Days Go By

Riku Takenaga woke up to hear someone pounding on his door. “Riku!” He groaned, recognizing Axel’s voice instantly. “Riku! Open up!” Riku buried his head beneath the pillow. If he ignored the redhead, Axel would get bored and go away. He had stayed up far too late playing a friendly game of blitzball with Wakka, he needed some more sleep. The banging came again, once, twice. Riku gritted his teeth and pulled the pillow farther around his head. After a moment silence fell, and he let out a soft sigh of satisfaction. He liked Axel, he had missed his friend during the summer, but he could think about seeing Axel later…after he had caught up on some sleep.

Something large, heavy and bony fell on top of him. Groaning, Riku bucked but had no luck getting rid of his attacker. “Axel, get OFF!”

“Riku!” Axel sounded delighted. “I was hoping you were awake!”

Riku hated morning people. He especially hated Axel anytime before noon. “I’m NOT awake!” He snarled in reply. “GET OFF!”

Axel laughed wickedly and rolled off of him, pulling the blankets with him. Icy morning air instantly hit Riku’s body. He let out a startled yelp and surged up. “Axel you son of…give me my blanket.”

He had expected wicked laughter. He had expected Axel’s irritating pain-in-the-ass cheerfulness. He got neither. Instead, Axel stood in the center of the room, Riku’s comforter in his arms, his eyes wide. Riku scowled at him. “Can I help you?”

Axel burst into laughter. “Riku.” He gasped. “Maybe you should put some clothes on before you ask me that.”

Blinking, Riku looked down. He looked back up. He was going to kill Axel. Riku had no memory of falling into bed naked after taking his shower, but he knew he must have. Blitzball with Wakka always exhausted him. The redhead was an extremely talented athlete. “Maybe YOU should keep from barging into my room. If I want to go to bed naked, I damn well have the right to, nobody’s forcing you to stay. And I thought I locked the damn door.”

Axel looked pleased with himself as Riku grumpily picked up a pair of loose gym pants. “You did.” He replied cheerfully. “But you forgot to lock the door to the bathroom. Looks like we’re living next door to each other.”

Riku scowled. “Great.” He muttered half-heartedly, knowing Axel wouldn’t take offense. Axel knew he wasn’t a morning person. He yawned and tried to ignore the fact that it was only 8:42 in the morning.

“About an hour ago.” Axel rolled his eyes as he looked around the room. “Geez. Looks like you never left. I swear those are the same socks you had lying on the floor two months ago.”

Riku frowned at him, locating a white T-shirt and pulling it over his head. “I’ve been here for a few weeks. Since Leon called me to tell me he was opening the dorm.”

Axel hesitated. “How was your summer?”

Riku shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He didn’t meet Axel’s eyes. His friend knew that he didn’t have a great home life, but he didn’t feel like getting into it. “Sephiroth’s somewhere around here too. Probably pissing Leon off. Leon shot him down about being Cloud’s roommate again.”

Axel rolled his eyes. “When will your brother give it up? Cloud isn’t gay. He isn’t interested in him.”

Riku shrugged. “Sephiroth is stubborn.” His older brother had been pursuing Cloud Hikari for nearly four years now and had gotten nowhere. The blond was protected by Leon and his own aloof nature, Sephiroth was getting desperate. It was the last year something could happen…they would graduate in May. “So did you get your stuff unpacked?”

Axel grinned. “Not yet. I get to room with a little firstie this year. I’m looking forward to it. I’m thinking I’m going to do my side in a black theme. I want to see if I can get him to freak out and move before the second semester.”

Riku smirked. Axel disliked roommates and had since Riku had known him back when they were still children. He was notorious for managing to get rid of his roommate by the end of the first quarter, and because his reputation was well known, he usually got the room to himself afterward. “Any clue who it is?”

Axel shrugged. “No. Some kid from Destiny Islands. A high school transfer. I didn’t get his name.”

