Fan Fiction ❯ Trials and Tribulations ❯ T&T (2) ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Author Notes: I'm glad that everyone is liking this story! Sorry for the delay, but I wrote this chapter and hated it so I rewrote it! I really hope it is to your satisfaction. But I won't know unless you tell me so please read and review!

Special Thanks To: Sora otaku, dragonuk, Lost, Bella, ~TUKIMO~, Luna Catt99, Skye, Heather Christi, and Quicksilver The Pained Goddess!

Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!

Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!

Rating: There are some rated R-ish scenes in here.

Reminder:
"..............." Means talking
(...............) Means author notes
*..............* Means an action
~..............~ Means thinking
'...............' Means past sayings
>.............< Means a place
^..............^Means a small voice in head

Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Two
Part One

After dealing with three more classes, lunchtime finally came. Sora let out a sigh of relief, for his classes had caused him to be a bundle of nerves all day. It turned out that Riku was in most of his periods since he was in honors classes; Even though he hated school, that didn't justify bad grades. Because of their last names, Riku and Sora sat next to each other in almost every class. The mere fact that Sora actually had to sit next to that gorgeous boy jumbled his thoughts. In his Algebra 2 class, the teacher asked him to solve a simple geometry problem for review and he messed it up because of the keen sea-green eyes that bore into the side of his face. Riku seemed to notice this as well; Every chance he got, he would pick on the younger boy. Not necessarily in a bad way, but not in a good way either.

Now, he was in the comforts of his two good friends, with Selphie on his left and Tidus on his right. He was going to have a good lunch, then attempt to survive the rest of his torturous classes. At the moment, eating and relaxing were the only things he had in mind. "So guys, how was class?" Sora asked trying to make small talk.

Selphie let out a dramatic sigh and placed her hand on her forehead, trying to resemble a damsel in distress. "It was awful! My homeroom teacher was nice, but all my other teachers just plain sucked!!"

Tidus moved over to Selphie and placed an arm around her shoulders. "My classes actually weren't that bad. I like this school a lot better than middle school though."

Sora couldn't help but wince when he heard the phrase 'middle school', for it caused some unpleasant memories to resurface once again. Flashes of Kairi's horror filled face crossed his mind while the atrocious laughter rung through his ears. Feeling the depression began to slowly emerge, Sora tried his hardest to prevent it from coming up by doing the thing he does best. Fake smiling. "All c'mon guys! That was the past! It's time to move on and create better memories here in high school!"

~If only I could follow my own advice!~ He placed both of his arms behind his head and gave off a watered down version of his trademark smile. "Now let's get some lunch! I'm starved."

Leaving his friends behind, Sora proceeded to jog into the large cafeteria. The tables were jammed packed with hungry high school students, talking amongst themselves. Sora looked for the beginning of the cafeteria line as he pulled money out of his pants. Selphie and Tidus appeared behind him, carrying their bagged lunches. "Hey Sora, we'll meet you in the courtyard, ok?" Selphie said as she waved.

Sora nodded and headed to the right of the cafeteria where the line had formed. He stood in line, looking nervously around him until he stopped and spotted a pair of sea-green eyes. ~Oh shit, its Riku! I have to get out of here.~

Deep down, Sora wanted to stay and stare right back at him, but his fear overpowered that urge and he looked around frantically, searching for a way to leave but still have lunch. Suddenly, the silver haired boy began to walk in the direction of him, creating the scene back in homeroom all over again. Before Sora had a chance to ponder a plan of escape, Riku had already reached him, smirking. Sora noticed just now that two boys were behind him and were just as handsome as Riku. The one behind Riku on his left had shoulder length chocolate brown hair and stormy grayish-blue eyes. A diagonal jagged scar was embedded in the boy's face and the chiseled structure of his face made him look older than a high schooler. His slim hips hugged tight black leather pants while his well-muscled chest hugged his tight white shirt that had a small black jacket over it. Three brown belt buckles were clasped on his lower left arm. They matched the crisscrossing belts at his waist as well. A silver pendent in the shape of a roaring lion gleamed off of his chest and bulky black boots covered his feet. His face displayed nothing but emotionless-ness. The boy had "enticing and erotic" practically screaming from him. ~He would be sexy if I wasn't into girls! Girls, Sora! Girls!!~

The boy behind Riku on his right was just as sexy if not more than the other young man. He had spiky blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes that almost matched the intensity of his own. He sported a tight sleeveless maroon turtleneck that went perfectly with his baggy black pants. Bulky black boots covered his feet. His expression revealed as much as the other boy's. Absolutely nothing. "Hey Sora," Riku's deep rich voice said.

