Yay! New fanfic! :D This is for soriku, obviously. There are character death(s), a few characters may or may not be OOC (hard to tell for me), and, well, it's explicit. I will warn a chapter ahead of time for smut (once there is any), there may be some trigger warnings depending on certain situations. That's it!

Enjoy~

(Obviously I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or Square Enix)

0o0o0o0o0

"Sora, I'm hungry again." The small blonde haired boy spoke quietly, his hands pulling at the hem of his dirty shirt nervously. The blond kept his blue gaze to just below his brother's chin,

Similar blue eyes looked down at the little brother; a sad smile graced his lips. The sunset that gave Twilight Town its name was casting a faint glow on the soft features of Sora's brother, making him look almost like a frail angel. "Here, take my share," Sora replied, handing his small portion of the bread they had found earlier that day to the small hands. "I don't need it as much, Roxas, it's okay." He tacked on the end with the worried glance he was given.

Roxas stared at the bread for a second before tearing off a small piece to eat. "When are you gonna go try to get another job?" He questioned, eyes on the food in his hands as temptation rose, but he knew better then to waste it all now.

Sora was silent. Hearing that question from his brother… hurt much more than he thought it would. The weeks that had gone by with the pair of them moving from street to street and scouring the area to and fro for food and a suitable shelter was becoming much more difficult. Not to mention, Roxas was a growing boy. He got hungry faster, his bones ached more than usual from the changes they were undergoing, and moving around so much didn't help him keep the little weight he had on.

On the other hand, Sora himself had dark bags under his eyes from keeping watch at night while Roxas slept, his own body growled in hunger from what little he ate since the majority of his food went to feeding Roxas, and the bruises that littered his arms and stomach from fighting with the other homeless people of Twilight Town to protect his small sunshine – mainly from the creeps and psychopaths – didn't help either.

Sora tried countless times to get a job, but him being so young and having little to no job experience made it difficult to actually become hired. He had set his sights on working for Moogle Synthesis, he could've collected materials, but they had told him it was much tougher then it seemed and was not suit for the job. The pay for collecting materials was great, which is the only reason he sought to work there.

Once his first job was declined, he tried to work at numerous different small shops on Market Street, and each one said he was either too inexperienced or too skinny to work. He had a feeling that the reason was more because of his gruff appearance; dirty brown spikes on his head, random blotches of dried blood on his clothes, and the way he smelled, even though Roxas and him were able to get a decent "bath" (consisting of simply rinsing off in the fountains, possibly washing off if they were lucky enough to find soap) every now and then.

The news such as that disheartened the man, but he would not give up. He had to get a job to take care of his little brother, no matter what.

"There's really only one more place left here. If it doesn't work out..." Sora paused, taking a deep breath. "We'll have to make our way to Radiant Garden and hope I can get a job there."

Roxas hummed quietly to let Sora know he heard. "How far away is Radiant Garden, if this last place doesn't hire you?" He plucked another small piece of bread off and plopped it in his mouth, doing his best to ration.

The older brunette idly played with a pebble on the ground that had chipped off the pavement, leaning back against the wall behind him. "Roughly 200 miles," He answered quietly, knowing that the distance was far too extreme on a long open road with little to nothing but a few gas stations planted every 60 or so miles. It would be too much for Roxas to handle.

A small noise came from the blonde, his eyes staring forward. "Well, that's not too bad, right?" He said, turning to stare into the similar blue eyes of Sora, "That's only, like, this big on a map." Roxas pinched the air between his fingers to show what he meant.

Sora grinned and laughed at Roxas's point, pulling the boy closer to hug him tightly. "You're right, it is only that big," He agreed, kissing the top of the blond spikes before slightly nuzzling his face in them. Roxas smiled at Sora's laughter and cuddled into Sora's frame. "We could make it if we had to." Sora murmured into Roxas's hair.

They stayed in this position for a few minutes before Sora moved to stand. "We should move closer to where I'll be trying to get a new job, I don't want you too far from me," He explained and helped Roxas stand. "We could try and find some more food, too."

Roxas nodded as they shoved a few blankets, cans of soup, and extra clothes into the tattered backpack they had. Sora patted his back pocket to make sure the key shaped knife he had gotten from his father a few years back was still there. Once they had doubled checked and made sure they collected their belongings, they started their trek through alleys and back streets to get to their destination, making idle small talk.

A smaller hand made its way into Sora's hand, so as not to get too far apart. "I saw this really cute stuffed toy of a little Nobody some kid had at the park yesterday," Roxas informed, kicking a rock ahead of them to start a game.

The fact that Roxas was still a kid at heart always made Sora extremely happy, even though his random child tendencies were sometimes a bit much. "I was thinking about getting you a little nighttime buddy once I got a job."

Roxas's head turned up with a small pout on his lips. "But, you're my nighttime buddy! I don't want you to disappear either, not like my last nighttime buddy." A small frown crept onto his lips.

