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Together In Our World Alone	By : blackdiamondprincess Category: Kingdom Hearts > Slash/Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 5658 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
__________________________________________________
11: The
shadows of dawn
__________________________________________________

Afterwards,
he wasn�t completely sure he trusted what his eyes told him happened.
But there
it was, or rather, there he was,
still sitting on the concrete floor with a still unconscious Kadaj lying right in front of him. A nasty bruise was
forming on his right temple and Sora grinned like a madman, finding his way
back to his feet and quickly limping his way up the stairs and out of the
corridor.
His knees
hurt like a bitch, but he wouldn�t let that slow him now; Riku was here! He had
saved him! Maybe he was still around? Maybe he�d see him? But how did he get
in? Had he been here all along? Sora raked his brain, searching through the
faces he�d seen tonight and coming up with one possible match. He stood still
in the middle of the 2^nd flight of stairs leading to the main hall
and the exit, realizing that he had seen one man he hadn�t recognized tonight
at the reception. Had it been him? Black hair and blue eyes� The man looked
nothing like the Riku he knew and yet joy like he hadn�t felt in a long time
coursed through him and he ran up the rest of the stairs. It was unlikely for
Riku to still be around, but Sora didn�t care. Knowing that he was still alive
had been such an emotional relief, he preferred for Riku to stay out of sight
until whatever plan he was coming up with was ready to be executed. He�d be waiting
until then.
�Are you
done for the night?�
Sora looked
up at Aeleus who�d been on guarding duty tonight and
nodded. �I am. Take me back?�
The bulky
man nodded, opening the entrance door and ushering the petite brunette out.
The bright lights on the boulevard flashed by as they drove to the villa
in silence. Sora
couldn�t help but look over his shoulder in fear of seeing someone coming after
him. He did leave Kadaj on the basement floor but he
couldn�t even begin to hold back the grin that grew on his lips every time he
thought about it. There was no doubt in his mind that he would encounter the
consequences of this night later. It was alright, though. There wasn�t much
that could crush his spirits now.
�Look out for me when you least expect it.�
The words
played in his head over and over, making his lips curl up and his heart
flutter.
The angst
and pain he�d felt over Riku�s supposed murder
weren�t exactly relieved, although the excitement over hearing his Riku again
overweighed his current emotions. He wondered how Riku had found him, how he�d
been able to successfully fake his own death and fool everyone. He wondered if
the others were in on it, if they knew Riku was here in Monaco.
A thought
suddenly crossed his mind and the smile he�d been wearing dissipated.
�He saw
me�� He felt sick in his stomach, feeling the bile coming up. �Oh God� he
must�ve seen me.� Kneeling on the floor, sucking cock like some dick-hungry
whore�
And like
that, his enthusiasm about Riku saving him was replaced by an overwhelming
feeling of guilt. Guilt because he choose to leave him, regardless of the
situation he�d been put in. Sora felt guilty because he�d smashed Riku�s heart and therefore made him throw away his life
with his faked death. But the worst thing was that he�d come to save him, and
Sora wondered now what was left for Riku to save�
�We�re
here, Sora.�
The car
came to a halt on the private drive in front of the Villa and Sora looked up at
the lit up hallway through the massive glass doors of the entrance. He glanced at
his watch. It was a quarter to one.
�If you
asked for a Philly cheese steak sandwich, I�m sure Eric wouldn�t mind whipping
it up for ya,� Aeleus
whispered with a sympathetic smile in the rearview mirror. �You look like you
could use one.�
Sora sighed
silently and gave him a tired smile, �I�ve eaten a little at the reception.�
�No you
haven�t,� Was the reprimanding reply. �You look like crap. You�ve been looking
like crap for the past few days.�
�Are you my
mother now?�� He joked goodheartedly,
opening the door.
�Sora,� Aeleus said, his tone more
serious.
Sora
stopped and looked back at him.
�Ask for
that damn sandwich, it�s ready and waiting for you in the kitchen.�
With a
smirk and a nod, Sora left the car and walked up the set of steps leading to
the iron laced, glass double doors of the main entrance.
As soon as
he stepped into the gigantic black marble hall, he saw Eric, the resident chef,
walking out of the main kitchen at the end of the hall, ready to return home
for the night.
�Hey Sora,�
he greeted with a smile. �How was the exhibition?�
�Too trite
for my own personal tastes,� Sora answered with a small shrug.
Eric
chuckled, �Well the appreciation of art is mostly a subjective sport, eh?�
Sora rolled
his head to the side, feeling the muscles in his neck stretch painfully.
�Yeah��
�Are you
alright?� Eric asked, cocking his head to the side as he observed him intently.
�You look a little pale.�
�It�s just
been a very, very long day��
�I made you
a Philly cheese steak sandwich. It�s in the fridge upstairs.� He began to walk
over to the door. �And I don�t want to be throwing it away tomorrow morning, so
you better eat it!� He said before closing the door behind him.
Sora smiled
after him. There were nice people in the life he�d been ruthlessly thrown in, Aeleus, Nathan and Eric being a few of those.
He walked
up the large stairs towards the apartments he shared with Nathan. They had a
common living room, a dining room, a build in kitchen, a balcony with terrace,
separate rooms with en-suites, and walk-in wardrobes.
He made a
bee-line for his bathroom, throwing his clothes in a trail behind him until he
stood naked in front of his mirror. Sora�d stopped
looking at himself in the glass for a while now. The welts, bruises and cuts
that covered his body from time to time made it difficult to stare at himself without reliving how he got so battered in the first
place.
He reached
for the cabinet and took out a small wooden, circular box he kept hidden there.
He opened it, sighing at the sight of its contents. The shiny, silver bracelet
still lay there like on the first night he placed it in there with all of his
memories.
Sora took
it out and held it in his hand. It was his most precious possession in this
world. Each time he touched it, he felt connected with Riku in a sense,
reliving all the love and good times they shared through it.
�Would you
still love me if you knew what I did to keep you safe?�
There was a
whisper outside the window, the sound of rain carried through the wind, the
shadow of a passing cloud.
Part of him
wished for Riku to come now; to hold him, tell him all those sweet things he�d
dream about, to take him away and make it all better. Another part knew he
