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Sleeping Late and Lying Awake	By : mewsomniac Category: Kingdom Hearts > Slash/Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 885 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: NO profit is being made off this work. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and Disney belong to their rightful owners, and I do not claim ANY ownership over their properties. FULL DISCLAIMER BELOW.

Chapter List
- 1-Pining
- 2-Love Confession
- 1
- 2
Disclaimer: All characters in this fanfiction are 18 years of age or older.
A T-rated version is also available to read on FF.n, dA, and AO3 if you'd like.
Sleeping Late & Lying Awake
Chapter 2

             When Sora put his lips on Roxas’, he knew everything was as it should be.

             The firmness of the kiss, Roxas’ arms draped over his shoulders… it was all perfect. It was the most comfortable he’d felt in years. Maybe too comfortable, considering they were in public. This thought sent a little forbidden thrill through him. It only added to the deliciousness of it all.

             Sora had one hand on the wall and the other tangled in Roxas’ hair. The blond strands felt so incredibly soft between Sora’s fingers. He could taste warm lust on the other man’s breath, and it made the static between their lips all the more sweet. His own mouth twitched with a smile and he gripped some blond locks into a fist to angle Roxas’ head back—pressing them deeper into the sultry flavor of one another’s mouths.

             Lips parting, Sora whispered into the kiss, “I’ve been waiting for this for so long.” He flicked his tongue against the other boy’s teeth and delighted in the tremor he felt beneath his touch. The quietest moans and sighs drifted from between their kisses, softer than a summer breeze and just as light. Then, Sora could feel Roxas smirking into the kiss.

             In spite of their flush-proximity, Roxas managed to grind himself up into Sora’s crotch. The brunet hissed loudly, feeling the painful tightness in his pants grow significantly worse.

             Roxas hushed him, cooing, “Careful… don’t wanna get caught, right?”

             Sora glanced carefully from side-to-side. This particular alley sat next to the tram track in Tram Common. It connected the area between the Bistrot and the movie theater. This late at night, rarely anyone ever passed through… but there was still a gaping hole at the corner with a clear look into the alley. They were pressed into one especially shadowy section where the lights of the town created a near-perfect blindspot… but that didn’t stop the shudder running up Sora’s spine.

             “Don’t scare me like that,” Sora whispered while pecking the blond playfully.

             Roxas’ tongue traced Sora’s upper lip before pressing their mouths into another kiss. The blond’s hands were between them, fingers worming their way around Sora’s belt and across his zipper.

             Sora started to say, “What are you—” but was cut off by an involuntary hiss as Roxas’ fingertips pressed a firm line across his mostly-stiff cock. He pressed his forehead into Roxas’ shoulder, breathing heavily as Roxas softly stroked him through his boxer-briefs.

             “I didn’t bring you here just to make out,” Roxas whispered, warm and lustrous, into his ear. That was all it took for Sora to become fully erect. Roxas slipped a hand into Sora’s pants and stroked all along his length… the entirety of it. The blond’s breath hitched, and Sora couldn’t help but smirk. “Fuck,” The blond breathed, “You’re… wow …”

             It was Sora’s turn to be coy, “If you really want it,” He muttered into Roxas’ ear, “It’s going to have to be nice and wet to fit inside.”

             Roxas swallowed hard, but didn’t waste too long sliding down to his knees. They were next to an electrical box, but Sora made sure to prop both his arms up on the wall anyway to further shield the blond from sight. Hands shaking from excitement, Roxas worked to pull Sora’s length free from his pants.

             Sora could see Roxas staring in amazement at his cock even in the darkness of the alley. Then, looking sly, Roxas leaned forward and wrapped his lips around Sora’s cock. Working in a slow, steady rhythm, he pressed it deeper and deeper into the back of his throat.

             The world around them was fading out of existence as Sora’s eyes fixated on Roxas’ shadowy form kneeling below him. The ambient light of the city echoed in Roxas’ crystalline eyes. Then, the blond’s mouth popped off Sora’s cock for a moment and there was a shuffling below. Roxas had slid his pants down and was now spitting into his hand. His mouth was back on Sora’s cock and the brunet watched as the man below him slid several fingers into his ass. A moan made the head of his cock vibrate, and his knees just about buckled. Vision tunneling, he watched in absolute ecstasy as Roxas sucked him off. The blond’s fingers were plunging and stretching his hole in preparation for what was to come.

             Pulling his lips away from Sora’s glistening member, Roxas teased, “What, Sora? Too much for you?”

             He didn’t realize how heavily he’d been breathing until he spoke, voice hoarse, “Stand back up and bend over.”

             A mischievous smirk quirked at the blond’s mouth, and he did just that.

             They were about the same height, so Roxas only had to bend a little against the wall to be lined up with Sora’s dick. Gently, carefully, Sora teased his tip at Roxas’ ass.

             “Breathe deep,” He instructed, “Breathe slow… and trust me.”

             Blond spikes bobbed with a nod. Sora placed a hand on Roxas’ ribcage as leverage and so he could feel each breath. The other man’s chest expanded… then, as Roxas exhaled, Sora eased in. Roxas shuddered in his grasp. Inch by hot inch, and doing his best to go slowly, he pressed in—timing it with Roxas’ breathing.

             Sora’s front was almost completely flush against Roxas’ back when the other man let out an involuntary moan. Using his free hand, Sora brought it around to cover Roxas’ mouth. Pulling Roxas’ head back to press his lips against an ear, it was his turn to hush the blond. Using both his grips on the other man, he fully sheathed his cock inside Roxas’ tight ass—

             And Sora felt the water dip in temperature.

             A string of curses left him as he pumped his cock a little faster. He buried his forehead tighter into the arm propped against the shower wall. He clung to his fantasy, trying to swiftly bring it to its logical conclusion in his head. He could imagine Roxas’ eyes rolling back as he started to move, pressing their bodies against the brick wall, rocking his hips into the blond’s backside, his palm stifling each of Roxas’ moans…

             A choked groan emitted from his throat as his orgasm rolled through. A static cling shuddered from the tips of his toes into the head of his cock and a load of cum gushed out of him. It hit the wall in thick, sticky ropes as his mind flashed with visions of him filling up Roxas’ insides.

             The last drops trickled from his slit, and he shuddered. It had been days since he had a chance to masturbate, and that had felt obvious in the sheer power and size of his load just now. The blood very quickly sapped from his softening penis up to his cheeks in embarrassment.

             “I’m sorry, Roxas,” He muttered. It felt wrong to have such intensely erotic fantasies about someone who was none-the-wiser. Most days, his mind was clear… after all, he had things to do and distractions to attend to. But every now and again, he’d wake up rock hard and his mind would slip off to that sexy space that Roxas occupied. It had gotten exceptionally worse since he was staying in Twilight Town, it seemed.

             He’d had these feelings in little bursts and bits since one particular day: the day he first looked at Roxas’ picture in the darkness. The name came to him so easily, dredged from the corner of his subconscious as if Roxas were whispering it himself. Right then, he had a name for the blond… but he wanted more. So much more. In his dreams, he chased his Nobody to the edges of his heart; as soon as he was close enough to touch, he awoke. It was maddening. Each time he saw Roxas after that, he didn’t want to let go—but the Nobody slipped through his grasp, no matter what. After the Mark of Mastery exam, he stopped dreaming. The sleeping world had become nothing more than a blink to him. He wondered if it was a side-effect of the Power of Waking. It was almost a mercy at that point.

             But now, after everything they’d all been through, Sora had been saved. On top of that, he and Roxas finally got to have a normal friendship. At least, as normal as one person traveling space could have with someone attending high school. It was everything he’d hoped for…

             But his feelings kept growing. And growing. And growing… until he would hear his phone buzz and spring to grab it in case he received a message from Roxas. Among all the friends he’d communicated with, Roxas was his most frequent contact. Before he knew it, he was flirting with the blond, and hoping that the blond would flirt back. However, when Sora found out Roxas was texting him during classes, he had to put a moratorium on that immediately. He was infatuated with the blond, but he wouldn’t let that put any of Roxas’ schoolwork in jeopardy. His life as the universe’s favorite hero was busy, but he tried as often as he could to visit Twilight Town anyway. It broke his heart to have to miss Roxas’ birthdays so many years in a row, but he swore he wouldn’t miss the blond’s 18th. Not for anything in the world.