Sora's hand tightened around Roxas's at his words, hoping to distract the blonde from going too far into his memories on that subject. "I'm not going to disappear like that Rox, promise." He kicked the rock Roxas moved earlier to keep their game going.

"Alright, Sora," Roxas sighed quietly and lightly tapped the rock as they passed it. "Where's this job, anyway?"

Sora turned a corner and tugged Roxas along with him. "A few blocks away. I'll get you set up and hidden somewhere before I go try and get the job."

"I don't like the hiding game... It gets too hot sometimes," Roxas groaned. "Can't I just go with you?" His big blue eyes looked up at Sora with an almost puppy plead.

"No," A flat answer. It crushed Roxas's hopes as he turned his head down again. "I'm sorry, Roxas, but this job isn't one I want you to be seen at, alright?" With the sad nod that he was given, Sora leaned down and scooped Roxas up in his arms, holding him close to give him a big kiss on his cheek to make the boy smile again.

It grew quiet as they continued their short journey down a couple more blocks to a particular street that was notorious for its gangs. "Alright, I'm going to hide you and I want you to stay very quiet and still til I come back," Sora ordered and set Roxas down on the ground, already beginning to take out the necessary items to hide the boy.

"Can you sing to me before you leave?" Roxas asked, helping Sora start covering himself up with the blankets.

Sora smiled slightly and pecked Roxas's forehead. "Of course I can, as long as you're quiet when I'm gone," With a confirmation nod, Sora continued, "Lemme guess, your favorite?" Another quick nod and a grin was added. The brunet cleared his throat and began softly singing.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,

You make me happy when skies are grey,

You never know, dear, how much I love you,

Please don't take my sunshine away,

The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping,

I dreamt I held you in my arms,

When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken,

So I hung my head, and I cried,

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,

You make me happy when skies are grey,

You never know, dear, how much I love you,

Please don't take my sunshine away,"

Sora stopped singing just before he was done covering Roxas up. "Sorry, Sunshine, can't sing the whole thing. I really need to get going," With another light kiss to the blondes' forehead, he covered the boy up. "Now stay quiet until I come back." He straightened up, checked Roxas's form to make sure he wasn't visible, and left the alley.

Streets like this in Twilight Town were near the outskirts. The shadows that were created from the large buildings closer to the inner city made these types of streets look more intimidating then they already do in the daytime. Homeless were common down here, the only place they can actually get free drugs from the cracks in the pavement.

There were constant battles between gangs and random acts of violence from the people too high or drunk to realize what they were doing. The place where he was heading for a job was safer, strange, but it was close to this danger.

Sora did not know how a strip club managed to stay so clean, since it was one of the most popular ones in Twilight Town.

He approached the still closed club - only a few hours to opening - and knocked on the door. The brunet hoped that the owner would be there early to start setting up, so he could possibly be hired today and start tonight. The sooner he got working, the better.

After more than ten minutes of him standing around outside the strip club, he was just about to give up and assume the owner wasn't there. Alas, just as he turned to walk away, the door was unlocked and opened to reveal a rather tall, muscular, long haired brunet with a large scar going from the top of his right eye diagonally down to the bottom of his left eye.

To say in the least, Sora was terrified of this man.

"H-hi," Sora stuttered out but quickly regained his composure. "I'm here to speak with the owner."

The older man looked Sora up and down with slightly narrowed eyes before stepping aside. "Then you would be speaking with me."

Sora gulped and stepped into the club, eyes darting around to familiarize himself with any other exit points in case this owner tried to kill him.

The decor consisted of dark purple wall paper and dark wood flooring. Booths were against the walls and a VIP lounge was towards the back where a lone pole was at to entertain the people who paid extra to have privacy. Small tables near the bar area had chairs stacked upside down atop them and the bar itself was spotless as well as completely stocked with many different types of alcohol. Speakers hung up in every corner of the large room but more were around the stage that held three poles, one out on the cat walk and two off to the side where back up pole dancers supported the main dancer. Spotlights - which were currently off - faced the stage, and lights lined the edges of the stage so the dancers avoided falling off the stage. A black curtain was drawn close, which Sora assumed led backstage where the strippers prepared for their performances. Overall, this place was very well done. It didn't even smell like puke or cigarettes, it smelt clean.

"What's your name?" The tall man asked, snapping Sora out of his gazing. He had completely forgotten to look for more exit points.

"Sora Hikari, sir," He replied, staring up at the man with a look of confidence and determination. He's made interviews his strong point, having been through so many in such a short period of time. "I'm here for a job. I know it's short notice but I could be very useful here." His tone was light yet assertive in a polite way, to further show his confidence.

Those light blue eyes the man had looked Sora up and down slowly, scrutinizing every aspect that was Sora's being. "How old are you?" Was all the man said after a few seconds.

"I just turned 17 last month,"

Blue eyes rolled in their sockets in annoyance, his arms moving to cross as he stared at the teen. "I can't hire a minor to work here, that'd be jail time for me and my business being shut down."