couldn�t afford such naivet� anymore. The world was cruel and merciless; one
could not live on hopes and dreams alone.
�Nothing
will make me forget you, so I won�t let myself forget about you��
The door to
the apartment fell shut and he heard footsteps towards his room.
�Nate?� he
called out, reaching for a bathrobe.
�Yeah.�
The tall
brunette appeared in the doorframe, one of his shoulder length locks hanging in
his face, his white shirt open and inviting, the top buttons of his jeans
revealing a hint of dark curls. �Man, you missed quite a show.�
Sora arched
an eyebrow, �Did someone knock over a sculpture?�
�No,�
Nathan yawned, stretching a little. �It�s even better. Someone stole one.�
�What?!�
�Or at
least, tried to steal one,� Nathan clarified with a bored gesture of his hand.
�They found the Locker open�and guess who on the floor of the basement
corridor?�
�W-who?�
Sora asked, knowing what he was going to say.
�Mister VP
himself! Knocked out cold!� Nathan burst into
chuckles, moving into the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror. He leaned
in slightly pulled his left lower eyelid down, staring at his eye intently.
Sora turned
away from Nathan�s bulging green eye and walked passed him and towards the
living and its kitchen to check out that sandwich. He seemed to be getting
hungry all of a sudden.
�So,�
Nathan said, walking out into the living room as well now, his shirt flung
carelessly over a shoulder as he trotted over lazily. �Care to tell me what
happened after you two went down there?�
Sora
stiffened from his hunched over position into the fridge and straightened, a
plate with his sandwich in hand. �What makes you think we went to the basement
together?�
Nathan sat
himself in one of the white couches and calmly watched him seat himself next to
him to eat his sandwich. �What happened?� he asked,
his voice soft.
Sora sighed
a little and placed the plate on the low table in front of them, gathering his
robes around him tighter. �When we got in the corridor, the lights suddenly
went off and I ran. That�s it.� He stood again and got himself a bottle of
water. �I got to the exit and asked Aeleus to take me
home. That was probably half an hour ago or something. I didn�t see any sign of
a thief or whatever, officer.�
�Well,� the
other male sighed, �you�ll be pleased to know that Kadaj
is alright. He actually told the police something similar; lights went out and
when he came to you were missing. For a moment he thought you might have been
kidnapped.�
Sora
laughed.
�I know,�
Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. �But he seemed genuinely concerned.�
�Guess
those acting lessons he�s been taking are starting to pay off.�
Nathan
smiled and leaned back against the couch as Sora sat next to him again and took
a bite of his sandwich. �It�s good to see you eat.�
Sora wiped
off the excess cheese on his lips with a Kleenex and grinned. �Don�t tell me, I
look like crap?�
�I would�ve
said that you look like shit, but I guess �crap� ads that tinge of worry just
as fine.�
Sora gave
him an incredulous stare.
�Ok, I was
starting to worry just a little,� he
admitted, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his temple. �You need to start
taking better care of yourself, Sora.�
Sora glared
at him and put the sandwich down on the table again. Oh, that was rich. �Of all
the people here, you�re the last one I was expecting that one from!� He turned
his head so the small bruise on the side of his mouth became visible to the
other male. �That one he gave me tonight. Bruise nr 73 on my entire body!� He
faced him again, �I�m even lucky I can get anything down my throat right now,
I�m pretty sure it�s been bruised to hell with him stabbing his dick onto it
every fucking time he gets his hands on me, so don�t fucking tell me to take
care of myself because seriously? It would only delay the inevitable.�
Nathan
sighed in dismay.
It was
silent for a moment. �I know you�ve been thinking it, and I�m starting to see
it too,� Sora whispered, looking at his hands in his lap. �This is going to
kill me.�
There was a
voice in the back of his head that whispered that maybe it was better this way
for everyone, after all, the person he was now couldn�t face the ones he�d
chosen to leave behind and returning to them was just�
Impossible.
�Nate,� he
softly said, watching him. It seemed like the other brunette had finally
admitted defeat. �What? No encouraging words?� he whispered with a brave smile,
feeling it waver as Nate turned away from him and bent over to lean with his
elbows on his thighs, uncharacteristically silent. It brought to his attention
that he really did rely on Nate to chase his demons away.
�There was
this girl,� Nathan finally said, his voice low. �She lived here only one year
ago. She was just like you. Hardheaded, perseverant and
hopeful. She was the one to take me in when I first arrived. Chrysta, she was called. She�d lived here for five years
after they�d taken her away from her home. She had a husband and a newborn son
she knew she�d never see again, but somehow she managed to survive here. When
the news came that her husband had died, she just� gave up.�
Sora bit
his lower lip, �What happened to her?�
�She shot
herself in the head.�
Sora cast
his eyes down. He could relate.
Nathan
turned to look at him; his expression was a blank page, as if all the emotion
had been washed off. He sighed then, retrieved a cigarette from a pack he kept
in his back pocket, lit it, took a drag and fell back against the couch. �I
found her in the garden near the fountain.�
Sora
scooted closer, placing a hand on his face so he�d look at him directly. �You
cared about her��
He grabbed
onto Sora�s hand holding his face, looking him dead in the eyes. �If I can do
anything to keep him from hurting you even more, I will.�
Sora
blinked, taken aback by Nathan�s sudden vehement words. Never had he known
Nathan to make threats against Kadaj or any of their
other captors before. And he now realized that Nathan wanted out and that
perhaps the will to fight he seemed to have lacked was there all along,
waiting, anticipating for the right moment.
But now, it
was Sora who was tired of it all.
�Thank you,
but that would only get you in trouble or even worse,� he said in a soft voice,
shaking his head slightly. �I just wish all of this never happened.� He placed
a soft kiss on the older male�s temple and sniffled a
little, feeling the tears prickling behind his eyes again. �For the both of
us.� He stood and walked back into his room, closing the door behind him.
Nathan�s
eyes fell on the half-eaten sandwich Sora left on the table and he snorted. He
was the one supposed to look after Sora, Sora wasn�t supposed to look after
himself with everything that he goes through on a daily basis. Nathan
considered himself lucky that none of his clients had S/M predilections, which
made him feel responsible for Sora, who obviously suffered more than he did.

