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Fuzzy Love - Complete	By : ColdSilence Category: Kingdom Hearts > Slash/Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 10245 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Author: Cold Silence

E-Mail: writer.coldsilence@gmail.com

Pairings: Riku + Kairi + Sora, Sora x BHK. (BHK = Blonde Headed Kid from KH II)

Warnings: If you don't seeing people get lovin from things with tails than ah..
this isn't the fic for you.

Fuzzy Love

-Chapter Five-

Author: Cold Silence

E-Mail: Cold Siience@aol.com

Pairings: Riku + Kairi + Sora, Sora x BHK. (BHK = Blonde Headed Kid from KH II)

Warnings: AU, Yaoi, Het, Furs. OOC Roxas due to the fandom personality he was given before information on his character was released with KH2.

Special Note: This fic has relationships with things that have tails. Also, this story was started before Roxas's name was revealed, hence why he is named differently in this fic. Don't worry though, this actually fits well with what I have planned for him.

Disclaimer: All characters from Kingdom Hearts, Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II is property of Tetsuya Nomura. God bless him.~

Fuzzy Love

-Chapter Five-

Some pet owners are aware - and others are not - of the reverse training that occurs in the symbiotic relationship of master and pet. For instance, when Dyne climbed onto the mattress early in the morning, Sora no longer ignored or hid from him. Now, he simply rolled over and let the menace have his favorite spot on the bed. Although it meant sleeping beside an alien, it was well worth the extra half-hour of sleep it generated.

That was the first of the many subtle lessons learned in the time he spent with the yellow cat. In the mornings, he mindlessly picked the clothes Dyne would wear without prompting. Throughout the day, all of Dyne's meals were prepared and plentiful to make sure that he wasn't starving. When Sora dressed himself, the crown chain was always part of his attire because Dyne had told him that it would provide some measure of protection. All of these behaviors were now programmed into Sora's daily routine and if anything deviated from it then Sora felt off-centered. Even when Dyne wasn't near him, his eyes would roam in search of his pet until he was found.

Yet, despite how well Sora bent to Dyne's wishes, there had been incidents that confused the issue of who had the power in the relationship. The incident in the bathtub made clear that Sora had limits in tolerance that was dangerous to exceed. Only his close friends knew that he had a hidden speck of darkness that festered and gathered force like an endless black hole; a void that revealed itself on those rare occasions of frustrated anger. It was the reason Sora sometimes got into fights and why Riku chose to replace his father as the guiding figure in his life.

Sadly, Dyne had no clue how thin the ice was, and he would never forget the day he trampled all over it.

{{-----------------------------------------------}}

By Thursday, everyone in the school accepted Dyne as their new classmate. The fabricated story of the lost luggage and his parents being old friends of Sora's was holding up. Even the principal trusted that the necessary papers and payments for the new student were simply taking a long time to arrive by mail. Luckily, since it was a small school, there were no objections from the faculty about making accommodations they would supposedly be paid for later.

On the other hand, most of the teachers were unimpressed by the new kid due to his tendency to sleep through every class. An exception to this was Cid, who was positively ecstatic to have such burgeoning talent on his team. In the end, whether they hated or loved Dyne, it seemed that he was going to get away with the scheme. Even Reno, despite all his blossoming thoughts of conspiracy, did not suspect that the new kid was freeloading his way through school.

But there was one person who didn't buy it.

And he definitely didn't like it.

After classes, Riku made plans with Sora to meet on the track field once his friend was finished with soccer practice. When the time came, Sora showed up sweaty and jubilant over another invigorating match, and accompanied by his new shadow, Dyne.

Seeing Dyne with Sora caused an ill feeling to pool in Riku's stomach, one that worsened upon confirming that they were still sharing the same clothes. Not once had his best friend complained about his situation, even though his home and his privacy were invaded by a houseguest that arrived without warning. Their closeness made no sense; in the four days that Riku got to know Dyne, he could see that the guy was nothing more than a huge pain in the ass.

Despite his misgivings, Riku's countenance reflected none of his thoughts. A well-practiced smile hid the tension simmering beneath his fa�ade, and his voice conveyed nothing except friendly greeting. "Hey you two. How was soccer practice?"

"It was GREAT! Reno got hit by the ball three times!" Sora's answer was accompanied by an enthusiastic mimic of getting clonked against the side of the head by a ball.

"I swear those were accidents," though it was obvious by the smugness in Dyne's face that they were anything but.

These answers caused slight knitting of Riku's brows. He could see that Dyne was feeding into Sora's tendency to challenge any person who thought they were better than he was. Although this personality trait of Sora's was admirable and endearing at times, it was less than a good idea when it was applied to the Turks. "You should really watch who you piss off in this school. A mistake can make your life ten times more difficult."

For the first time since they arrived on the field, Dyne bothered to acknowledge Riku's presence. He turned towards the older boy wearing a mocking smile. "You're right Riku. Maybe if I try to be friends with Reno, I'll get to join the Turkey club and then I'll never have to mingle with the little people ever again. Sora, I designate you as my footstool."

"Yeah right!"

Riku's eyes narrowed as the two boys continued to banter with each other. Sora was completely oblivious to the fact that Dyne's words held an undertone meant for Riku's ears. How dare Dyne challenge the nature of his friendships and acquaintances without knowing the facts? Not only did this upstart practically declare that Riku was the bad guy, it was clear he was trying to take his place as Sora's best friend. However, if Dyne wanted to be that close to Sora so bad, then he would have to get past over a decade's worth of companionship, as well as gain the one important thing that glued Sora to Riku's pinky finger.