"I wouldn't tell anyone my age, I can lie and say I'm 18. I look 18 anyway, that means I'm not a minor, none of that would happen." Sora attempted to reason with the owner, his heart already feeling tight and constricted. His last hope could be ruined, just by his age.

A sigh escaped the man before him. "Sorry, kid. I can't hire minors. You should go home to your parents before they come looking for you and find you here."

"They wouldn't come for me," Sora flatly said, his expression suddenly turning much more serious. "Please, sir, this is really my last hope, I need this job."

Sora could've sworn he saw the man's eyes soften just the tiniest amount at what he said. "As much as you could be a valuable member, I can't hi-"

"Hire minors, I get it," Sora cut him off, "I understand that it's against the law, that it probably scares you, but you have to understand that I need this job. I have a little brother, he needs proper food instead of having to ration what little I can afford, please!" His voice steadily rose in hysterics, the fact that he and Roxas may need to make a long journey to Radiant Garden making its appearance in his thoughts. Sora didn't want to have to force Roxas all that way if it was the last thing he could do for his little brother.

When the owner had no reaction and kept staring at Sora, Sora's head turned down. Slowly, he sunk down to his knees, hands on the ground in an almost bowing respect. "Please, I have to get this job, I can't let my little brother suffer anymore, let him worry about things such as food." His eyes stayed focused on the ground. It was all he could do to not see the look on the owners face for this act of begging. He hoped bringing up the food situation wouldn't give away the fact that the two siblings were homeless, but, the man didn't say anything towards it.

"Get up," The man ordered, in which Sora obeyed hesitantly. There was minutes of silence, in which Sora kept thinking about how this was it, he had failed Roxas. Everything Sora tried so desperately to do was all for nothing because they would have to go to Radiant Garden after all or suffer on the streets for another year to get this job.

A sound of a sigh brought Sora back to the real world in an instant. "Fine, you can work here. Backstage, you can help the dancers get ready, but you will not be out in public."

Wide, blue eyes looked up at the owner – his boss. His mouth hung slightly open in pure shock. It took a good forty seconds for the news to settle in before he broke out in a large grin, happy tears streaming down his face almost immediately. He couldn't believe this; his last resort was his sanctuary, and he couldn't begin to think that maybe, just maybe, things would start picking up from here.

"Oh, thank you!" Sora yelled in his happiest tone, not bothering to stop himself from hugging his boss tightly. "Thank you, thank you so much, sir! You have no idea how much this helps me, us!"

Despite how tense the older man became, he didn't push Sora away. "Don't call me sir, my name is Squall Leonhart, but call me Leon." He informed and finally pried Sora off of him, only to see that Sora was still grinning like a maniac.

"Yes, si- Leon!" Sora gleefully said, wiping the tears off his cheeks. The overall happiness of actually obtaining a job was so overwhelming for Sora, he could barely contain himself. "When do I start?"

"Tonight, I suppose. Go clean yourself up, then be back by 9 to start backstage," Leon answered. "You'll enter through the back as well."

Sora nodded quickly, still brimming with joy. "Alright! I'll be here at 9 o'clock sharp!" He turned to leave, his lower half pushing the door open while his torso turned slightly to look at Leon. "Thank you so much again, you're a life saver, honestly." Sora grinned and waved as he left the club to return to Roxas and tell him the great news.

Who would've thought the answer to his prayers would be a strip club called The Dusks and Shadows?

0o0o0o0o0

Sora's work at the club started out rocky; there were many times that he had sent the dancers out on stage with only half their make up on and or not the correct outfit for their routine on, but with the helpful hint from his co-worker, Naminé, he quickly adapted to the hectic life backstage.

Naminé is a rather quiet and petite blonde haired girl, but she helped Sora out when he needed it. Naminé easily became a good friend to Sora. The dancers also took an immediate liking towards Sora, due to his bright personality.

Just as the two makeup artists were setting up to start working on the talent, the sound of a motorcycle coming from the back was heard. The engine was shut off, and the dancers all sighed in an almost dreamy fashion.

"Looks like he's finally back!" Ariel, stage name The Little Mermaid, exclaimed excitedly.

"I can't believe he was gone for so long." Alice, also known as Wonderland, let out a huff with a cross of her arms.

"It's just because he knows Leon personally." Belle, correctly called Beauty, informed matter-of-factly to Alice.

"Ah, who cares? At least we can see him strip again!" A chorus of giggles erupted at what Jasmine, called The Diamond in the Rough, said, but they quickly died down when a man with short, spiky blond hair walked in.

Naminé reached out to Sora and grabbed his wrist lightly to pull him back up from his current digging through a chest full of extra clothing. "Sora," Her soft voice spoke, "You need to meet Cloud. Remember? He's the one I told you about, who went on that trip."

Sora straightened up and nodded to Naminé to show he remembered. His head turned to look at Cloud, eyes darting up and down the man. A well-built body, blue eyes, and a brooding, sullen stare to top it all off. Sora could swear he looked like an older version of Roxas, with less height on the spikes and less happiness.

