Title: 100 Steps to Somewhere

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Claim: Cloud/Riku

Theme: 012. Promise

Rating: M

Word Count: 2,263

Summary: Cloud wasn't so good at keeping secrets, but promises tend to be easier. Especially when Leon is in his face and Riku is a sinfully underage little devil.

Warnings: Uh, there are some sexual references in this little segment. Blame Cloud. I can't help he's horny. And Riku's underage, so I guess I should warn about that, too, but Riku's been underage the whole time.

Disclaimer: They aren't mine. I just like to play with them.

Author's Note: Cloud is a sexy beast, and that's all I have to say about that.

Step Twelve: Theories and Unabated Lust

Cloud was keenly aware of Leon's eyes on him the entire time, listening to him talk to Riku like some damn eavesdropper. Never before had he been aware that Leon could be such a pain. He'd asked for privacy to call Riku, but apparently Leon felt that with Cloud having nothing to hide, he could sit in for these intimate phone calls.

It wasn't exactly like he broke his promise to Riku or anything, but he'd been worried about how Riku would take the current situation. Leon sitting beside him as if he had a right to be there did little to ease his anxiety. Then he had the nerve to demand the phone. As if Cloud would allow Leon to talk to his boyfriend without Riku's permission.

It was about this point in his mental process that Cloud realized just how whipped he'd become without Riku ever trying at all. Cloud supposed he had no one to blame but himself. Somewhere along the way, he'd fallen in love with Riku, and got this odd idea into his head that he needed to do everything possible to not make Riku's issues with himself worse. This included keeping promises and actually admitting it when he'd . . . just maybe . . . well, blabbed his big mouth. To the point where he'd let just a little too much information slip.

Leon had always said Cloud was a rotten secret keeper.

"I can see why you like him so much," said Leon.

"Huh?"

"He's got that same easygoing yet fearless thing Zack had, but he's also like you. A lot."

"How do you figure?"

"Using the darkness and fighting it at the same time. His friends mean a lot to him. He's not happy about the way things are, but he accepts them. Can't stay rooted in one place for too long. Feels a lot worse about things than he lets you believe."

"You got all that from a five minute conversation?"

"And from what you've told me about him. It's hard to believe he and Sora are fighting so badly."

"They're misconstruing each other. That's about it. Sora thinks Riku's fallen to the darkness—which isn't wrong, but it's not the way that Sora thinks."

"Riku made a mistake and it snowballed."

"Exactly. It was all an accident, and now he's stuck. And Riku thinks Sora's become self-involved—"

"He's jealous of Kairi."

"What? No."

"Yes he is. He said he and Sora were best friends even before they knew Kairi. He's older than Sora—not by much, but still old enough for Sora to look up to him. I bet before the Heartless took over their home, Riku was the ringleader of their little gang. Bested Sora at just about everything. Got jealous when Kairi took away some of the adoration Sora used to give him—"

"He did say Sora's in love with Kairi."

"There you go. Now their world has fallen to darkness—"

"He did it. Riku's the one who opened the door to their world."

Leon's eyebrows rose. Cloud wasn't sure if he should be telling him this, but Riku had said he could tell Leon the story, and Leon seemed to have insight that Cloud might be too close to the situation to see.

"Really?"

"It was an accident. I guess. Just before their world fell, Riku, Sora, and Kairi made this raft they were going to cross the ocean with to see what was out there besides their island. Riku told me they have this Secret Place there—some little cave, or something—and the door to their world is in it. Riku was hanging out in there the night before they planned on leaving, and he heard—I don't know, he said he heard a voice telling him to open the door if he wanted to see other worlds."

"So he did."

"Yeah. I guess they tried to open it before but it never worked. This time it worked. And the Heartless took over. That's when he opened his heart to darkness. Woke up in Hollow Bastion."

"I see. So he blames himself for their world falling."

"Well, yeah. Wouldn't you?"

"That is pretty bad."

"Yeah. He made a mistake."

"And it led him to where he is now."

"Right."

"There you go. Riku blames himself for their world falling. He meets Maleficent," said Leon, rolling his eyes, "and I'm guessing she was the first sign of life he found. Got suckered into the darkness. Couldn't have been too hard to do it, either, with him having already opened his heart, and so unaware of what was going on. I bet she was just thrilled to get her hands on the Keyblade master's best friend."

"I bet."