             That June was when it dawned on him.

             They spent the entire day together, and Sora felt like his heart was going to explode into a thousand smoldering pieces at any second. Every smile, every laugh, every time Roxas looked over his shoulder at Sora… it sent him full to bursting. When Sora grabbed Roxas’ hand to go back to the latter man’s apartment, it took everything in him not to go in for a kiss instead.

           During the fireworks show, Sora turned to look at Roxas, “I know I said it a bunch before today but…” His lips quirked in an easygoing smile, “Happy birthday, Roxas.”

           All at once, it felt like the air was ripped from him. Leaning against the balcony frame, Roxas’ pale face was warmed from the festival lights. His white hoodie took on the color of each firework that went off, making him glow with technicolor lights. His head was titled to the side, crystalline eyes softened, lips parted… everything in Sora was screaming to kiss the other man.

            Lean over and kiss him with everything you have. Kiss him!

           But it was as if Roxas had cast Stopza on him. He was so taken by the sight, in fact, that he didn’t notice Roxas had been silent that entire time. He plunged around inside his head for something to say, anything to break his own silence and the spell he was under.

           “The fireworks are going to go most of the night. Think you’ll sleep okay?” The brunet asked.

           The blond’s face fell, and Sora regretted asking. Tonight was Roxas’ night, and he wasn’t going to leave him any time soon.

           “Guess I’ll find out,” Roxas replied.

           Shaking his head, Sora said, “No… I’m not letting you go to bed just yet.”

           He realized then the innuendo that may be perceived from the statement. For a long, long moment, he wondered if he should act on it anyway. He wanted to be with Roxas for a long time now, but something about it terrified him. He had brushed off death time and time again… yet he was mortified at the thought of sharing his feelings with Roxas. Maybe it wasn’t that, but that he didn’t want to ruin their wonderful friendship. He could take the rejection, but he couldn’t take losing Roxas entirely.

           He told himself, This is Roxas’ night… not “accidentally attempt to seduce Roxas” night, or “ruin Roxas’ birthday with your feelings” time. You’re his friend. Get to know him. Pull up a chair, and listen to him... be a friend!

           A lightbulb went off. He pulled the loveseat over to the balcony and had Roxas sit with him. They did the next best thing, which was talking all night long in the darkness of Roxas’ apartment. They watched the fireworks in the sky while they poured out their souls to one another. It was magical.

           Sora was partway through a story about a recent mishap he had when he realized Roxas had dozed off. He spent a good long time just watching the other man snoozing away: body lax, eyelashes draped downward, chest rhythmically rising and falling.

           Sora whispered into the darkness, “I love you, Roxas.”

           Roxas’ gentle breathing was the only response. He smiled anyway.

           Working carefully, the brunet lifted the blond and tucked him into bed. As he pulled the covers over Roxas’ chest, he couldn’t help but gaze down at the other man’s parted lips. He thought about all those stories that ended with true love’s kiss… but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not without Roxas’ permission. Instead, he left the softest of pecks on Roxas’ forehead.

           “Sleep tight, Roxas,” He murmured, “I hope you dream of me.”

           Deciding Roxas deserved a good rest after that long night, he unplugged the blond’s alarm clock. He also replaced the loveseat. Then, he put on his shoes and left.

           And he carried that regret with himself ever since.

           The water temperature of the shower dropped dangerously close to freezing, and he made quick work of cleaning up his mess. At this rate, he might end up being the reason Twilight Town goes into a drought. Sora turned off the faucet just as the first drops of icy-cold hit his skin, and he stepped out of the stall to dry with an extra-plush towel. Normally, because of his minimal belongings, he would stay the night in hostels or on his GummiShip. This time, he’d been staying in one of the town’s nicer hotels. It was the closet thing he’d ever had to an apartment, with a fully-stocked kitchen and furnished living space.

             It greatly unnerved him. There was something about having a permanent space somewhere that made him uncomfortable. Maybe it’d been because he’d gotten so used to traveling so frequently… but it was a feeling that he’d had since childhood. It was part of the reason why he wanted to leave Destiny Islands in the first place. It was also why he chose not to return there permanently after being saved by his friends. His wanderlust had been exacerbated almost infinitely by his journeys through space. Before, he’d simply been thinking on the scope of his tiny world… but now, there was a whole cosmos to explore. He still wasn’t sick of it, even after all that time.

             Sora left the bathroom and used the towel to dry out his spikes. His GummiPhone, only just replaced the previous morning, buzzed angrily. He cursed and flew around the hotel room to gather his clothing as the alarm went off. He’d slept a little too late and gotten caught up in the shower far too long considering he’d taken up a double shift at the Bistrot.

             It’s not like he needed the income, but it was an obligation he’d volunteered himself. He was never hurting for munny, but working had its own appeal—mainly, Sora just hated being idle. He always had to have something on his plate, whether it was gathering synthesis materials or volunteering somewhere. His brain had always been wracked with overactivity. The only time his mind gave him rest was in sleep or the deep reaches of space, where he could lose himself among the endless stars.

           It wasn’t a very long walk from the hotel to the Bistrot. Once there, he beelined for the lockers behind the kitchen. One of the cream-colored lockers was emblazoned with an embossed copper plate reading Chef-at-Large. He smiled as he put in his combination. He traded his usual outfit for a chefs coat and pants, then secured his hair with a red bandana. The red bandana was a symbol of Little Chef’s absolute trust in Sora… and he’d only just gotten it back after screwing up the consommé a month prior. Sora slipped into the kitchen to wash his hands.

             Little Chef was already in there, of course, directing the kitchen and assisting with mise en place. Since the rat was the head chef, he would probably be running the pass later with someone’s help—most likely Sora’s. When the creature caught Sora’s eye, his ears perked straight up.

             “ Ban-jur , chef!” Sora said, and Little Chef grimaced at the butchered pronunciation.

             The rat waved Sora off to a station, and the chef-at-large happily complied. Everything had to be perfect for tonight, not just because it was the busiest night of the week. It had to be perfect… because tonight was the night. At least, now it was. The graduation dinner was supposed to be “the night,” but Sora managed to somehow completely screw that one up.

             The new plan he concocted happened at the graduation dinner over cake with Roxas. He realized that maybe, after spending a bunch of time in person with the blond, mutual feelings of attraction would follow. Then, when Sora felt the time was right, he would confess. Depending on how that went, he would then ask Roxas to take a chance and join him on his adventures. If not, he would give Roxas the option of space from him or continuing the relationship in Twilight Town for the time being. He didn’t mind putting everything on hold for Roxas, but he also didn’t want the other man to feel pressured at all. Sora worried this plan bordered on manipulative. After all, he wasn’t being completely honest with the blond. He also worried that if Roxas didn’t have feelings for him, it’d be cruel to leave with so many good memories. He wanted to wait and see what Roxas felt before he did anything else. He wanted to be absolutely sure of everything before endangering their friendship.

             Following that, Roxas’ graduation had come and gone in a flurry of yellow caps and just as many tears as they thought it would. Everyone who came to visit had remained in town with them for parties that lasted the rest of the weekend, and then some. The summer of Roxas and his friends’ official adulthood had arrived, and Sora had been spending almost every single day with them. Tonight, after a long wait, it was finally happening. Sora had a romantic night planned for him and Roxas, one that would hopefully rival the magic of the summer festival. They’d been spending as much time as possible together, but this would be as close to something like a date they had so far. Sora had been laying it on thick for four weeks now, trying to make his feelings blatantly obvious without making Roxas uncomfortable. It was intensely painful to play the long game, but he hoped that tonight would be perfect … and his confession would be the perfect dollop of perfect on the perfect cake.

             All he had to do was survive the normal dinner rush.

           On his way toward Le Grand Bistrot, Roxas wondered if today would finally be the day his heart literally exploded and killed him.

           Every single day after his graduation was spent practically nonstop with Sora by his side. Before, he was already pretty stricken by his feelings. As the days stretched on, he had been falling harder and faster for Sora. As one might imagine, his heart was overwhelmed.