"Who are you?" Cloud asked, eyes finally landing on Sora after shrugging his jacket off his shoulders.

Putting on his infamous smile, he answered, "I'm Sora. You must be Cloud?" He took a few steps closer to Cloud, making sure to keep some feet between them.

Cloud's eyes narrowed at the sight of Sora. "Yes, I am," Their eyes locked, and for a brief second, Cloud looked taken aback. "Why are you working here? Naminé is more than enough for makeup."

Although Cloud's tone suggested a rude remark, Sora's smile didn't fade or falter. "Well, I have my own things to pay for and Leon was nice enough to let me work here. Plus, Nam says it makes it easier for the dancers to get ready quicker."

"Leon..." Cloud breathed out. "It doesn't matter, she doesn't need you, and she can handle all this herself." Venom seeped into his sentence, making Sora tilt his head to the side in utter confusion. The brunet had no idea what he was doing wrong to Cloud.

"Leon seems to disagree with that, so, I'm here to stay," Sora retorted, smile still in place.

Cloud's eyes narrowed even more, a glare evolving from the stare. "Oh, so, you're here a few days and suddenly you know Leon best, is that it?"

"W-what?" Sora stuttered, eyes wide. "No, no! No, that's not what I meant at all! You see, I-"

"Save it, kid," Cloud cut him off, "I can already tell we will not get along, so stay out of my way if you know what's good for you." He spat just before he turned and stormed off the backstage area through the side door.

Sora's mouth hung slightly open in complete shock. He didn't see what was wrong in trying to explain that the boss wanted him there to help Naminé, and because he was doing this for his little brother. Everyone who worked at a strip club had some deep reason to be there, what was so bad about him doing the same?

"I don't understand," Sora slowly said, staring at Naminé in disbelief. "Did I do something wrong?"

Naminé laughed softly behind her hand. "He's always like that with new people, albeit, I've never seen him that harsh before," She answered, tucking a strand of her blonde locks behind her ear. "Might be because him and Leon are best friends. I think you crossed a line, Sora."

Sora deadpanned and let out a groan. "How was I supposed to know that? I wasn't the one who came in here and gave him an angry look for no apparent reason."

"That's just how he is," Naminé repeated, grabbing one of the makeup boxes. "I bet he'll warm up to you in no time."

Sora let out a hearty laugh as he helped Naminé get set up besides Ariel. "Oh, I'll believe it when I see it - in a million years."

Naminé smiled slightly at the joke, and began applying cover-up to Ariel's face. "He's not that cold-hearted. I mean, maybe he is a little, but not to that extreme."

"It's fine, I just hope he doesn't get me fired," Sora sighed and handed Naminé the eye shadow. "I do like this job."

"Don't worry, Sora. Leon liked you, he's not going to fire you," Naminé reassured with a small smile on her lips.

Sora warily smiled back. "Alright, I believe you," He said, but there was still some worry that his blond co-worker would make him walk on egg shells whilst he worked.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Several months had passed since Sora and Cloud met. Their relationship only improved slightly, at least to where Cloud could carry on a conversation with the brunet without being a jackass – the majority of the time. Sora was determined to get Cloud to talk to him more, knowing that it'd be wise to be on the boss' best friend good side. And, Sora wanted to make sure he was on good terms with everyone in the workplace.

Currently, Sora and Roxas lived behind The Dusks and Shadows. Their small shelter was an alcove on the side of one of the other abandoned buildings behind the strip club, with planks of wood set up to act as an extra wall in the entrance to the alcove to protect them from the wind and hide them at night.

They did their best to stay away from directly behind the club at all costs, due to Leon and Cloud living above the club. Yes, Sora had found out the two best friends lived above the club and have been there since the club was first opened; well, Leon first.

"Ah- Sora!" Roxas yelled, snapping Sora out of his thinking and grabbing the brunet's attention. Sora's head whipped to the smaller boy in slight panic, only to calm back down when he saw that it was just a bloody nose that caused the yell.

"Don't scare me like that, Rox," Sora sighed and grabbed a napkin to hold it to Roxas's nose. "Keep that there and your head forward, you'll be okay." Sora reassured, though he couldn't help but wonder why Roxas suddenly got so many nose bleeds, but he knew it was more than likely from their living situation. That quenched his fear. Soon, they would be able to afford a small apartment... well, hopefully.

Sora saved as much money as he could, only buying food and water when they needed it, more blankets for the progressively colder nights, and a night at a motel every now and then when it was pouring outside. Sora also managed to afford new clothes here and there, especially new shoes for the both of them, and a few things for Roxas; a sketchbook, a Nobody stuffed Dusk, and colored pencils so the ten year old was preoccupied more. To say in the least, their lives were slowly, but surely, getting better.

