"Welcome to my humble abode." Riku gestured to the white, large home. Pristine chandeliers and golden knobs invaded Sora's vision, along with spiraling steps that seemed infinitely long. Simply the entrance was bigger than his entire apartment! Sora knew Riku lived in a wealthy neighborhood, but they had spent most of their time hanging out outside. After all, the home is where the heart is.

And when the heart is shrouded in darkness, the home is where it all begins.

Sora placed his sleeping bag lightly on the doorstep. As he stepped farther into the house, he noticed how Riku's cool demeanor fit with the place- it was as though Riku belonged there.

Sora stretched. "Have you been waiting long? I know I'm a bit late, but I got caught up in some things." He had made sure to prepare the fridge with plenty of already-cooked meals and beer to sate his father's wrath when he left for the weekend.

"It's fine." Riku headed quickly up the stairs, bounding through them like he'd done it a thousand times before. "Come on up. You can get settled in the guest room and I'll go make us something to eat."

Sora lifted up his pack and shyly headed upwards before he was how far ahead Riku was. He began to climb up faster and harder, but unable to completely catch up with the extra weight on his back.

...

He was breathless by the time he arrived. Sora panted and fell down onto his bed, resisting the urge to fall asleep completely. The bed was like heaven!

He groaned when a sudden weight hit him upside the head. He realized that Riku had thrown his bag at him, and was now chuckling softly. "Get up! You're so lazy. Go on and take a shower- you're sweaty, too. I'll be downstairs. It's pretty early, so I'll make scrambled eggs. Call if you need anything!" Riku disappeared and Sora moaned as he began to pull himself up and towards the room that was most likely the bathroom.

He bristled at all the girly products in the room. Pink "cherry" scented bottles, "strawberry" scented bottles, and all kinds of shampoos and conditioners that were fruity and purple. There wasn't a single bottle of plain soap in the room. He was going to regret showering so early, he knew it.

The bathroom was covered in mirrors. As Sora pulled his shirt up, rows upon rows of scars displayed themselves at him. Most were hidden deep inside his heart. He sighed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. When he was finished undressing, he settled himself into the warm water and decided on strawberry shampoo and conditioner. At least he was going to smell... interesting.

...

Oh crap, Sora thought. He had forgotten to bring fresh clothes into the bathroom with him. He found a single towel and wrapped it around his waist. His hair felt strangely... free and light with the use of the girly products. He didn't mind the sweet smell of strawberries- he used to go out and pick them with his mother... before he turned 10.

His life was a before and after. Before he had turned 10, and... his life after.

The smell of sizzling bacon wafted into Sora's mouth and he began to salivate. Wonderful, greasy bacon.

Sora hurried and put on his boxers, excited for the delicious meal Riku had in store. He could almost taste it in his mouth...

Sora was yanking on his shorts, shirtless, when Riku walked in with a pan. " I forgot to ask- sunny side up or scrambled? As the excellent cook that I am, I can-"

Riku's voice dropped down to a whisper as he saw Sora wet and shirtless in front of him.

Sora fought the urge to wrap his arms around his body and hide his scars from view. "Nothin' you haven't seen before." Sora murmured.

Riku coughed. "Yeah. I'll let you... get changed... or something..." Sora blushed and avoided looking at Riku's face.

He was sure that if he did, he would see nothing but disgust.

...

See that precipice? That long, deep drop? I'm right on the edge. If pushed, I will fall far into that cliff of lemoney-goodness.

But only if I'm pushed.