Chapter three:
Riku reads over the few songs he didn't know sheet music trying to get a feel for what they were going to be playing. He heard them during rehearsal but that doesn't mean he know how to play them yet.
Outside the crowd is chanting the band's name. "Are you ready?"
Riku looks over the music sheet one more time, he's about to answer when his eyes land on a Mardi Graw looking mask with blue feathers and a golden mask around the eyes. "Why do you have that here?"
"I think it was left back stage from another event,"
"It's perfect." He says before putting it on. "No one will know I'm playing."
"Whatever you need to get you up there"
The band gathers backstage, puts their hands in the center of a circle on top of each other and chant the band's name. Once done they run on stage, and the crowd goes wild. The venue isn't huge, and it creates an intimate setting. "How are we doing tonight!" the singer yells out to the crowd, everyone cheers. "Ready for some music!" more cheering.
The drummer starts and before long the concert is starting. Riku scans the room and his eyes land on Sora. He's enjoying the concert, and of course they got there early and got front row spots. Riku was about to look away, when Sora's eyes met his.
Sora's breath hitches, there tied to the guitarist's hand was his black scarf. Which could only mean one thing, Riku was playing up there. For a moment, Sora was caught up in the moment, with this little secret between the two. Everything fades expect them, Sora watches him a bit longer before blushing and turning to watch the lead singer.
However, Sora found himself watching Riku play more then anything else. He moves to the beat, enjoying the music but Hayner is right there. Sora's not the only one who noticed Riku playing to guitar.
Walking awkwardly along the street Hayner and Sora make their way home. "Thank you for inviting me to the concert. I had a really good time."
"Yeah." Hayner smiles, "I'm glad you did."
Sora turns to Hayner, and Hayner turns to him, "just one thing, Riku doesn't seem like such a bad guy. Before you showed up, he saved a bird."
"that's good" Sora said not knowing what to really say.
"I'm not sure why I'm even telling you this, it feels like upping my competition or something." Hayner kind of laughs
"Competition?" Sora asks confused.
"You haven't noticed. I know he's going to be your brother, but I don't know I get this weird vibe." Sora didn't know what to say, he didn't want to tell Hayner that Riku kissed him. But felt almost compelled to do it.
Before he spills his dirty laundry Sora nods, "I think you're very kind Hayner. I admire that about you." Another silence falls between the two of them.
"I got to go that way," Hayner points across the street.
"I keep going this way," Sora points forward "I guess Ill see you in class."
"See you then" the two of them separate and start walking their way home. Did I do the right thing Hayner thought, sometimes doing the right thing can feel so bad.
Riku was hanging out with the band, drinking a beer and relaxing. "You went all out Riku; you didn't have to do that." The lead singer says.
"Of course I did, I went all out for the heart of a listener." Riku smiles "And I might have done just that."
Sora gets home "Mom! I'm home." There is silence. He walks over to the kitchen to see a note, going out don't wait up for me. Another date sora thinks, it has been a while since he's gotten to talk with his mom.
Sora draws a bath, and relaxes with the bubbles. Why has my heart been beating so fast since the concert. He thinks to himself, the image of Riku up on stage playing was stuck in his brain. I've never felt this way before, it's like I can't breathe.
From the bathroom Sora could hear the telephone ringing. He gets up and made his way to the living room. I think I soaked for too long. His mom is on the answering machine. "Emergency I had to fly to aunties house, she just lost her husband. I'll be gone for a few days or so. I have Leon coming to get you he has the house key. Love you"
Great as if this isn't going to be weird or anything. Sora walks over to his room and starts to put some clothes into a bag and gathers all his toiletries he's going to need. A knock is heard at the door before it opens. "Sora." He hears Leon as he walks into the house.
"Just gathering some things." Sora says before walking out.
"Ready."
"Guess so"
Its late night/ early morning when Sora wakes on a living room couch. He didn't remember arriving at Leon's house, must have fallen asleep in the car ride he thinks. Suddenly a loud voice is heard, "Sora, glad you're finally awake. Make yourself at home, this place is big and there's more than enough room for you here too. I have a room set up for you upstairs. But first I want to show you something really cute."