           In addition to that, his dreams didn’t get better; they’d only gotten worse. Wherever Roxas and Sora spent the majority of the day, he was sure to revisit it in his desperate dreams.

           Roxas dreamt of Sora pinning him into a corner of the movie theater at night. A dozen what ifs threatened to cascade through him—what if we get caught? What if someone sees? What if—what if—

           But none ever reached the surface. Sora’s mouth was warm and wet, and each time it slid across his cock, another protest was dragged away from him.

             As always, he awoke just before climax. Frantic, he scrambled his hands down to grip his cock and bucked his hips into his own grasp. One foot still in dreamland, he imagined the warmth of Sora’s throat as the tip of his cock brushed against it. In mere seconds, his orgasm crashed into his body. In his head, he pictured Sora being unphased as he swallowed Roxas’ cum and looked up with mischievous eyes that asked, “What’s next?”

             Then, there were dreams of them in an empty train. Roxas would be straddling Sora’s lap, arching his back, and riding the brunet’s cock. Sora would have Roxas’ shirt pulled up and would be leaving bite marks across the blond’s chest.

             Other times, a hand was firmly gripped around the back of Roxas’ neck as his face was shoved into a pillow. Sora would slide into him from behind and, with one fluid motion of the hips, Roxas’ eyes would roll back into his skull.

             It was the lewdest nightmare that had ever existed. Each night was its own torture, though each day he’d loved spending time with the other man. He desperately craved every spare second spent, and would happily endure a million nights of torture just to spend a hundred days with Sora.

             Thus, his current dilemma: should he travel with Sora after all, despite his feelings?

             His friends had made their opinions known time and time again. They wanted Roxas to stop trying to ignore his feelings and let Sora know how he felt before they made such a big commitment.

             “It’s not like your attraction is suddenly going to change,” Olette argued one day after Sora had left them for the night, “If anything, it’ll be way worse.”

             “Roxas,” Axel said, “As your best friend in the entire universe… I think you’ve gotta say something. I mean, really dude. You have to. I mean it. You will not regret it. I can guarantee you won’t,” Then, as if transfixed by a craze, Axel laughed hysterically, “I mean, how much you wanna bet it’ll be fine? Seriously, I bet you TEN THOUSAND munny, Roxas! T-E-N T-H-O-U—” He gagged when Isa whacked him in the stomach, his waggling finger drooping.

             “What Axel means to say,” Isa added, cooly, “Is that he’s rooting for you.”

             Aside from the wisdom of his friends, he mainly just wanted to put himself out of his own misery at this point. There was only so long he could go before he would eventually blackout, pounce on the brunet, and beg for Zeus-knows-what. He just didn’t know when the opportune time would be, and that single thread was enough to weave an entire excuse for his procrastination.

           Upon approach, there seemed to be something especially strange about the Bistrot. Roxas took the scene in, eyes scanning side-to-side and taking a mental headcount. Surely, all those people weren’t queuing up just for the restaurant. The tables and benches outside seemed packed, with waiters skimming along the crowd and refilling glass upon glass of wine and water. As he made his way to the host stand, he wracked his brain for an answer. Snippets of conversation kept bubbling all around him, each hinting little clues to the crowd’s excitement.

           “...reopening the Sandlot…”

           “...intergalactic revival tour?...”

           “...concert…”

           “...can’t believe he’s here …”

           “...so excited…”

           “... Powerline ! ”

           Realization struck. Of course! That’s why it was so busy. Twilight Town was one of the many stops on Powerline’s most recent intergalactic tour. Olette, Xion, and Pence had been gushing about it for months. They’d only nailed tickets by a tiny margin too—they waited in digital waiting rooms for almost two hours on multiple screens. Roxas would have liked to have gone, as he’d also become a fan of the hiatused artist, but tickets sold out in mere seconds. He’d put it far enough out of his mind at this point to float above his grief, but now reality was drowning him. His heart sank.

           At least he’d be seeing Sora tonight, and hopefully he’d get to say hi to Axel and Isa. No doubt they’d be taking the opportunity to gather as many tips as possible on such a busy night.

           After waiting patiently in the queue for the host stand, Roxas checked himself in.

           With a quirked brow, the host commented tersely, “You’re here quite early.”

           Roxas blinked, “Am I?” When Sora said a table was reserved that night, there hadn’t been a specified time to show up. Roxas figured he’d get there at the end of dinner rush so as not to stress anyone, but this was its own chaos.

           “Fortunately,” The host continued, “Your table is ready. Follow me, please.”

           Roxas would have been lying if he said the jealous stares from onlookers waiting for their own tables didn’t give him a petty sort of pride. As they entered the Bistrot, the sound that was already loud outside seemed to magnify itself. It was the loudest it’d ever been, Roxas was pretty certain. He was led to a small two-top by the window, which probably had a much better view of the town when there weren’t so many people outside. As he sat, the host didn’t hand him a menu, only said a polite wish for Roxas’ enjoyment of his meal before leaving. Roxas almost felt a pang of awkward longing as he realized how alone he was in the middle of that packed restaurant. Never before had he dined at the Bistrot without at least one friend in tow. In fact, their group often ended the week pooling their odd-job money to share one of the seasonal deserts circulating the menu, usually with the help of Axel or Isa’s employee discount.

           Just then, a flicker of red caught Roxas’ eye. A wave of relief cascaded as he called out, “Hey Axel!” As soon as his voice escaped him, though, he knew it was too quiet.

           Somehow though, the redhead heard it—his head whipping around to see the blond. “R-Roxas!” Axel’s voice, weirdly squeaking on the O in Roxas’ name, was audible above the noise. The redhead beelined for him, a shuddery chuckle making its way out, “You… you’re here early!”

           The blond grimaced, “Apparently I am… what time was I supposed to get here?”

           Axel’s lips flattened into a line… then quickly stretched into a tight smile. “You know what,” His words tumbled out in a shaking mess, “It’s totally fine! I’ll just go tell Sora you’re here—you’re in Isa’s section so he’ll be here in a sec—BYE!”

           The redhead practically bounded away from him, leaving Roxas blinking and concerned. It must have been a really stressful night if Axel was that flustered on the floor. He could hardly imagine what Sora might be going through in the kitchen.

           “Fuck, fuck, fuckfuckfuck FUCK…” Sora hissed his mantra for the upteenth time that night. It had practically been his nonstop utterance as soon as the gravity of that night was upon him. It was an odd feeling at first, to not be sure why everyone was pushing at 120% all around him. It honestly wasn’t until Axel and Isa came to speak to him that he realized why everything was quickly falling into chaos.

           Of course it would be busy right before a concert. Why didn’t he, of all people, realize it sooner? All of a sudden he was sweating, cursing, and speeding around the kitchen with more fury and heat than any Mad Bumper could ever muster.

           “SORA!” Axel’s voice came rattling through the kitchen. Sora looked up to see the man standing tensely before him, “We have a fucking problem !”

           Face gaunt with a craze, Sora laughed, “I have a million fucking problems right now Axel, but please humor me!”

           “Roxas is here.”

           Sora’s face dropped as he muttered, “Th… this early?” Fiery red locks bounced in assent and Sora felt the color drain from his face. He didn’t even have time to finish prepping the ingredients for this. They would need a lot ready, too—as soon as people started noticing off-menu items, they’d be requesting them for their own meal.

           He had expected at any point for Axel’s expression to harden into a murderous rage, but the redhead remained perfectly mirroring the expression of absolute panic that Sora knew he himself was wearing.

           There was a tug on his sleeve, and Sora looked down to see Little Chef peering up at him. The rat began gesturing wildly, and Sora blinked inconfusion. If he was understanding correctly, Little Chef wanted Sora to halt what he was doing and start prepping the secret menu.

           “Are… are you sure, Little Chef?”

           The rat nodded eagerly, then flapped his little arms in a way that screamed, Now go! GO !

           Roxas was just finishing his third beverage—a carbonated thing that tasted like blueberry syrup and lemon juice—when the first part of his meal finally arrived. Isa carried it to him with a graceful jaunt across the restaurant and lowered it to the table with one smooth sweep of an arm.