Even Leon had become closer to the younger brunet, for he acted almost like an older brother. Most of the time, Leon made casual conversation with Sora, asking him personal and impersonal questions. But, mostly, Leon listened to a problem Sora may have (like if Roxas acted out), and Leon gave advice. It was wonderful for Sora to have someone to talk to about these things; he had felt truly alone for months with no one to turn to. Even if the support was minimal, Sora enjoyed having the older brunet care for him. Of course, it was probably only seen by Sora that way.

Leon had met Roxas after about a month of Sora working for him. Since Leon had known about Roxas from the start, he didn't mind his boss knowing Roxas personally. Sora made sure that no one else knew about Roxas, however. He felt, even though everyone had become good friends of his, everyone did not need to know about his younger brother. It was more for safety reasons than anything else. More people knowing about Roxas could lead to trouble if one of his co-workers turned on him.

"Is it done?" Roxas questioned, taking the napkin away from his nose to examine the blood on it. Sora also turned his attention to it again, then to Roxas's nose to see if it were still bleeding.

Sora turned Roxas's head left, right, up, and down before concluding, "Yep, you're all good. Do you feel light headed? Want some food?"

"No, I feel okay. But… can I have one of the cookies?" Roxas asked shyly, looking down at his hands which slowly went from open to closed.

Sora chuckled at the adorable act. Roxas had always been rather nervous about asking for food, even when they lived with their parents. It was always a mystery as to why Roxas was like that, but Sora assumed he's always been a self-conscious kid, no matter how many times Sora told the blond how cute and perfect he was. "Of course, let me get it," Sora turned and grabbed the bag that held the majority of their food, only to freeze when he saw a pair of black boots standing directly in front of their hideout, since they had taken the planks of wood down for the day.

Wide, blue eyes darted up at the sight of the boots, the feeling of his heart skipping a beat in fear at the sight of his boss. "L-Leon!" Sora exclaimed, trying to cover up their living situation by shoving it behind himself and Roxas. "What are you doing here? Roxas and I were just walking around and we, um, we got tired, and so we stopped here."

Those light blue eyes looked between Sora and Roxas, and then he slowly crossed his arms. "I didn't picture you as a liar, Sora, especially when I'm standing in front of the truth." Leon calmly spoke, his eyes never leaving those of the younger brunet's.

"Oh, no, I'm not lying, I'm being honest! We walk everywhere so we bring food with us and sometimes Roxas gets cold so we have to bring blankets and extra clothes around with us, and a lot of the time we play games wherever we go so we have to bring our toys and such everywhe-" Sora was cut off as Leon spoke again.

"You're homeless," Leon stated, gesturing to their tattered backpack and rather dirty appearance. "I figured something wasn't right with where you lived when you first started working for me. You wore a lot of the same clothes and they weren't the cleanest ones I've ever seen."

Sora bit his lip and looked down at his indeed dirty clothes. He made them as clean as they could get for work, but he didn't have proper laundry detergent to actually get out the stains. Even if the clothes were brand new, they easily became dirty just from the constant walking around that the two did. Perhaps it was his own fault for never considering that Leon – or Cloud – might find their make shift home so close to the club.

Either way, Sora was terrified that this little incident would land them back on the streets with no income.

"I'm trying to get an apartment, I really am, and it's just…" Sora trailed off, twiddling his thumbs idly as he thought out what to say to try and reason with Leon's good side, "Everything is way more expensive then I can afford with your paychecks, and I'd rather save and get us the things we need when we need it then have nothing in an apartment."

Leon didn't have much of a reaction to that. "What your little brother needs is a stable home. Moving around so much isn't good for anyone, and I bet he's not in school either, when he should be. You should have prioritized a home for him, getting him an education and a social life, much like you should be doing."

What Leon said made Sora's heart twist painfully. It was true that Roxas was a ten year old who wasn't in school but there was little to nothing he could do about it. The fact that Leon would blame Sora for not having a home for Roxas hurt just as much; Sora did everything he could to keep Roxas safe and fed and warm, even if there was no roof there to protect them. There were certain necessities that came before others, and Sora would get Roxas back into school as soon as possible. He wanted Roxas to get a proper education to never have to go through something like this.

"I… I know," Sora spoke softly, head turned downwards to avoid his bosses' stare. "I'm trying my best with what I have, even if that means that Roxas isn't in school. I teach him what I know and raise him right. Once we have a place to live I'll get him back in school, and he'll be the smartest kid there."

Roxas grew closer to Sora at the comment, his smaller hand slipping into that of his older brothers, giving it a comforting squeeze to let Sora know that he was okay with their living situation, that he didn't mind much being patient, which caused Sora to smile. That simple act was enough for Leon to see just how close the two were, even in these circumstances.

"You're trying to get a roof over your heads, correct?" Leon questioned, finally losing his boss like demeanor to be replaced with a more open look.

"Of course, it's on my priority list, even though it's not first on there." Sora answered, using Roxas's comfort to stare into his bosses' eyes again.

Leon made a quiet "Hmpf," at the back of his throat and jerked his head towards the club. "Grab your things and come inside." He ordered before walking back towards his establishment. Sora and Roxas both gave each other a rather confused stare, but gathered their belongings anyway. Once they had double and triple checked their alcove for any stray items, they followed Leon into the strip club.

