Disclaimer! I, obviously, don't own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.

"This sucks."

"Piss off." Riku glared at Axel at the other looked over some poems the prince was trying to write. "I'm not good at this…"

"But you are good at insulting his clothes." Axel pointed out.

"Oh shut it!" Riku snapped. "It just came out wrong… I didn't mean to insult him…" He let out a groan and hit his head on his personal work desk in his room. "I just… I wanted an excuse to buy him something."

"So… you're writing poetry to profess your love?" Axel inquired, looking confused. He lounged on Riku's bed and watched him. "This is going to go well." He said, his entire tone dripping with sarcasm. "After today, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't want to see you again."

"Will you shut up?" Riku asked. "Besides, if he didn't want to see me, he could have let me get shot."

"He seems too nice to allow that." Axel pointed out. "I'm sure if he saw a convict about to be hung, he'd try to save him."

"That's what I do love." Riku said. "He's always so kind. Whenever I see him in town, he's polite, social, and overall friendly." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I can't help but love him, Ax."

"Doesn't help that he's cute, too, huh?"

"That's a perk." Riku said. "So, what about you and the other guy you saw? Didn't even say anything to him and you instantly started crushing on him."

"Cute kid." Axel said. "Hey, if I see him again, I'll talk to him. Get his name, introduce myself, hopefully sleep with him…"

"You move too quick, Ax." Riku muttered.

"And what? You don't want to sleep with Sora?" Axel asked. "It's human nature, buddy."

"Whatever." Riku scoffed. "Now get out of my room. I need to think of a good poem before I see him tomorrow."

"Yup, on it. 'sides, I'm sure Reno wants to lecture me again." Axel rolled off of Riku's bed and got up. "Later… your majesty."

"I told you not to call me that." Riku said. "You're my best friend before you're my servant and guard. You know I hate being called that…"

"I know. That's why I do it." Axel said. "Good night, Riku."

Riku smiled as he watched Axel leave. "Night." He whispered before looking back to his writing. He let out a groan as he hit his head to the desk again. "Yeah… I suck at this…" he muttered.

"What's got you down, little brother?" Vexen asked as he walked by and put his hand on Demyx's head. He sat down in front of him at the table. "Something is on your mind."

"Vexy… what if it's Zexy who's the prince?" Demyx asked. "We've never really seen his face… and he could be going by an alias to avoid being killed by Sephiroth…"

"Anything is possible." Vexen said. He stood up when the kettle started screaming at them and got it and poured it into two cups with tea in them. He brought the cups over and put one in front of his brother. "But that's not what has you down completely, huh?"

"I like Zexy a lot." Demyx said. "He's really cool and looks after Sora… so he's protective pretty much… I want him to like me but if he's the prince…"

Vexen sighed before sipping his tea. "Well, we won't know for sure until we get Sora's cooperation." He said. "I'm guessing the fact that Sora is most likely the siren that protected the prince and hangs around Zexion is what's brought about your thinking?" Demyx nodded. "Understandable." Vexen reached over and ruffled his brother's hair. "Don't worry too much. Larxene's worried about you and too much worry for her won't be good."

"Yeah." Demyx said, chuckling a bit. He smiled at the idea of his sister having a baby. "I want to be like Saïx when I get older." Vexen looked confused. "He's a great uncle… doing all he can to be reunited with and protect Prince Ienzo… I want to be like him for my little niece or nephew." He smiled goofily. "What do you think it'll be?"

"Don't tell her I told you, but I have a feeling we'll have both." Vexen stood up. "Get some sleep." He left with his tea, leaving Demyx with the happy idea of having a niece AND a nephew.

Roxas looked to the cove and saw the little cave under the water. He moved a bit to try and look into it, but he couldn't see far enough in and in the dark. He let out a sigh and sat on the rocks. The day was rough, no doubt, and he was sure Sora wouldn't go to the town for a while longer now. He rested his chin in his hands and waited for Sora to come up.

"He's still under?" Zexion asked as he walked over. He knelt down by Roxas and looked to one of Sora's caves. "Are you sure it was the Organization?"