           Roxas looked down as the ivory plate touched the table before him. He’d never seen this dish before, not even on the seasonal menu. Earlier, when he asked about a menu, Isa only kindly asked him to order a drink and wait patiently, as the kitchen was working hard on his multi-course meal.

           Now, there was a rare smile quirking Isa’s face as he said, “Your appetizer: jambon persillé. Compliments of the Chef-at-Large. Bon appetit.”

           Roxas muttered a thank you and found himself enamored by the lovely display of ingredients before him. All around him, the restaurant had suddenly gotten quieter. It took him a long moment before he noticed the heads that were swiveling in his direction to look upon the completely unique dish before him. Then, eyes flicked up to Roxas, as if expecting something from him. Roxas felt himself going red. What could they possibly want?

           Then, he realized, they wanted him to try it; they wanted an assurance from him that this meal was both beautiful and edible. Working with a slight tremor to his fingers, he grabbed his silverware and made work cutting into the dish. He tried to get each individual accouterment of the dish in one bite as he probed around the plate with his fork. Then came the bite… and an explosion of flavor coated his mouth. It was a savory ham, with a punch of parsley and a slight crunch from some veggies. Paired with the roasted garlic and apple puree on his plate, it had a full array of flavor profiles. In his absolute culinary stupor, he hadn’t noticed that the curious onlookers, satisfied with Roxas’ silent assent, were now waving down their own waiters so they could try the mystery dish for themselves.

           Each course that came to Roxas after this fit a similar formula. With a smile, Isa would bring a dish to him, always with “compliments of the Chef-At-Large.” Other patrons would stare until Roxas took a bite, then demand they also have a plate of what he was having. After finishing the starter, Roxas stopped caring. The tourin soup was smooth and garlicky, and the cassoulet was rich and hearty. It was the best meal he’d ever had at the Bistrot.

           Slowly, the other patrons were finishing their wine and paying their tabs. Powerline would be starting soon, if Roxas recalled correctly, and surely people were hoping to get good spots in the Sandlot. He tried not to listen to their continued chatter as he enjoyed each part of the meal, but he still couldn’t help the melancholy welling inside him. At least he was able to drown it in good food and drink. It was just enough food that he had plenty of room for dessert, which was Sora’s specialty. With any luck, dessert might even snuff the cold flame indefinitely.

           Roxas hadn’t been waiting long after his main course before he noticed something across the restaurant. He almost jolted with surprise at seeing Sora sidling his way across the restaurant floor towards him. He was almost unrecognizable in his kitchen attire: the chef’s coat clung to him in all the right spots, his face looked more pronounced with the bandana pinning his hair back, and his hands almost seemed naked without gloves on. Roxas had been so surprised that he didn’t even notice what the hands were carrying until Sora was placing it before Roxas.

           “ Eht voy-lah !” Sora announced, “For your dessert: clafo… clafouh… tis. Whatever, it’s a berry pastry. Once again, compliments of myself.” Head tilting down, Roxas took in the dual triangles of dessert before him: it was two slices of a flaky-crusted thing with cream dripping off what looked to be cherries inside. The brunet smiled, “Hope you don’t mind, I got myself a slice so I could eat with you. I just got off my shift.”

           “I don’t mind at all,” Roxas said, “In fact, that gives me a chance to thank you and tell you how mind-blowing my dinner was. Is this a secret menu or something?”

           “You should be thanking the French. I just follow the recipes. And let’s just say,” Tapping a finger to his lips, Sora winked, “This is a super -secret menu.”

           Sora watched with relish as Roxas lifted the spoon from the plate and went for a bite.

           “Good?” It was a rhetorical question. The blond’s expression told Sora all he needed to know: dessert was a success.

           Roxas nodded, savoring the bite like he was clinging to a fading memory. He swallowed and said, “It’s like you made a menu entirely for me. It’s perfect.”

           Trying to act casual, Sora forced out a laugh. The only thing Sora left out of this super-secret menu confession was that these courses were specially catered for Roxas’ tastes. He’d been paying close attention to the blond’s food preferences for weeks and digging around in French cookbooks trying to find a four-course meal that would be perfect. He was worried it would either come off too obvious or worse, creepy, if he admitted it. Instead, Sora would keep this fact quiet… at least for the time being.

           They chatted idly for a bit, taking turns to go over the events of their day and the happenings that occurred since they last saw one another. Eventually, Sora began describing the dinner rush fiasco. Roxas chuckled as Sora described the near-disaster with vigor. “...I’d never seen Little Chef so pissed, Roxas. And of course there’s so many people that came in… there’s a concert tonight, and it’s Powerline !”

           Sora watched as Roxas’ smile twitched down into a frown. The blond traced the edge of his plate with a tine of the fork, pouting. Then, Roxas lamented, “I can’t believe I missed out on buying tickets.” He forked the last piece of tarte into his mouth and shut his eyes. At least he had a satisfying four-course meal to tamp down his grief.

           Sora grinned. He lifted two pieces of paper from his pocket and slid them silently across the table. He then waited patiently for Roxas to open his eyes again. When the blond finally did, he didn’t notice the two stiff strips of paper before him. It was when he went to go scrape the remainders of crumbs from his plate that he spotted them. Roxas’ jaw practically unhinged with the force of his jaw dropping.

           In a bold sans serif font, they each read POWERLINE ADMISSION x1 .

           “I…” Roxas stammered, “You—but… how?”

           Feeling utterly pleased with himself, Sora leaned back and crossed his arms. “Turns out, he and Goofy are old pals. Something about impressive dance moves and being ‘practically inseparable’ since… he happily hooked us up.”

           Roxas went from gaping at the tickets to gaping at Sora, then back to the tickets. His brain then counted two strips of paper and snagged on “ us. ”

           He wasn’t sure if it was possible to fight a blush, but damn did he try. He also had to suppress what he felt was the most high-pitched and uncharacteristic squeal he might ever emit building in his chest.

           Doing his best to contain his composure, he flashed Sora an earnest grin. “Sora, you really are amazing.”

           Now, it was Sora’s turn for the grand battle against the blush. The brunet waved a hand, “Thank you, but you give me too much credit. Let me go change out of my work clothes and let's head over there, okay?”

           On their way down to the Sandlot, Sora was tense with nervousness. Mostly, he was terrified that he stunk. That whole day working in the hot kitchen worked up a mighty sweat and he attempted to remedy it with a mighty spitbath in the bathroom. Now would not be the time to rock a bad case of B.O., especially if he would be sweating in the crowd. He wondered distantly if he should have scrubbed with something additional like lavender—hell even some fresh rosemary might have done the trick. Now, he would just have to hope for the best.

           They waited patiently in the crowd for folks getting tickets checked and patted down. The Sandlot’s doors felt massive compared to the entrance that it had previously. The winding path that reached up to it was perfect for an admission line, as folks were able to queue up in a tight spiral, which limited the overflow of folks into residential spaces. Sora and Roxas’ timing had been perfect, as the last of the openers were on and the majority of patrons were already inside.

           When they made it into the Sandlot, both of them found it hard not to gawk at the changes. With so many people moving in and traveling to Twilight Town, they spent four years completely revamping the Sandlot to be an entertainment space for all kinds of events. The space was built out to accommodate a massive stage surrounded by concessions stands, merchandise tables, and a medical tent. They were able to accomplish this massive change by building back out into the forest on the other side. Their efforts really showed, as a small crowd used to be enough to make the space feel claustrophobic, but now it felt as if hundreds at a time could be funneled in and still have arm space.

           As they scanned the crowd for a place to enter, Sora caught the eye of one of the groups clustered apart from the crowd. Sora smiled and waved, “Hey, look who it is!”

           The group dashed up to them, and Roxas almost didn’t recognize the trio decked out as they were. Olette and Xion had loose Powerline tank tops that were knotted into crop tops, with glowsticks swinging from their necks and wrists. Neither compared to Pence, who was the most unrecognizable of all. He looked like he was almost made entirely of glowsticks. Atop his head was a Powerline bandana and some shutter shades. In addition to all that, he was shuffling . He practically shuffled all the way over to them and was still shuffling as the rest stood and greeted each other.

           After exchanging hugs and hellos, Roxas loudly asked Pence, “When did you learn to shuffle?”

