Stranger Than Fiction

Chapter Twelve:

Blue Eyes

Author's Note:

Well, we're twelve chapters in and so much has happened. I'll admit it, I was unsure how popular this fic would be at first, but your reviews are reassuring me. Riku's being annoying though, so's Sora. They're all trying to get the romance to move on faster, and I'm trying to keep it back. Grr…

If you review, Squally-baby will kiss you… At least, he will if I threaten him enough…

Disclaimer:

I don't own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the characters.

"Make the incision just here, below the, NO Kairi, not there!" The teacher talked them through their dissection of a cow's eye. Some liquid squirted out of the eye, straight onto Kairi's face. The class snickered.

"Yuk! Eye juice!" She wailed, running out of the room, presumably to wash her face. Sora laughed along with the rest of the class, but he perhaps had the most reason to laugh.

Ever since the library incident, a week ago, Kairi had avoided Sora, trying to get other's to hang around with her. Tidus had dumped her, publicly, and even her best friend who idolised her, Yuffie, had taken to hanging around with Selphie more.

"Now, now, class, settle down," The teacher settled herself against the desk. Sora could tell she'd given up the dissection now.

"Oh, just get out, you obviously aren't taking this seriously. I want you to research what the," The teacher paused, a smile on her lips. "'Eye juice' is called in medical terms and what it's functions are within the eye. Dismissed."

Sora grabbed his bag, heading outside to wait for Riku out there. He wanted to bring up the subject of Sephiroth and Aerith again, but he feared that Riku would finally lose it with him if he did…

"Let's go," Riku said. Sora shook his head.

"Did you call them?" Sora demanded. Riku carried on walking.

"Sora, aren't you coming?" He called over his shoulders. Sora caught up, scowling at him.

"You'll have to call them eventually," He warned. Riku still wasn't listening, so Sora decided to use a trick from Riku's own book to get his attention.

"I'm staring in a porno movie you know. It's with your brother. He has a nice ass…" Sora grinned when Riku turned to him eyes wide. Then Sora began to laugh, noting how Riku's cheeks were tinged slightly red.

"I'd barely even started describing it!" Sora choked on his own laughter, spluttering everywhere. Riku managed a slight chuckle.

"You know, you're crazy Sora… I love you, buddy," Riku said. Sora stopped laughing, standing up to face Riku with puzzled eyes.

"Did you just say…?" Sora couldn't bring himself to say it. He must have misheard.

"I said I love you, but in the friend way. There's a saying in German that I can't remember, they say it to each other when they become the closest of friends to show affection. It translates as 'I love you' but it has a different meaning. As a friend, I love you," Riku said quietly, so as not to attract attention. He noticed Sora's eyes were shining.

"Well then, in the German weird way, I love you too Riku," Hm… Why are you feeling so happy about those words Sora?

"I'm glad…" Riku then turned away, obviously trying to regain some of his composure after such an intense confession. Sora didn't mind, he waited patiently for Riku to be himself again.

But when Riku turned around, he wasn't himself, he wore the same intense expression as before.

"Sora, I can't keep my mask up anymore. Help me…" He pleaded. Sora watched him, solemnly, then nodded. Riku smiled, and Sora found himself smiling back. He awkwardly hugged Riku, the man hug with one arm.

Riku wrapped both arms around him and when they pulled apart, they saw Kairi watching them. They looked at each other, then as one, beckoned her over.

"Get all the eye juice off?" Sora questioned. Kairi glared at him.

"What's with you two, all huggy and stuff?" She asked. Riku looked at her, then smiled slightly.

"We're friends Kairi, we're allowed to hug and talk, unless the almighty goddess decrees it's wrong?" Riku asked sarcastically. Kairi smirked.

"Maybe I wouldn't mind it if I didn't think you were making moves on poor innocent little Sora?" Her tone was cold, as though she was striking a low blow. But Sora wasn't fazed.

Riku wasn't making moves on him, Riku was his friend and they loved each other, as friends. Was Kairi really so jealous?

"You better move before someone drops a house on you," Riku replied, equally as cold. Sora looked between the two, then gave up.

"Well if we're in the Wizard of Oz, you'd be the support actors. No heart, no brain and no courage," Kairi spat. Sora had heard enough.

"Shut up both of you. If this were the Wizard of Oz, then I'd be sending you back to Kansas just to make you shut up!" Sora yelled. He looked between the two of them and sighed. It was like there were two forces repelling them.

"Riku, let's go," Sora pulled at Riku's elbow, leading him away.

"One day, that girl is going to send her flying monkeys after us…"

Sephiroth paced up and down his office. He was in two minds what to do. He could get the police involved in Sora's case, and risk the case falling apart and putting Sora in more danger, or he could leave Sora to work it out himself.

