Riku sits down on the steps of Yen Sid's tower, panting after training with a certain redhead. He brings a knee up and drapes his arm over it. A light sheen of sweat covers his skin and makes his short, silver hair stick to the sides of his face and forehead. He wears long, baggy blue pants with rather oversize pockets held up by a black studded belt. A white with yellow and blue accented sleeveless jacket rests over a black zip-up vest with a high collar. As always, he has a single accessory; a white wrist band going from below his knuckles to halfway up towards his elbow.

He smirks at the other, slightly taller, male. "Aren't you hot?"

Lea glares playfully back at him. He retains the black Organization XIII coat, pants, and boots. He had previously made it a point that the clothes were convenient, able to withstand the darkness of the lanes between and dark realm. Of course the three fairies have given him clothes, but he considers those more of his casual wear. Emerald eyes lock with Riku's aquamarine, searching for a sign of some emotion other than contempt. He brings a hand up to rub at the back of his neck before shaking his head of crimson, spiky hair.

"Not as hot as you I'm afraid."

Riku scoffs, "Whatever you say Axel."

The name causes Lea's eye to twitch. For the past weeks he has yet to get the Keyblade Master to call him by his real name. He storms forward suddenly, reaching out and grabbing ahold of the front of Riku's vest. Standing over him, Lea has to lean down to bring their faces close. "I told you, my name is Lea – got it memorized?"

"No."

The flat response does little but act like a slap in the face. Lea growls as he goes to lean in even closer, stopping when he finds Riku's head turned to the side. Lea isn't surprised to see a frown on the very lips he had wanted to attack. Lea's fist that had been curled into Riku's shirt smoothed out as he pushes him down against the steps. Lea places a knee between Riku's legs, steadying himself on one of the steps. Riku looks back to Lea, aquamarine and emerald battling to test the other and their emotions.

As Lea pulls away once more, he's given a different look – a smirk curving a corner of Riku's lips, hiding any other emotion from the surface. "You'll always be just Axel. If not, you should just leave."

Of course the redhead has dealt with stubbornness before and not just Riku's. It causes his eyebrow to twitch at the thought of having to break down another wall with the young man, even if he knows he's being toyed with. This time, however, he doesn't back down as he stands up, "Might as well finish training then."

He stretches his arms over his head as he glances toward the bushes to the side of the tower while walking a few feet away. Riku watches the lanky man's every move; knowing perfectly well he never gives up that easily. It's as Lea draws his hands back in front and summons his Keyblade that Riku's eyes widen ever so slightly. The quick turn on his heel and Lea is sending a rather large fireball his way.

Riku throws up a dark barrier just in time as he throws himself out of the way – into the very bushes Lea had glanced at. Riku sits on the other side of the vegetation, growling while flicking off a couple leaves from his body followed by a twig from his hair. Lea strides around towards him, the shadows of the tower masking them from view. "Looks like I win that match." He says smugly as he kneels down.

"Hmph, you cheated."

"Xehanort isn't gonna play fair when we fight him."

Riku cuts his eyes back down to the ground, the inevitable battle chilling him to the bone. He hadn't known this would happen when he left the island and he almost finds himself wishing he could take it all back. Regardless of the things he's learned and that he's become the next Master, he finds himself succumbing to the want of simplicity. He wanted to travel worlds. He didn't want to fight to keep his body and heart and soul from destruction. He didn't want to have to fight to save the world from Master Xehanort's plan to bath the world in darkness. He just wanted to expand his horizons and be with his friends.

Lea sits down next to him, eyeing the younger man with worry before turning his gaze to the horizon. "Hey Riku, do you think the lanes will be sealed off again when we win?"

"I don't think they ever really were… Why?"

"Would you come visit me?"

He looks towards Lea, who refuses to meet his eyes, and sighs. "I want to travel the worlds. We're peacekeepers, who said you were allowed to stay home?"

Lea chuckles, but it's not as happy as it should be. There's a hint of sadness lingering in it. "I overheard Yen Sid talking with Kairi. She's going back to Radiant Gardens. She is a Princess of Heart and from that world – it's only right. The people need a leader since Ansem is… gone."

