I'm not sure at all.

"So... you can ask out the little sister of a guy I truly don't like, but you can't tell me why? How does that even work?"

Sora sighed. Roxas was so much better when he was happy. Sora hadn't been the one born with a temper. Roxas had obtained that gift. When they were kids, Roxas would always steal Sora's toys, because Sora had apparently done something bad, and then Sora would run away and cry. He didn't want to stand up to his older brother. That would be defiance, or, back then, treachery.

Riku looked at Sora as they walked out the door, the sound of the bell still ringing around in the back of his brain. It was after school, and they had all planned to go get ice-cream, to cheer Sora up a bit.

Axel, apparently, was taking advantage of that, though. "C'mon, Riku," he said to the silverette just before the bell went, putting an arm around his shoulder. "Think about it. Sora's upset, you're his best friend, coz let's face it – Roxas ain't very happy with him. And so, he'll depend on you. He will, eventually, see that you would never reject him, and fall for you." He clicked his fingers. "Bam. Happy ending."

Riku shook off the arm, walking just that little bit faster to get away from Axel and his dirty ideas. "Like that'd ever happen."

But, looking at Sora now, Riku felt the desperate need to help Sora. His eyes were red, which meant he was going to cry sometime soon, and his shoulders were slumped. He was dragging his feet along the ground, and he wasn't talking. Oh, other than, "Sorry, Roxas" and "I'm not telling." But considering it was Sora, that wasn't much at all. And Riku missed the bright smile and cheerful attitude. Where had it all gone?

Then Sora stopped walking. He spun around, and tears were pouring down his cheeks. They were out of the school grounds now, and were in that desolate place between town and school. No one was around, except for those four, and Kairi, who was up in the distance with Selphie.

"Riku," Sora whispered, before he leapton him, wrapping his arms around Riku's thin waist and clinging to him. Riku looked down, shocked to see Sora sobbing, actually sobbing, onto his white shirt. He bit his lip, and felt tears coming up his throat. He swallowed them down. This probably wasn't the time to scrunch up his face and hold Sora just as tightly as he was being held. Axel would never let him hear the end of it after it was all cleared up.

The whole scene was horrible, but Riku couldn't tear his eyes away. He just brought one arm around Sora's lower back, and used his other hand to pat the top of his hair. He wasn't very good at the comforting thing, but this was Sora, and he felt, as he watched, a caring, maternal side of him appeared inside himself, so genuine and real that it scared him.

He found himself stroking Sora's hair, massaging right down into the brunette's scalp. But he couldn't wonder at the softness, or get lost in this embrace, because Sora was devastatingly upset, and that burnt Riku to the core.

Sora was quietly silently, and that worried Riku. He had found that, over time, he could get a feel for the extent of a person's pain by the rhythm of their sobs or chokes. But Sora's shoulders shaking didn't give Riku the slightest hint.

Sora mumbled something into his shirt, and his shoulders visibly slowed in trembling. Sora mumbled it again, but still Riku couldn't hear. He wanted to ask Sora to speak up, maybe even lighten the mood, but he couldn't move - he couldn't even speak.

"Riku," mumbled Sora. "Riku."

Riku closed his eyes, trying to stay calm. Sora was whispering his name, over and over. This had the effect of lulling them both into a quieter, more meaningful state. Riku was still aware of Axel and Roxas' presence, and sometime through Sora's heartbreak and Riku's pain, Kairi and Selphie had joined them, too.

But none of that mattered. Sora was okay. He was sobering up. He would make it. And whatever was worrying him, surely he would tell Riku about it? No, thought Riku. Of course he would.

But doubt still nagged at his mind. What if he didn't... He pushed away those thoughts, his muscles tightening, and he gritted his teeth. His heart throbbed without permission, and Riku looked down to see Sora nuzzle into his stomach like a small, frightened child.

"Riku."