Sora is taken a back, "Sure"
"Great!" and before he knew it a big photo album was in front of him. Leon flipped through the pages and starts to show Sora pictures of the family and little Riku. Which Sora did think was cute. "And now we'll have to start adding you and your mom into future albums."
Sora looked at a page and saw Riku with a woman behind him, "She's so beautiful. Is that Riku's mom" Instantly Leon tensed up, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you."
"No, it's fine." He took a deep breath, "She ran away when Riku was just starting elementary school. It was my fault. Back then I was too focused on work, and left everything else to her. Don't worry about that happening again though, I've learned that lesson. Allowing the family to fall apart, is my greatest failure." He closed the book, "now you must be starving, I'll cook us up some food." He got up and made his way into the kitchen, putting on an apron and getting out eggs and bacon.
While cooking the door opened and Riku walks in. "Well look what the cat dragged in." He goes and sits by Sora, "miss me that much."
"I'm staying while my mom is out of town."
"Riku." Leon says from the kitchen. "Where have you been?"
"Out"
"What happened to your hand." Leon asks seeing it wrapped up in white gauze.
"Got into a fight, no big deal."
"A fight, Riku I thought we were past that. Are the cops going to show up at my door?"
"Probably not old man."
Leon huffed and continues to make food. It's around 4 in the morning when they all sit down to eat. They chat and somehow Sora can see this as family.
Riku is laying in bed tired from being out all night and not sleeping. He has Sora's scarf in his hands thinking about everything that is happening between the two of them. There is a knock at the door, Riku quickly hides the scarf underneath his pillow.
"Come in" Riku says. The door opens up and Sora is there with a first aid kit in his hands.
"Do you need me to clean and redress your wound."
"Sure, I only wrapped in it gauze earlier."
Sora shook his head and walked over to Riku's bed and took a seat. He opened up the kit and put his hand out waiting for the other to put their hand in his palm.
Sora unwrapped and started to clean the wound. There was blood and scratches, "does it hurt?" he asks while dapping peroxide to the crusted over blood.
"yes" he says back looking straight into Sora's eyes. Sora blushes and continues to work at cleaning his hand up. He then puts an ointment onto the cut.
"Still hurt?"
"Yes." Sora keeps cleaning Riku's hand and then wrap the cut with new gauze.
"There all done."
"Stay here for a little while?" Riku asks. Sora nods not exactly knowing why he caved. Before long both boys fall asleep.
This time when Sora awoke it was 9 am. Oh no. He looks over and Riku is watching him. "Ahhh!" he yells jumping up. "We slept together!"
"Just in the same bed."
"But-" he's looking around the room.
"Dad knows he's the one that moved you over here." He said gesturing to the other side of the bed. "You know you talk in your sleep."
"No I don't" Sora said worried.
"Oh yes you did, in fact you said 'I'm starting to fall for Riku'"
"No!" Sora yells before getting up and running out of the room. Ruki watches and laughs to himself.
Sora makes his way to the bathroom and splashes water on his face. Theres no way I said that… right, even though deep down those words would explain how he was feeling. From the way Ruki stares at him, the kiss they had, everything was starting to make Sora's stomach flutter, and a blush was starting to form on his face.
He didn't have time to wonder about everything, nope Sora had classes his needed to get ready for.
They arrived at school in a Benz which had the whole school talking. Why was Sora in the car with Riku and his dad?
It didn't help when class rolled around and Riku dropped off lunch that Leon made to his economic class. Of course, the only one he shared with Hayner, who wasn't exactly talking to him. Did news get to him that I came in the car with Riku today?
At lunch the group gathered around, "So you stayed at Riku's place?"
"Shh" Sora said, "yes, My mom is out of town and Leon is I don't know taking me in while she's gone. I would have been fine on my own."
"And the president made you lunch today." Roxas raises his eye brows.
"Yep."