"You'll never be a Turk, not as long as you keep wearing Sora's clothes." Riku's comment made Sora pout indecisively. The brunette couldn't decide whether to feel dissed or complimented. Before he thought too much on it, Riku spared him the conundrum by extending a familiar challenge. "Want to race me around the track?"

"Give me a few minutes. Cid had us running around the field all day." Flopping down on the bleachers, Sora propped his elbows on his knees and tried to relax his overexerted muscles.

Despite the rejection, this was exactly what Riku wanted. The offer was then passed to Dyne and delivered with the smile that every boy from the islands wished they could wipe off Riku's face. "How about you? Think you got what it takes?"

Hook, line, and sinker; Dyne rose to the bait like a starved fish. He echoed Riku's grin with a cocky one of his own, and an intense dislike darkened his eyes. "Sure, I think I can take a few minutes to beat you."

"Those are tough words for someone who's never seen me run." It wasn't the first time that someone had said them to Riku either. With nothing but confidence, Riku led the way to the starting line and was trailed by his sneering opponent.

"This is kid's stuff," Dyne said loftily as he took a starting position beside Riku.

Any kid with a chip on their shoulders thought they could beat Riku. No one wanted to believe that there was such a thing as infallible perfection, which was personified in this handsome young man who was good at sports, academics, and accepted everywhere in his social life. What nobody knew was that the secret to his success sat in the bleachers, awaiting the outcome of the race.

When someone challenged Riku's prowess, Sora would watch with a shining grin born of pride at being the best friend of the guy who could own anyone on the island. Three years ago, that smile became extremely important, because it was a reminder of sweeter days when they would hang out with Sora's dad, who first taught them how to dream of adventure and play like it was real. That smile weathered them through grief, made them grow closer throughout their childhood and hopefully was there to stay throughout the changes of adolescence.

However, as the boys prepared to race around the track, there was no trace of that special look on Sora's face. Instead, there was worry, and it all centered on the determined blonde squatting behind the starting line.

Riku wanted to know what the hell was going on here. Hopefully the answers would be soon in coming. First, the new kid needed to be taught a lesson. At Riku's shout of "go," the two boys broke into a fast sprint. Experience made Riku check his pace in order to store energy and give him some time to gauge his opponent. Dyne was keeping up beside him, moving in a very graceful run that made it seem as if one step was floating after another. The blonde's attention was fixed on the path before them; his earlier boasting replaced by an air of seriousness.

This observation satisfied Riku. It meant that Dyne understood that there was more at stake in this race than just pride. Good, because he had no intentions of going easy on him. Halfway through the run,
Riku added a burst of power that left the challenger straggling behind by three steps. Riku doubted that Dyne would be able to keep up at this new speed, but to his surprise, the gap was slowly shortening between them. At twenty yards they were again neck to neck, both evenly matched in their rhythmic breathing.

Up ahead, Sora had left the bleachers and walked to the edge of the finish line with a look of disbelief on his face. Besides himself, no one had ever been able to keep pace with Riku before; even Riku had to admit that the fact that Dyne was keeping up was nothing short of a miracle. For a moment, he wondered how Sora's face would look like if he lost just once. Would he be like the other people who wanted to see him fall off his pedestal and rejoice at his dethroning? Would he pity him and lose the respect he spent years earning? Would he be fickle, and choose someone else to look up to?

Riku's imagination would not supply an answer, and the unknown caused him more anxiety than anything else did. Best friends should be able to read each other easily, but more and more, he couldn't understand the things written in Sora's book. Were they growing apart, or simply growing older? There was no way to tell if it was one or both, and he didn't have the patience to wait things out. Time was running out for them; in two years Riku would be going to college and leaving his home behind. Although there were plans to keep Sora in his future, they wouldn't pan out if Sora's own interests cut Riku out of the picture.

However, there was one wild card that prevented that from happening and it was now put on display. Dyne may have been determined, but Riku had all the motivation. Cramping muscles did nothing to stop him from pouring his hopes and dreams into his legs, which carried him forth past the finish line. Victory was snatched by a yard's length.

When Dyne completed the circuit a split second later, he doubled over to catch his breath. His face contorted into an ugly grimace, expressing the words that were stalled by his heavy panting.

The reason for Dyne's sourness was not entirely due to his loss. Sora's attention was centered on the winner of the match, and he was congratulating Riku with a touch of wonder in his eyes. "That was great! I've never seen you run that fast before."

"Yeah." After regaining his air, Riku mustered up the strength to straighten from his hunched position. One of his hands threaded through the silvery strands of his hair in an effort to push them off his damp forehead. "I've been practicing."

"Running is for cowards," spat Dyne, much to Sora's bewilderment. Without another word, he stormed off the track with the humiliation of defeat burning like hot coals in his stomach. Dyne's loss meant that Riku got to keep the prize he'd been hogging for years: Sora's adulation, an emotion that was exploited for the explicit purpose of keeping Sora's heart tethered to his. Dyne found it sickening.

Unfortunately, Dyne's outburst erased any respect he could have earned from Riku for racing so well. "Humph. What a sore loser."

"I think I better go see if he's alright." Worried that his pet would do something rash while he was angry, Sora began to walk in the direction Dyne had left. Throughout the race, he had been worried that the catboy would forget about his tail again or lose his hat. Thank god neither of those things came to pass.

Oblivious to Sora's reasons for chasing after his houseguest, Riku stopped him by placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "Why should you have to? Let him deal with it."

"But.."