Sora instinctively covered Roxas's eyes as they entered, not wanting Roxas to see the many different revealing outfits and fish net stockings and feathered boas lying strewn about almost everywhere around the backstage area. The brunet made a mental note to have him and Naminé clean up the mess before the dancers got there that night.

Leon waved a hand in the air to let Sora know to keep following him. With his hand on Roxas's shoulder to help lead him, they followed the man. Sora assumed they were going to go into Leon's office to talk about this little problem and most likely get fired, but when they passed said office, Sora grew very skeptical and a tad scared. Was Leon bringing them somewhere he could kill them? No, Leon wasn't like that… or was he? Maybe he's taking them to Cloud, so Cloud could do the dirty work while he sits back and hides the bodies. Or, maybe Leon just wanted an even more private area to fire him. Either way, Sora was nervous. More so for Roxas than himself.

They were led upstairs, down a hallway, and into a rather cozy living room. There was a couch centered in the middle of the room, a small wood coffee table in front of it, and two chairs on opposite sides of the coffee table facing diagonally towards a plasma TV that hung on the wall. Bookcases lined the walls that weren't already occupied by blank space. The amount of different books was phenomenal, and Sora could make out the literature Leon had, which consisted mostly of famous plays, well-known bestsellers, and many writings on history and mythology. One hallway branched off this one space, and a window like structure was cut out to create a small bar with the kitchen on the other side of it. One other room connected from the living room which led to a rather abandoned looking dining room, and down the hallway were three shut doors, with an additional doorway that led to the kitchen. Overall, this house above the strip club seemed welcoming, despite the consistent noise of the street directly outside the windows, which put the place in perspective.

And then it hit Sora that they were standing in Leon's and Cloud's house. "Um, Leon, why are we here? I don't think Cloud really likes me and this is his house too and he doesn't exactly know about Roxas," Sora explained, but more so rambled, his reason for not being entirely comfortable standing here in the middle of the living room.

"He'll have to learn to like you," Leon said and looked at Sora with a serious gaze, "because you two will be living here from now on."

Sora stared at Leon, as did Roxas. Of course, Sora was the only one to say something – after a good minute or so of shocked silence. "What? You can't be serious. You're joking, right? There's no way you'd say something like that, don't you have some policy that the people who work for you can't live with you?"

"Cloud works for me and he's lived here since he started," Leon countered easily, stepping back to lean against the wall with his arms crossed.

Sora stuttered and began going off on a list of reasons as to why this couldn't be real or why this couldn't be happening. "But, you know Cloud so much better than me, and I probably couldn't afford rent here, and this can't be happening because you're my boss! I mean, this just doesn't make sense as to why my boss would let me and my brother live here with no strings attached, that's just too weird! Right? Something's up, something has to be up, nothing this good comes our way without a penalty. It's some sort of blackmail, right? Am I doing that bad of a job that you'd need to do that? 'Cause I can do better, I can-"

"Sora!" Leon yelled to stop the brunet from going on any further. "Calm down, take a deep breath and let me explain."

Sora pouted but took a deep breath nonetheless. "But-"

"No," Leon cut off once more, giving Sora a second to see if he'd protest again. "I am letting you live here in exchange for a small rent fee. You and Roxas are welcomed here because I see how hard you work every night and I am aware now that you were doing it to keep Roxas healthy and happy. The fact that you did so much for him and put yourself aside at a young age is remarkable. Teenagers are rarely this selfless nowadays. I want to help you have a home, so Roxas can go back to school and you can sleep easy at night, have an actual shower and meals, and not worry about strangers attacking either of you when you sleep. Is that clear enough? I am not doing this out of pity for you two either."

Sora's mouth gaped open the entire time Leon spoke and his hand tightened on Roxas's shoulder to stop him from falling over in shock. The fact that Leon, who put on such a seemingly cold appearance, would offer something like this to them was so unbelievably generous. Knowing that Leon didn't even expect a large rent made everything better. That meant his paychecks could be saved tenfold; he could start giving Roxas birthday parties and gifts, Roxas would get back into school, they could go on a real shopping trip and buy a whole new wardrobe and keep their clothes clean as well as themselves, everything the two had missed since they became vagabonds in Twilight Town.

It seemed like they could see their silver lining and it was finally in arms reach.

Leon remained standing in front of Sora for a good four minutes before the younger brunet spoke up again. "Thank you," He whispered first, then said loud and clear, "Thank you so much, Leon!" Sora didn't have the will power to stop himself from hugging Leon even tighter then when he was given the job. This one person had already given Sora a job, and now a home too. Sora felt extremely grateful towards Leon in every way possible.

"You're welcome," Leon responded as he hugged Sora back. It took another second or so for Roxas to join in on the hug as well. He didn't say anything, but the hug from the ten year old said enough of what he felt.

