Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Also, I do not own huge, expensive mansions, nor do I host huge parties in it. Unfortunately.

Warnings: This fiction contains and is not limited to boy/boy moments, the use and abuse of stereotypes, hints at original pairings, very despicable people, emo-Riku, lustful teenagers, underage drinking, a mix of the last two points, questionable situations, morally ambiguous choices and a few, occasional and really shy attempts at humor.

Author's notes: The party chapters are finally here. The next few chapters will be the real turning point for the story. If you've endured it until here... well, keep doing it: it may be worth it ;).

Chapter 31: The Party - Part 1

The trip didn't last very long: just ten minutes after having got in the car, Riku could see in the distance Larxene's house. Or, to be more precise, her mansion. It stood there, towering and dominating the landscape, just outside Twilight Town.

On another occasion, Riku would've probably noticed that something had to have happened between Sora and Roxas: for once, the two hadn't said a single word to each other during the whole trip. And while he could maybe have expected it from the usually reserved Roxas, it clearly didn't match with the exuberant Sora.

He should have noticed it, and he had probably done it unconsciously... but that evening Riku was so focused on Sora that it was already a miracle that he had realized Roxas was there as well. Oh, and Cloud too... he supposed: someone had to be driving the car, after all.

"You... look good, Riku."

Roxas' voice, coming from the front seat, made him snap out of his trance. He figured that Roxas had noticed that he had put on his best clothes -a light-blue shirt and tight jeans- and had paid particular attention to his hair, struggling to find that perfect compromise between 'beautifully unkept' and 'carefully combed'.

And of course he had, he had to look his best for Sora, considering that that was the evening he was going to confess to him. He had just to wait the best moment, but he was confident that he would've had plenty of occasions: after all, Larxene's parties were known to be crazy enough that anything could happen.

"Did you hear him, Riku?" Sora asked curiously, noticing the lack of answer.

"Uh? Oh, yes, thank you. You look good too, Sora." he answered, staring deeply at the brunet's deep blue eyes. "I mean: Roxas." he casually corrected himself a moment later, without even looking at the blond boy.

Because that was pretty much what he had done for the whole trip: staring at Sora in a not-really-subtle way.

And who could blame him: he was a sight! Once more, he had straightened his hair, which somehow gave him a more mature look. That, combined with the simple-yet-elegant unbuttoned polo shirt that -Riku couldn't help but notice- was letting catch a glimpse of his collarbone, was enough to make him lose every little bit of subtility he had managed to keep until that moment. He was half-conscious of all of that, but he didn't really care about it. Not anymore.

"We've arrived, kids!" Cloud announced when he finally reached the main gate. "Don't drink... too much and remember to always use protection." And after having said goodbye to the embarrassed three, the older boy disappeared just as fast as he had come.

"Oh, right, you've never been here, right?" Riku asked, noticing the surprise on Sora's face.

"Did Larxene really live here?!" he exclaimed, gazing at the gate. "She didn't strike me as someone loaded!"

Riku sneered. "Well, I'll give you a grand tour, then." He then proceeded to push the gate opened and guided his friends through the vast park surrounding the mansion.

It took the boys nearly five minutes to finally reach their destination. As they were crossing the park, Sora was surprised to realize that, despite being only half past nine, an impressive number of students had already gathered there. The porch was filled with people, some of which he recognized as upperclassmen. The music was so loud that he could hear it even before entering the house.

"Hey, you finally got here!" Axel, holding a can of beer in his right hand, greeted them the moment the three of them got into the hallway, and Sora was left with no choice but to admire how fast the redhead had spotted them despite already being surrounded by a crowd of people.

"About time." Saïx, who had quickly appeared behind him, greeted them too, his own way. "People have been coming non-stop in the last two hours. Wait a little more and you'll find nothing to drink."

Sora pulled his tongue at him. "We're happy to see you too, Saïx. Riku was going to give me and Roxas a tour of the house, you two want to tag along?"

Axel frowned. "Aww, man, do you really want to spoil their fun? Let the kids discover the house on their own." From the way he was talking, Sora realized that the one he was holding was not the first drink of the evening. Immediately after -and despite having just said the opposite- Axel launched himself in a quite accurate description of the layout of the mansion.

"This is the main hallway, from here you can go pretty much everywhere." He was nearly screaming, but his voice was barely audible under the loud music that was playing. He pointed his finger at a room on their left.

"That way is the dining room. Well, usually is the dining room, for this evening it's just a dancing floor." The closeness of the room explained why the music was so loud. Axel gestured the four of them to follow him as they entered in.

Sora couldn't help but quickly glance at Roxas, checking for his reaction at crossing a place where people were dancing: he said nothing, but he remembered very well how the blond boy was really embarrassed about the subject.

Their destination, though, was the room behind it, so they simply crossed the large room without spending too much time on it, making their way across the tide of dancing teenagers. On their way across it, Riku pointed at a small door, saying something about a swimming pool in the basement. Well, the place did look amazing.

