Yatta, new chapter! The end of the chapter features a time skip (it's only from September 22nd to November 16th [November 16th being the day at the end of the chapter]). I didn't feel like writing many filler chapters or blitzball games to fill in that time span. Nothing moving the story forward happens in the time span anyway.

Disclaimer: All characters owned by Square Enix

Chapter 40: The days after

Roxas opened the door to his brother's room, beginning to play music from his phone and obnoxiously sing it as loud as possible while parading around. "And we're standing side by side," He sang. "What it take to come aliiiiiiiiiiiivee!" He then grabbed the end of the bed sheet, seeing Ventus begin to move around, and he moved it up and down quickly making waves. "I just can't denyyyyyyyyy!"

"I'm awake, I'm awake!" Ventus laughed, grabbing onto the bed sheets. It was interesting to see his brother doing this, for he hasn't in a couple of years.

"Good, because I made breakfast!"

"You made breakfast?" Ventus repeated.

"Yeah."

"But you suck at cooking, Roxas!" Ven laid himself back down in his bed. "If only he could cook as good as he could sing."

"Nuh uh," Roxas jumped on top of Ventus' bed. "Still you have to get up! Mom needs to take you to the doctor."

"Are you coming?" Ven looked up at Roxas.

"I kind of promised Axel I would see him today," Roxas frowned. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Ven got out of the bed. "Mom is always good company."

Sora rolled over in his bed, half conscious. "Sora honey," His mom bubbled, opening his door and peeking her head inside. "I'm going to work this morning. Make sure you eat a good breakfast and brush your teeth!"

"Okay mom." He moved into fetal position after hearing the door shut.

The doorbell rang as Rinoa made her way downstairs. "I wonder who that could be," She thought as she slipped into her shoes before grabbing her purse. She looked at her watch, '9:58'. "If it's one of Sora's friends, they should know he usually doesn't get up until noon."

She opened the door.

"Um…hello Mrs. Hibari," The person on the other side of the door said. "Is Sora here?"

"Oh," Rinoa smiled. "You're the boy who came in with Sora the other day!"

"Yeah," The boy nervously put a hand behind his head, his other hand occupied with holding a couple notebooks. "Riku."

"Well, Riku, Sora usually isn't awake at this time," Rinoa moved aside. "But I'll give you the pleasure of trying to get him up! I have to head on to work, please make sure he eats something!" After letting the snow-head in, she headed out the door.

"She's so trusting of others," Riku thought. He looked around the room he was standing in. "I don't even know where his room is." He took off his shoes before walking up the stairs and reached a hallway of closed doors. "I guess I'll have to check every room."

And that was what he did until he found the room that belonged to a sleeping Sora. "It's hard to believe that without someone as dopey as him on the team, we would've lost yesterday."

Riku approached the brunette, poking his cheek with his pointer finger. "Sora, wake up."

"Is that…Riku?" Sora's eyes slowly batted open, seeing a blurry image of the snow-head above him. "Am I dreaming?" He murmured.

"No, you aren't," The other responded, looking the brunette in the eyes. "And you're going to tutor me."

The brunettes eyes went wide before he quickly pulled his sheets over him yelling, "No!"

Riku gave an irritated frown, gritting his teeth together. "You have to!" He growled proceeding to grab the blankets, trying to pull them off of Sora.

"It's too early!" The brunette held on to the sheet, created a tug of war between the two. Riku dropped his books to floor to grab onto the blanket with both hands. Pulling it as hard as he could in one tug, he managed to send the boy flying towards him.

The boys yelled before colliding, falling to the ground and against the wall. Riku felt his head hit and bounce off the wall. He clutched his forehead tight, eyes shut in pain.

"Oh no," Sora panicked, sitting up straight on top the snow-head. "Are you alright, Riku?"

"My head," Riku opened his eyes slightly. "…Sora?" What Riku saw was a hazy image of a younger version of Sora, panicking and pouting at him. He reached out to him, trying to put a hand on the boys shoulder.

"Riku…" Sora felt the boy put a hand on his chest, right over his heart. He wrapped his hand around the snow-head's wrist.

The haze began to lift, Riku's hallucination disappearing as his head calmed down. "Sora," He removed his hand from his head and his other hand from the boy's chest. Sora looked at him questioningly, waiting to see if the snow-head was alright. "Tutor me."

"I was worried there for a sec." The brunette smiled. "Fine, Riku. But let me get changed and brush my teeth." He got up, walking over his dresser. He began to sift through the drawers for something to put on. The brunette pulled his shirt over his head and next began to put deodorant under his arms. "I hope Riku doesn't find this weird. I change in the locker room with him every day, so it shouldn't be any different."