Sora's knees felt as if they would go out, the strange feeling returning to him at full force. ~Why do I feel this way?~ "Hey, what's up?" he replied shakily.

"I just wanted to introduce you to some friends of mine. This is Leon," he stated pointing to his left, "And this is Cloud."

Leon and Cloud only nodded as their greetings. Sora gave them a hesitant smile, then focused his gaze back on Riku. "So..."

"I was wondering if you would wanna have lunch with us?" Riku asked, his voice still bold and confident.

Sora almost stepped back in shock. Riku...asked him to have lunch! Half of him wanted to run away and hide in a corner but the other half...the other half screamed yes several times. The two different opinions caused his mind to go blank and he tried decide whether he wanted to or not. ~I should go ahead and do it. I mean what is a little lunch going to do? It's not like he's asking me on a date...~

"Sure, I'll eat lunch with you guys."

Quickly grabbing some fries and a bottle of juice, Sora paid for it and walked with the older boys across the cafeteria. The group of boys weaved through the crowded place, occasionally pushing some of the people who were in their way. Sora walked as fast as he could, trying to keep up with the long strides of his new friends. After a few moments, the group arrived to their destination. A small table under a cherry blossom tree outside. The sun peaked through its leaves, blinding Sora momentarily. Blinking his eyes rapidly to rid himself of the spots that appeared in front of him, Sora sat down and began to eat his lunch, looking at the older boys around him. While Leon and Cloud were as stoic as always, Riku ate his lunch with an amused smile on his face. Sora found this to be very frustrating. I mean, what was he amused about? Throwing his empty bottle away, Sora stood up. "I'm going to get some more juice," he said while turning around.

"Are you sure you can get there ok?" Riku asked with mock concern.

Sora glared at Riku, earning him one of Riku's teasing smirks. Deciding not to retort, Sora headed back into the cafeteria. Thoughts of the silver-haired boy saturated his mind in spite of his annoyance for the older boy. ~Why do I think of him so much? And why does he look at me like that?~

^Probably because he likes you!^ a small voice perked up in the deep recesses of his mind.

Sora scoffed. ~Isn't my conscious supposed to help me instead of making ridiculous statements?~

^Think about it. He watches your every move with an amused smile on his face. You intrigue him! Besides, you act like you don't enjoy it!^

~Wha....~ Technically, Sora couldn't deny that. He DID enjoy the attention he was getting from Riku. He enjoyed being around him and talking to him and everything else that pertained to the older boy. But he was scared. He was frightened to death of being really close to anyone again. He didn't even tell Tidus and Selphie everything even though they were the closest people to him. Riku made him want to sit the boy down and spill his heart out to him; his emotions, fears, greatest desires, greatest worries....and when he told Riku all that, he wanted the older boy to embrace him and tell him things may not get better, but I will be here to protect you...

Sora sighed, cursing himself for having such foolish feelings. Trusting anyone is idiotic. All they do is use what you told them to their advantage. So the best thing to do is be alone. Running his hand through his unruly cinnamon brown hair, Sora sighed once more. ~Riku is probably waiting for the perfect chance to taunt me. Well, I am not falling for that again!~

*BAM*

The world seemed tilted and distorted as Sora clutched his head in pain, closing his eyes tightly to still the spinning world. Opening his eyes slowly, Sora looked in front of him. An upperclassman in what looked to be wearing a very expensive jacket was covered with pop, his black hair soaked with the sticky substance. His onyx eyes burned with rage and his fist clenched and unclenched repeatedly as if to ease his increasing anger. Sora cursed to himself and stood up, brushed himself off, and walked over to the angered boy. ~Damnit, I was daydreaming and ran into him...~

Reaching his hand out, Sora smiled apologetically at him. "I'm really sorry."

The boy looked at the outstretched hand, then back at Sora, plastering a fake smile on his face to mimic Sora. "It's ok..." he said slowly. Abruptly, he yanked on Sora's arm, causing the younger boy to fall on top of him. "I'll feel better when I beat the shit out of you!!"

