Until We Bleed

Cause and Effect

A few weeks after Roxas' encounter with Axel, he approaches Sora, "We need to talk."

Sora turns to him, smiling softly, "Okay, what's up?"

Roxas sighs, sticking his hands in his pockets, "I'm going back home now."

Sora stares at Roxas for a few moments before he frowns. Roxas stares back at him apprehensively. He's been dreading this since he made the decision. Sora clears his throat, "Y-you're going home.. To him..?"

"Yes," Roxas replies, closing his eyes, "I've thought it over, many times, and----"

He gasps, opening his eyes as Sora grips his shoulders, glaring, "You can't be serious. Tell me you're not serious!"

Roxas shoves Sora back as gently as he can, while still trying to make a point.

"Listen to me, just once." Roxas sighs.

"No!" Sora demands, "You listen to me for once!"

Roxas glares and Sora glares right back, "God! How can you be this stupid?! After everything, why do you keep making the same mistakes?!"

Roxas clenched his hands into fists, "I'm stupid?!"

Sora closed his eyes, breathing heavily as he tries to force himself to calm down. He opens his eyes a moment later, still glaring as he cuts Roxas off again, "Look. I've told you over and over that you can't keep letting this cycle continue. You're getting hurt, and even if you hurt him back, it still isn't right!"

"You still don't get it!" Roxas retorts, "I can't just give up on him, how I feel about him! You don't think doing this over and over hurts me, too?! I love him!"

Sora grabs Roxas by the shoulders again, glaring with hot tears in his eyes, "And I love you, but you don't-----"

Sora's eyes widen and he stops talking. Roxas stares at Sora with a slightly angry, but mostly confused expression. They just stare at each other for a few moments, both trembling and breathing heavily before Sora's tears fall down his face. Roxas looks away from him, feeling conflicted about Sora's accidental confession.

But also angry, how could Sora admit this to him right now? Especially while Sora has a boyfriend already. Sora can't stop crying now, hating everything about this situation. He grips Roxas' shirt tightly with shaking hands. Vision blurred by tears and ignorance.

What did I just do?

Sora whimpers softly, his voice cracking. Stop.. I need to stop talking.. Stop thinking.. Just stop. He's made his choice. Roxas swallows, looking back at Sora. He shivers, body stiffened. Afraid to make a move and make Sora think he might be okay with this. Both at a loss for words and actions, all that's left to do is think.

Honestly, Roxas doesn't know how to feel or what to think. Sora's always been my best friend and nothing more. But now.. It's too late. An inappropriate conversation for a much different time.. Sora looks Roxas in the eye, looking pathetic.

He knows he shouldn't have said that. While his feelings for Roxas are true, Sora also is in a loving relationship with Riku. Sora is unsettled, wishing he could take back the words he just said. He could try to play it off as a brotherly kind of love, but Roxas isn't stupid. Sora knows his best friend knows the true meaning behind the words he said.

Doesn't help that Sora stopped his sentence mid way through. An obvious slip of the tongue, but no words are more true. Roxas sighs, making himself look away again. This is all too much. How can he put this on me now? Roxas swallows again, looking back at Sora and gently prying Sora's hands off him.

"Sora.." he tries to prepare a speech about how they're not right for each other, when Sora suddenly closes the distance between them.

Pressing his lips, salty with tears, against Roxas', Sora shivers. Roxas gasps, eyes widening. He pushes Sora back, covering his own mouth with a hand, while using the other to hold Sora at arm's length. Too late, they realize the front door is open and Riku's standing there with a few bags of groceries. Riku looks shocked at first, but then he closes his eyes, his expression much more controlled.

He steps into the room, pushing the door closed behind him. Roxas looks away, crossing his arms and Sora turns to Riku, eyes wide with new tears about to fall.

"Riku--" he tries, but Riku cuts him off with a single head shake.

Sora looks guilty as Riku opens his eyes and walks past him. He watches Riku move to the kitchen, watches as Riku puts the groceries away. Sora's shaking lightly and Roxas frowns, watching the both of them. Riku will probably blame me, even though I technically didn't do anything.

Riku sighs before facing them. His expression is hard to read, he looks almost blank-faced with a grim mouth, but his eyes are hurt, angry. He stares at Sora as he speaks quietly, "Roxas. Please go upstairs while I talk to Sora."

Roxas looks away. This reminds him of fights his parents had often. His father would always say the same thing. Order Roxas to leave the room so he could yell at his wife. Roxas clears his throat, turning away and walking towards the door, "No need. I was on my way out anyway."

Sora looks back at Roxas, but says nothing. He looks back at Riku apologetically. Roxas leaves the house, quickly walking down the street. He feels kind of bad for leaving Sora to fend for himself, but he did it to himself. Roxas wasn't the one who kissed him. Sora kissed him, Sora was already in a relationship.

Roxas sighs, hugging himself tightly, gripping the edges of his jacket as it tries to flap in the wind. Wasn't my fault. Strangely the walk back to his house, though not particularly long, is still nervous for Roxas. He expected to be feel happier about coming home. About getting back with Axel, but he doesn't.

Not entirely, anyway. He is happy about seeing Axel again, but he's also worried. He pushes his fears aside, blaming Sora for messing with his head, and walks faster. He smiles as the house comes into view. He jogs up to the front door and knocks, shifting his weight anxiously. The door opens and Axel's eyes widen. Roxas smiles softly, "Can I come in?"