Riku holds his tongue, not wanting to mention the team that's already rebuilding and giving the people hope. As much as he knows she should go back to her castle and live, he wants her and Sora to stay with him. He swallows hard knowing he's being selfish again, something that helped get this mess rolling to begin with.

"I guess that means I should stay and keep her safe, after I find my friend though."

The serious look on Lea's face as he ends his sentence causes Riku's heart to jump into his throat. In all their time together so far he's only heard the redhead talk about this friend once – and he had assumed it was Roxas when he was swiftly proven wrong. He knows the feeling of having to save a friend – wanting to fix it all – but not knowing where to start. But he doesn't know the feeling that swirls inside his chest, making him angry that Lea is putting the other male first.

Riku glances over the side of the bush, towards the large doors, and goes to stand up as they open. However, he's not given the chance to greet his two friends as he's yanked back down and onto his back – a certain redhead laying on top of him. A hand comes up to cover his mouth as he prepares to scold him, leaving him to his thought as he realizes just how close they are.

A leg rests between his own while Lea's other hand has ahold of one of his wrists. His face his pressed into the crook where Riku's neck meets shoulder. From their position they can hear the quiet voices of Sora and Kairi – probably wondering where they are before striding back inside. The shutting of the door draws Riku out of his thoughts of how hot his neck is and the red rising up to his cheeks and ears as well. "Axel, get off," he demands.

"My name isn't Axel."

His knee snuggles closer between Riku's legs, the latter biting the inside of his cheek. "If you don't mo-"

"If you'd just call me Lea, maybe I'd move. Heh, why don't you make me if you want it that bad?"

Riku presses his cheek against the grass, avoiding Lea's eyes as the redhead sits up enough to look him in the face. His eyes close as he struggles to take a deep breath, unable to handle the amount of heat that rushes through his veins thanks to Lea's close proximity. "Don't you have something better to do?"

"I would if you'd just give in already."

"Look if it's just because I keep calling you Axel then I'll stop."

Lea stares hard at the silver haired boy, the tresses tinted blue thanks to the shadows. The short hair framing his countenance does nothing to hide his expression as Lea uses one hand to turn his face, forcing them to look at each other. "I don't hate you for giving Roxas back to Sora. He wasn't the friend I wanted to see again, just happened to look like him. Even though he became my friend anyway…"

"What are you going on about?"

The thumb caresses Riku's skin, fingers never releasing their grip. "I'll always be there to save my friends if they need it. That includes you too."

"You don't even know me."

"I would if you'd let me. We've talked… what? Three or four times – and only because we had to…" Lea pauses for a moment, testing the words on his tongue before deciding they're good enough. "If you don't come visit me, at least make sure you visit Kairi."

He sits up, fingers slipping away from Riku's face and trailing over his torso before he finally stands up. Moving away from him, Lea takes a deep breath in preparation of going back up to report to Yen Sid. He'd make something up that wouldn't give any suspicious thoughts to anyone – especially with Riku being a Master. He knows the boy doesn't need any more stress on his shoulders.

That is until fingers tug sharply at his coat. Glancing back down behind him he sees Riku sitting up, grasping onto the material as if was the only thing keeping him in this world. It kills him to see the confident and talented young man so vulnerable – something he's not sure anyone has had the privilege of seeing. But even as the vulnerable feeling flourishes out from the cracks in his masking personality, Lea can still see him as he is – Riku, a Master of the Keyblade, a rarity that can control both light and dark.

A black diamond amongst all the other plain diamonds and their shimmers of colorful light – yet when that black is chipped away, a light brighter than any of the others manages to shine through.

"Sora will probably stay with her, those two are so deep in love they don't even know it." A lopsided grin flashes up at Lea before Riku lowers his eyes back to the ground, fingers slipping from the coat. All the young man can think of is something he said – to who he cannot fathom – and how true it truly is; he's the biggest nobody of them all.