Riku glared at the clock. “I’ll help you paint your room but I need caffeine.” He trailed off as Axel motioned to the wide open door to the bathroom which connected their rooms.

“Right in there, Ri. I got you a Mountain Dew from the caf right before I got up here.”

Riku smiled gratefully. Caffeine AND sugar. “Great!” He bounded past Axel and into the redhead’s room. It was depressingly bare of personal belongings. He snatched up the bottle of soda waiting for him and took a long swallow, sighing in utter satisfaction. Axel was watching him, a bemused look on his face. “Riku?”

Riku glanced up after chugging half of the soda. “What?” He took another gulp and glanced idly at the posters Axel had piled onto one of the beds.

“Do you sigh like that after sex?”

Riku choked. He sputtered and then howled as the carbonated beverage shot up his nose. Choking and coughing, his eyes watering, he attacked Axel.

Axel was laughing too hard to block his first attack, managing to push Riku away from him long enough to dodge the next and leap back, putting one of the night stands between them. “Soda just came out your nose.”

Riku scowled. Tears slid down his cheeks. “I KNOW that!” He yelled. “What the HELL made you ask that question?”

Axel’s face had turned a shade of red that clashed horrendously with his fiery hair he was laughing so hard. “That sigh…” He choked on a laugh. “…it sounded like you got…” Gasp. “…laid.”

Riku rolled his eyes. His nasal passage hurt, his throat hurt, and he wanted to kill his friend. “I should be so lucky.” He pinched his nose and wiped at his eyes. “If you want me to help you paint your room to put Phase 1 into action, fine. Just don’t talk for a while, okay?”

Axel snorted with stifled laughter, but obeyed, pulling out two rollers and a can of paint from beneath one of the beds. “Do you think I should put a couch in here once I get him to move out?”

0 0 0

Riku heard the yelling through the bathroom as he picked up the last of the dirty clothes off of the floor and stuffed them into the hamper on his side of the room. He glanced at the stripped bed and the neat furniture. It would do. Raising an eyebrow when he heard another yell, he pushed open the door to the bathroom and paused in the doorway to Axel’s room.

A boy with dark blond hair that spiked on one side stood in the center of the room, his arms crossed defensively over his chest. He was slender, his body hidden beneath billowing khaki pants and a baggy white T-shirt. He wore black and white bands on each finger and simple white sneakers. He was scowling heavily at Axel, who sat on his own bed looking highly amused.

Axel’s eyes lit up when he spotted Riku. “Riku!” He called cheerfully. “You’re just in time to meet my new squeeze toy, Roxas. Rox, this is Riku.”

The kid, Roxas, looked like he was going to have an embolism. “The day you squeeze me, you redheaded psychopath,” he growled. “Is the day that I shove a keyblade right up your ass.”

He pushed past Riku and strode into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. They heard water turn on and the sound of Roxas muttering obscenities. Riku stared at Axel for a moment. “He’s a keyblade fighter?”

Axel shrugged. “Dunno. He’s trying out tonight, so who knows.” He grinned. “He’s cute isn’t he?”

Riku snorted. “Don’t molest a potential teammate, Leon will be pissed.”

Axel sighed regretfully. “Leon can’t sit down due to the stick shoved up his ass, but he’s the least of my concerns. If I touch the kid, CLOUD will be pissed. The kid’s last name is Hikari.”

“Ouch.” Riku winced. Cloud’s temper was legendary. He rarely lost it, but when he did, he was prone to leaving bruises that didn’t fade for months. “Tough break.”

Axel sighed. “I know. I can’t even scare him out of the room, Cloud will probably murder me for being weird to his baby brother. Strange he never mentioned him before.” He shrugged and then grinned. “Oh well…there are compensations to having to share a room with him….like seeing what Roxie is hiding beneath those baggy clothes of his…”

Riku laughed. He loved the way Axel could find something he liked about any situation. “You might not want to piss him off so bad if you’re looking to sneak a peek. He’ll probably get dressed in the closet.”