           Without breaking step, and surprisingly still able to breathe, Pence responded, “I’ve been practicing since we got tickets!”

           “Well, you’re fucking killing it, dude,” Roxas laughed, “Also, loving the glowsticks.”

           Pence smirked and saluted, “Better than ties! Here,” He paused his dancing to pull off a couple glow stick necklaces from his massive collection to hang them across Sora and Roxas’ necks. They both laughed and thanked him.

           “We’re going to head close to the front,” Roxas told the three, “Wanna join us?”

           Olette looked from Roxas to Sora, then smiled politely. Sora swore she almost had a mischievous glint in her eye, though he wasn’t entirely sure if it was maybe a trick from the lights onstage.

           “We really don’t like being near the front… not enough room to dance!” She said, “So you two have fun! We’ll be dancing away over there. Come find us if you’re sick of the crowd.” She gave them both a hug, corralled the other two, then led them back off to the side of the crowd (with Pence shuffling all the way).

           Internally, Sora sighed in relief. He wouldn’t have minded hanging out with the other three, but he’d been really looking forward to the alone time he and Roxas would spend in the crowd. He was briefly worried that he’d been maybe giving off that vibe a little too strongly and possibly scared Olette off with it, but then Roxas was grabbing his arm.

           “Come on!” The blond shouted, “The opener just finished, let’s find a good spot!”

           All his fears melted away as he tailed Roxas into the crowd.

           They’d picked a decent spot close to the front, but not quite at the front; they still had plenty of space to dance. Since it was a summer day, the sun was still somewhat up. However, just enough darkness had slipped in that peoples’ glow sticks and light toys were now apparent among the attendees. Sora and Roxas watched them curiously and conversed as the set changed and props were arranged on the stage.

           Then, after some time, the lights dimmed. Machines hissed, and a blanket of fog draped across the crowd. The synths began ringing, and a cluster of lasers split overhead. The fog lit them up, and their neon glow cast the crowd in a rainbow of hues. On stage, a circle at the center of the floor parted: a figure, silhouetted by spotlights, was lifted up.

           Powerline.

           Roxas let out a holler—a drawn out YEAAAAAAHHHH—that made Sora jump in surprise. But then, delighted by the enthusiasm, Sora let out his own cry of excitement. The crowd was soon to follow, as a cascade of cheers emanated from all around them like ripples in a pond.

           The figure raised his arm to the heavens, mic poised like Zeus’ thunderbolt ready to smite. One last light came on, and Powerline was fully illuminated. He looked older, but not necessarily aged—more like wisened. As if years away from the stage was never able to break his spirit.

           There was another wave of screams, and Powerline lowered the mic to his lips.

           “Twilight Town!” He shouted, and his voice boomed from all around them, clear as day and seemingly untouched by age. “How y’all doin’ tonight?” More cheers, and Powerline’s grin widened, shiny white teeth practically glittering. “Let’s do this.” The synths began a retro beat. After a certain measure, Powerline’s mouth opened wide, and he sang the first chords of a harmony. Roxas grabbed Sora’s arm.

           Shaken from his focus on the display, the brunet looked over in shock.

           “He’s starting with this song?!” Roxas yelled, barely audible above the crowd’s next round of cheering, “Holy fucking Zeus, Sora, this is amazing ! Thank you!”

           Heart fluttering, Sora smiled and gripped a hand over Roxas’. “Anything for you,” he said, but as soon as the “any” had left his mouth, the crowd’s shouting suddenly raised in volume as a series of pyrotechnics exploded with a boom-boom-boooom onstage—completely drowning Sora’s words.

           Roxas’ attention switched back to the absolute spectacle, “HOLY SHIT!” He shouted, completely in awe of the sight

           They spent a lot of the show like that, with Roxas shouting and occasionally grabbing onto Sora to exclaim something at him as they danced away. At one point they went to go check on Olette, Xion, and Pence who we’re still having a blast at the back of the crowd. They were surprised and elated that, out of all of them, Pence definitely still had the best dance moves. He’d been gliding and sliding all around, having the time of his life. After they went back toward the front, Sora and Roxas kept having to move places because much taller people kept standing in front of them. At around the fourth time, Roxas had become agitated. As he was glancing around the crowd for a better spot, Sora saw someone being hoisted up on another’s shoulders.

           Sora leaned over to Roxas’ ear, “Let me put you on my shoulders.”

           The blond jumped back, looking flushed. “I—but…”

           Placing a hand on Roxas shoulder, he leaned back in, “Don't worry. I’m definitely strong enough to hold you.”

           “That’s not what I—” Roxas cut himself off with a shake of the head, “Er… okay, sure. How do we do this?”

           Sora crouched down onto one knee—having to fight a blush because it felt like he was proposing in that position—and gestured to his shoulders. “Hop on and try to lean forward!” He shouted.

           Working carefully, Roxas lifted his legs and draped them over Sora’s shoulders, straddling the back of the brunet’s neck. It took every ounce of Sora’s will to not think about the warm crotch pressing into the back of his neck as he held Roxas’ knees and carefully stood. Though they had a wobbly start, once Sora was fully standing he found that Roxas was easy to hold like this. Both being impeccable fighters, it made sense that their balance would be on point. Even as Roxas whooped and danced with his arms, Sora had no problems.

           The brunet glanced up to see the blond waving somewhere, and he was sure it was at Olette, Xion, and Pence. They stayed like that for a while, Roxas grooving along on Sora’s shoulders and Sora excited that they could be so close. Sora held Roxas so long it put all the other people doing the same to shame. Roxas would take breaks from dancing to rest his hands on the top of Sora’s head, which made the brunet’s heart melt. He wanted so badly to squeeze Roxas’ knees or nuzzle Roxas’ thighs, look up, and dare the other man to try and kiss him like that.

           Suddenly, the blond was patting Sora’s head rapidly, “Put me down! Put me down!”

           Almost in a scramble, Sora carefully kneeled back down and Roxas hopped off his head.

           “What’s wrong?” Sora asked as he stood back up, “Are you okay?” He was genuinely worried he may have, in his daydream, tried to unconsciously squeeze or nuzzle the blond.

           “HE WAVED AT ME!” Roxas shouted, “Powerline waved at me! Did you see?!”

           Relieved, Sora laughed, “No, sorry I guess I missed it… that’s fucking awesome—!”

           Roxas threw his arms around Sora’s neck, a stream of thank-you-thank-you-thank-yous coming out of him. Roxas froze. He leaned back, leaving his hands to rest on Sora’s shoulders. Sora knew he was blushing, but it was hard to tell under the streaming lights and neon lasers whether Roxas was. But then Sora noticed something in Roxas’ gaze: his wide eyes had pupils darting about, as if taking all of Sora in. The pupils stopped at Sora’s lips, then they flicked up to Sora eyes. If Sora wasn’t staring so intensely, he might have missed how much they dilated.

           Suddenly, a sense of sureness filled him, the one he’d been hoping for that whole time. It filled him too suddenly, in fact, as his head went dizzy with it.

           “Uh…” Sora said.

           “Uh…” Roxas also said.

           Then came a series of four very specific synths.

           Roxas’ hand flew from Sora’s shoulders as he turned toward the stage hollering again. “Holy Zeus!” Roxas yelled as another four synths went off, “He’s playing ‘Eye-to-Eye’!”

           As Roxas transitioned back into dance-mode, Sora mentally kicked himself.

            You big idiot, he chided internally, That was your perfect moment and you said “uh?” You cannot waste your next shot!

           Still, he supposed it was better this way. It seemed this was Roxas’ favorite song, and it would have been cruel to complicate the moment for him like this. Plus, watching Roxas absolutely get down to this track was an absolute treat. And who could blame him? This beat was spectacular. Unable to contain himself, Sora also began grooving along—doing his best to match Roxas’ intensity.

           “There you go!” Roxas shouted, and Sora beamed at him.