"Sora, I understand that he's staying at your house and all, but he's big enough to take care of himself and know when he's being a jerk."

"But he's totally new here." Although Sora pivoted to face Riku, he met his best friend's eyes only briefly. He felt like he was spouting bold-faced lies instead of the partial truths that they were. "Besides, everyone gets mad at you when they lose the first time. At least he'll feel better if he knows he's not the only one."

Riku took Sora's words into careful consideration. Was that the reason his best friend became close so quickly to Dyne? Because he identified with the brat? No, there was something else. Riku could feel it. He gave Sora a searching look, one that was discomforting in its intensity. "Just what does he have on you anyway?"

"What.. what do you mean.." Panic made Sora's eyes widen. This confrontation was exactly what he had been dreading since Dyne came into his life.

"Do you actually think I buy that dumb story about him being friends with your family? We both know that your mom and dad have never been to California. They used to say that if they were going to travel, it wouldn't be anywhere near a beach because there's plenty of that here."

"Uh--"

Anything Sora had to say was bowled over by Riku's tirade. "Who could they possibly know that lives way out there? What's going on Sora. There's a big secret, and I want to know what it is."

"...I..." Sora's bottom lip quaked. He hated keeping secrets from Riku, but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to spill the truth. Seeing the way his best friend and Dyne reacted after the race confirmed that there was animosity between them. If the rivalry escalated, would Riku use the knowledge of who Dyne was and turn him in to the authorities? Sadly, Sora didn't know. Riku was just as hard to read nowadays, especially after he became friendly with the Turks. "...I can't. You'll freak out."

"What's there to freak out about?" As if fearing that Sora would bolt from their conversation, Riku clutched his friend's arm. "Just say it. I'm your best friend. If you're in some kind of trouble..."

Little did Riku know, he had Sora � up until he said the last sentence. Although his protectiveness was endearing, Sora was tired of being treated like a child. "I'm not in trouble. Just trust me ok? I know what I'm doing."

As usual, Riku doubted that Sora had a handle on things like he claimed. Nevertheless, after a long, thoughtful silence, he nodded his head in assent. After releasing Sora's arm, he collected his gym bag in stony silence.

The way Riku was acting made Sora anxious. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

Riku paused, and after a few moments he moved close enough to wrap one strong arm around Sora's shoulders. The suddenness of this rare show of affection alarmed his best friend and made him stumble into the embrace. "I'm not mad," he said softly. Riku decided that he was pushing Sora too much. It was the only thing that explained why his best friend was locking him out of his life. If that was the case, then he would back off for a while. Releasing the shoulders he had trapped, he began to walk away from the track field. "I'll see you around, Sora."

Dumbfounded, Sora watched Riku walk away. Although he believed that Riku wasn't angry, there was no mistaking the timbre of sadness that had been in his voice, and to Sora that was a thousand times worse than any amount of anger.

{{-----------------------------------------------}}

Dyne's temper tantrum took him to the boy's locker room. Upon arriving, he kicked over someone's stray water bottle and then sulkily leaned against the row of metal lockers. He couldn't believe that he lost to that human. Although warriors from Katina aren't trained to run, there was absolutely no excuse for the sorry display he made out there.

His glowering was interrupted by the sound of something scuffing the floor. Turning left, Dyne spotted a light haired Turk spying on him from behind the lockers. Realizing she was caught, the girl flashed a coquettish smile at him before stepping out from her hiding place.

How long had she been looking at him? One of Dyne's eyebrows raised in suspicion. "Isn't there a rule against voyeurism?"

"I was just passing by," murmured Elena in the most seductive voice that she could muster.

"In the boys locker room?"

"Alright, so maybe I wasn't passing by." If being caught in a lie bothered her, there was no sign of it. Instead, Elena smiled flirtatiously as she came closer to the boy. "Your name is Dyne."

"The one and only. Can't say I remember you from anywhere."

"I am Elena. I'm a 3rd year, so that would be why you don't see me in any of your classes. But you might have heard of me."

"Heh, sure have." Thanks to Kairi. She had bitterly told him all about Elena's teasing the morning Sora freaked out over his daily kisses. The nerve of that guy to say he had fleas!

Unfortunately, Elena took his affirmation as proof of her omnipotent popularity. The air of confident smugness that perpetually hovered around her became even thicker. "Good. Then I would like to extend to you an invitation to join me at the homecoming dance as my date. I'm sure that after being here for a few days, you've come to realize how hard it is to find somebody on this small island. Especially if you're new."

Homecoming dance? Oh, that mating ritual thing that the whole school was talking about. Dyne's main source of information concerning this event was Tidus, who wouldn't stop moaning and groaning over asking Yuna to go with him. He really didn't see what the big deal was. There wasn't even going to be any ritualistic bloodletting. "Thanks, but I'm not interested."

"Not interested?" Elena's tone suddenly lost warmth; dropping a couple degrees with displeasure. "You should be."

"Why? Are you that good in bed?"

Elena's eyes narrowed. "Parties are the biggest social events at this school. Who you turn up with can decide how far you climb the social ladder. Haven't you ever thought about it? Elections are coming up soon. You could become a member of the student council if enough people like you."

Now this perked Dyne's interest. It seemed that Elena was offering him the chance to be a Turk. Growing up in a war-torn world had taught Dyne to take every advantage of his enemy, therefore feigning interest in this topic was a matter of strategy. "Student council? That sounds up my alley. But it would be a waste of time if I end up being one of the peons."

