Epilogue

"Two twos and three fours…a full house, not bad" said Sora, notching it down on the notepad before scooping the dice back up into the cup. "You've only got a straight and five fours left."

"Damn fours" Vanitas muttered, looking at the notepad. "Are you sure you haven't loaded the dice?" he asked accusingly.

Sora chuckled, though the smirk on his face was a cheeky one.

There was a knock on the door, and Sora glanced over, raising his eyebrows.

"Come in, it's unlocked!" he said, and it opened to reveal Riku.

"Hey!" Vanitas said, giving him a big cheesy grin. "Actually gonna join us now?"

Riku shook his head, folding his arms. "Somehow, how much you two look alike still gets me."

"That's what happens when you marry a Replicator" Sora said, beginning to rattle the dice around in the cup. "Like I said, me n' Vani are genetically twins."

"At least use Van" Vanitas protested, and Sora shook his head, putting his feet up on the table.

"No can do, son. Anyway, what's up kiddo? You here drag Vanitas back home? 'Cause I'm afraid he's going to be occupado with getting whooped at Yahtzee for a few hours yet."

"Uh, no" Riku said, shaking his head. He let out a small sigh, rubbing at his hair.

"Eraqus is taking a few of us…out. Me…n' Leon and Cloud, and I think Ven's going. Mainly because of how touchy I can be. They haven't given me every detail but I think we're going out to a remote forest."

"So you're gonna leave the house to me, by myself? Sweet" Vanitas said, watching his father pour the dice out onto the table and swearing. "Where do you get your luck from, old man?"

"Twenty years of shitty luck?"

"Touche."

"Just don't make a mess" Riku said, rubbing his brow. "And if my parents call…say I'm working or something. You can make something up. Don't tell them the truth."

Vanitas snorted out his nose, twirling the pen in his fingers. "Got it, big guy. You call me whenever you can get near a phone, you got me? I'll probably just come over and invade this idiot's personal space a bunch."

"You keep doin' that and I'll make you start minding the shop" Sora replied, tugging the pen back from him and handing him the dice cup.

Vanitas rolled his eyes, looking back at Riku. "So who's covering hunting then?"

"Terra and Aqua are staying. So it'll be you two and them. Things aren't as hectic anymore, and they're not looking to infect anyone else, so…"

"Yeah, it should be fine. Good luck, Ri."

"I won't be gone too long" Riku said, ruffling the raven's hair. He'd gone and gotten his eyes changed back to yellow—more to make sure that he and Sora were actually distinguishable from each other. If it wasn't for their age difference and the colours, they really would be identical.

"Better not be" Vanitas said, and Riku gave him a grin.

"We'll do something tonight before I leave. Movie?"

"I can think of a few better things" Vanitas said, smirking at Riku and causing the silverette to turn a shade of pink.

"Get a room" Sora said with an eye roll. "Yeesh."

Riku gave Sora sheepish look, waving goodbye to the two of them and heading back out the door, closing it with a click.

"You gonna be alright without him around?" Sora asked, giving Vanitas a bit of a concerned look.

Vanitas had an unreadable expression on his face, his left hand rubbing at the leather cuff on his right wrist. "Yeah. I mean, I got you now, and he won't be gone long."

The brunet gave him a reassuring smile, roughly rubbing Vanitas's spikes. "Then hurry up and roll already!"

THE END

or is it