It�d be a cold day in Hell before he let
anything happen to Sora.

__________________________________________________

The small
table in the living room of the suite was littered with blueprints, print outs
and a wide-screen laptop. The chambermaid pushed an empty rolling tray out of
the duplex and he waited to hear her muted footsteps receding in the carpeted hallway.
He heard
Riquelle descending the stairs, her wet steps sounding on the black stone. �The smell of her shampoo wafted passed him as
she sat herself on the plush sofa of the terrace.
�Breakfast.�
He exhaled
the smoke and he watched it dissipate in front of him. The seagulls screeched
over his head and the Mediterranean stretched underneath his balcony with the
mountains on his left and right that surrounded the Monte Carlo Bay.
His stomach
made a low approving sound and he took another drag of his cigarette, willing
the hunger and the nausea that came with it away. His mind was the furthest
away from food right now.
�Anything from Roxas yet?�
Riquelle
sighed audibly and he heard her drop her fork against her plate. �He told us he�d
send us those detailed maps of the Villa when he�d have them ready, Riku.�
He pressed
the bud of his cigarette onto an empty spot in the ashtray on the table behind
him before picking it up and walking to the other half of the terrace to sit in
the chair opposite from her at the breakfast table. He couldn�t get his feet to
sit still so he stared out at the sea again, leaning with his right elbow on
the arm of the chair, playing his fingers over his upper lip nervously.
�He�s lost
so much weight.�
She folded
her legs on the sofa and pulled her blond hair back in a ponytail. Her eyes
wandered over to the sea as well and she smiled softly. �By the end of the week
you�ll have him with you again and you can start your lives over. Be patient. �
Don�t screw it up.
Riku closed
his eyes. He could still smell him, could still feel the comfortable weight of
him in his arms when he held him last night and if he concentrated long enough,
he could hear his trembling gasps echoing in his mind.
God, what did they do to you?
Even in the
dark, he had been able to tell how much Sora�s body had suffered. He had felt
how he shuddered against him, how his skin had felt clammy against the palms of
his hands, how the skin on his wrists covered nothing but bone. He was sure
that underneath his clothes the damage would be direr than that which he
witnessed already. The urgency he�d felt when they arrived in Monaco three days
ago only intensified now, leaving him with a growing feeling of angst whenever
he dared to look at a clock.
�You won�t
be any good to him if you�re half starved to death.�
Riquelle
was giving him that look again; the one that was not quite concern and not
quite annoyed and yet genuinely compassionate. He hated that look.
It was bad
enough that he felt like all the good things in his life seemed bound to leave
him and that happiness was something he could dream about, but not reach. He always
knew he wasn�t worthy of the love he and Sora had shared and there were times
when he had believed that being away from him was the best thing he could do to
keep him from hurting too much. Because seriously, you just had to take a look
at the past year and the mess they found themselves in.
His fault.
The reason why they were both here right now.
His fault.
No matter
what Sora said or did, there was always a part of him that could never live
with him for putting Sora through so many hardships and pain. He hated how much
he loved him sometimes, couldn�t stand the way his need for him completely
blinded him from what Sora needed and
wanted.
What
happened back in Crystle should�ve opened his eyes,
but no. A few months later he screwed it up again and he wondered now how in
hell Sora ever forgave him for that. Because he was certain that he was the
only one to blame for all of it, all Sora ever did was love him.
And now this?
How could Sora
choose to sacrifice himself for someone who has obviously loved him so poorly
and has proven it to him over and over again?
The three
months of solitude brought him a plethora of answers and there was one that
kept playing in the back of his mind over and over, like a broken gramophone record.
You had enough of me.
And over
those three months, he�d come to perceive that thought as a reality; the only
way out for Sora to use. It angered him, to think that because Sora had loved
him he chose for a life of forced imprisonment away from his family and
friends. How could he believe that that was what he deserved?
Oh, Riku knew
that he was being a hypocrite about the entire issue because he would�ve gladly
taken Sora�s place if he had been given the chance.
But it shouldn�t have been Sora. Sora wasn�t supposed to chose for this, wasn�t supposed to want this.
You wanted to go because you love me? How do
you expect me to live with that? How, Sora? You couldn�t have had another
reason than wanting to get away from me. I know you couldn�t have�
Riku should�ve
kept him from making that choice at all. Should�ve loved him
well enough, so Sora wouldn�t have had the feeling that he needed to do this.
Not like this, and certainly not for him.
For now he
would content himself with the fact that he was here to rescue Sora because it
was the least he could do. It was the least he could do to repay him for
everything he gave him that he could not return. It would be his way of saying
sorry for the pain, the grief and the loneliness he caused him over the years.
It was the
least he could do.
��er me?�
He blinked
and tore his gaze away from the sea, staring vacantly at her. �What?�
�I�ll take
that as a no.� She handed him a plate with a salmon omelet and a fruit salad. �I�m
not going anywhere before you eat.�
He looked at
the mixture of yellow and pink on the plate and immediately wished he hadn�t. A
wave of nausea so strong overcame him and he retched in the nearby plant,
vomiting nothing than bile and saliva.
Riquelle
watched him silently, the plate she held out back on the table. �How do you
expect to rescue him, if you�re such a mess?�
Riku panted,
his stomach flipping over itself and threatening to come out through his
throat. �Nothing� matters� for now��
�Bullshit.�
�Riquelle��
She didn�t
understand, she couldn�t understand. It didn�t matter; she didn�t need to
understand.
�He was
crying you know. When I went yesterday.�
Riku kept
telling himself that it didn�t change anything.
�He�s
barely keeping it together.�
Riku began
to stand and winced, his stomach clenching together again. �I�ll get him out of
there myself if I have to.�
Riquelle
jumped on her feet and held him back from entering the suite again. �Riku, stop. Think about this for a minute.�
�Riquelle��
�No!
Listen.� She took his face in her hands. �Tifa and Axel have infiltrated their
circle of trust. Tonight, at the Charity event that will take place at the
Casino, we will let things go as planned and you will see him again.�
Riku glared
at her. �Behind a cage, like a mere animal on sale!�
�What would
you have us do?� she demanded, voice calm, eyes piercing into his. �Would you
prefer us barging in half-assed? Because I�m telling you, if you get yourself
killed out there, we can forget our plan and Sora will die.�
He stared
at her. �The blueprints of the Mansion came in two days ago, we�ve gone over
the plans a thousand times; there�s nothing new we can learn from them.�
�You are
forgetting that we need you to figure out where they�re keeping Sora. Roxas has
sent the USB-stick with the program to a friend of mine. The main goals of
tonight are 1) Access the main computer in �Xehanort�s study and install the program into
the security network so Roxas can access it and control it from his computer in
Astoria.
2) For you
to make contact with Sora and fill him in on the plan.
Aside from
that, all you need to do tonight is basically enjoy yourself,� she paused, �to
the best of your abilities.�
Riku grunted.
�We will be
watched all night, so please behave like the spoiled, rich Cambridge stud you�re
supposed to be, alright?�
Andrew
McCoy was a tall, all American, long haired brunette with cold blue eyes and
high-cheek bones. He was a Senior Law student at Cambridge University,
currently taking a sabbatical. His family was one half of the rising McCoy &
Bullstr�m law firm that has been on the New Nobuhiro Conglomerate �to-do list�
for a few months now.
Riku closed
his eyes and reigned in his anger. He hated playing that role. He hated the
fact that he had ridiculous, black 14� extensions in his hair and had to wear
contacts. Yet he knew all too well that those were necessary for their plan to
work.
�When they
ask, where do you suggest we say we met?�
She tossed
him a somewhat naughty smile and shrugged. �At the Opera de Paris.�
Riku blinked.
�What?�
�What?�
�The opera?
You are not going to tell me that high-class boys his age like going to the
opera. No one�s going to buy that!�
She grinned
now and sat down on the couch in the living room, pulling open her laptop that
still lay on the coffee table. �Of course not. That�s
why you�re going to say that we met during the intercession of the ballet
presentation. Surprise me; I�m sure you can come up with a fun story to tell
our host when the time for it comes.�
He rolled
his eyes and strode to the door, exiting with a loud clap.
Riquelle
closed her eyes and sighed.
A conversation
window popped open on the screen, beeping for her attention.
Package has arrived; I�ll
be there in 20.
She typed
back: Suite 304-305
She sent
the message and sat back, taking a deep breath. The wheels had been set in
motion and so far, everything was still going according to plan.