"Vice-President," Elena offered while fingering the pearl necklace that rested over her blouse. In all honesty, she seriously doubted that Dyne could make it past class representative, but she believed that the more she dangled in front of his face, the more likely he would agree to go with her to the homecoming dance.

"Vice-President," murmured Dyne, careful to keep a devilish grin off his face. She was offering him that much just to go to some dumb dance with her? His ego was being very nicely stroked. Reaching up, he made sure his hat was secure on his head because he couldn't prevent his cat ears from pointing up with amusement. "Sorry, not interested. I'd rather be president, or it's no go. So if you'll excuse me," Dyne began to leave the premises, wearing a jackass of all smiles on his face.

When Dyne turned his back on her, Elena's congenial mask turned utterly sour. Although she was glaring at the catboy's head, half of her anger was directed at an absent Kairi. Obviously, she still held Dyne's interests because there was nothing else to explain this rejection. Desperation made Elena try one more time to make herself enticing. "I can give you anything you want."

Without turning to face her, Dyne paused at the exit of the locker room. "Prove it." Smirking, he left through the door.

"I will," Elena announced out loud, before stiffly waking through the backdoor she had entered through.

Meanwhile, three locker rows over from where the conversation had taken place, Tidus listened for any more voices. With a soft "whoa," he finished changing into his sandals before leaving the area himself. The gossip he just heard was too hot to hang onto, so he spilled the news to the first person he saw. This happened to be the hall monitor, who he caught meandering through the corridors.

"Wakka, you won't believe what I heard! You know that new kid, Dyne? He's going to be running for vice-president, and Elena is going to help him!"

"Ya? Yuz gotta be kidding. President eh."

Yuna, who happened to be passing by, overheard their conversation. Later on, when she had volleyball practice, the word was spread to her teammates.

"That boy who fought the Turks is running for president. I heard that Elena nominated him."

"That poor cutie! It'll be interesting to see someone else win for once though." Rikku, Yuna's friend, chuckled at the news before leaping to spike a ball that flew her way. It whizzed past the bleachers, where a boy named Duo was talking on his cell phone.

"Dude, I heard someone talk about the new kid running for president. Ain't that some shit? All the girl Turks are voting for him because they think he's hot. Yah. So what are you doing tonight, Heero?"

On and on, the rumor spread like wildfire throughout the small school, until finally........

{{-----------------------------------------------}}

Rufus sat within the student lounge, sipping a warm cup of latte. The student newspaper was unfolded in front of him, and he checked every line of it to make sure that things were in order within the school.

Nobody knew that his father was the owner of Midgar, a very luxurious hotel chain that had its eye on Destiny Islands. They wanted to litter the beautiful island with luxurious condominiums and sprawling pools, but the residents took up the space needed for development. Half of them were old people who really didn't post a threat, whereas the rest of the population consisted of yuppie parents that wanted their children to have the experience of island living coupled with a good education. The latter was the reason why it was so difficult to encourage the settlers to sell their homes for a fair price.

Therefore, a plan had been hatched to further the interests of the Midgar Corporation. Since the good education was what attracted the parents, then the school was ripe for attack. Slowly but surely, the student council was making so called "bad decisions" that was shutting down special programs and ruining the institution's good name. The lack of uniforms and supplies for everyone else but the cheerleaders was no mistake. Considering that the principal was a dredlocked islander who trusted the students to run the school while he burned incense in his office and smoked "cigars," it was insanely easy to take over the high school and begin working towards Midgar's goal.

Once the parents realize how far the school is falling, they would move out of Destiny Islands to find a place with better education and leave the old people to deal with the pushy real estate men. It was a genius plot, and no one would suspect that a mere seventeen-year-old kid was in on it.

A knock on the lounge door interrupted Rufus's contemplation. The culprit was Tseng, whom he granted entrance to with the merest gesture of two fingers. His vice president walked in and leaned over so that he could speak quietly to his superior.

"The students are all saying that Dyne, the new kid, is going to bring down our organization and make himself president. He already has half the support of the school."

Suddenly, the newspaper in the president's hand crinkled loudly.

{{-----------------------------------------------}}

Oblivious to the happenings, Sora walked home with Dyne. At first, he thought it would be a good idea not to mention his pet's earlier outburst, but as time went on, he found that he simply could not hold it in any longer. "You didn't have to act that way."

"I know, it was stupid of me."

Sora was taken aback by how easily Dyne could admit he was wrong. Very rarely were his other friends able to bite their pride and admit things like that. "Riku is the best at practically everything he does. He beats everybody. I stopped getting mad at him for it a while ago." A cheeky smile flashed in fondness of his best friend.

Dyne was less than impressed. His displeasure at losing was displayed in a frown. "Don't you at least still try to beat him?"

"All the time." Linking his hands behind his head, Sora walked beside his companion with a thoughtful expression on his face. "He's the reason I always try to get better, at sports anyway. Though he's always one step ahead of me, I know for sure that I'll catch up sooner or later."

"I see." All too well. Riku was cleverer than Dyne thought if he was able to wrap Sora into that viscous cycle without him knowing any better.

Talking about Riku made Sora think about how his best friend had acted earlier. Those thoughts made him feel sad. Sora didn't like it when things were so complicated in his life. "Why do you act so different around him anyway?"

"I have my reasons."

"Don't start that again." Dyne and his secrets were very frustrating. Sora didn't want to deal with cryptic answers now, not when the hidden truth was causing his best friend pain. "Riku hasn't done anything to you. And besides, he knows that you're not really from California and it's really hurting him that I won't tell him what's really going on."