"So when he met up with Sora again, he was already wandering through darkness. Blaming himself for what happened to their home. He probably thought he'd see Sora again and it'd be the way it used to—he'd take over. Lead. Help Sora out with his great mission. Only Sora was doing just fine on his own. And so much has happened with Sora that he probably felt compelled to just spill it all out. There's a lot of pressure that goes with being a Keyblade master; Sora probably couldn't wait to tell Riku everything that had happened to him, especially if he looks up to Riku."

"I think you're onto something there."

"Of course I am. Now tell me about this conscience deal."

Cloud quickly relayed everything Riku had told him about Monstro.

"Misconstruing each other is a little unfair," said Leon. "They're so off target on each other it's almost funny."

"How?"

"Sora's hurt. He looks up to Riku, and now Riku's messing with him. Not acting like he thinks a best friend should. Not at all acting like who he thinks Riku is."

"But it's very like Riku."

"Yeah, sure, but this is important stuff now. It isn't some silly little game they're playing. Riku's teasing just like always, but Sora's the Keyblade master with a serious mission. Playing games doesn't fall into that jurisdiction. He's worried about Kairi, and demanding to know about her, but Riku doesn't think Sora cares about either one of them. That stems from insecurity about himself. Sora doesn't need him is the real problem. Riku still needs to beat Sora if he wants to keep the illusion of the way things used to be, and this is the only way he can. Only Sora isn't letting him do it.

"He perceives Riku as the enemy right now, working with the darkness to get what he wants. Sora sees Riku as in the way; he's no different from any of the other people Sora's defeated, except for that he's Riku. Sora thinks that Riku's on the wrong side, and he wants him to come back to the light. He wants to help him. Riku can't stand that. He's independent. He can do things on his own without help—especially without Sora's help. Sora doesn't help him; he helps Sora. You see?"

"I think you just said more words right now than you have your entire life."

"Blow me."

"Can't. I'm committed. In love and all."

"Obviously. Speaking of which, time for you to tell me how you factored into this. After all, you did promise."

"I did, didn't I?"

"Yes. You've gotten yourself into a sticky situation, you know."

"I'm realizing. This is more messed up than I thought."

"Stop deflecting."

"Fine. I was working for Hades and ran into Riku at Hollow Bastion. He disturbed me."

"What a way to fall in love. Disturbance."

"It's just . . . he was so young. It bothered me. Working with the darkness at his age."

"You're weird like that."

"Come on. Don't you think Sora's a little young to be a Keyblade master?"

"Beggars can't be choosers, Cloud. Besides, I think the Keyblade knows what it's doing."

"I know. I just . . . I talked to him. Riku. And I never really thought I'd see him again, but I ended up kind of obsessing over him. Couldn't get him out of my head. So I went to see him after I fought Sora in the preliminaries. Before I even knew they were friends. Found out when I saw Riku again. That conversation ended with us both admitting we were hot for each other and we got on the Gummi to go look for Sora."

"That's charming."

"It was sweet."

"You're sick like that."

"Why is that sick?"

"I know what you're saying by sweet. He was young, innocent, but still lost in the darkness. He gives you hope. You fell for him because he reminds you of yourself. That's what sick about it."

"I love him."

"I'm not saying your love for him is sick. I believe it's genuine. It just started from . . . I don't know. A dark place, I guess."

"Yeah. I know. But it's turned out so great."

"So what happened when you looked for Sora? That when you two started dating?"

"Yeah. I really got to know him, spending all that time with just the two of us. So when we went back to Hollow Bastion, I stuck around. That's when he saw Sora again and the feud began. He'd visit and tell me about what was going on with Maleficent. Went to Traverse Town to see you guys and got the phones. When I got back to Hollow Bastion, I took him down to the river. Then Maleficent found Kairi, he took off to Neverland, and I came here. So we've been talking on the phone ever since. I asked him to come see me when I do the Hercules Cup."

"Is he coming?"

"Don't know yet."

"Sorry I'm not going to be here to meet him if he does come, but I've got to head back to Traverse Town."

"It's okay. I'd like to spend some time alone with him anyway."

"I bet you would. You should call him back. Make him come see you."

"I would, but he's off doing more work for Maleficent."

"She's a nasty piece of work."

"I know, but . . . she's really the only person helping him with Kairi right now. I'd offer my services, but I doubt he'd accept. Maleficent knows more about the Heartless than I do, and he thinks he needs that resource."

"Call him, Cloud. Do it later. I don't care. How long has it been since you've seen each other?"

"Honestly, not very long, but it feels like years."

"Call him. Have you screwed yet?"

"Real eloquent, Leon."

"What? Have you?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. He's fifteen. I doubt he's experienced."

"All the more fun. You can train him."

"That's not funny."