"I mean they're going to be family" Kairi adds in, "it's not too weird when you think about it."
Sora took a deep breath, "I haven't been completely truthful with everyone."
"Do tell Sora," Roxas takes a bite of his food.
"Well…"
"Out with it."
"Riku kind of… kissed me the other day," Silence fall upon the table. "Guys."
"You guys kissed?" Kairi asked sounding a bit pissed off. "And after all I've done to help you with Hayner, you go and kiss Riku?"
"It wasn't like that, he kissed me."
"And you?"
"At the moment pulled away, but like… I can't get it out of my head." Sora put his head against the table.
"Hold up, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Roxas asked.
"I… might have feelings for Riku." He mumbled, but everyone heard.
"You've got to tell Hayner, you've been leading him on this whole time. And you just went on a date." Kairi says with a mater of fact tone. "You owe it to him."
"There's just I don't know…. It's like I built it up in my head, and made him someone else." In reality them together is awkward and seemly forced.
Sora and Hayner stood outside the gym before practice. "I'm sorry, I've been selfish with my feelings."
"What do you mean?"
"I've made up this version of you in my head."
"You know ever since that whole letter thing started; I thought wow someone seems to really like me maybe I should get to know him a little bit. We've barley talked before, so how could you really know me. Honestly our date the whole time you were watching Riku on stage."
"You knew"
"Of course, I knew. He had your scarf on and was wearing the same clothes we saw him in earlier" Hayner sighed, "I know he's going to be your brother and all, but like… is something going on?"
There was a moment of silence between them. It's now or never. "Yes Hayner. I like Riku." The words echoed in Hayner's head, before he walks off into the gym. Sora watches as he walks away.
Inside the gym Hayner was being hard on everyone, and everyone was complaining about Hayner, he yelled at players who showed up late. Riku walks in later then the rest of the team. "You" he said with a bit of venom in his mouth.
"Me?" Riku said pointing towards himself, "what did I do?"
"You know exactly what you've been doing. I tried being nice to you and this is what I get." Riku stood there not reacting to the other guy. Suddenly his fist came flying through the air. Hitting Riku right in the jaw. "Why didn't you duck?"
"Feel better? About time that nice guy act falls away." Riku grins, "so what is it Hayner what's gotten you all riled up?"
"Shut up. You know if it wasn't for you who knows what could have happened with Sora."
"Oh? Trouble in paradise I see."
He starts attacking Riku again sending him to the ground. The rest of the team has now run up to their captain trying to break up the fight. "I don't want to see you today." He says to Riku.
"Don't have to tell me twice." Riku gets up with a shit eating grin, and walks out of the gym.
That night Riku came home, "Where's Sora?" Leon asked his son.
"I thought he was here."
"I thought he was with you." Riku thought for moment, where would he go. Somewhere that feels like home. So he took off with his bike in the direction of the apartment. There along the way to Sora's place, he saw the man sitting on a swing with his hands in his hands.
Riku sighs and gets off the bike to take a seat. "Never thought id seen my little brother crying at a children's park."
"am not"
"are too."
"am not."
"are too." The two went back and forth until Sora looks up, with tears still on his face. "Just what I thought." Sora rolls his eyes, "is it about me?"
"no, it's about me."
"Want to talk about it?"
"not really,"
"Old man is cooking us dinner we should get back." Sora nods and gets up. Riku sits on his bike and motions to the back where trick handles are at. "Get on and hold on tight."
The two start taking off back towards Riku's home. Which brings a moment of happiness to Sora. Along the way though, they hit a rock and crashes onto the pavement. "Why is it every time I'm with you it gets dangerous." Sora says with a bit of a laugh.
"I can't stop the danger, but I can protect you." Riku says before rolling over on top of Sora and giving him a kiss. This time Sora doesn't try to pull away, he closes his eyes and lets Riku explore his mouth with his tongue.
Riku stands up and helps Sora up as well. They get the bicycle and notice it's damaged. "We can walk." Sora nods they start their journey to Riku's place.