Let�s hope it continued to go that way.

__________________________________________________

The Monte
Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort had a small casino in the centre of the
establishment. Lavish red decorated the curved walls that went flawlessly into
the ceiling with in its centre a black crystal chandelier. Underneath it, a
giant pink rose decorated the floor in a sea of red and black lozenge shaped
figures. It was surrounded by half circles of machine slots and in their centers
diverse game tables.
Riku hadn�t
come with the intention of playing and acquainted himself to the bar at the far
back, but figured after a while that playing a few games of blackjack couldn�t
hurt anyone and that time would only pass by quicker.
By the time
he looked up from the table he�d been playing on, an hour and a half had passed
and he�d gained a fair amount of money in the form of a stack of black and red
chips. He exchanged them and walked towards the exit, deeming his afternoon to
have been well spent.
�I never
took you for a gambler, mister McCoy.�
His feet
stilled, barely a few meters from the exit of the casino and he turned,
unwillingly taking in a shaky breath.
�Lady
Fortuna lures even the most innocent of us, doesn�t she?�
Of all the
people he could meet. It had to be the biggest bastard of them all.
�Mr. Aikuro,� he said, voice level, bordering bored. He forced
his lips to bend into a mimic of a smile. �No one is safe from sin.�
Kadaj
extended a hand and leant in, �I�m certainly not going to deny that.�
Riku took
his hand, suppressing the urge to bash his head in, and smirked, �Well, we�re
all only human.�
Kadaj
threw his head back and laughed heartedly, �Unfortunately that is the truth,
isn�t it?� he grinned and slapped an amicable hand on Riku�s
shoulder. �Would you like to join me for a drink? I suppose we both have a
couple of hours more to kill before we�re expected to show at the Grand Casino�
you were invited?�
The asshole
knew he was. The incompetent fool was trying to make himself
sound more important than he really was. Were he to disappear, Riku was certain
that there�d be but a few who would really miss him. After all, he was only a marionette
set in place by Xehanort, a replacement for Riku Masako.
A horribly poor one at that.
�We were
pleasantly surprised to receive one,� Riku politely answered with a nod, the
constant smile he had plastered on cramping up the muscles of his face. �I hope
the rumors I�ve heard are founded,� he then whispered, making sure to add just
that tinge of excitement in his voice. And to make sure the other man took the
bait, he licked his lips like a junkie awaiting his next fix.
Kadaj smirked
approvingly and stepped closer, �My friend, there is one for all tastes and you�re
free to sample as many times as you like!�
Riku laughed
along with him, all the while feeling his stomach turn itself over again. Of all
the things he had done in his life, this was the most sickening he had ever
felt over anything. Whether playing a role or not, just the idea of bidding
against others to �win� Sora for one night made him physically ill. That these
people could without hesitating exploit human beings this way was something he
couldn�t even begin to understand.
�I�m sure I�ll
find one to appeal to my desires�� he said with a grin, following Kadaj back to the bar. �Or perhaps to both my friend�s and
mine��
Kadaj
chuckled and took a seat on a stool. �Why not take one each and share?�
Riku wiggled
his eyebrow, �Yes, why not?� he said, signaling the bartender.
�To be
perfectly honest, Andrew,� Kadaj began as they got
their beers served to them a few moments later, �I would never have taken you
for a liker of forbidden fruits.�
�Never
judge a book by its cover,� Riku replied, taking a gulp of his glass.
�Ah, well,
some people just don�t know any better.�
No joke there, he thought, raising his glass. �I�ve always
had an open mind when it came to the exquisite and exotic.�
�Then I do
believe our blossoming friendship can only flourish further.�
Riku smirked
and drank from his beer. Flourish and
wither even faster than you think.

