[Thanks again for the reviews. You guys are awesome. So this is the next chapter. A little boring at first. But hopefully you guys will like it. I hope it's not too cheesy. Thanks & I hope you enjoy.]

Sora stirred, barely waking from his deep trance. His eyelids felt like lead, his muscles were stiff. Very stiff, actually. Sora opened his eyes with effort and looked around. He was by himself. Startled, he jumped to a sitting position.

If he remembered correctly, he had been with Riku all night. He hadn't been dreaming about it. The proof was in his sore, tense muscles. Yawning widely, Sora looked around and noticed a small piece of paper folded up where Riku's head should have been.

He opened the crinkled paper up, still trying to blink all the sleep from his eyes.

It read:

Hey Sora. I've gone to Kairi's house for a little bit. I'm just going to tell her you haven't been feeling well. You were so tired you were passed out all morning long! Anyways, there's food in the kitchen if you're hungry. I'm sure you are. You haven't eaten anything in three days.

Sora clutched his stomach, which suddenly felt very empty.

I'll be back home in a little bit. Just stay here. Don't go home until we have time to figure out what we're going to do.

Sora sighed.

P.s. Last night was amazing…

It had definitely not been a dream, Sora decided firmly.

He looked around Riku's room, at a loss of what to do. He was hungry, but he was too tired at the moment to stand up. First thing first though, he had to get dressed. He found an old pair of Riku's shorts and t-shirt that were only slightly larger than him and put them on. Eventually, his hunger reprimanded his grogginess, and he got off the bed.

Pain shot up his legs and lower back. Groaning, he told himself again. Nope, that was definitely not a fantasy. That really happened.

Agonizingly slow, he made his way down to the kitchen. There was a fresh bowl of fruit sitting on the counter and a box of cereal waiting for him. "Some meal," he thought, disgruntled. His stomach growled loudly.

He wanted real food. He searched through the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator and couldn't find anything. Annoyed, Sora shut the door and returned to the food that Riku had left out for him.

He bit into a small papaya, the sticky juices running down his chin. His stomach growled even louder. It wasn't very filling, but it definitely boosted his energy up a bit, and even distracted the sudden loneliness he felt without Riku with him.

Bored, he decided to check on his back and stomach. He searched blindly through Riku's house until he found his guest bathroom. It had been so long since he had spent the night over at Riku's, he found himself forgetting where everything was.

He flipped on the light and craned his neck over his shoulder. The cuts were just tiny pink scars against his tan skin. Even the bruises were beginning to face. Sora beamed in the mirror. He felt better than he had in a very long time.

He didn't know when Riku would be back, so against Riku's cautionary words, Sora ventured outside. The warm sun on his cheeks only bettered his mood. There was a gentle breeze in the air that rustled his chocolate spikes.

He trotted towards the back of Riku's house, finding large hammock under the shade to two large beech trees. Grinning, he clambered onto the white hammock and kicked the ground, causing him to swing.

He closed his eyes, sighing. The day was so much better when he didn't have constant worries on his mind. Riku had said not to worry until the morning, and as far as he was concerned, it was the afternoon and he shouldn't have to worry again until next morning.

This carelessness surprised him as he lounged across the hammock, his hair swishing in the wind, the shade cooling his body. He wasn't afraid when he was around Riku.

He relaxed his aching muscles, and his mind was racing through the happenings from last night. He wasn't embarrassed for some reason, just overwhelmed with happiness and a sense of belonging.

He heard a faint pad of feet in the sand. He cracked an eye open and turned his head. He froze where he was.

"D-dad?" He jumped up.

The man's eyes were hollow, but they lacked the redness. He cleared his throat. "Sora, where have you been?"

Fear ran through Sora's blood, ice cold. His voice wasn't angry. He spoke in a soft whisper.

"I-uh…"

"I was worried about you. You disappeared."

Sora couldn't comprehend his words. "But..what about…"

"Come home."

Sora shook his head nervously. "Y-You drink," he stammered. "It's out of hand. I don't want to stay with you anymore."

His dad shook his head. "Sora, I'm not drunk. Nor will I be."

Sora gulped. "What's going to change?" he asked in a meek voice.

"Sora, you're my only son. I won't hurt you again."

Sora shook his head. "I'm not coming home."

His dad looked angry for a split-second. Sora tasted his brunch in his mouth.

The man took a few steps forward. Sora crawled to the edge of the hammock, his breathing increasing.

"Sora!" A second voice made his worries vanish.

Riku stood behind his dad, his fists clenched, his eyes narrowed and deadly.

"What do you want here?" he asked coldly.

Sora's dad turned around, unabashed by Riku's cold retorts. "I have come to bring Sora home."

Riku shook his head. "He's not coming home with you. I'm not going to let him get hurt again."

The man raised an eyebrow. "So you're planning on keeping him here hostage?"

"I've been here on my own accord!" Sora intervened.

"He's not going with you," Riku snapped, ignoring Sora's comment.

"Oh yes he is. What are you going to do about it, kid?"

Sora gulped. He knew too well the force of his father's punch and the sickening crunch that sounded when it connected with flesh.

Riku cracked his knuckles. Anxiety ripped at Sora's heart.

"No!" He stood between them, his eyes filling with tears. "I'll go home." He said, his head down.

"Sora?"

"Riku, I can't let you get hurt," he mumbled.

Riku's face turned red. "I can protect you, Sora."

He shook his head. "I'll be fine," he lied.

He nodded towards his dad. "Let's go home," he said, barely audible.

A look of triumph reached his face as he shoved by Riku.

"And he's made his choice, lover boy," he scoffed.

"Sora…" Riku couldn't understand the boy's drive to want to go home. Why did his heart always pull him back there as if he were some sort of electromagnet?

He thought for a moment that his heart stopped. Now he had a choice to make. Would he leave Sora alone again, or would he follow him?

He shook his head, answering his own question. He saw the consequences that occurred when he decided to turn his back. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

Following at a safe distance, Riku remembered his vow to Sora the first time he saved him from his dad.

"I promised you this, Sora, and I failed you the first time. But I swear on my life that I will protect you no matter what."

[So, what did you guys think? Wasn't too terrible? I hope you liked it so far. Keep reviewing!]