But Lea can read between the lines, he's not stupid after all. Anyone could see what Riku wants even Sora. Normally, he'd tell Riku some cheesy line and throw his catchphrase at the end before leaving to get to Yen Sid. Instead he finds himself getting on one knee with his arm draped over it, the other reaching out to lightly smack at Riku's shoulder. All because something in him knows that he's just as important, if not more, to him as any of those he's come across.

"Come on, where'd the mean Riku go – I liked him better."

A glare cuts through him and if it were anyone else, Lea could swear there would be tears and insults flung his way. It's the hand that swats his away that causes him to think, that maybe brushing the situation off isn't the best idea. Lea sighs heavily as he brings that hand up to rub at the back of his neck. "Look, Riku…you can't give a guy a stick then take it away and beat him with it."

Riku stands, tired of dealing with it and his own emotions, "We should head in."

Before he can leave Lea has a hold of his wrist, yanking him back towards him, keeping the captured wrist close to his chest. Riku keeps the glare steady as he stares up at him, silently demanding to be released. Lea tightens his hold on him, "Shut up for a minute would you?"

Riku rolls his eyes, turning his gaze back towards the tower. "Coming from the guy that said we need to talk more."

Suddenly Riku lets his next statement drop as their faces get close. The tips of their noses brush against one another while their breath beats back and forth between them. Lea keeps a hold on his face, fingers biting softly into his cheeks. "You say Sora and Kairi don't know it, but you do. You want it. And here you are trying to push it into a grinder and walk away." Lea can feel the surge of power that shudders through Riku's body, the boy slowly backing into a mental corner to the point where he'll attack if pushed further.

Still, he keeps at it.

"You protected him for a whole year; watched over him, his Nobody, and even the girl he loves. You gave up everything to sink into the darkness so he'd be safe."

"Shut up Lea."

"Don't you think it's about damn time that you got something out of all this? You deserve a little happiness."

Riku brings his free hand up and slams his fist against Lea's jaw, allowing himself to get away as he pants. Fingertips reach up to brush over the red marks on his cheeks, the slight pain still there. "And what's your excuse? You died Lea! Twice!" His breathing evens back out after the short outburst, his voice dropping to a whisper – as if he's saying it to convince himself. "As long as my friends are safe, that's all I need."

"Am I your friend?"

His head snaps towards him, staring into those bright green eyes. Slowly, very slowly, he licks at his lips before parting them, "Yeah."

"Dying twice does something to a person you know," he says with a half-hearted chuckle. "It makes a guy realize just how little control he has. Roxas taught me that… No matter what you think, your heart's will is stronger than our own." Lea strides towards him, closing the distance one last time – one last try. "We're going to war Riku, whether we win or not – I'm not going to doubt my heart again."

Lips gently press against the side of Riku's head with hands resting on his shoulders. The peck only lasts for a second, maybe even two, but it makes all the hurt and doubt wash from their bodies. That one last step managing to bridge the gap between them as Lea pulls away, smiling at him. "You don't have to be afraid, Riku."

The coy statement causes Riku to snap out of his temporary bliss and back into their constant back and forth. "I'm not afraid."

"Sure you're not afraid and the sky is purple."

"Forget about traveling with me. I must have had a moment of insanity."

Lea laughs as Riku begins walking away. "Aw, you're just playing hard to get again." Suddenly, he remembers something just as Riku reaches the bottom step. "Hey! You called me Lea!"

Riku spins around with a large grin on his face, giving a small laugh as he holds his hand out. "I guess I did." Summoning the magic, three dark blue and black fireballs launch toward Lea.

The redhead manages to parry one and dodge the other two just in time. Not that Riku watches; he's already striding inside of the tower. Lea rushes to catch up, throwing his arm over Riku's shoulders as they begin up the stairs. Another quick kiss to the side of his head causes Riku to shrink inwardly, swatting to get the arm off of his shoulders despite wanting those very arms to wrap around him.

= v = When you intend to right some fluffy crap to get yourself in a better mood and it turns out slightly angsty and (dare I say) OOC… Or at least I think it is. ;; v ;; it's a guilty pleasure, I'm here to please no one but myself with this x'DD