Grabbing Sora into a headlock, the boy began to punch Sora repeatedly in the stomach. Students gathered around; some cheered for the older boy while others begged him to stop. Finally, Sora managed to pull away, scrambling to safety to catch his breath. Clutching his stomach, Sora wobbly got up, only to be knocked right back down by a fierce punch to the face. Resting on the cold floor of the cafeteria, Sora's eyes struggled to stay focused as the foot from his oppressor kicked him in the ribs over and over again. As darkness began to seep into his vision, Sora caught a brief glimpse of silver hair, then drifted off into unconsciousness.

^*^

"Sora..."

The deep, rich voice was faint and distant, yet it was filled with passion, causing Sora to lift his head up and look around. The sky was lit with the scorching sun, its rays stretched out to reach every nook and cranny of the island. The ocean churned softly, its waves hitting the beach to create a melodious sound. Seagulls littered the sky, soaring through its blue depths gracefully. Sora sighed in peace, but his breath soon came to a stop because of the sight before him. A silver-haired angel was standing in the ocean with nothing on but tight blue swimming shorts. He turned around, revealing keen sea-green eyes and a body only a god could have. His chiseled chest with droplets of clear water glimmering off of it caused Sora's mouth to completely dry out. Powerful legs held up his toned torso. A smirk adorned the boy's face as he began to walk towards Sora with long, prideful strides, his eyes captivating the boy in front of him. Reaching Sora, he bent down and pushed Sora onto the burning sand, staring deeply into his eyes. Sora was petrified in place, drowning in the sea-green orbs in front of him. He unconsciously licked his lips, never breaking his gaze away from this sight of perfection. Suddenly, the angel's lips captured his own with crushing force as if he was fulfilling a need. Letting his lustful mind take over, Sora wrapped his arms around him, kissing him with as much intensity as the boy previously did. He soon felt a velvety tongue brush across his bottom lip and complied to the non-verbal question. Their tongues danced heatedly, each of them exploring the wet chambers while their bodies rubbed against each other frantically. Sora could feel his painful erection as well as the older boy's, which aroused him even more. He soon felt those luscious lips leave his own and travel on a downward pattern; down his neck, down his chest, over his stomach until finally he reached the waistband of his swimming trunks...

"Yo Sora!"

"Sora, are you ok?!"

The concerned voices rung with clarity through the blue sky, which ended up making the object of his adoration vanish abruptly. The beach and the ocean began to fade as well and were replaced with a brick room that was painted white. Rising slowly, Sora rubbed his eyes sleepily. As he touched his left eye, pain shot through his body, causing him to wince. As best as he could, Sora looked around. Tidus and Selphie were on his left and Leon and Cloud were on his right. Riku stood at the front of his bed. "Looks like you had a pretty good dream there, Sora," he said looking at Sora.

Sora's eyes widened in alarm. He slowly looked downward and discovered a large bulge protruding from the blanket. His face immediately turned crimson as he grabbed a pillow and placed it in front of him.

"Sora, are you ok?" Selphie asked, completely ignoring Riku's statement.

Even though Sora wasn't, he still managed to give Selphie a weak smile. "I'm fine, Selphie."

Attempting to prove his point, Sora threw back the covers - still holding the pillow - and stood up. Pain coursed through his body with such intensity that he was forced to kneel, causing Selphie to let out a small scream of horror. "Sora, you shouldn't be straining yourself!"

With rare seriousness, Selphie picked up Sora with determination instilled in her features. She then set him on the bed, her determined face now replaced with a scolding one. "Sora, you will stay in this bed until we get back!"

Sora sighed, knowing that once Selphie commanded something that it was most likely going to be written in stone. Leaning back, Sora watched Selphie and Tidus leave the room. Leon and Cloud soon followed with Riku lagging behind them. "Riku, wait!"

Riku turned in response to his name being called. Walking back towards the bed, he looked at Sora, his eyebrows raised questioningly. "Yes?"

"You...helped me, didn't you?"

Riku's eyes widened from slight shock, but it was soon replaced by that amused smirk. "That wasn't a problem was it?" he asked mockingly.

Sora smiled genuinely, shaking his head. "No. It wasn't a problem at all."

Riku turned to face the door, looking at Sora through the corner of his eye. "So, what was that dream about?"

Sora coughed loudly, a crimson blush returning to his face. Flashes of the dream crossed his mind; Riku standing in the water, Riku walking toward him with a look of seduction, Riku crawling on top of him, Riku kissing him....

"You don't want to know."