__________________________________________________

�Who was
that woman I saw you talking with earlier when I picked you up at the gallery? I
saw her at the exposition yesterday.�
Sora turned
off his electronic toothbrush and spit in the sink. �A blonde
one?�
Nathan came
into the bathroom and reached for the shaving cream. �Yeah, kinda cute too.�
�Dude, that�s
mine,� Sora said, pointing at the can in Nathan�s hand.
He pressed
a kiss against Sora�s head, �Yeah, but yours smells better and you barely need
it.�
Sora splashed
some water his way. �Hey!�
�What?� he
chuckled, �you have this gorgeous hairless skin.� He
stepped behind him and pressed closer, �Especially down there��
Sora wiggled
away from him. �Yeah, but it doesn�t stay that way on its own, you know!�
�I�ll buy
you a new can later this week,� he whispered in his ear. �So who is she?�
�Riquelle Heartly, she came by to buy more art and talk about the
benefit of tonight.� He bent over and opened the crane to wash his teeth.
�What did
you tell her?� Nathan wondered, looking at the can but not moving from his
position behind Sora. �Does she know that you�ll be given away to the most
generous man or woman tonight?�
�Sure, I
must�ve thrown it into the conversation somewhere�� He answered sarcastically,
spitting. �What does it matter anyway? She�s been invited, so she must know
what goes down at events like these. The fact that it�s me is just mere
coincidence. We barely know each other.�
�She seemed
to be really attached to you last night.�
Sora placed
his electric toothbrush back into the cabinet, wiped his mouth off and walked
out of the bathroom. �What makes you say that?� He couldn�t give anyone the
impression that he cared about an outsider. He knew that that was dangerous for
both him and her. And he couldn�t involve Nathan in any way; he would only want
to protect him. �She wanted someone to talk art with on an upcoming party she�s
organizing, that�s all.� He picked up the black drawstring pants that lay
readily on his bed and began to put them on. �And before I could even reply in
any way, Kadaj cut the conversation short and you
know the rest.�
Nathan
nodded, seemingly satisfied in his answer.
There was a
knock against the door.
Sora threw
on his sweater and reached for the duffel bag laid readily on the bed. �Have
fun tonight,� he whispered with a smile. They kissed and parted.
�It�s
uncanny how comfortable you seem to be with all of this now.�
Sora sighed
and shrugged, �It�s called adaptation.�
Nathan held
him back and twirled him around. �Submission is more like it.�
�Tomato, tomato Nate.�
He held him
back from turning again. �Sora��
�Stop it.� Sora
wrenched himself out of his grip. �So what if I�ve submitted?� he chuckled, �I
don�t care anymore!�
�But I do!�
Nate whispered, �And I can�t stand seeing you so indifferent because you don�t
deserve this.�
Sora snorted,
�I�m not so sure.�
�Why?�
�Do you
really want to have this conversation now, Nate? I�m going to be late��
Nathan
ignored him. �Why do you think you deserve this?�

Sora rolled his eyes and started for the front
door. He didn�t need to justify himself to Nathan, he wouldn�t understand
anyway. �I don�t have time for this. Enjoy the party.� And with that he walked
out of the apartment and left Nathan alone.