Neither seemed better than the other. He looked at the clock, it was five p.m., what was he still doing here?

He packed away his briefcase, getting ready to turn of the lights. Recently, Sephiroth had been working at drawing artwork for an animated film. He was going to do the voice of himself in it. However, a lot of the characters were going to have to be doing by separate people.

Sephiroth looked at his lead characters and binned them again. He wasn't even going to bother taking them home with him. The story was simple, boy with super powers and cool looking sword tries to save the universe with the help of his friends.

Somehow, it was really bugging him though. He couldn't seem to get anything to feel right. It was as though no matter what he drew, it wasn't enough, it didn't portray what he had in mind…

Sighing, Sephiroth emptied his entire briefcase into the bin, looking up to see a silver haired boy stood in the doorway apprehensively.

"I just… wanted to pop in… for a chat…" Riku said quietly. Sephiroth nodded, bringing two chairs forward, one for him, one for the boy.

"There are a few things you should know. One, my adoptive mother is dying. Two, I don't plan on leaving her or Leon, my adoptive brother. Three, I'm gay. Four, I don't like charity or pity. Five, I hate pineapples," Riku grinned shyly. Sephiroth sat back. This was his son's way of getting to know him?

He was quite shocked.

"Let me deal with that one at a time, from the back. I'll never force you to do anything with a pineapple, and I won't pity you or force money on you. Being gay really doesn't bother me. You're my son, I couldn't care if you grew an extra head. I wouldn't dream of asking you to leave anyone. I'm sorry about your mother," Sephiroth said quietly. There it was, Riku's own life summed up in five short points.

"I do want to get to know you though… It's hard… I don't want to accept that perhaps when mom dies… I'll have to live with you… You'd take Leon in right?" Riku asked. Sephiroth felt his expression soften. This boy, he barely knew him, and yet, he was willing to trust him because he simply said he was his real parent.

"Leon and anyone you wish is allowed to stay with us. You can come and go as you please. You don't have to eat with us. You're old enough to make your own choices. Just like it was your choice to come here," Sephiroth explained. Riku looked relieved.

"Would it be okay… If I called you Sephiroth? I don't feel comfortable-" Sephiroth finished for him.

"Calling me dad? I don't mind at all Riku. It's entirely up to you what you call us. Amy is your mom, and Aerith must accept that. We understand," Sephiroth then stood up, ripping down his story designs from the board.

"What are you doing anyhow?" Riku asked, curiously. Sephiroth chuckled.

"I'm creating a film, but no matter what I do, nothing seems right…" He showed his initial designs to the boy. Riku sucked on his bottom lip for a second, then he held his hand out.

Sephiroth watched as Riku began to doodle on the back. He drew five characters, in a sketchy hand. Sephiroth watched, noting that Riku had inherited his artistic talents.

The characters on the page were fantastic, and immediately, Sephiroth felt excited. These were the characters he was waiting for… He stared at them for a second, then took in the appearances.

One was a white duck, dressed up in clothes like a magician. The other was a large… dog?… that was dressed in armour. The character in the middle was a spiky haired brunet, with comically oversized feet, carrying a blade that looked like a key.

Behind them, in the background, Sephiroth noted there was an auburn haired girl, with large eyes. On the other side, was Riku himself.

"You certainly know how to create personalities from your drawings…" Sephiroth commented. Riku nodded, helping himself to colouring pencils and lightly shading. Sephiroth noted that the lead character was Sora.

"I'll tell you what, Riku. Design me some characters, some worlds, then we'll sit down together and discuss some of the plot lines. It would be a good excuse for us to spend some time together," Sephiroth saw Riku straighten, and took in that he had only coloured Sora in fully. The others were… patchy…

"I'll be back tomorrow with some more characters… Spehiroth?" Riku looked up.

"These are my friends I'm drawing, that's why they're so charismatic. May I… May they be the voices for the characters?" He asked. Sephiroth smiled.

"I don't see why not. I take it the weird duck isn't a friend of yours?" He questioned. Riku gave him a cold 'that's not funny' glare that many teenagers gave those of the older generation.

"I have to go home. Riku, I'll have keys made for you to this office, the house and my harley. Please be careful with it…" Sephiroth then walked out of the office, holding the door open for Riku.

Riku sat in most lessons taking quick sketches of those around him. Selphie, Wakka, Tidus, Kairi, Sora, Cloud, Leon, Yuffie, complete strangers. Eventually, they snapped, getting fed up at his intense looking at their features.

Riku shrugged, putting his sketchbook on the desk with a slight 'thwop'. Sora snatched it up, flicking through the pictures.