"So tell him then." Dyne didn't seem to particularly care either way. In fact, his expression was starting to look a little bored.

"Not until you guys start getting along. It's going to be really surprising for him, so I think he should at least get to know you first."

"Maybe I don't want to get along with him."

"Dyne." Sora noted that Dyne was tuning him out, so he grabbed a handful of his pet's shirt to get his attention. "This is my best friend we're talking about. If you can't do it for him, then do it for me."

"Your best friend," scoffed the blonde, who reached for the offensive hand wrinkling his clothes and removed it with a small amount of force. "He's got no right to ask you about your secrets. Especially since he's got a huge one of his own."

"What secret?" Sora gave Dyne a doubtful look. He honestly thought that the catboy was making everything up. If Riku had any big secrets, he would already know them, right?

"You can not possibly be this blind!" Dyne glared at Sora, who looked bewildered and completely ignorant of what his pet was insinuating. "You really don't know? Tch. Fine, find out the hard way. It's your fault if you didn't see it coming."

"See what coming? Dyne!"

Unfortunately, Dyne didn't see fit to wait for him. Sora was forced to speed walk after the blonde, who had resumed the trek towards their home. They were both surprised when for the second day in a row, the lights and smell of food in the house indicated the rare presence of Sora's mom. Without another word, Dyne morphed back into a cat to avoid being seen and to dodge his owner's questions.

Once again, Sora found himself rescuing spare clothes off the ground. After stuffing them into his book bag, his pet was lifted into the fold of his arms. "Don't think this means that the conversation is over. You can't hide forever like this." Dyne's ears tilted off to the sides. "Don't make that face."

Until there was time to talk again, they had to deal with the presence of Sora's mother. Sora walked to his front door and reached for the doorknob, expecting it to be unlocked as always. However, before he managed to touch it, the barrier swung open to reveal a complete stranger standing on the other side.

Obviously, it was someone from one of the islands; his tanned skin and weird spiky haircut were practically trademarks of the area. Loose khaki trousers worn with sandals and a button down white shirt did nothing to disguise the very muscular frame that was hidden beneath the fabric. The man looked surprised to see Sora on the porch, but that was replaced by a light smile. "You must be Sora."

"Yeah," responded the boy in a guarded voice. "Who are you?"

"I'm Cloud." Cloud stuck out his hand, which Sora accepted reluctantly. They shared a very firm shake. "Your mother has told me all about you."

Speak of the devil, Sora's mom finally made her appearance from behind Cloud. "Is he here? Oh good, you've already met!" Catching the confusion on her son's face, she gave the poor boy a reassuring grin. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought that I'd invite Cloud over to dinner. He even made vanilla pudding for us, which he should be good at after all that practice." A look was shared with the man, the kind that said there were secrets to the vanilla pudding that Sora was not allowed to know.

That's when it clicked. Cloud was his mom's boyfriend. Upon realizing this, Sora swore that the ground had just collapsed beneath him. Never, not once since his father death, had his mother brought any of her boyfriends to the house. He didn't even know how many people she'd dated or how long her relationship with Cloud has lasted. Sora separated himself from her social life by simply ignoring it. Now his mother had broken that wall by bringing this man into their home and parading him in front of Sora's face. He felt utterly betrayed.

For a few moments, the three of them just stood around awkwardly, until Sora's mom took the initiative to usher them in. "Don't just stand there, come in. We were just talking in the living room. Put away your things and come join us."

Completely dumbstruck, there was nothing Sora could do except obey. He strode to his bedroom in a daze and placed his book bag and cat on the floor. All thoughts of Riku and Dyne were completely forgotten in favor of the curve ball from left field that his mother had just flung at him. Muttering a quiet "I don't believe this," he went to join the couple in the den.

His arrival was barely noticed by the two lovebirds, who were leaning close together as they chuckled over an old yearbook. Sora seated himself on a lone chair facing their sofa and swallowed against the tightening of his throat. He didn't know if he would be able to stomach dinner.

"Sora, take a look a this. Cloud used to go to the same school as yours."

Numbly, Sora accepted the yearbook from his mother and peered at the open page. What he saw nearly made his mouth drop. It was a picture of a younger Cloud, dressed in formal slacks and a nice shirt. An evening coat slung across his shoulders completed the dapper image that he made. Unfortunately, this was not a prom picture. A caption beneath the photo read, "Student Council member Cloud Strife caught looking good in math class!"

Unbelievable. Cloud was a Turk. Although, since he graduated a couple years ago, that technically make him an ex-Turk. When Sora dragged his eyes away from the abomination in his hands, it was to find the adults looking at him expectantly for his opinion. "Student Council... that's great.."

"He was also on the swimming and lacrosse team," chirped his mother gaily.

Like anyone really cared about that. "What do you do now? It's been," Sora quickly checked the date of the yearbook, "eight years since you graduated."

Cloud smiled in a soft way that was clearly his trademark expression. In his head, Sora could see his mother falling for such a retarded feature and his stomach lurched with sickness. The man's answer came in a perfectly serene tone of voice. "Surf."

Oh. An ex-Turk and a surfer. This was getting better and better.

Perhaps Sora's mother saw the chagrin in her son's face because she expounded on her boyfriend's exploits for him. "That's not all he does. He's also a marine biologist. He does research in the islands every now and then. Surfing is just his passion."

"I have lots of passions," Cloud murmured, while his eyes strayed to the woman next to him.