__________________________________________________

The grand
hall of the Monte Carlo Grand Casino shimmered with a thousand lights cascading
down the walls. The ceiling was one giant mirroring surface reflecting all the
light back down on the dance floor and its guests. Sharply dressed men and
women were scattered around the room, enjoying themselves and drinking their
served drinks. A band was playing a jazzy tune in a corner of the stage in the
back.
Ansem Memorial Fund Benefit
��This is so wrong.�
Riquelle
gathered her white dress around her ankles and Riku offered her his right arm
as they prepared to descend the stairs leading to the dance floor two flights
below.
�There isn�t
much we can do about that now, Riku,� she whispered back from between her
grinning teeth.
�Ansem created this foundation to help hospitalized children
diagnosed with leukemia and now look what they�ve done to its noble purpose��
They arrived
at the bottom of the stairs and moved to a small cocktail table near the wall
on their left. Riquelle moved in to fix his tie. �Concentrate on Sora, Andrew. Now, do you see Tifa anywhere?�
Riku huffed
impatiently and looked around. �At three o�clock, next to the woman with the
dead bird on her head,� he said in a surly voice that bordered cute.
She glanced
in said direction and suppressed a grin. �Good,� she whispered, removing her
hands from the perfect bow. �Don�t forget, you must try and get Kadaj�s attention later on. He probably won�t stay long
because of the humiliation he suffered yesterday and it would be unlikely that Xehanort allows him to anyway.�
�I won�t
have much time,� Riku concluded. �All right.�
She kissed
him on the lips and wiped away any trace of her red lipstick. �You know what to
do, just stick to the plan.�
He nodded
and watched her walk away towards a middle aged, bald man with a light sway in
her hips. Riku then took a glass of champagne off the tray of a passing waiter
and walked towards the black haired woman in the silver Chinese styled dress. She
was talking to another, older lady with long grey hair.
Tifa turned
to him with a slightly surprised expression before conjuring one of the
prettiest smiles he�d ever seen. �Andrew? You�re here as well?�
�Good evening
Mae Lin,� he greeted her with three kisses on her cheeks. �I thought I recognized
you from afar. It�s good to see you, you look absolutely stunning.�
She placed
a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it affectionately before introducing the
elderly woman she�d been talking to. �Let me introduce you to Elizabeth Fabelstein. She is in charge of the Austrian division of
the Markeston Bank in Vienna. Ms Fabelstein,
meet Andrew McCoy.�
She took
the hand he offered her and smiled a much appreciative smile. �Oh, such a strong grip for such a handsome young man.�
Riku smiled,
a tad uncomfortable and kissed the back of her hand. �It�s a pleasure to meet
you,� he politely said.
�Mind you,�
Tifa said as she moved closer to them, �Lizzie here is quite the notorious
cougar.�
�Mae Lin! What
a horrible thing to say!� Elizabeth exclaimed, though her voice betrayed her
hidden amusement. Apparently she felt more pride than shame for said alleged reputation.
No doubt she hoped to catch a new boy toy tonight. Riku briefly wondered if Sora
ever crossed paths with this obvious sex fiend.
He
shuddered mentally.
�So, what
does a fine young man like you do?� Elizabeth asked, unashamedly moving closer
to him.
�Uh�� he
stammered intelligently, fruitlessly trying to take her hands off of him.
�He�s
currently on a sabbatical from Cambridge University,� Tifa intervened with a
giggle. �His parents own the law firm McCoy & Bullstr�m.�
�Oh,�
Elizabeth crooned, still moving closer, her hands now crawling up his chest. �McCoy
& Bullstr�m you say? Why that is very interesting.�
�Ms Fabelstein,� Riku tried, bordering panicky now. No matter
what he did, she just kept groping him. Did this woman grow an extra pair of
arms in the past ten seconds?! �Err�Can I get you something to drink? Anything?�
�Oh, and he�s
an attentive one too�� she whispered with a seductive grin. Her hands suddenly
landed on his rear cheeks and he squeaked. �Hmm� as well as firm all over��
Riku turned
to Tifa pleadingly. �Help me.�
�All right,
Lizzie. That�s quite enough. You�re making the boy feel uncomfortable,� she
said, pulling her away from him gently. �Besides, Andrew and I have some
catching up to do.�
Elizabeth
grinned at Riku over Tifa�s shoulder. �Oh come on, that�s
not fair! You can�t keep a specimen like that all to yourself. You have that
beautiful male with his gorgeous red mane of hair already!�
Tifa
laughed and shook her head, �It�s nothing like that. Andrew and I are old friends;
we met when I lived in Boston a few years back.�
�All right,
fine,� she huffed and moved towards Riku again, who instinctively took a few
steps back. �If you don�t mind sharing me tonight,� she whispered in his ear, �I�m
staying in suite 7100 at the Hotel de Paris across the street.� She winked at him
and walked away.
�Did she
just imply what I think she implied?! What is she 60?!�
Tifa was
nearly dying with laughter now and leaned against him to catch her breath. �67,
actually,� she giggled before breaking in more laughter at his horrified
expression. �Oh come on, you must admit that she�s very well preserved. My
mother would kill to have a waist and skin like hers.�
�And did
you have to just stand by and watch?�
Tifa
snorted and grinned, pressing her palms together and bowing. �I�m sorry,
Andrew. In my culture rejecting an older woman�s advances is very much frowned
upon.�
Riku scowled
at her. �Oh cut the crap Mae Lin.�
�She took
his right arm. �Honestly though, I�ve never seen her this
excited before.�
�She�s old
enough to be my grandmother,� he murmured as they walked past the band.
�To each
their own kinks,� she shrugged.
�No.
Thanks.�
They walked
in silence for a while, observing the crowd.
�So, how�s
Monaco been treating you so far?�
Riku rolled
his eyes. �I�ve seen enough of it to last a life time. I just want to get out
of here as soon as possible. With Sora.�
Tifa nodded.
�Xehanort will be here at ten to announce the total
amount of accumulated funds. See those two black dressed men guarding the double
doors over there?�
Riku looked
over to his far left and spotted said men. �What are they guarding?�
She stopped
them at the buffet table, took a plate and put a few hors d�oeuvres on it. �They�re
guarding the grand prize.�
�The grand
prize�?� Riku echoed.
�You knew
that Sora would be auctioned off tonight, right?�
He nodded.
�Well,
according to what I�ve been told, the person who gives the most tonight wins Sora.
There was a slight shift of plans. He�s the grand prize.�
�What?!� Riku
exploded, refraining just in time from letting his voice rise too much. �Does
everyone here know this?�
Tifa nodded.
�So you�re
telling me that Sora�s the only one being auctioned off tonight and everyone
here is giving money just for a chance to� I thought there�d be other�� He didn�t
even finish his sentence, realizing how wrong it was to even hope for others to
share Sora�s fate, but it reduced his chances to win him for himself.
Tifa looked
at him sternly. �Riquelle was right. You are a hothead.�
Riku glared
at her, �What the hell��
�Stop it,�
she said through gritted teeth, pulling him away from the table and closer to
her with amazing strength. �It�s all been taken care of. You�ll be the one to
see Sora tonight.�
�You outbid
all of them?�
She took a
breath and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. �I did.�
He watched
her and understood the implications hidden in her statement. �Thank you,� he
said, suddenly feeling shamefully ungrateful. �But won�t they protest that I�m
the one claiming �the prize�?�
�Not at
all,� Tifa whispered, �It�s a favor I gained and it is for me to give to
whomever I please. I assure you that you�ll be alone with him.�
Riku nodded
in understanding, but couldn�t help but ask: �Why did they choose Sora as the
prize?�
�She wrapped her arms around herself and
averted her gaze. �Originally he wasn�t.�
�It�s
because of what happened yesterday, isn�t it?�
Tifa nodded
sadly, her wine red gaze going over the many faces gathered in the room. �It�s
Xehanort�s way of punishing him and� breaking him further.�
Riku was
boiling by now. �I am going to��
She grabbed
him again and looked into his eyes intently. �I know. But you will save Sora first.�
�Is there
any chance that they know? Do you think it�s the reason for�?�
�No,� she
resolutely said with a definite shake of her head. �He�s been punished because
he ran off after Kadaj was assaulted.�
You ran off? Why? Did I scare you off so
terribly, you felt the need to run away?
�Most of
them think you�re dead anyway.�
Riku looked
up at her. �Most of them.�
�I can�t be
sure of Xehanort,� she said with a shrug. �I can�t
believe he was easily convinced, but how could he know? There�s no trace we
left of you.�
�If he did
know, he would�ve found me by now anyway.�
�Exactly,�
she nodded. �That�s why tonight is so important. You won�t get another chance.
You�ll get to be with Sora until 11 o�clock tomorrow morning. That�s more than
twelve hours.� She moved closer and pressed a kiss to his right cheek. He could
feel her slip something in the right pocket of his vest. �The diamond ear studs
emit a constant signal for us to track him. One is enough, but he has to have
it on him if we are to find him,� she whispered in his ear as she now hugged
him. She let him go and smiled. �Our objectives of tonight will be fulfilled. I
have been given the stick.�
�How will
you approach Xehanort��
She
smirked, �He has a weak spot for Asian beauties. �
Riku smiled
and nodded, understanding. �Thank you.�
�Don�t
mention it,� Tifa whispered placing her hands together and bowing. �We want to
bring them down as much as you do. Godspeed.� And she walked away.
Riku turned
towards the buffet again and glanced at his watch. There were a mere ten
minutes left before Xehanort was to take stage, a
mere ten minutes before he�d finally see Sora again. His heart fluttered at the
thought of holding him again.
�If we
weren�t here on a covert operation, I�d be enjoying this party.�
Riquelle appeared
next to him a few minutes later and grabbed a hors d�oeuvre. �Did she give you
the information you needed?�
He felt the
studs in his pocket and nodded. �She did, everything will go as planned.�
�All right
then.�
The lights
suddenly dimmed and the podium at the back was lit up. The music ended and all
eyes turned to the two men getting on stage under a rain of applause.
�Good evening
ladies and gentlemen��
Riku placed
his drink down and looked up, the fire of revenge burning in his eyes. Riquelle
took him by the arm and together they moved forward.