As Riku got up he picked up the blanket from off the floor and placed it neatly on the bed, beginning to fix the pillows.

"You don't have to make my bed!" Sora yelled after getting his new shirt on.

"It's a habit that my Father got me accustomed to," Riku replied before fixing the last pillow. "It would bother me if I didn't."

"Hmm," Sora was fully dressed. "I'll be back in a minute or two."

The brunette left the room.

"Did I know Sora, when he was that young?"

Sora ran back into his bedroom. "Okay Riku, let's-" He was cut off by the large growl of his stomach. "Uhh…" He blushed, embarrassed, putting a hand over his stomach.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Ventus asked. A spontaneous decision from his mother to drive to Traverse Town had come after his doctor appointment.

"All of these clothes are so lovely!" She ran into another store, hearts practically emanating off her body every time she touched a piece of clothing.

The blonde took a deep breath. "She'll probably be in there forever," He looked at the stores surrounding him. "Might as well look around." It was his, as well as his mother's, first time going anywhere in Traverse Town. He sent his mom a text saying he was going to view the other stores. "Everything looks so foreign from the Island. The weather is even a bit chillier too."

He walked and walked until he found a store of interest. "Traverse Book Store…" Ventus entered the store, amazed at how huge the inside was compared to the small book store in Destiny Island's town. "I wonder how big their fantasy fiction section is!" He walked at a fast pace, looking around for the section that held his favorite genre. When he found it, he moved his finger along the binds of the books, reading all the titles until he reached one of interest. He pulled it out of the shelf, admiring the art on the cover.

"Birth By Sleep," He heard a voice from over his shoulder. The blonde moved aside and looked at the speaker. "That's a good book." The culprit of the voice smiled. Ven took a good look at him. He was tall and muscular, his brown hair framing his slightly tanned skin, and had eyes that were pools of blue.

"You're so hot…" Ventus murmured. He noticed the brunette gave him skeptic look and then he began to feel his cheeks get really hot, putting his hands against them. "Oh no, did I just say that out loud?!"

"I-I mean-"

"It's alright, a lot of girls tell me that," The boy grinned. "Are you from around here? What school do you go to?"

"But I'm not a girl…," The blonde placed the book back on the shelf. "I guess I have a liking for brunettes." He thought, remembering Sora.

Ventus shook his head. "No, I'm from Destiny Islands. It's my first time being here," He held his hands down in front of him. "And I'm home schooled." He smiled.

"I'm guessing you've heard of Blitzball then," The brunette came in closer to the blonde. "I'm Terra by the way. Terra Okumura."

"I guess I could tell him my real identity."

"My name's Ventus Strife," Ven responded. "And yeah, the high school and middle schools in Destiny Island's play it."

"Ever heard of their ultimate rivals, the Traverse Town Flames," Ventus nodded. "Well, you're looking at a member!"

"Really," The blondes lips practically went into the shape of an 'o' by how interested he seemed to have become. "You guys are the Flames, no wonder Destiny High always wins; water cools flames. Does it really make you a rival if you can't win?" Ventus began to ramble, Terra frowning. The blonde snapped, realizing what he was saying. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-"

"It's cute. Besides, not like I can argue with you there," Terra leaned against the book case. "Ever since Riku Satoshi joined the High School team, we haven't been able to win a single game against them. I think Sephiroth is taking it really hard too. He's our captain."

"There's a new player on their team though, who seems to be outshining Riku," Ventus told him. "At least that's what I've heard. In the papers that were published on the game, they referred to him as Light."

"Hmm," Terra moved away from the bookshelf and took a hold of Ventus' hand. "Well, enough talking. Let me take you somewhere!" He headed for the exit of the store.

"Like where?"

"To meet my friends!"

"Friends…!" A huge smile appeared on the blondes face.

"It's weird that you don't understand this Riku," Sora was looking through one of the homework's Riku had given him. They were sitting on top of the brunette's bed across from each other. "I always thought you were good at everything!"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you're Riku Satoshi." The brunette answered. "And you always seemed ten levels ahead of me back then."

Riku sighed. "I'm only good at blitzball," He said. "In academics I'm just average, except for algebra where I'm below average. Now will you help me or what?"

Sora smiled at the latter before he started to go through an equation with him. After about two hours they got through the homework, Riku in the end being able to do the last three problems correctly.

"I finally get this!" He said happily, looking at the paper with a big smile.

"Yeah, it should be easier now for you," Sora told him. "If you need any help with any other things you learn just-" Sora stopped talking, feeling the sudden tight embrace from Riku. He had froze.

"Thank you so much, Sora." The snow-head expressed his gratitude.

The brunette's arms hesitated before wrapping around the gracious teen. Riku moved his head to face the brunette, looking him in the eyes. He finger combed his hair out of his face before he began to kiss the blue eyed boy who had looked at him so innocently.