Axel grinned, wolf-like and sharp. “He’s cuter when he’s mad, it’s hard to keep from wanting to push his buttons. Did you see that little pout?”

“I DO NOT POUT!” Roxas yelled from the bathroom.

“It’s rude to eavesdrop, Roxie.” Axel sang back. He was rewarded for this by the suggestion of something that was so creatively obscene that Riku’s eyebrows flew into his hairline and Axel howled with laughter.

Riku shook his head. “Good luck.” He murmured, walking out of the room through the main door and hurrying next door to his own. He frowned when he saw it was cracked, pushing it open and stepping right into a warm body.

“Hey!” Riku’s arms shot out automatically to steady the person he had just walked into. He stared down into the bluest eyes he had ever seen.

For a moment all Riku could do was stare, not even noticing when the boy in his arms pushed him away. “Sorry.” The boy grinned sheepishly. “Didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Sora…your roommate.”

“What?” Riku couldn’t take his eyes from those of the younger boy’s. Were they contacts? How did they get that color blue?

Leon cleared his throat, breaking Riku’s concentration. “Riku, this is Sora. Sora, this is Riku Takenaga. Riku, you know the drill only this time escort Sora to tryouts in an hour. I want to get the first years done early so they can get something to eat and get ready for the dance.”

Riku glanced at Sora. This kid? Wanted to join the dueling team? “Are you sure…”

“Positive.” Leon gave him a pointed look and Riku rolled his eyes. Leon never did ANYTHING without being positive about it. “Just get him down there.”

Riku shrugged and Leon left, leaving him alone with Sora. The boy was short and slender with a deep tan, dressed in long black shorts and a yellow T-shirt with a small hooded jacket over it. He wore fingerless gloves and a crown pendant around his neck. His eyes were wide, his face cherubic and framed by wild spikes of cinnamon brown hair which amazingly didn’t look gelled, but natural, soft and inviting. The boy took a quickly glance around the room before his attention focused on the bathroom door where Roxas was apparently yelling at Axel through the door on the other side, having holed himself up in there.

Sora stepped up to the door and turned the handle. Locked. He sighed. “Roxas!”

The bathroom door flew open and Roxas stood framed by the sink, a scowl on his face. “Sora?”

Sora only smiled and Riku could see the similarities in the boys. Roxas was a Hikari which meant…he looked at Sora again and couldn’t believe he had missed it. The color of their hair might be different, but Sora was a mini Cloud. Obviously they had come from the same stock, because all three Hikari boys shared the same spiky hair that defied gravity and the dazzlingly blue eyes. Roxas scowled at Riku. “What’s HE doing here?”

Sora followed his gaze. “He’s my roommate. Riku, this is my brother, Roxas. Rox, this is Riku.”

Roxas scowled. “We’ve met.” He said shortly. “I’m going to sleep in the bathroom tonight. Find another one.”

Sora rolled his eyes. “Rox, you can’t sleep in the bathroom.”

Roxas crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s either sleep in the bathroom or let my roommate molest me in my sleep.”

Sora stared at him. “He said that was just a joke and Leon wasn’t alarmed.”

“LEON is as crazy as he is.” Roxas assured his brother.

Sora sighed, shaking his head. Riku could see that Sora knew it was pointless to continue arguing this. “Will it help if you beat the crap out of him?”

Roxas tilted his head. “Maybe.”

Sora shrugged. “So make him think twice about touching you without your permission. Give him something to remember.”

Roxas smiled at his brother. “Not a bad idea. I threatened him once…might as well follow through.”

Sora rolled his eyes. “It’s only the first day, Rox Try not to do anything that will land us both in detention.”

“Why would YOU end up in detention?” Riku was puzzled, watching the two brothers.

Sora smiled. “When Roxas does something to end up in detention I am either involved because he asked my help or just because I’m his twin brother and should have had some sway in stopping him.” He shrugged. “I don’t mind usually but I’m not sure I can find my way back up here by myself yet.”