Selphie smiling, Tidus doing a high five with Wakka, Kairi staring sadly, Leon leaning against a wall, Cloud walking along, his face hidden behind a red scarf, Sora, Sora again, Sora holding weird sword thing, Sora holding another weird sword thing, Sora accompanied by various creatures. Riku, tethered in darkness, waiting to be released.

"Wow… I had no idea you were this good at art…" Sora blinked looking through. Riku shrugged.

"They're not finished yet. Obviously, they need a little colour on them. I'm doing them for Sephiroth," Riku explained. Sora's ears perked up and he grinned at the silver haired boy.

"You made up with him!" The brunet laughed, and hugged Riku. Damn Sora, don't you know that I long to be with you as more than a friend? Please stop tormenting me…

"Yeah… I'm drawing these for his animated movie. You're the lead character, break a leg," Riku drawled. Sora's eyes lit up.

"Cool. Is that why I have these swords?" He indicated the weird blade. Riku nodded.

"It's not a sword, it's called a keyblade," Riku corrected him. Sora nodded, then he flicked to the next sketch. It was an image of the two of the fighting each other. Sora looked up, puzzled.

"It was an idea I had, based on our earlier fighting… I wanted to create something deep. In a kid's movie, you have to have a bad guy, right? Well, that'll be me. Well, I was thinking of a strange hybrid, but anyhow. I'm on the bad side, you're on the good side. But we're still good friends…" Riku explained. Sora nodded, flipping through the next few pictures. He then came across one, it was of Sora holding Kairi's hand.

"What's this?" He asked. Riku briefly wondered if Sora had noticed that he was in the background, watching. Instead he just grinned.

"There has to be a love story!" He protested. Sora snorted.

"What about pairing me up with Cloud? Or Leon? Or you? Anything but Kairi!" Sora begged. Riku laughed, but was still slightly flattered that Sora thought him as hot as Cloud or Leon.

"Hm… If this was an adult film, maybe, but it's a kid's film. You gotta love a girl Sora. Sorry that you feel sexually threatened, but you'll have to live with it," Riku laughed. Sora pouted, cutely.

"Aw… Well, I guess that it's kinda cool. You have to let me help you. Hell, seeing as we all seem involved, we should all help you!" Sora suggested. Riku thought about it, then nodded. Sure, why not?

Sephiroth had said that he should make himself comfortable in their house. Surely that meant having friends round too? And Seph's office was big enough to fit everyone in for a planning session…

"Alright, we'll do that!" Riku smiled. The brunet looked ecstatic and it gave Riku a nice attack of warm fuzzies… He privately named one Binkie.

Sora hesitantly sketched a picture. He wasn't quite as good as Riku, but he gave it a shot. He drew a landscape, a pretty little island, a raft, a tree house, a strange cave…

Sora pondered for a second, before writing on the top in large bubble writing 'Destiny Islands'. Sora decided to leave it black and white, not trusting himself to ruin his poor attempt further. He placed the picture aside, thinking of what else he could draw.

The picture of him and Riku fighting sprang into his mind once more. Sora pushed it away, and began sketching. He wasn't quite aware what he was drawing until the Nat King Cole CD he was listening to, stopped.

He then saw what he'd drawn. It was by no means a work of art, it was far too angular, to harsh on the eyes but… Sora looked at it… There was a large door, and him. Beside him were the two animal-human characters Riku had drawn. Behind them was Kairi. On the other side of the door, trying to help Sora close it, was Riku…

They were working together to put distance between them for Kairi…

Riku sat, his feet up. No one had arrived in the homeroom yet. He had spoke to Sephiroth that night, and his mother, and had decided that this film would become his little project.

Sephiroth had also give permission for all gang to go to his office one night to throw around some ideas.

Riku looked up when Yuffie poked her head through the door. He grinned at her and she walked in. Even though she was in the year below, with Selphie, Yuffie spent most of her time hanging around with the older kids.

She explained that her reasoning was that she thought the kids in her year were immature, but Riku knew it was because she had a crush on Leon.

"Hiya!" She sat down opposite him. Riku smiled at her, then got down to making a quick sketch of her. She was in the perfect position to capture her face…

"Hey Riku, who'd you like?" Yuffie asked suddenly. Riku didn't look up from his sketch.

"Why should I tell you?" He asked. Yuffie shrugged.

"I dunno, because you want to tell someone. I noticed you rarely talk to Sora about anything. I've already questioned Leon, and he won't spill, so I decided to talk to you about it directly," Yuffie replied. Riku took a deep breath as he sketched in a little shading under her lip to make it look a little bigger, a little more childish…

"I'll give you a clue. Blue eyes," Riku said. Yuffie's eyes widened.