Sora was laughing giddily as he stepped back from Leon and picked Roxas up instead, holding his little brother close. "Everything is working out again, Roxas. We'll be okay now," The smile on Sora's face was one that gave his blue eyes a new light. Just the sheer force of that one smile made Roxas grin and nod, his thin arms wrapping around Sora's neck to hug him.

Just as Sora was about to thank Leon again and say how much this meant to him, Cloud came walking out of one of the doors down the right hall. He was about to turn into the kitchen when he noticed Sora and Roxas – but to him it looked like Sora and some random child in his living room. "Sora? What are you doing up here?" His blue eyes went from a questioning stare at Sora to Leon. "The Hell is going on here?"

Leon sighed and gestured to Roxas. "No swearing, Cloud. There's a child present," Cloud looked annoyed for being told to change just because of Roxas, but he waited for Leon to elaborate on what was going on. "And they're moving in."

Cloud froze for a split second before quickly rebounding. "Excuse me? Some worker and a random kid? That doesn't make any sense, I don't want them living here," Cloud spat, making Sora hold tighter onto Roxas in case the older blond just so happened to attack.

"That's not your choice. As much as your opinion matters to me, I'm the owner either way. What I say goes, and if you don't like it, you can leave." Leon calmly said, barely batting an eye at Cloud's shocked face.

"I've lived here longer than those two; I've known you longer than those two! Don't act like that Leon, you know I hate it when you use the 'I'm the owner' card. It's incredibly infuriating." Cloud retorted instantly.

Leon shrugged. "Well, I believe you need to get used to having Sora around. He will be living with us from now on, as well as his little brother, Roxas. I do have to ask you not to tell any of the other performers about Roxas, Sora doesn't want anyone else to know. Can I trust you to keep quiet about it?"

With Leon's calm attitude, it seemed to stop Cloud from blowing up completely. But, of course, the blond wouldn't go down without a fight. "Why does he have to move in? What makes him so special, hm?"

"Because they need a place to stay. He is one of my hard working employees, and I will give him a house if that is what is needed,"

"That doesn't explain what makes him so special,"

"And how does it not?"

"You don't just open your home to anyone,"

"I can open my house to anyone I deem deserves to be in my house,"

"The fuck type of answer is that?"

Sora covered Roxas's ears at that point, trying to stay quiet while also deter the argument between the two men. "Hey, you guys, I-"

"They deserve to live here, Sora cares for his little brother,"

"And I care for Fenrir, but you don't see me bringing her up here,"

"Stop referring to your motorcycle as a human, it can get rather confusing sometimes,"

"Oh, don't change the subject idiot. I don't want them living here, it'll just be more crowded and loud, especially because Sora is naturally loud,"

"Hey! I mean, I'm loud but I can be quiet!" Sora interjected with a defensive brow furrow.

"Sora, be quiet, this is between Cloud and I," Leon silenced.

"Yeah, shut up loud mouth," A smack echoed with the hit to the back of Cloud's head from Leon. "Hey!"

"Don't be a child, I thought you were past this. And they're staying, end of story, stop arguing with me,"

"But, Leon-"

"No,"

"Will you just-"

"No,"

Cloud groaned loudly. "Okay! Fine! I'll deal with it, whatever. Who's the kid again?" Cloud's narrowed eyes landed on Roxas, boring daggers into the younger blonde's quickly averted gaze.

"He's my little brother," Sora answered slowly, removing his hands from Roxas's ears to place them on his shoulders instead. "Roxas, meet Cloud, Cloud, this is Roxas." Roxas shyly waved, and surprisingly, Cloud gave a small wave back. "He's only ten, but he's a good kid. He shouldn't be much of a bother to you, Cloud. And I'll stay out of your way too."

Cloud stayed silent for a minute or two before sighing in defeat. "No, you don't have to. Don't be too loud and don't bother me 24/7. I'll tolerate you both, but don't expect me to help with your problems or be your friend. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" Sora gave a slight salute as Cloud rolled his eyes and turned to Leon again.

"You'll regret having them here sooner or later, and you know exactly why I don't want them here," He said quietly to Leon, who gave him a grunt in response. "Stay out of my room." Was the last thing he said to the pair as he walked back down the hall and into his room.

Sora and Roxas were silent in a more if-I-talk-Cloud-might-kill-me sort of way. Very, very quietly, Roxas whispered, "Why's he so angry at us?"

Sora shrugged and just shook his head. Whatever relationship he was building with the blond was most certainly ruined by the new living situation. Well, time to start from scratch and make a new bond. And it was already clear that that would be virtually impossible.

"Come with me, I'll show you two your room," Leon spoke up, walking towards the dining room. "The kitchen is the first door on the right down the hall, and the first door on the left is the bathroom, but there's only one so you'll have to share that with the rest of us. Unfortunately, this house doesn't come equipped with four bedrooms, so it will be a project that we'll have to work on to convert the dining room into your room." Leon gestured into the quasi spacious dining room, which seemed very unused and rather dark.

Sora nodded and smiled. "This is more than enough for us." He spoke and looked at Leon.