Roxas smiled at his brother. “I won’t do anything illegal.” He promised and leaned forward, dropping a kiss onto his brother’s cheek. “Thanks for listening, Sora.”

Sora shrugged. “Any time. Look, you can either stay and help me unpack, or you can go handle your own stuff. And if things get really bad you don’t have to sleep in the bathroom, you can sleep in here with us on the floor or something until you and…Axe was it?”

“Axel.” Axel stood in the bathroom, his arms crossed over his chest. “Got it memorized?”

Sora stared at him blankly for a long moment. “Uh huh.” Riku stifled a laugh at the deliberate look of uncaring disinterest on his face. He knew that disinterest would irritate Axel.

He was right. Axel frowned slightly and walked farther into the room, his eyes on Sora. “So…you’re another little newbie too?”

Sora shrugged and opened one of the many suitcases that had been delivered around noon that day. He pulled out a fitted green cotton sheet and bent to place it on the bed. He stopped dead as Axel’s arm slid around his waist and he was drawn against a tight body. He blinked down at the arm around his waist for a moment before stomping down onto Axel’s instep, making the redhead yelp. Riku stared as Sora calmly went right back to what he was doing, pulling out a top sheet next. “Axel…” Roxas was laughing now. “…this is my twin brother, Sora. Sora, my roommate.”

Axel studied Sora intently. Sora ignored him. “You’re not as cute as your brother.”

Sora snorted. “I get that a lot.” He replied calmly. “So we can paint our own rooms?”

Riku was puzzled by the Hikari boys. Neither of them acted normal. Most first years, especially first years from one of the bordering small towns, tended to be scared, homesick, hyperactively excited maybe. These two didn’t fit the normal bill. “Er….” He replied, watching Sora make his bed, Roxas lounging by Sora’s desk. “…sort of. If we agree to buy white paint and have it back to the normal color by the end of the year we can paint our rooms. Most people find it easier not to though.”

Sora considered this. “I’d LIKE to paint but I don’t really want to inconvenience you, Riku…and I can’t sleep when the room smells like paint.” He sighed. “Rox, what do you think?”

“I think I need help painting my side of the room yellow.” Roxas replied wickedly.

Axel reacted just as the twins obviously hoped he would. “Over my dead, rotting corpse.”

Roxas smiled sweetly. “I think I could meet those terms.” He glanced at his brother. “You want to come over and look at the room? I’m thinking Spongebob yellow.”

Sora laughed. “Sure. Lemme find my pillows.” He pulled two pillows out of the suitcase and shoved the now empty suitcase under the bed. “Ready!”

Axel barred the door to the bathroom. “No. Yellow.”

Roxas stared him down. “You want emo black? Fine. I’m having Sunshine Freaking Yellow and there’s not a DAMN thing you can do about it.” Riku opened his mouth to try and talk both roommates into something more acceptable, when he saw Sora’s lips twitch, his eyes dancing merrily. The knowledge crashed in on him. Roxas had no intention of painting the room yellow. This was payback for the “squeeze toy” comment. They were good. He snorted with laughter. They were VERY good.

Axel made a grab for his smaller roommate as he and his twin calmly walked out the main door and into the hall, but Riku stepped in front of him. “Axel calm down.”

“Yellow!” Axel swore creatively, making Riku chuckle. “YELLOW! That little…he wants to paint it YELLOW!”

“Yes, I heard him.” Riku knew that if he outright laughed Axel would kill him. He didn’t fancy being dead. “I also know he won’t do it.”

Axel blinked down at Riku. “What?”

“He won’t do it.” Riku repeated. “Trust me. He and Sora are just trying to pay you back for being a manwhore and threatening to molest Roxas.”

Axel scowled. “That wasn’t a threat. There is an evil heart under all that cuteness.” Riku crossed his arms over his chest. 1…2…3…. Axel grinned. “That makes me want him even more.”