"Kairi?" She breathed. Riku looked up sharply, but she was gone. With a sinking feeling, Riku returned to his sketch. How long before Yuffie told the whole school?

It was at lunchtime that Sora first heard that Riku was in love with Kairi. At first, he laughed at it. When Yuffie assured him that she'd received no denial from Riku however, it became ever more apparent.

"I don't believe you," Sora said, stubbornly. Yuffie shrugged.

"Please yourself, but I know what Riku said… Or rather, what he didn't say," Yuffie said knowingly. Sora sighed, wondering why he felt so bad…

Kairi heard the rumour and inwardly cried with joy. She'd play with Riku's emotions to get back at him, then she'd move onto Sora, who she was sure had a crush on her. It would be perfect…

She wondered whether or not she could actually bring herself to touch Riku. Well, she'd slept with guys she didn't like, so she should be able to flirt with those she hated…

She looked at the two, vindictively plotting their demise.

Selphie giggled and fought back against her boyfriend's grasp. He laughed too, holding onto her tightly.

"Zelly!" She protested. He was stood behind her, holding her waist. She reached a hand up to stroke his face, his left cheek had a tattoo on it, used to hide a scar he'd received as a child.

"Yup?" He asked. She laughed, and gestured to the muscular arms wrapped around her. He nuzzled her neck.

"Stop complainin' you like it," He chuckled. She relaxed into the embrace then saw Sora. Frantically she tried to get out of Zell's grasp before her brother saw, but… Too late

"Selphie's got a boyfriend!" Sora's astonished voice carried down the hallway. Selphie cringed and she noted that Zell's ears went pink. Utterly adorable…

"When did this happen?" Sora demanded when he got nearer. He wasn't angry, she noted, but had his 'tormenting' face on.

"Last week…" Selphie replied miserably.

"You didn't tell me because?" Sora prompted. Selphie sighed.

"Because I didn't want to… stir things up… The fact it's so easy for me to have a relationship and so hard for you," Selphie replied quietly. Sora thought that excuse over.

"Good one. I'm Sora, her big bro," Sora held out his hand. Zell stepped forward, one arm still around Selphie's waist, and shook the hand.

"Zell," He replied. Sora motioned to the tattoo.

"Cool tattoo."

"Thanks."

"Gotta get to class."

"Us too."

"See you around?"

"Defo."

"Selphie, you have a better choice in men than I do…"

Aerith sat down, next to her piano, a pen and paper in hand:

When you walk away, you don't hear me say, please, oh baby, don't go… Um…

Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight… It's hard to let it go?

You're giving me… To many things lately… You're all I need… Oooh? You smiled at me and… um… said?

Don't get me wrong I love you, but does that mean I have to meet your family father?

When we are older you'll understand… What I meant when I said… no? And maybe some things are that easy simple?

::chorus::

So simple and clean…

The daily things (like this and that and what is what)

That keep us all busy

Are puzzling… confusing me… That's when you turned to me and said…

Wish I could prove I love you, but does that mean I have to walk on water.

When we are old you'll understand it's enough when I say so. Baby, some things are that simple…

::chorus::

Hold me, whatever lies beyond this morning, is a little later on. Um…

Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all

Nothing's like before.

::chorus::

Hold me, whatever lies beyond this morning, is a little later on.

Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all

Nothing's like before.

Hold me, whatever lies beyond this morning, is a little later on.

Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all

Nothing's like before.

::chorus::

Aerith smiled, gently pressing the keys on the piano. She'd created a new song… Holding onto the song in her head, she pressed 'Record' on the tape player, singing the new lyrics along softly.

"Nice…" Riku commented when she stopped playing. Aerith looked up, happy to see her son. He had been visiting regularly that week, and he saw down on a chair beside her.

"Your own composition? I was under the impression people wrote for you?" Riku asked. Aerith laughed.

"Oh were you? No, I write all my own songs. This one, I was thinking of using as publicity for this big animation Seph's all excited about. He still won't tell me why though. Do you know?" She asked. Riku smiled, and she knew he knew too.

"Tell me!" She complained, slightly childlike. Riku stood up, looking through the lyrics. He took up a pencil, made a few alterations and then gave her back the lyrics with some minor adjustments.

"Right, try again, this time…"

Ending Notes:

Yes, yes, the film they're making is Kingdom Hearts. Yes, Aerith has composed the song. Yes I know that those aren't the actual lyrics. I know that this was a crap chapter and nothing much happened.

I know I'm shamelessly Kairi-bashing. I know I added another pointless character. I don't care…

Squall: Um… Here's your kisses, just don't flame. Please… puppy dog eyes