Something began to buzz loudly. At first, Sora thought it was all in his head, which felt as if it were stuffed with cotton and doused with formaldehyde. However, his mother heard it too, and further recognized it as the timer of the oven. "I thought I set the oven timer for 20 minutes." With a bemused expression, she excused herself from the living room and left to go check on the food.

Unfortunately, without the presence of Sora's mother, the two males were forced to sit in awkward silence. After a few unbearable moments of the tense atmosphere, Cloud tried to break the ice between them. "You like school?"

No, because the Turks made it suck. Instead of saying this however, Sora murmured, "It's alright."

Cloud inclined his head in a slow nod, it was as if what Sora said was the most profound thing he'd ever heard. Sora didn't know which was worse, sitting quietly and feeling weird, or actually having to talk to this guy. Thankfully, he was saved from either option by a blur of yellow and white.

In an incredible fit of hyperactivity, his cat spelunked his way up the side of the couch, ran across the back of the sofa and leapt onto Cloud's head. The adult jumped in startled surprise, which caused a smile to appear on Sora's face. Just as Cloud batted at the creature on his head, Dyne leapt away and skittered to some hidden corner of the room.

"He scratched me!" Astonished, Cloud rubbed the stinging spots on his scalp.

"Sorry," muttered Sora, though the light upturn at the corners of his lips betrayed his amusement. "He gets a little crazy."

At this point, Sora's mother returned from the kitchen. In her hands was a tray filled with glasses of pink lemonade, which was lowered onto the center table for everyone to enjoy. "False alarm. There's still ten more minutes."

For the sake of appearances, Sora reached for one of the cool drinks. It soon became apparent that he didn't need to pretend to be thirsty, his mom and her guest were too busy talking to notice him.

After a few minutes of conversation, Cloud reached for a glass as well, but before he could grasp it the table rattled hard enough to topple the refreshments over. Pink juice splashed all over his khakis and sandals. "So much for looking cool," he muttered as he surveyed the mess his clothing had become.

Sora's mother was responding to the incident worse than Cloud had even though she had escaped unscathed. There was an apprehensive look on her face as she urged her boyfriend to let her do something about the mess. "Come with me to the kitchen, I'll get something to clean that with."

When the two adults left the room, Sora ducked his head under the center table. Sure enough, there was Dyne, flicking his tail in a manner that could only be translated as wicked.

"It was the funny the first time, but now you have to stop. I mean it."

In answer to the sternness in his master's voice, Dyne rumbled a coy "rrro." This earned the cat a glare from Sora, who stood up to rejoin the couple in the kitchen. He found them by the sink, where his mother was using a sponge to soak up the lemonade that was turning her boyfriend's pants into a strange shade of orange. "Sora, be a dear and set the table ok?"

Wordlessly, Sora did as he was told. By the time the task was done, Cloud's dignity was mostly restored and the food was ready. As his mother began to bring over steaming pans of mashed potatoes and pork chops, he took a seat at the table.

Likewise, Cloud picked a place to sit in, but the moment he touched his seat he flew back up with a yelp. At the stunned looks he received from his girlfriend and her son, he scooped up what had been on the chair and showed it to them: Sora's playing jacks. "Somebody forget these?"

"Sora, you're too old to be leaving your things lying around the house like that." Judging by the note of reproach in the voice of Sora's mother, it was clear that she didn't think highly of her son's role in the "accident" that just occurred.

"..Sorry.." Having to take the heat for Dyne's pranks was making Sora skirt the edges of annoyance and anger. He tried to spy the cat in the room, but there seemed to be no sign of the furry devil.

Despite everything, Sora's mom was determined to save the evening. Therefore, she directed all of their attention to the food. "Alright! Take a look boys, my masterpiece!" The aluminum foil was whisked off the pan, revealing a sight that would forever be ingrained in their minds.

Within the glass container, there were two mounds of mashed potatoes artistically arranged in the shape of breasts and garnished with a bit of parsley for nipples. A few inches further down was a second potato sculpture of a penis, which came complete with rounded testicles; indicative of the level of perfection the culprit wanted to achieve. Both pieces of work were located on the same "body" of pork chops.

Everyone stared.

Cloud was the first to break the silence. "Is this a hint?"

"I did not do this." A mortified look accompanied the words of Sora's mother. "Someone tampered with the food. Sora--"

"No." Absolutely not. Sora refused to take the blame for this. "I just got home, there's no way I could have done it."

"Oh, then I suppose it must have been the cat! Of course, why didn't I think of it earlier." Acid sarcasm pierced the tone of his mother's voice. Her oven mittens were taken off with rough, jerky movements caused by her anger.

"I didn't do it!" Indignation elevated the volume of Sora's denial. In his opinion, it couldn't have been more obvious that he had no part in this malicious prank. As soon as he got home, he'd spent the entire time with his mother or Cloud in the living room. When would he have time to mess with the food? It galled him that his mom skipped the facts and jumped to conclusions about his honesty.

Just when the hostilities were about to come to a boil, a loud sound startled the inhabitants of the table. Something had splattered against the window hard enough to rattle the glass but not shatter it. Similar noises were bombarding the side of the house, accompanied by the stifled giggling of young boys.

First to move was Cloud, who rose from his seat and went straight to the front door. Half a second later, Sora overcame his surprise and followed at the heels of the older man. They arrived at the porch just in time to see a bunch of kids dressed a little too nice for the weather running away. One of them yelled "Dyne for president!" just before ducking out of sight around the next corner.