�It�s show time.�

__________________________________________________

The
penthouse suite of the Hotel de Paris was situated on the two top floors of the
main building.
The two men
who�d escorted him to the suite closed the grand doors behind him and stood
guard in the hall.
To his
pleasant surprise, before he left the Grand Hall of the Casino, Kadaj courtly invited him to spend the afternoon at the
Villa with him the following day. Something about exchanging experiences, not
that it mattered anyhow. He got exactly what he was hoping for and nothing
would stand in the way of his downfall. It was just perfect.
Riku turned
towards the majestic entrance hall he now stood in. A short flight of stairs
led to the second floor and ahead was a lavishly furnished living room with an inviting
balcony and a panoramic view over the sea. A soft breeze blew through the white
draperies, revealing the lit up town of Monte Carlo Bay.
Riku stepped
in further, his heart thundering in his chest with each step. His palms felt
sweaty and now his chest felt too tight and the bow tie was nearly suffocating
him and now that he was here, he really wished he knew what to tell him.
The living
room was lit up, but he found no one there.
Was he
supposed to wait for him? The men who accompanied him never bothered to send
instructions his way. Was he supposed to go and search? Upstairs
maybe?
He was
getting antsy and he hated being antsy so he made up his mind and decided to
try his luck in the chambers up stairs.
How would Sora
react when he�d recognize him? Would he be happy? Would he be mad that he came?
Arrived on
the top of the stairs, he entered a dimly lit hallway with billowing curtains
and a brightly lit bathroom at the end connected directly to the master bedroom.
Riku walked
out of the hallway and into the bedroom, his eyes falling immediately on the
form sitting at the opposite end of the bed with his back to him. He was
wearing a midnight blue bathrobe, same color as the bedspread he was sitting
on. His hair was still damp; he could see the light from the bedside lamp
reflected in it. When he turned his head towards him, Riku felt his breath
catch in his throat. He couldn�t utter a single word. Not one coherent word
would come to him so he just stared. From the graceful line of his neck to the
curve of his jaw and the swell of his cherry red lips, he drank in every memory
they evoked like a dying man, letting them overwhelm him in a way he couldn�t
begin to control.
Those blue
eyes that had fuelled many a fantasy were watching him cautiously now, almost hostilely
and he was brought back to reality with a shock. He�d always been able to read
his entire life in them when they were together; he�d always known who he was
when he was with him. He�d felt so lost without them.
Now he
looked at them, but those eyes� he couldn�t recognize them anymore. Something
had died in them and the Sora looking at him right now knew less about who he
himself was than the stranger standing in the same room with him.
�Sora��
As if on
cue, Sora stood and walked over to him, reached for the sash that kept his robe
together and pulled. The garment cascaded down his bony shoulders, his thin
arms, his small chest, the narrow waist and hips and finally his skinny thighs.
The man
standing before him now was but a shadow of what he once used to be.
Before Riku
had finished taking in all the changes in Sora�s body, Sora dropped to his
knees and reached for the belt of his pants, beginning to pull on it. He moved
away quickly, taking away the brunette�s balance. �What are you doing?�
Sora stared
at him in incomprehension. �What do you mean? Didn�t you just win me? Didn�t
you come here to fuck me?�
Riku could
only reflect his incomprehension at the way he spoke those words without so
much as batting an eye. The Sora he knew wouldn�t have been able to say that
without drawing all his blood to his cheeks. �I�What?
No! It�s me, Sora.�
Sora blinked
up at him, clearly not understanding.
Riku helped
him up on his feet by his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. �It�s me,� he
whispered gently with a soft smile, �Riku.�
Sora looked
him at him more closely, searching for the features that characterized his
former lover until he finally recognized him with a soft gasp. For a tiny
second, Riku saw that glint in his eye again before it vanished and Sora shrugged
his hands off of him, taking a step back.
�What are
you doing here?� he asked with an annoyed voice, retrieving the robe from the
floor. �The man who paid for me can be here any minute��
In a way,
he expected a reaction similar to this one, but it still felt like a blow to
his stomach all the same. Riku just had to remind himself that this was his
fault and that he was here to make it right. He had to get Sora out of here,
even kicking and screaming if that�s what it took.
�I�m here
to get you out.�
Sora snorted
and finished tying up the sash around his waist. �Go home, Riku.�
There was weariness
in his tone of voice that didn�t go unnoticed by him and he felt his heart
clench. Sora had given up on all hope, it seemed. He�d waited too long and Riku
was too late.
�I mean,
don�t get me wrong,� Sora continued, now looking at him with a mocking smile, �I�m
not saying that you wouldn�t be able to, but I just don�t want to go.�
�No, I�m
not leaving here without you. I�m taking you home!� Riku said, taking a
determined step closer.
Sora cocked
his head to the side, that mocking smile still present. �Why would you want to
do that? I�m good here; I get fed, I get to stay in luxurious hotel rooms like
these,� he spread his arms and then stood to walk to the cocktail table
standing against the wall right from Riku and poured himself a glass of whisky
without ice. �And most of all: the sex really isn�t all that bad,� he whispered
to him with a smirk. He lifted his glass to his lips. �I get variation, which I
didn�t really have with you.�
That stung,
but Riku recognized the tactic employed all too well. �It doesn�t matter what
you say; I know you don�t want to be here for the rest of your life. You know
you deserve better.�
The smirk
faltered from Sora�s features and he took a step closer to him, fierce defiance
now shining in his eyes. �So what if I do deserve better? It still doesn�t make
me want to leave. All things considered, I live a good life here.�
�Are you
bullshitting me?� Riku chuckled humorlessly. �I know what you�re trying to do
and I�m telling you right now; it won�t
work! I�m getting you out of here, Sora, even if it�s the last thing I do.�
Sora didn�t
speak and only stared, unfazed.
Riku sighed,
�Look, I�m not asking you to come back to me per se.� Even though he�d resigned
himself to the alluded fact that Sora probably didn�t love him anymore, his
shoulders slumped when that statement seemed to catch his attention. �But you
have a family that longs to see you, friends who are worried about you.�
Sora huffed
and placed his drink down on the table and moved back to the bed. He threw the
covers back on one side.
�What are
you doing?� Riku wondered.
�What does
it look like I�m doing?� he asked, sitting down on the white sheets. �I�m going
to bed. If you�re not going to fuck me or do anything else worth my while I
might as well catch up on some Z�s.�
Riku was
awestruck, despite the situation. This was absolutely ridiculous. �I�m not done
talking to you!�
�Well if
you talking means trying to guilt me into going back, you might as well give up
now,� Sora spoke, lying himself down, face away from him. �I�m going to sleep
now.�
Riku felt
himself trembling with pent-up frustration. �Why are you being like this?�
�I thought
you knew,� was the answer.
Riku marched
up to the bed and yanked all the covers off with one hard haul. �No, why are you being such a hateful little brat?!�
Sora sighed
and rolled over to look at him, his expression calm and collected. �I don�t
need you here.�
�I�m sure
as Hell not leaving without you!� Riku retorted hotly.
His vacant
eyes held on to his burning ones as he repeated in a deliberate tone; �I. Don�t.
Need. You. Here.�
Riku knew
he was only doing this to get under his skin and damn it, it was working way
too well for his liking. �I know you don�t mean that.�
�Are you
going to fuck me?�
�No!�
�Then I don�t
need you here.�
�Son of a��
Riku held himself in and turned away. He knew he wasn�t going to win this war
of nerves by getting himself so angry to the point that he lost all control. He
only needed to remind himself of what Sora had endured during the past months
and that it wasn�t his fault that he was acting this way. How many sweat filled
nights had he had to endure? How many men and women had feasted on his body
like starved hyenas on a dying prey?
Could he
ever reverse the damage they caused?
He didn�t
know if he could ever manage that, but he knew he had to try.
�I won�t
leave you,� he finally said, voice soft and this close to pleading. Riku knew
he�d eventually have to let him go, but right now he couldn�t care less about
that. �You�re the only thing I live for. I won�t leave you.�
There was
no response behind him and he nodded at the silence. �There�s a room
downstairs. I�ll let you have your rest tonight.�
He left the
room with all the calmness he could muster even though his heart felt like it
was about to break itself in two all over again.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
ToBeContinued�
-BDP-

��

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- 10
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Together In Our World Alone