"Yeah." Roxas said. "I've done my research for years… those three were all members. Marluxia, Xigbar, and Xaldin." He let out a sigh. "I've respected the group for years since the takeover. I've always wanted to be like them… but with how they went after Sora… I don't know if I can respect and trust them…"

Roxas looked over to Zexion. "They wanted to find you… I think to put you back on the throne." He explained. "They said they wanted to set things right… but… I don't know if we can fully trust them." He looked back to the underwater cave. "Sora was right to act aggressive… he was in a threatening situation." He smiled when the siren swam up and poked his head a little above water. "Hey there." He reached out and messed with Sora's hair. "Glad to know you're doing somewhat okay. I'm going to guess you're not going to go to town tomorrow, huh?" Sora shook his head vigorously. "I figured."

Sora looked to Zexion and the former prince nodded. "Yeah, I'll be putting up another spell to keep people out of our domain." He said. Sora blew bubbles and smiled. "Glad you're happy to hear that. Will you be swimming in your lake tomorrow and waiting for us?" Sora nodded. "Well, that's a start." He looked to the forest and nodded. "We'll be right back. Will you catch us some fish for supper?" Sora nodded and dove down into the water, purposefully splashing his friends with his tail, and swam off.

"How are you not sick and tired of fish?" Roxas asked.

"How are you already sick of it?" Zexion asked before going back to the forest. He looked around the trees and nodded.

Though Zexion no longer referred to himself as a prince, in a way he was still a ruler. To protect Sora and himself, he took charge of the forest. It was ten years ago that he learned to use magic and perform illusion spells. He had cast an illusion over part of the forest, creating a thick fog that would make people easily confused and see things should they enter too far. With that in mind, they could easily fall into water where Sora would handle things from there, either sparing their lives and leading them back or ending them; usually it was foolish guards still looking for the missing prince that met that second result.

Zexion closed his eyes and muttered something before holding out his hand. From the ground, more fog raised up and covered the area, making it hard to see anything around. Despite how hard it was to see, for Zexion, Roxas, and Sora, it was perfectly easy to see. The young former prince smiled at his handiwork.

"This should hold for some days and keep people from trying to find us, especially the Organization." Zexion said.

"I hope so." Roxas said. "I've vowed to protect you from anyone who could mean harm to you… and until I know the Organization truly wishes to help you, I will even protect you from them."

"Still treating me like a prince…" Zexion said with a sigh. "You know… when I chose my name, I was thinking of the Organization because that's what they apparently do."

"That's what my granny always told me." Roxas stated.

"I wanted to follow that way… thinking it would be a good path… but no…" Zexion sighed. "Ienzo was a prince… Zexion is not." He turned away. "And the dead cannot be brought back."

"Ienzo may be gone… but… Zexion can still be a prince…" Roxas said. He stopped. "No… not a prince…" He offered a smile. "Zexion can be a king."

Zexion looked back at Roxas and smiled a bit. "Perhaps…" he said. "But we will think of it another time. Until then, we survive."

Sora put the fish for his friends up and ready for them to prepare. The others he had captured he had devoured already. He sighed as he looked around the cave that had long since been turned into a home. He smiled as he thought about how his life was no longer lonely with Zexion and Roxas around. Thinking back to those two, he never felt regret about saving Zexion and he was glad he didn't eat Roxas when he could have.

When he first met Roxas a few years back, it was when he was training in the woods all while keeping an eye out for Zexion to find him. His grandmother had recently died then and he didn't have anyone to look after at home. Roxas was in their territory and Sora actually had lured him to the water and was ready to attack; Zexion stopped him in time and questioned him before the siren could even get a bite.

His thoughts soon went to Demyx and Riku. He wondered how those two would react if they knew what he was? He knew Demyx liked Zexion, it was as obvious as his messy hair, but would he accept Sora for what he was, too, if he stayed with them? And Riku clearly liked him, but would he accept liking a siren? Would they fear they would be eaten by the creature known as the man eater of the seas? Realizing he was thinking of how he would be accepted, Sora shook his head and splashed water at himself.

"No, no, don't think of that. You don't need them!" he hissed to himself. "Think other things, Sora! You don't need a human to love or be accepted by them!" He then sighed. "Not like it'll last anyway… We sirens live much longer than humans…" He put his arms up on the ledge of the pool in their cave and rested his chin on them. "But if Zexy and Roxy have kids one day with others… I can always look after them, too." He smiled at that thought. "Yeah… sounds nice." He then looked to his arm where the injury once was; it had long since healed when he entered the water. "But… Riku…" he whispered.

"Sora! We're back!" Roxas said as he walked over to the pool. "Did you miss us?" Sora grinned and splashed the blonde with his tail. "Nope… didn't miss at all…"

"Should've seen that coming." Zexion chuckled.