           As they danced, they also watched the stage as the most amazing coordination of set work and choreography went along to the music. In all Sora’s years of traveling, this was certainly the most amazing display he’d seen just about anywhere. They went on like that for the next few minutes, completely grooving out with one another, and Sora catching little bits of Roxas singing along perfectly on key. As he listened to the lyrics a little more closely, he could feel his heart swelling with emotion. Seeing Roxas dance, hearing him belt out the song, the utter joy on his face…

           Sora reached forward and gently grabbed the blond’s hands. Roxas was a little confused, but then Sora started to swing them around. At least, as much as he could do in the tight crowd. Roxas laughed and leaned into the swing. He eyes met Sora’s, and everything inside the brunet melted. We wanted to kiss him right then and there, forget all his plans and just do it. He was only snapped from this reverie when a series of pops went off and suddenly the stage was glittering with giant silver sparklers. They both stopped to look, amazed at the scene. Then, Powerline, with a final “ Eye-to-eye! ” finished the song with a mic drop. The sparklers kept going as the crowd erupted in the loudest cheers all night.

           Sora and Roxas were still holding hands when Sora looked back to the other man and—

           There it was.

           The perfect opportunity.

           Lights were sweeping the crowd, and the glitter of sparklers lit up Roxas’ face in an uneven but magical glow. Roxas was looking at Sora with dazzling eyes and a contented grin. It made Sora’s heart drum heavily in his ears.

           Sora said, “Roxas… I—”

           A plastic cup hit the ground near them, spilling frothy beer at their feet. The girl who’d been holding the cup started swaying at first, then she suddenly pitched back—her limp body was going to crash right into Roxas.

           “Look out!” Sora cried and Roxas sprang out of the way.

           The brunet leaped in to catch her just before she hit the ground; her ponytail just barely sweeping across it instead. He inspected the girl’s flushed, sweat-drenched face. Roxas’ eyes were impossibly wide as he came to kneel beside them.

           Just then, Olette, Pence, and Xion rushed over.

           “We saw what happened!” Pence exclaimed, “Is she gonna be okay?”

           Sora nodded, “It looks like it’s just heatstroke. Would you three see if you can find her friends? And Roxas, would you help me get her to the medical tent?”

           They all nodded in acquiescence. Olette, Pence, and Xion split off as Sora and Roxas went to sling the girl’s arms over their shoulders. Being as swift and gentle as possible, they slipped between the gaps of the large crowd. It took them a long moment, especially after Powerline came back out for an encore, but they eventually popped out on the other side of the audience. The medical tent was only a few yards away.

           “There it is!” Roxas said.

           “Perfect. Hold on just a sec, Roxas,” Using his arm to primarily support her back, he waved his other hand over her head and whispered, “ Curaga. ” The familiar flurry of yellow flowers and clovers danced around the girl in a swirl of warm light. Sora smiled, “No need for her night to get any worse.”

           With the encore happening behind them, no one had noticed the display of magic. Well, except for one guy with furrowed brows. He looked at them, then down at his drink, and then promptly threw his drink into the trash.

           They finished carrying the heat-stroked girl over to the medical tent, where two EMTs noticed them and rushed forward to help. They laid her out on one of the empty cots and went to work getting her body temperature down and checking for cognizance. Sora and Roxas decided they would wait at the tent until her friends arrived. It wasn’t long before Olette, Xion, and Pence were bringing over two women wearing somewhat-matching outfits and looking utterly terrified. They thanked Sora and Roxas, then called the heat-stroked girl’s name and rushed past them into the tent. Olette, Xion, and Pence approached them.

           “Thank you for finding her friends,” Sora said.

           “Thank you for catching her!” Pence exclaimed, “We saw her start to fall. You were fast as lightning, man.”

           It was a little odd that the three had been close enough to see what was going on, but Sora shrugged both this thought and the compliment off, “I’m just glad she got to enjoy most of her night before she went down. Scared the hell out of me.”

           Roxas nodded, “Me too.”

           Xion said, “We were gonna stay for the rest of the encore, but I’m guessing you two are good for the night, then?”

           Sora and Roxas shared a look. The blond seemed anxious, and it broke Sora’s heart to think such a wonderful night could end so disastrously. It felt like it went by in a rush of lights, lasers, and longing—but it was all very fortunately burned into his memory, and he was grateful for that at least. Still, there had to be some way he could make it up to the blond. In a flash, his mind sifted through the possibilities… then, he landed on something.

           “How about you and I beat the crowd and get some sea salt ice cream?” Simple, yet effective: Roxas’ face lit right up at the proposition.

           “That sounds perfect to me.”

           They gave the trio goodbye hugs and parted ways. On their walk out, they could hear the steadiness of the bass and wondered how the town ever convinced local residents to approve of the new venue.

           At the top of Twilight Tower, they could see the last sliver of sunlight on the horizon. Most of the sky was sheathed in a blanket of velvet night, and the stars seemed especially bright despite the warm glow of the city lights. Sora and Roxas ate their ice cream, and Sora listened as Roxas gushed about the events of the night. He was pleased with himself that the blond had so much fun, but he also felt sheepish under all the repeated thank-yous he’d been receiving.

           “Next time,” Roxas said, “We can just come up here for the next concert. You can see most of the Sandlot from here!”

           Sora laughed, “But there’s nowhere to dance! And you were seriously dancing like crazy tonight.”

           Roxas returned with a cackle, “You’re one to talk, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dance before. You were getting down too.”

           Facetiously, Sora sneered at him, “I couldn’t let you have all the fun by yourself.”

           “I gotta say, your moves were pretty impressive.”

           “But neither of us can top Pence, right?”

           “Oh hell no, he was even giving Powerline a run for his money! He said he’s not sure what to do with his life after high school, but I bet he’d be a killer backup dancer.”

           “Only a backup dancer? We just gotta get him singing and he’s the next popstar. I bet you anything!”

           They shared a long laugh, then let a contented silence wash over them. They ate their ice cream in a mirthful peace as they watched the dark clouds loom ahead. Sora was just wondering if it was going to rain when Roxas spoke up again.

           “Oh! I nearly forgot!”

           Roxas pulled out his phone and, being especially careful not to drop it, held it up to take a picture. Without wasting a second, Sora had his arm over Roxas’ shoulders and, on a lark, tapped the remainder of his ice cream to Roxas’.

           “Cheers!” He said, grinning widely, as Roxas took the snap on GummiChat. Roxas made Cheers! the caption and Sora watched as it was sent to names he recognized as the Twilight Town crew.

           Roxas said, “I’ll send it to you too so you have a copy.”

           Sora thanked him and pulled out his phone to open GummiChat. Holding the ice cream by the stick between his teeth, he made sure to take a screenshot of the image. He noticed that Roxas received a notification pretty quickly from someone else, and saw it was Olette. “What’d Olette say?”

           Roxas opened the message, but before Sora could see, Roxas fumbled with the device and backed out of the chat screen.

           “Wh-whoops!” He stuttered, “She just said don’t fall and die. Ha ha.”
           Though it seemed a little odd, Sora decided not to press further. Instead, he realized that he and Roxas hadn’t talked about their GummiChat adventures in a long time. He pulled out his own phone and, smirking at the other man, he said, “You’ll never guess who I gave a GummiPhone to.”

           Roxas gave him a look that was both incredulous and amused, “You didn’t .”

           Sora’s smirk crept into a grin, “Oh, yes I did.”

           The blond laughed, “Sora, you can’t just give GummiPhones to people! Isn’t there still an integrity to the ‘order of the worlds’, or whatever?”

           In truth, the “order of the worlds” hadn’t really existed for a long while now. Since Sora had been traveling from place to place, knowledge of the other worlds had begun to creep in across the galaxy. It’s what made an interstellar Powerline tour possible. Sora explained this, and Roxas nodded along sagely.

           “I guess so much has changed since I stepped away from the Keyblading business. Now I gotta ask… who has a GummiPhone?”

           Sora scrolled through his snaps to find the contact he was eager to show. Then, he presented the phone to the blond.

           “That’s… is that Ariel? ”

           Sora was sure the former mermaid hardly looked recognizable with her wild red hair pulled back. In the practically flawless photo, she was posing with Prince Eric in the background, looking ready to pass out. The caption read, Sleepless but full of song!

           Roxas marveled at the image as the timer slowly ran out. “She looks so… grown up.” Then, he gasped at the next photo that came up, “She has a kid?! ”

           “Her name’s Melody.” Sora said, beaming. She was still just a brand-new baby with hardly a curl atop her head. Ariel sent him updates every single day. “They want me to be the godfather, but I don’t know if that’s a great idea… I haven’t even met the kid yet.”