Upon the disappearance of the vandals, a hard look flattened the handsome planes of Cloud's face, which was contrary to the look of wide-eyed horror on Sora's. After confirming that the coast was clear, they stepped out of the house to observe the damage. A mess of eggshells littered the lawn, their white carcasses resting beneath the places where the yolks had been spattered against the walls of the house. Nearly the entire front part of the house had been egged, and the unpleasant odor from the attack was beginning to overpower the rich scent of the abandoned dinner.

While they beheld the scene in mute silence, Sora's mother left her timid place at the porch to join them. Her loud gasp drew their attention, and Sora became worried. There was no telling how she would react to what had happened, especially since she was already angry from before.

It was completely unexpected when she began to sob brokenly. "Nessa?" Worried by her reaction, Cloud placed comforting arms around the woman's shoulders. "This is nothing, I'll just get the hose and clean everything before it stains."

"I'm sorry." Sora's mother was barely coherent because of her crying. She dabbed at her eyes and attempted to compose herself, but her efforts were continually spoiled by the fresh spill of her tears. "It's.. It's j-just that, Aki did the sh-shingles himself. He was so proud of them and he would just go on and on..."

Aki was the name of Sora's father. He hadn't heard his mother utter it in the past two years. Listening to it now brought a pang of unexpected grief, and Sora fought valiantly to keep it inside instead of displaying it as openly as his mom. After all, he was the only son and remaining male in the house. If he wasn't strong, then how would they survive?

However, his role as comforter was usurped by Cloud. The man gave Sora's mother a tight squeeze, and she fit herself into his embrace with the ease of familiarity. Cloud caught Sora's eyes from over her shoulder. "You should go to your room," he suggested in a soft, yet firm voice.

At first, Sora was shocked that this stranger thought he had the authority to dismiss him like that. Then fury made his hands clench, but in the interests of his mother, he did as he was told since it was obvious that Cloud could do a better job of being there for her. A feeling close to hate was directed to the man, as well as to those idiot Turks and Dyne for causing all of the day's events to happen in the first place.

When Sora walked into his room, he found his pet sitting on the windowsill above his bed, where he had doubtlessly watched the events outside unfold. Currently, Dyne was in the guise of a nude boy, and despite how bad the situation had become, only the tilt of a feline ear was spared for Sora's entrance.

Perhaps this lack of complete attention was a mistake, because Sora's tone was frosty when he addressed the catboy. "Dyne. For president."

Despite the flat accusation, Dyne did not take his eyes off the couple on the lawn. In fact, he sounded a little indignant. "Don't look at me, I didn't tell them I was going to be president. It must have been Elena."

"You were talking to Elena? She's a Turk!" Anger propelled Sora forwards, making him stride quickly towards his pet's location. The fast approach of his footsteps finally snagged Dyne's attention, who turned around just as Sora started yelling again. "You'd think that after meeting Reno you'd know that they were bad news by now!"

"I do. I'm not stupid." Dyne displayed his displeasure at Sora's agitation by flicking the tip of his tail repeatedly. "She came to me."

"Then you should have told her to go away."

"It's just egg Sora. Like Cloud said, it'll come right off the house."

"No, this isn't just about that. You were acting like an ass all afternoon --"

Impressive, this was the first time Dyne had heard his master curse. He was willing to bet that all the kids that had Cid as a coach quietly internalized his foul language subconsciously. "By the time you told me to cut it out, it was already too late to fix the food. Besides, you didn't like your Alpha's chosen mate, so I was going to get rid of him for you."

"It's none of your business! That's mom's boyfriend and if that's who she wants then there's nothing anybody can do about it."

At this point, Dyne hopped off the windowsill; tail now lashing back and forth. "It's my business if I make it my business. Unlike you Sora, when things don't go the way I want I don't just ignore them and hope they go away. If that human makes you unhappy, then I'm going to do something about it."

"My mom works two jobs, did you know that? Do you even understand what that means? She has to because my dad isn't here anymore to make ends meet. Going out to see her boyfriends is the only thing that makes her happy anymore. Things were fine, they were fine!" Even if the house seemed a little emptier, even if they couldn't really consider themselves much of a family anymore, it was livable, and that was all that mattered to Sora. However, this delicate balance had been upset by Dyne's existence, which was accelerating the unraveling of the things he once considered constants in his life. "But you, you made mom cry!"

Dyne had no apologies. With his arms folded across his bare chest, he very cruelly put forth the observation he'd been hinting at for days. "What use is a mother who's never there?"

Sora's vision suddenly went blurry, but he barely registered it as he lunged for the catboy's neck. Dyne nimbly danced aside, but did not predict the secondary grab for his tail. A screech of pain accompanied the vicious yank of his appendage, followed by the instantaneous reflex of slashing at Sora with his nails.

Sadly, it had little effect his master, who didn't so much as flinch when the skin beneath his left eye tore open. Blood fell from the trio of finger-shaped cuts like red tears, a sight that convinced Dyne to reign in his actions and emotions before he hurt Sora even more. Instead, his efforts became concentrated on escape, which became difficult when Sora managed to grapple his waist.

Sora had learned from the bathtub incident that wrapping Dyne's tail around his wrist was an excellent way to keep him still. He bodily lifted the struggling catboy from the floor, sat down on the edge of the bed and placed Dyne stomach first over his lap.

The catboy shouted obscenities when fistfuls of his blonde hair were grabbed in order to force his face down. "Son of a bitch -- Sora stop! You're out of control! LET GO OF ME!"

"You're the one who's been out of control since I found you!" Once Dyne was completely doubled over, Sora lifted the palm entangled with his pet's tail high in the air. "This is for making my mom cry!"