^*^

Ok, I'm finished with part one! I'm not cruel enough to leave you here so here goes part two! Oh yea, Sora is in the hospital, not the nurses office at school. Enjoy...

^*^
Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Two
Part Two

It's been a week since the incident and Sora was about to lose his sanity. Even though his friends and family visited him at least twice a day, the fact that he was confined really irked him. He couldn't do almost everything without the help of others; bathing, dressing, etc. The only real thing he could do was eat the nasty hospital food set in front of him. Selphie and Tidus were really generous though and offered to cook meals for him. He gratefully accepted.

Riku on the other hand came with the homework and the new lessons. The school placed him in all of his classes because of this incident, so he was in charge of teaching Sora the new lessons and explaining the homework. Sometimes, he would even bring tests and/or quizzes back to the hospitals just to make sure Sora got the material. Over the last week, Riku and Sora had become very close; Riku stopped teasing him so much and Sora wasn't nearly as frightened of him as he used to be. To their surprise, they had a lot in common and their conversations usually lasted over two hours or until Sora's mother came in and demanded that 'her baby' needed to get rest. Riku was like a different person around his parents. The cool, uninviting presence was replaced with that of warmth. He didn't smirk around him like he usually did; he would genuinely smile, making him even more beautiful than he already was. Just when Sora was starting to figure Riku out, he has a whole new side, unexplored and unknown. It was the most intriguing thing Sora had ever faced. The only problem was that if he tried to figure out why Riku is so mysterious, Riku might want to know more about Sora in exchange. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't let his guard down.

To Sora's disbelief, he had to stay in the hospital for another two weeks. Apparently, the upperclassman - whose name happened to be Kado, for his father owned the school - had fractured most of his rib bones when he was kicking him. Because of his daydreaming, Sora had gotten beat up on the first day of school and was now forced to stay in a hospital bed for two more weeks. Life was really starting to suck.

His mother and father had just left his room after an extensive lecture about this incident. Most of the lecture he tuned out and wondered where Riku was at the time. His thoughts were interrupted when, surprisingly, Riku walked into the room carrying books and papers. He wore a serious expression on his face instead of that amused smirk which worried Sora a bit. Riku caught Sora's gaze and gave him a small smile. Not a smirk, but an actual smile. ~He's...even more beautiful when he smiles...~

Placing the books down on a nearby table, Riku walked to the hospital bed and sat down. "Hey Sora, I got your homework from today and notes that were taken for you."

Leaning over to the table, Riku snatched the papers under the books and handed them to Sora. "Here. Japanese Literature, AP U.S History, English, and Algebra 2."

Sora took the papers and skimmed them over before throwing them carelessly onto a nightstand next to him. He buried his head in the pillow. "Thanks..." he mumbled.

Riku watched the cinnamon-haired boy from a moment. Sighing, he got up and ruffled the younger boy's hair before headed towards the door. "Riku...?"

Turning around, Riku looked at Sora who was now in an upright position. His voice was hesitant and filled with a lot of timidity. He has never seen this side of Sora before. Walking back to the bed, Riku sat down with hidden concern. "Yes, Sora?"

Casting his sapphire eyes downward, Sora continued to speak. "Why...did you help me that day?"

Riku was certainly taken aback by the question, but nonetheless answered it. "I couldn't let you get beat up like that, Sora."

"But you barely knew me!" he exclaimed. Of course he was grateful, but the thought really was bothering him.

Riku did nothing but smile at that statement and ruffled his hair playfully. "I have to save the young ones. They are the next generation!"

Sora looked at Riku incredulously, then glared at Riku for joking with him. "I'm serious," he half whined, half proclaimed. Despite all his efforts, his lower lip jutted out into a small childlike pout and he crossed his arms. It was Riku's turn to look at him incredulously. "Are you pouting?!"

Sora turned out of Riku's line of view, trying his hardest to stop pouting. Riku followed his motion, looking at his face. After a few minutes, Riku began to laugh. Sora watched him in silent shock, for he had never heard Riku laugh before. This was not a small chuckle, but a deep, pure laugh. It was melodious to Sora's ears.

"I can't believe you pout," Riku exclaimed while clutching his stomach. Small glistening tears had formed at the corners of Riku's sea green eyes from laughing so hard. Sora almost laughed himself.

"I can't help it," Sora replied. "I did it all the time as a child and now I can't break the habit."