           It was Roxas’ turn to grin, “Sora, that’s great news! I think she’d be in excellent hands.”

           “Yeah, well… if anything were to happen to Ariel and Eric… a life traveling the known universe is pretty great for a grown up. But for a kid?”

           “Weren’t you a kid when you got started?”

           Sora scoffs, “I should specify, for a baby .”

           Smiling, Roxas turned his nose up at Sora, “I think anyone would be lucky to travel with you.”

            Anyone?

           Sora froze. In spite of the humidity of the night, his tongue suddenly felt very dry. The night air cascaded over them, the breeze smelling fresh and lighting his senses up like the stars in the sky. His heart thrummed, reminiscent of the bass from the show. Lyrics from the concert floated through his head, like a whisper on the breeze…

            Maybe we’ll discover what we should have known all along.

           Sora swallowed, the flavors of warm vanilla and crisp salt drifting from tongue to throat. Barely able to find his voice, he pulled the phone away. In his other hand, he could feel the ice cream slowly sliding off the popsicle stick in the heat of the night. As the phone was pulled away, Roxas’ gaze followed it… then flicked up to Sora. The blond was just a shadow, with only the city lights from below glancing off the edges of his features. The glowstick necklace cast his chest in a neon bluish-purple. His blue eyes swam with each glow, like a candle flame in a dark room mixed with a flickering star. All at once, Sora’s heart swell—he had to tamp it down to prevent himself from sputtering something foolish.

           “Have you thought about it?” Sora asked, but it was softer than he intended. More gentle. More intimate. The way you would whisper something before kissing someone. He continued, “Coming with me I mean.”

           Perhaps it was a trick of the night, but Roxas also seemed taken by something. It was as if a truth was hiding somewhere in Sora’s eyes, and Roxas was searching for it. The blond’s eyes fluttered closed, and it was the worst thing he could have done in that moment. Everything about him was screaming Take my lips with yours, dumbass, especially when they began to part just slightly.

            Don’t go anywhere, just stay here. Sora thought, Just stay here and let me love you.

           “Sora...” Roxas breathed— breathed like he was breathless.

           The last of Sora’s sea-salt ice cream slipped from his stick and tumbled down… down… down… to the ground below. Roxas’ eyes opened, but before he could get lost in them again, Sora spoke up.

           “Wait. Before you answer… There’s something—”

           He watched Roxas’ face light up in a flash. Lightning? A mere second later, drops of wetness hit his cheeks. A few seconds after that, thunder rumbled across the sky. He cursed the stormclouds overhead, then cursed himself for not paying them any mind. The droplets began hitting them a little harder and faster.

           “Fuck,” Roxas grimaced up at the sky, “It’s about to come down… oh shit, we gotta get down from this tower!”

           The two, as carefully and swiftly as possible, made their way back down Twilight Tower. The entire time, Sora wasn’t sure whether his luck was getting better or worse. On one hand, if his confession had come a moment sooner they would have had an awkward trek down and away from the rain. On the other hand, Fuck the rain and fuck me for wasting another shot and fuck the universe for making this a million times more difficult than it needs to be!

           By the time they got into Station Plaza, the rain was pelting with a ferocity akin to summer madness. They watched in horror from the safety of Central Station. Sora at least was in water-resistant clothes, including a jacket with a hood, but Roxas in his dress shirt and jeans stood no chance against the onslaught.

           “My place isn’t too far away,” Roxas said, “Let’s go there.”

           Sora nodded, “Got it. You lead the way.”

           They tossed the remains of their ice cream in a nearby trash can. They were about to leave when Sora stopped them.

           “Wait, take my jacket,” He said as he unzipped it and shrugged it off his shoulders.

           Roxas looked taken aback, “N-no way! You’ve got less clothes on than I do without it!”

           The brunet’s hand shot out with the jacket clenched in a fist, “I deal with the cold reaches of space all the time, I swear this will be nothing to me.”

           The blond eyed him and the gesture warily… then, he sighed and took it. “If you insist.”

           Though the gesture may have seemed entirely laid back, Sora was having a massive panic attack about how bad the piece of clothing might smell and if it would end up being the worst decision he made all night. Still, he didn’t want Roxas to get cold or soaked, and that won out over his self-consciousness. As he watched the blond pull the jacket on, it made his heart stutter.

           The blond pulled up the hood and smiled at Sora, “Well? How do I look?”

           He was reminded of Roxas’ old Organization cloak, part of which funnily enough went into the fabrication of the jacket. It hugged Roxas in all the right spots, looking a million times better than it did on Sora.

           “I think we need to get you one of those,” Sora answered honestly.

           The blond scoffed, “I think I’ve had more than my fair share of black coats in my lifetime. Let’s get going before the rain gets worse.”

           They poised themselves at the glass doors. Then, after some bracing breaths, exited Station Plaza and began sprinting toward Roxas’ place. The rain was even worse than it seemed from inside, as it cascaded down in chilling blast after blast. To Sora, compared to other forms of cold he’s known (the dark reaches of space, the ocean of Destiny Island, the snows of Arendelle, the icy stares of Riku), this wasn’t too bad temperature-wise.

           However, the sheer force of the downpour shocked him the most, with needle-like pain stabbing along his head and shoulders as they ran. He was mostly just glad that this storm hadn’t come along during the concert, as that would have put an even bigger damper on their night… both in the literal and figurative sense.

           They’d been running for some time until they reached Roxas’ apartment. He pulled out his key and opened the door for the stairwell. Practically tripping over one another, they scrambled inside and up the flight of stairs. It wasn’t until Roxas was closing the door of his apartment behind them that they both let out a long sigh of relief. The blond started unzipping and removing Sora’s jacket.

           “Thank you, Sora… I still got pretty soaked but—Holy Zeus!” His eyes softened into concern, “You’re trembling!”

           Sora was so focused on running that he didn’t even notice that he was, in fact, shaking slightly from the cold. So much for the temperature not affecting him.

           Roxas tsked, “You’re completely soaked, too! I knew I shouldn’t have taken your jacket… here,” Roxas led him toward the bathroom and pushed him inside, “Take a hot shower.” Sora was about to protest, but Roxas put his hand up, “Uhp! I don’t want to hear it.” He disappeared briefly, then returned with a small stack of clothing, “Here’s a pair of pajamas. Also, use whatever you need in the shower: soaps, towels... I really don’t mind.” The blond leaned forward and snagged a towel off a nearby rack from inside the bathroom, “Meantime, I’ll get your jacket hung up.”

           Smiling softly, Sora said, “Thank you, Rox.” The blond slowly blinked at him. Sora realized it was the first time he’d ever used any kind of nickname with Roxas. He felt the heat rising in his face, fighting against the chattering cold. “S-see you in a bit!” And he slammed the door.

           Roxas’ bathroom. Roxas’ bathroom. Roxas’ bathroom.

           Now was not the time to be a creep. Now is the time to step into the shower stall, rinse with hot water, and pretend to be anywhere but Roxas’ bathroom.

           It was the first time he’d been in it, too. All things considered, Roxas’ bathroom was pretty teensy. The shower stall was on one side, while the toilet, sink, and mirror were in the middle. On the opposite side was a combo washer/dryer with open-faced linen shelves above it. The small size didn’t make it any less amazing to see another fragment of Roxas’ world.

           Sora took a deep breath to calm himself… but it only made things worse, as the scent of something akin to summertime freshness cascaded through his nose. Was it… juniper? Sandalwood? Myrtle? It all mixed around in his head like a cocktail waiting to be tipped back. He could remember the fragrance just slightly from their close proximity in the crowd earlier that day. He wondered how the scent mixed with Roxas skin… he wanted to get close enough to find out—

           He could feel the twinge in his pants, somewhat unperturbed by the cold dancing across his flesh.

            Stop it. Stop it. STOP. IT.

           Sora chastised himself as he pinched his nose shut and turned the shower on as high as it would go. By the time he stripped his sopping clothes and the red glowstick necklace from his body, the shower was ready. As he took the scalding shower, he noticed some of the same intoxicating smells permeating off a bar of soap—that must be the sandalwood and juniper. Though the rain may have washed away the majority of any remaining B.O., he remembered Roxas’ offer and used the bar to scrub his sweatiest bits… just to be safe.