Sora felt his heart begin to beat faster as he realized Riku wasn't stopping. Soon their tongues were able to meet and he felt a warm hand move its way up his shirt. "Riku!" The brunette gasped, feeling Riku's thumb move over his nipple.

The snow-head opened his eyes, seeing Sora's blushed cheeks. He gave a self-satisfied grin before lying on his back, pulling the brunette with him. Sora sat straddled on the boy's hips.

Riku covered the upper half of his face with his forearm. "I wish you knew how hard it is to keep away from someone like you." He whined.

Sora's cheeks became redder. "I have to admit…being in this position with Riku makes me want to do 'bad' things as well," The brunette leaned over and reached out his hand, his fingers touching Riku's cheek. "I told myself I would wait for you to remember, so please remember soon."

Riku removed his arm after feeling Sora touch his cheek, watching as the brunette came in to kiss him. But he once again felt the familiar pain shoot through his head and put a hand to the boy's lips. Sora opened his eyes.

"I'm getting a migraine."

"I think you should go to the doctor's, for you migraines Riku," Sora said concerned. "You've been getting them a lot lately."

Riku sat up, his hand to his head. "It's funny, because they only happen when I'm around you."

Sora looked away, moving off of the older boy. "When you find the boy from your past, what will happen with you and me?"

"I wish I could tell you if only I knew," Riku answered. He placed his feet on the floor and stood up. "Our relationship is already hindered. Relationships are another thing I'm not good at."

"Why do you think that?" The brunette's eyes began to tear up, although he didn't understand why.

"Because I refrain to get into one with you," The snow-heads lips curved downward. "I do like you, and ever since I was little I felt that love should be accepted no matter who from or in what form and-," His sea green eyes went wide. "When I was little…" He whispered.

Sora's lips quivered into a soft grin. "Riku…"

"A new fragment of my memory." He looked over at Sora and grabbed the boy's chin, moving his face to look at him. "Don't cry, Sora," He let go. "I'll see you at practice tomorrow."

Through the rest of September to mid-November, the Destiny Island Waves had faced many Blitzball teams. They had won against Noctis Lucis Caelum of Bodhum Boulders, Angeal Hewley of the Twilight Town Tempests, Luxord Renaldi of the Nautilus Gamblers, and so on. Some teams were average and easy, others were as formidable as the Tiger Lilies. But they had made it through, Sora giving much effort as well as receiving the most praise.

Sora stood on the Blitzball field of his high school; ball in hand and in his uniform. It was the day of their last game, the one against their biggest rivals. The Traverse Town Flames. The team was about to start their practice.

"Are you game for this, Sora?!" Riku asked with a lopsided grin.

Riku's memories had changed from coming back slowly to more rapidly since the day Sora had tutored him. The snow-head still didn't know the face nor the name of the boy he would play with, but his mood and overall personality had become less aggravated.

"Only if you admit that I've become better than you!" Sora said cockily.

"Are you treating me less, because that means that you've lost your bet!"

"Ever since you joined the Blitzball team you've treated everyone else like they're nothing," Sora explained. "I bet if I were to become a 'star' like you, I wouldn't treat anyone any less!"

"Not like you could become anything close to me anyway." Riku responded.

"You know what," Sora stood up. "I will! I'll try out for that spot on the blitzball team like Selphie had wanted me to and I'll become just as good as you or even better!"

"I totally won that bet a long time ago!" Sora retorted, placing his hands on his hips.

"Maybe," Riku half-ly admitted. "But don't underestimate our opponents today. Sephiroth is really smart. It took a lot last year for me to outwit him."

"Alright." The brunette brought his hands back down to his sides.

"Let's make a deal," Riku said. "If we win this game today, I'll take you on a date!"

"Awe, is that a date I heard!" Selphie cooed, looking over Riku's shoulder from her tip toes.

"How cute!" Roxas chimed from behind Sora. Roxas had been exceptionally happier as well. In the past month he was able to confess his feelings to Axel, who had almost died from over enjoyment. But he had told the red-head to take things really slow, considering he wasn't able to fathom sexual desires yet.

"Seifer," They heard Hayner yelling from a different part of the field as he ran after the blonde. "Give back the ball! I need to practice!"

"Come and get it then, bencher!" Seifer retorted. It was what he had called Hayner since the boy sat on the bench for about 99.9 percent of their games.

"We'll see who the bencher is when I get called in to take your spot!"

"I think it'd be good for you two to finally go on an actual date," Aqua squeezed her way into the conversation. "It's been becoming more obvious, the love between the two of you!"

"L-LOVE?!" Sora and Riku exclaimed in unison.

Aqua nodded with a giggle.

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