The five of them stopped a couple rooms later, when they finally reached the kitchen. "And here's the kitchen, the most important place in the house."

"You say that only because that's where the alcohol is stashed."

"Your point?" Without wasting a second, Axel started taking out of a cupboard five shot glasses. The others didn't even have the time to react that he had started filling them with a brownish liquid.

Sora took the first glass and brought it to his nose. "Rum?"

"Oh, you got a fine nose!" the redhead answered, completely filling the last glasses and ignoring Roxas' gesture not to fill his own. "I think a toast is necessary to start the evening."

"That's your fourth one, though." Saïx remarked. It didn't stop him from taking a glass.

"Seems right to me." Riku, that until that moment hadn't said a single word, took one of the glasses from the table. To Sora, it really seemed like something was different about him, that evening. "So, what do we toast to?"

"To our Struggle team."

"Roxas is not part of it. How about the joy of being single?"

"None would ever believe that being single is your choice."

"I never said that it was!"

"Then why toast about it?"

As much the quick banter between Saïx and Axel could be fun, Roxas' voice brought Sora back to the ground. "How about the value of friendship?"

Roxas' proposition may have seemed innocent -if a bit corny- to the other, but Sora caught the little jab that the blond boy was giving him.

"That's lame, Roxas!" Riku cut him short. The sentence didn't seem pronounced with ill will, but it probably hurt the boy more than what he meant.

"Uhm... how about the future, then?" Sora offered instead.

Axel and Saïx exchanged a quick glance, then they both agreed. And Riku would've agreed with him whatever he'd said. So, Roxas gave up and took his own glass from the table.

"To the future!" the five boys exclaimed at the same time, gulping down the content of their glasses immediately afterward.

Still, Roxas' little jab had remembered Sora that he had his own plans for the evening. And so, at the first occasion he got, he drew the blond boy aside.

"What do you want this time?"

He took a moment to consider how Roxas wasn't even trying to hide his hostility, then he talked. "I need to find Seifer."

"Sure, go find your friend, why are you telling me that?"

He breathed deeply: he knew that the last thing he needed at that moment was a fight with Roxas. He tried to stay calm, but he was really starting to grate on his nerves. "Listen, I don't want to pick a fight with you..."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I've seen how good you are at pretending to be friend with someone."

That was the last straw: he knew that Roxas was probably right, but he didn't need that bullshit right now. And so, he slammed him against the wall, keeping him pinned there with his arm. "Now shut up and listen to me! We're not doing this for you or for me, we're doing this for Riku!"

Roxas initial reflex was to try to push the arm away, but he found himself surprised at Sora's strength. After a few moments spent on trying to break free, he finally calmed down. Sora let him go immediately, before drawing too much attention. "I'm sorry." he quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I was just nervous. A... bad habit, I'd say."

"O... ok. It's... it's fine, I guess."

Well, at least it looked like Roxas was willing to listen to him now. Sora took advantage of his disposition to quickly speak his mind. "I want to be sure that Seifer doesn't try anything funny on Riku. And the only way I have to be sure of that, is to put him out of commission"

Roxas instinctively massaged his neck, still hurting from Sora's arm. "Uhm... you mean that you plan to..."

"No, don't worry, nothing that drastic." he quickly dismissed his worries. "I just need to ensure that Riku doesn't stumble on him during the party. I know what I'm doing, trust me!"

Roxas couldn't restrain himself from giving him another suspicious gaze. He didn't dare to say anything, though.

Sora sighed. "Ok, I didn't do a lot do deserve your trust, I know it. But... believe me or not, independently from how it all started, I consider Riku my friend."

"Just a friend?" Roxas asked instinctively, more curious than angry. Nearly hopeful. And from the tone, Sora wondered if his hostility towards him steamed only from the mess with Seifer's bet or had to do with something far deeper.

"...you still like him, right?"

Roxas didn't deny it, and that was all the confirmation Sora needed. "Listen, Roxas: I have to go, I'm counting on you to keep an eye on Riku."

"Wait!" Roxas nearly cried, stopping him before he could go start his search. "I'll do what you asked me. On one condition, though!"

Sora nodded, waiting for Roxas to make his request.

"Don't tell Riku about the bet, you'd break his heart!"

"Wait, you mean... like, never? Sooner or later I'll have to tell him, I can't..."

"Just don't!"

Sora hesitated. Well, they could always rediscuss about it once the evening was over. He then looked straight at his friend and gave him a thumbs up. "Let's try to have fun, this evening, Roxas. It's a party after all!"

Sora could see Roxas smiling faintly, just before turning to start his search for Seifer.

...just before that, though, he snatched a long bottle filled with transparent liquid and took it with him.

End Notes: So... the situation is a little tense between Sora and Roxas. Seifer is out for revenge. And Riku is a lovesick puppy completely oblivious of all of the above. What could ever go wrong, I ask?

Preview: Next time: Sora and Seifer square off!

Next Chapter: The Party - Part 2