"I never said it was. I'm dead serious."

"And that's what makes you sick."

Leon shrugged.

----------0----------

Cloud stared at the ceiling of the hotel room, listening to Yuffie ramble about something unimportant. From Leon's occasional grunts and huffs, Cloud could tell he was hardly listening. It was a nice change of pace; Cloud found Leon was not only talking too much for his health, but was becoming far too interested in Cloud's love life. After all, Cloud didn't know how much more he could take of Leon's prying even if it was nice to have someone to talk to about Riku.

He was pondering how—if Riku did come, that was—he'd approach the subject (and hopefully, the act) of sex without seeming like a desperate pervert when his phone rang.

Speak of the sinfully underage devil . . .

"Who is always calling you?" said Yuffie. "You aren't that interesting."

"It's just Cloud's boyfriend," said Leon, smirking.

"Yeah, right," said Yuffie, rolling her eyes. "Like I said, he isn't that interesting."

Cloud smirked, flipped his middle finger at Yuffie, and walked out onto the balcony.

"Hey, gorgeous."

There was a pause on the other end.

"Hey yourself," said Riku.

"How did the kidnapping go?"

"It sounds so bad when you say it that way."

"Been spending too much time with Leon. Regardless, how did it go?"

"Belle is safely in Hollow Bastion with the others. Just one more princess to go. Then I can start figuring out how to get Kairi's heart back."

"Sounds good. Hey, I was planning on calling you, anyway. Wanted to make sure you were coming to see the Hercules Cup."

"That the one you're fighting in?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know. Sora . . ."

"I told you I have ways around Sora."

"I know, but . . ."

"I miss you, Riku. It's felt like ages."

"I miss you, too."

"So come see me. We can make out, and I'll give you that blow job I promised you."

"It's all about sex with you, isn't it?"

"Don't pretend you don't want it, baby. I can hear the desire in your voice."

Riku laughed. Cloud smiled. He wasn't completely joking.

"Oh, yeah, baby. I'm so hot for you right now."

"I know."

"You promise I can get around having to see Sora?"

"Yes. Come make out with me in my hotel room."

"You're so romantic."

"Now, Riku, that didn't sound convincing. Say it like you mean it."

"I'll be there, okay?"

Cloud smiled. With Riku, it was best to joke about things, make him laugh, and be completely serious while doing it. He may not be so good at keeping secrets, but Cloud was sure he'd have no problem keeping this promise.

Grr... sucks and my cat won't get off my lap because he's spilled his water in his food dish again, thus making it unfit to eat.

I already typed up all the responses to my reviews and everything, but failed to save it, so I'm going to try this again.

darktenshi17: I'm sorry there were only ten when you got here, but I write these things pretty frequently, so there will be more before you know it. In fact, there's two more as I type. Yay! As far as the reviews . . . I don't know. I guess it's just not a popular pairing. ::shrug::

Ayatsuji: I don't know how long your fandom life has been, but I've probably been over in Harry Potter. I love you, too, especially when you're pimping out my story. I love when people pimp me. ::smile:: I'm glad you like my Cloud.

Lapse - Raevn: I know what you mean about the lack of Cloud/Riku fics. I was so distressed about not being able to find a canon Cloud/Riku serial where Riku isn't a Sephiroth substitute that I signed up for a 100 fic challenge and wrote it myself. I find this often happens to me . . . hmm . . . that can't be good. I really love the Cloud/Riku pairing. I think they're so well suited for each other--maybe even better matched than Sora/Riku, which I love to death. I plan on following the original plot straight through the end of KH2, so we'll see where this takes us. I like trying to shove this romance in the existing storyline and have it still make sense. It's fun.

FrEaKyAoIFaN: I already know how this story ends--and Cloud and Riku's fates--but shh . . . I'm not telling. At least not yet. I guess I have to eventually or the story would never be finished. I'm touched that you're touched. Romantic yet heartbreaking is exactly what I was going for. Quite honestly, I loved the way the last segment ended, Riku so hopeful as he opens a dark portal. It's kind of twisted, I guess, but sweet at the same time. ::sigh::

A thank you to all those who read and did not review. I appreciate you all.

Uh . . . next segment . . . when I write it. I have a busy weekend coming up, but I might get a chance tomorrow. Don't know yet, but I work straight through this entire weekend. Saturday is looking really iffy. Probably Sunday at the latest, though I work then, too, so maybe Monday. It'll be a surprise. Yay!

Next prompt is Sacrifice. Next point of view is, of course, Riku's. What to expect? Neverland.

Until then . . .

Signing off.