"I'll have to take down the table, but we have an air mattress you two can sleep on for the time being. We can start working on converting this room tomorrow," Leon informed and Sora once again nodded. The feeling of a thousand pounds being lifted off his shoulders felt incredibly amazing. The stress he had had for so long was finally diminishing with just the simple act of his boss giving him a roof over their heads. This was the break he needed; to be able to start actually providing for Roxas even if they weren't living by themselves.

He was more than excited to officially restart their lives.

The brothers grabbed their belongings and set them up against the dining room wall, Sora helping Leon deconstruct the old dining room table while Roxas took a much needed shower. With it being just him and Leon, Sora decided this was a perfect time to start talking to Leon about this; thanking him.

"I can't thank you enough, Leon. This is truly an amazing thing you've done for me and Roxas," Sora thanked with a smile on his face, a very genuine one that meant he was truly and utterly grateful. "You've done so much for me and him."

Leon's lips turned up just slightly. "You're welcome. Don't make me regret this, alright? I may have given Cloud a hard time earlier but if you mess up this opportunity I will kick you both out, against my morals."

"Y-yes, sir. I won't mess up; I'll make sure to not bother either of you. Roxas should be really quiet too, he's a shy kid anyway," Sora explained with a small sigh. Maybe living here with two new people would help Roxas get out of his shell and talk more, especially with him getting to go to a new school soon. "I hope we don't make Cloud too mad, he seems like the type to beat up his roommates."

"He'll be fine as long as you're both quiet. Cloud has his reasons for not liking you, but I have a feeling he'll come around," Leon informed, "You're a good kid, Sora. So is Roxas. Just focus on settling in for now and when Cloud gets to know you his attitude will change."

Sora nodded once in response. "I hope so." Sora stood, helping Leon begin taking the dining room table downstairs to the dumpster, where Leon gladly threw it out. Apparently, the thing had been bothering Leon for years but he had no reason to actually get rid of it.

Once the table was gone, Leon got the air mattress and fresh, clean sheets to put on it. "There's a laundry machine in the closet beside here, go ahead and clean your clothes and Roxas's." Leon pointed out as he opened the closet directly next to the dining room. Sora gratefully used the washing machine, finally cleaning the clothes that had had these stains and smells for weeks.

"Would it be alright if I cooked dinner for you, Cloud, and Roxas tonight?" Sora asked just as Leon turned to walk back to the living room. "I learned how to cook from my mother, and, well, I'd love to somehow repay you, even if it's with your own food." Sora said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head when Leon gave a surprised look.

"Go right ahead. Cloud usually cooks but I doubt he'd mind not cooking tonight," Leon responded and finished his walk to the living room. Sora was quite the excellent cook in the kitchen. Everything he knew, he learned from his mother, and he'd never forget those cooking skills. He loved being able to cook; it was one of the few things he was good at. Whenever he did cook, it reminded him of the simpler times, back when it used to be just the five of them.

Sora shook his head from the thoughts and quickly distracted himself by going to check on Roxas, who had been taking a shower since they started destroying the dining table. He lightly knocked on the door before entering, "Hey, Rox, I need a shower, too." Sora said with a joking voice. He shut the door behind him and laughed when Roxas groaned from behind the dark shower curtain.

"But the water is so warm! I want to live in here." Roxas happily said, but shut the water off anyway. The brothers had no problems seeing each other naked; being homeless for so long meant they'd have to see each other naked at some point, so it just stopped bothering them.

Sora handed Roxas a towel he found (after searching underneath the sink and in the small cabinets in the bathroom) and helped him dry off. "Our clothes are still being washed, so you'll have to re-wear these, alright?" Sora informed Roxas, pointing at the still dirty clothes. Roxas nodded and silently got dressed again, before looking awkwardly between Sora and the door. "You know Leon. He won't bite. But, you can stay in here if you want." Sora offered, though he wanted Roxas to get to know Leon better, and have a quiet shower to himself.

Roxas bit his lip before shaking his head. "I-I'll go sit with Leon," Roxas said slowly, quietly. Sora grinned, kissed the top of Roxas's head, and let the younger boy leave the bathroom before he eagerly stripped and got in the shower. All he could think of once the water hit his bare, dirty skin was, Damn, did I miss warm water.

After about a half hour, Sora came out of the bathroom, dressed in his old clothes as well, and was met with a shocking sight. It looked like Cloud – he knew it was Cloud because Leon wouldn't have video games – had brought out a PlayStation 3, letting Roxas and Leon play a simple multiplayer game. The sight brought a grin to Sora's lips, and he gleefully took the controller from Leon in order to battle Roxas instead, but he let his brother win either way. That grin stayed on his lips the entire night, and it never once faded, not even when Cloud was being a sarcastic asshole again.

Everything he had hoped he could give Roxas was given to him, and he felt as if this was going to be their new family, even with the brooding Cloud in it. Everything would be perfect from now on, progressively getting better, never worse.

Sora wished he knew how wrong he was.