           After exiting the shower, he snagged a clean towel and dried off his now-warm body in preparation for the pajamas. They were a plain black shirt and some black gym shorts. Both were unbelievably soft, and it made him stupidly happy to be wearing articles of Roxas’ clothing. He decided it was worth all the rain in the world.

           When he left the bathroom, he found Roxas in a plain white shirt and grey pajama pants working to open the French doors to the balcony. As the blond did, the fresh smell of petrichor flooded the room. Roxas paused and his shoulders lifted in a deep breath. As he sighed, his entire body relaxed—satiated by the moment. He then reached forward and grabbed the curtains on the outside and swung them over the doors; Sora guessed this was so the curtains wouldn’t get wet.

           When Roxas noticed Sora was out of the bathroom, the blond flashed a smile. He looked so… mystical. Like a being of light come to grant him a wish. The room around them was dark, but warm yellow flooded in from the balcony and left them mostly alight.

           Somewhat at a loss for words, Sora dug around his brain and asked, “You’re not going to turn on the lights?”

           Shaking his head, Roxas responded, “No, the light from the balcony is just too perfect. I haven’t been able to find a lamp that does the same. I prefer the lights off at night.”

           Sora nodded, “I think I have to agree. It’s pretty gorgeous in here like that.” He stepped toward the other man and had to stifle some thoughts about how gorgeous Roxas himself looked.

           As he got next to Roxas, he realized how much more lovely the light was with the rain coming down. From where they were standing, the pouring rain sounded less violent and more calming. The overhang from the balcony above was just enough that Roxas’ own balcony stayed mostly dry. The light of the city was accentuated by the rain’s mist, and droplets glowed before them in a cascade of yellow and orange. It was just like that night with the fireworks, with the darkness of the apartment accented by the light from outside.

           “Still the best view in the city,” Sora mused, “Reminds me of your birthday.”

           There was a pause as Roxas’ averted his gaze. One of Roxas’ hands went up to run through his bangs. It was something that Sora noticed the blond did when he was nervous. He watched as Roxas’ exposed forehead came to view and a crooked smile played on the other man’s lips. Mouth twitching, Roxas seemed to struggle with his words.

           “That was… that was a fun night. It was the best birthday I’d ever had.” Then, Roxas’ eyes flicked up to Sora as he inquired, “But—weird question—why did you unplug my alarm clock that night?”

           Sora shrugged, “I wanted you to get a good night’s sleep.”

           “Fair enough, it was some pretty good sleep… but sometimes I hate sleeping late. I always seem to do it, though. It’s why I have an old-fashioned alarm clock.”

           Sora’s gaze shifted back to the rain. He rested his hands on the railing and was comforted by the cooled iron in his grasp. “I think I know what you mean. I always end up lying awake at night… it sucks. But I just can’t seem to fall asleep most nights. That’s why I stayed awake that night. But I wanted to stay… I just didn’t know if I should.”

           Roxas was quiet… oddly quiet. And Sora couldn’t bring himself to look at the blond. He was afraid of what he might see.

           There was something he regretted not doing back then. He’d thought about that night ad nauseum, flipping it over and over in his head like a record on repeat. Side A: “I’m not letting you go to bed just yet.” Side B: “I love you, Roxas.” He couldn’t bring himself to say it to the blond’s face. He should have never gone for the couch. He should have just said something. Anything.

           It terrified him to look at Roxas’ face now against the medallion night. Though… Sora was curious... could Roxas be thinking about the same thing?

           Mostly, he was worried that if he looked… he would be too afraid to say what needed to be said.

            Start with his name, He thought, Then let the other three words just... come out.

           It was such a simple action, yet it was everything to him. The end of his world, the beginning of a new unknown. The precipice of the abyss and beyond. The event horizon of this moment and all the rest of his life.

           Another flash of lightning, with thunder soon to follow. It rattled down in his chest, shaking his bones with it. It reminded him of the fireworks. The sensation of summer nights and youth fading away crept up his flesh. He took a quiet gulp of humidity and petrichor, ready to exhale the truth.

           He opened his mouth, the words poised on his tongue like a drop dew on a leaf—dangling off the edge into the unknown.

           “Sora,” Roxas said, “I’m in love with you.”
Exeunt.
A/N: Happy Valentines/Belated SoRoku Day!!!
I posted this story around SoRoku day last year… and you all loved it! I can’t tell you how many of your reviews and comments got me through some of my darker days. Every ounce of free time I had, I poured into this project. It truly became larger than life!
I’d honestly gotten stuck on the lemons scenes and that’s what was really holding me back. I was bummed that I hadn’t done much for SoRoku day… but then I realized, why not just post what I have done and worry about the rest later? So here’s chapter 2… and this will all be done in chapter 3!
I gotta tell you, when I was planning the series of dates Sora was taking Roxas on, I was having the worst time coming up with anything. I wasn’t even going to have any conflict originally, it was just gonna be easy-peasy perfect date leads to long-awaited confession… but that wouldn’t be fun to write. It took me forever to figure out what kind of conflict I would have. And then, I needed an event big enough that would swamp the Bistrot… I was trying to come up with a name for a random band playing. Then I realized… I don’t have to. There’s a Disney sensation that already exists and would have people freaking out enough. Powerline. (“Eye to Eye” starts playing in the background.)
Also I knew I had to put this fic down for a while because I had the absolute WORST pair of thoughts flit across my brain one late night, and now you must suffer as well. Beware, you will be scarred forever. They were, “Forbidden ship: Goofy and Powerline.” and, “Imagine Goofy just bringing Powerline home like, ‘Max, meet your new second dad!’” XD
In the future, if I write another story that takes place in the Bistrot, I think I’llhave Remy communicate through sign language. I’d considered it for this story, but I was too far in to writing it when I had the idea. Let me know your thoughts on this.

References and Inspirations:
- “Eye to Eye” and “Stand Out” from A Goofy Movie. Obviously.
- A friend of mine turned me on to Louis the Child and ilo ilo sometime last year, and they’re my new go-to music loops for summertime romance vibes.
Some Life Updates:
Like many, many others, COVID totally upended my life. I also graduated at the end of 2019, so 2020 was spent searching for a job in my professional field—and since I wasn’t using the bus to commute to school any longer, there went all of my free writing time. By all the luck in all the world, though, I snagged myself a job around my truest passion: writing! But working 8-to-5 also meant even less time to write for fun… but I carved it out when I could. I didn’t let inspiration slip away if I could help it.
Some News:
Part of why I was writing fanfic less was because of an ongoing side-project: I’m writing a series of guides to help folks get started on their own fanfiction journeys! I’ve received many requests in the past for advice on writing fanfiction. I also realized that with the pandemic, people are using the extra time they have to explore more of their passions. I want to help!
For now, you can find my series of guides on my tumblr account (mewsomniac) . At least until I can find another website that will also work (let me know your suggestion if you have them!).
Follow me on twitter for updates as well: @mewsomniac
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No Questions This Time, But I Would Like to Use This Space to Thank My Readers:
Thank you to everyone who sent kudos and bookmarked this story! I won’t share your names just in case you prefer to stay anonymous, but know that I archive every notification so I never lose them!
Thank you also to the following reviewers who left feedback on this story (in alphabetical order): AnimeRoxx, managician, ohimeruu, Queen Weirdo, Roxas, Sam, TheTrueSnowQueen, TJ, vaedy, and xApple! I save every comment and review so I can look at them for inspiration whenever I need it!
Thank you also to paranormalchip1 for reaching out on tumblr to send me sweet messages and SoRoku art! And thank you to greenyegirl_20 for tagging me on Twitter to wish me a happy SoRoku day! You two literally have no idea how much things like that mean to me. I also know you've been looking forward to this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!
This Valentines Day, I want to say I love all of you so much! Thanks for making my hobby feel all the more worthwhile. You mean so much to me, and I hope I can continue to write for you.
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Keep your eyes out for Cyberhearts : a SoRoku that’s a little different. :)
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Sleeping Late and Lying Awake