A/N: Part two. Officially the first fic I've written past posting. I THINK it may be over at pt 6. I'm not sure yet. All I know right now is I'm posting on Mondays and have through 6 written.

Warnings: None for this chapter!

"So Riku told me you talked."

Roxas mentally curses and wonders if he's ever going to get an uninterrupted moment alone again. With an exaggerated effort, he lifts his head, allowing his eyes to slowly drag away from the book held open on his knee and looks at his twin leaning in his doorway. "Talk is a strong word for it."

Sora takes his response as permission and moves into Roxas's room, sitting on the edge of the bed before continuing. "He also told me that you essentially told him nothing, leaving more questions than answers."

Roxas squirms a little under Sora's searching gaze and allows his eyes to drop back to his book, not intending to read, just not continue looking at Sora. "That was kind of the point actually." He didn't want to give anyone the answers they were seeking; not because he was trying to be a mystery, just that he didn't want to open up. Not about this.

"Why?" There wasn't worry in Sora's tone, merely curiosity and part of Roxas just wanted to blow up on him in the face of it. Sora didn't deserve that though, he wasn't the one Roxas was frustrated with.

"It's-" He pauses, catches the words trying to form on his lips and frowns at himself. "I'm fine. Sora. Really." It's quite possibly the most obvious lie he's told in his life.

Sora's shaking his head and sighing. "No you're not Roxas. We can all see it. Hiding on clock towers and in homework and fiction isn't going to change reality." And now the worry was tinting Sora's tone and Roxas's frown deepens.

"Acknowledging problems isn't going to fix them either." Roxas wonders idly if all twins can force honesty out of each other, or if it's just Sora. Sora could bring an honest streak out of even the most pathological and it wasn't fair. Roxas should be allowed to run away if he wanted to, spend days drowning in fiction and away from the real world. Just because days were turning into months meant nothing.

"Acknowledging is the first step to fixing them though. You can't fix something you don't know." There's an amused undercurrent there and Roxas would be upset if it was anyone but Sora finding amusement in his petulance. That psychology course Sora took was really not helping Roxas's efforts to keep secrets.

"Yeah, well, this isn't a problem that can be fixed." It's a stubborn and childish reply, to be sure and Roxas is extra careful to not touch the bracelet covering the name on his wrist, careful to not give Sora yet another piece of this puzzle. While he spent a lot of time with his head in the clouds, Sora was anything but stupid and Roxas didn't want him figuring it out.

Didn't want him to realize that the name scrawled across his wrist was Riku's.

"You wouldn't know unless you try." He's frowning now and Roxas can't help but notice that Sora frowns more around him than anyone else these days and he wonders when that happened, what made that change.

"Funny. Riku said the same thing." And it wasn't funny at all, because he knew they were right, but nothing would change this, fix this, nothing could alter this cruel trick of fate. But it was actually almost hysterical because of course his soulmate would have Sora's name on their wrist. At least Sora's soul mate wasn't Riku, Roxas wasn't sure he'd be able to stand that.

"He's right. And I know you know that, you're just being stubborn."

Roxas sighs and lets his head fall back against his headboard staring at the ceiling. They just didn't know what they were talking about. It wasn't that easy. And, of course, Roxas could explain it to them, but that would defeat the purpose of hiding it for this long. What was that about lies always growing? "It's not that simple, Sora."

"Then make it that simple. Nothing is so bad that you can't find a way around it." Roxas can feel the frown on Sora's face and he doesn't like it. Doesn't like being the reason Sora's upset and worrying. Doesn't like being the reason he's frowning so often. Sora was always the happier one.

Intentionally not thinking about it, Roxas slips the bracelet off of his wrist and shows Sora the name written there, eyes shifting his gaze just enough to see Sora's face, to gauge his reaction. There's a small gasp and then a slightly confused noise as Sora takes in the information and Roxas quickly slips the bracelet back on.

"That doesn't explain-"

"My name isn't on his. I know. I- I saw it once. By accident." Roxas's gaze shifts to the side and he worries his bottom lip while fingering his bracelet for lack of something for his hands to do. He's already starting to regret it, already knows Sora will find a way to make this work for him and Roxas isn't sure if he'll be able to counter it.

"That doesn't mean it's hopeless. I've seen you two, it's anything but hopeless," There's a wry grin on Sora's face now and Roxas can feel it. He can feel Sora's optimism rising and it hurts to know he's about to crush it again, but he has to. He just can't do this.

"I don't want to be a replacement. I don't want to be picked just because he can't have you." And, really, he shouldn't have told Sora that. Sora shouldn't know that if Riku hasn't told him, but Roxas is a little past caring at this point.

"Wait, my name is on his wrist?"

Roxas gives a silent nod, hating himself just a little. He's been trying desperately to keep his own secret he shouldn't be purposely spilling others'.

"Then that's the answer, isn't it? Riku's my best friend, but Kairi and I, well, our names match. Mom once told me that not all soul mates are meant to be together, like, romantically so maybe that's what Riku's name means. Just because the name isn't yours doesn't mean you don't belong together." Still grinning, Sora hops up off Roxas's bed and makes for the door.

"Hey Sora?" Roxas calls, allowing himself to look at his twin again.

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell him?"

"So long as you will."