"What else did you do as a child?" Riku questioned, leaning back on the bed to be parallel to Sora.

The question certainly stunned Sora. No one had asked him that before. Not even Selphie and Tidus. "Well, you know, I did stuff that children usually do..." he answered, purposely avoiding specificity. Riku was trying to get close to him. He could tell by the questions Riku had been asking him all week. ~I have to remember to keep to myself.~

Riku looked at him, disbelief etched in his features. Sora laughed nervously and shifted around in the bed to avoid the penetrating stare of his friend. He felt a hand be placed on his shoulder. "Why do you avoid questions regarding the past?" he whispered softly.

Sora tensed. ~So Riku had noticed that. Damn...~ He opened his mouth to say something but it cut off. "What are you so afraid of, Sora?"

Sora almost laughed at that question. There were many words that could describe his what he was afraid of.

Rejection.

Deceit.

Abandon.

Hurt.

Pain.

Betrayal.

The list goes on. His trust was shattered once and he was not about to let it happen again. "Sora, I'll be here if you need someone to talk to. Even though we haven't known each other long, I feel as if I could tell you anything."

Sora's eyes widened at his proclamation. ~He.....~

A dry laugh escaped Riku's lips. "I don't expect you to feel the same way, but I just wanted to let you know."

He stood up, but not before leaning over and whispering in Sora's ear. "I'll be the shoulder you cry on, Sora. Its time you stop crying alone."

With that, Riku left the room, leaving a dazed Sora behind.

^*^

~Local Restaurant~

"OH MY GOD! THE FOUR KEYS ARE COMING TO DESTINY ISLANDS?"

Kairi laughed as her friend just found out the big news. The most famous boy band, the Four Keys, were coming to Destiny Islands for a concert. It was in a month and everyone already had a ticket for it.

"Kairi, why didn't you tell me? I don't have a ticket!!"

"Don't worry, Garnet, I bought you a ticket!"

Her friend jumped up and hugged her fiercely. "Thank you, Kairi! I owe you one!"

Kairi only nodded, half paying attention to her rambling. She was truly worried about Sora. The talk she had with Tidus and Selphie didn't ease her mind at all.

:Flashback:

"Whoa, come on and look at this kid get clobbered by Kado!"

All her friends eager stood from their table and raced over the crowd of people. Kairi followed hesitantly, hating the sight of blood. When she got there, her friends were cheering Kado enthusiastically. Kairi got on her tiptoes and peered into the newly formed circle. She finally got a good view of the people and clasped her hand over her mouth in horror, suddenly wishing she didn't. Sora laid bruised and battered on the ground while Kado kicked him repeatedly in the ribs. His tanned face was extra pale and his left eye was swollen to extra large proportions. His unruly hair was more messed than usual, soaked in sweat. Suddenly, a silver haired boy jumped into the middle of the circle, grabbing the Kado and hitting him in the face. Unable to watch anymore, Kairi backed away slowly, then ran to the nurses office. Upon her arrival, she spotted Tidus and Selphie frantically talking to the nurse. "Hey guys!"

Tidus and Selphie only looked at her briefly before returning to the conversation with the nurse. Somewhat annoyed, Kairi walked over to the couple, concern in her eyes. "What happened with Sora?"

Tidus looked at her, disgust clearly in his eyes. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"

Kairi stepped back from the boy whose hatred emitted from him. "W-What do you mean?"

"You can stand seeing him mentally battered, but you can't bear to see him hurt physically?"

His question sliced through her like a sharp knife. Instant regret and sadness began to emerge as she looked into Tidus' hateful eyes. She opened her mouth, but he cut her off instantaneously. "Don't bother worrying about Sora. He will do much better without you being involved."

The enmity of his statement was so real, so passionate that it was seemed to be tangible. Guilt coursed through her veins as childhood memories made their way into her mind. Backing away, she ran as fast as she could out of the building and into the courtyard. Collapsing heavily on the ground, she rocked back and forth, tears streaming from her eyes. ~Sora...I'm so sorry....~

:End Flashback:

Small unshed tears filled Kairi's eyes as she blankly stared out of the window. A hand waved in front of her face, awakening her from her stupor. "Hey girl, what's up?" her friend asked.

She shook her head and told them to continue with the conversation, the image of Sora's bruised body never leaving her thoughts.

^*^

Well, that's all for now, folks! Please review!

~MercuryGoddess~