There was a resounding smack, one that made Dyne tense from head to tail in complete outrage. Incredulous disbelief at the fact that he'd just been spanked widened his eyes, but the reality of it stung like the handprint now etched on his butt. "You asshole! I am not a kitten!"

"Then stop acting like one!"

Another merciless strike made Dyne yell with scandalized rage. He pawed at the ground to drag himself away, but pain from his scalp reminded him that Sora still had a hand entangled in his hair. "You should talk you stupid human! You waste your life messing around with these things--" Dyne didn't have the words to encompass all of Sora's room. His toys, his mobiles, his weapons; all those childhood fantasies that took him away from the truth of growing up that was unfolding around him. "You think this makes you a man?"

"Shut up!"

All attempts at reasoning were abandoned with the next heavy-handed smack. An involuntary mewl of pleading tore from Dyne's throat. "Alright alright! I've been a bad kitty - ow! - I'm sorry - meow! � I'll be quiet -- AH Sora please!"

"Say sorry for my mom! And for Riku, and, and for my dad!" Sora's throat tightened, and his vision became a curtain of unshed tears. His face twisted in anguish upon realizing that he'd just asked his pet to apologize to his dead father. What was he doing? It wasn't Dyne's fault that things have been changing.

His breaking point was reached when he realized that there was no one he could turn to. Riku only lectured him about growing up and letting go, and Kairi already had so many problems of her own with Elena. Sora felt so alone, and the feeling became a heavy ball in his chest that dragged him down until he was slumped over Dyne's back. The salty tears falling from his eyes made his cuts come alive with sharp pain, though it was no match for the emotional one searing inside. Quiet sobs shook him as he cried into the skin of his pet.

"Sora?" Due to his position, it was difficult for Dyne to look over his shoulder at the crying boy. So he let himself dangle, feeling miserable and humiliated at the way he'd let Sora spank him. He was consciously aware that he'd grown attached to the human, but he never dreamed that his affections would be tested in this manner. In the end though, he supposed he deserved some of it for behaving the way he did.

When Sora finally loosened his grip on Dyne's tail, the catboy carefully unraveled it from his master's wrist and slid out of the lax grip on his hair. Movements caused Dyne's ass to hurt, and he mewled in distress at the sensation. Nevertheless, despite his discomfort he got himself on his knees and tentatively peered in Sora's face.

"Hey. No more of that ok? We're both assholes. That makes us even."

Even so, Sora was too ashamed of his recent actions to look at Dyne. His wet, clumped lashes were a veil to the watery blue eyes hidden beneath. Sora's voice fluttered with the struggle of speaking with constricted air. "I'm sorry."

In answer, something moist and raspy laved the cuts on Sora's cheek. His eyes opened slightly while Dyne continued to lick the wounds and signs of sadness away. Sora was too filled with grief to put too much thought into his pet's actions, so it continued unhindered. Both sides of his face were cleansed as well as the bottom of his chin. The ministrations were finished with a final curl of Dyne's pink tongue against the side of Sora's lip.

Then the catboy leaned forwards and brought their noses together so that they touched. He lifted a hand to gently press against Sora's uninjured cheek. "Man, you've got some crazy baggage."

If these were words of comfort, they proved to be dysfunctional because they had the opposite effect of making Sora feel worse. The boy sniffled and came to accept that maybe he really hadn't finished mourning for his father.

"But don't feel bad. My sire passed a long time ago too."

Dyne's admission lifted Sora out of his haze. He searched for the truth of those words in Dyne's face, which was so close that he could feel the other's breath above his lip. "You mean.. your dad too..?"

Well aware of which form Sora felt safest receiving comfort from, a sad smile was given in response before Dyne returned to his more feline body. When the light of the transformation faded, Sora was left with a yellow cat that was rubbing its face soothingly against his chest. He gladly accepted this change and wrapped his arms around his pet to pull him close.

If what Dyne said was true, then he understood Sora better than any of his friends. With the touch of soft fur against his face, Sora felt his sadness spread thin and become bearable as the burden was shared.

{{-----------------------------------------------}}

Sometime that night, Sora's mother crept into the bedroom. She found her son lying on the bed, curled tightly around the yellow cat tangled in his arms. The feline opened one lazy eye at her as she settled on the edge of the bed and reached over to pet the top of Sora's head. Although his eyes were closed, she knew him well enough to detect that he wasn't really asleep.

"Sora, I'm sorry for the way I acted. I shouldn't have treated you the way I did."

The note of apology in her voice didn't make Sora feel better. He figured that after spending some time with Cloud, his mom was willing to forgive murder.

"And as for tonight, it was my mistake for not being straight with you from the start. I had this silly idea in my head that you and Cloud would fit together like two puzzle pieces." A sigh followed her words. Sora had yet to acknowledge that she was there, but the woman continued nonetheless. "I brought him here to meet you because I thought it would be a good idea for him to move in with us. I could spend more time at home that way, you know? We can have real dinners every day."

Not an eyelash batted was batted on her behalf. Sora was entirely too good at pretending that he was asleep, but his mother knew better. "Just think about it, ok?" One last pat was delivered to Sora's spiky hair, and then his mother left the room.

After all that Sora had been through, this news fell like a drop in an ocean. Later on though, someone had to bring to light that if Cloud moved into the house, then it was going to become ten times harder to hide Dyne's presence. For now though, Sora felt too numb to care, and his pet really couldn't do more than shut his eyes quietly and shout the word FUCK in his head.

To be continued.
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Fuzzy Love - Complete