The Long Goodbye

by heka

[Re edited!] Challenge Fic. 'She kept her silence then and they watched the sun set, the wind singing softly through the trees, the falling leaves whispering as they fluttered towards the ground.'

This was written for the Dark x Riku challenge (my first challenge!) that Scatter Plot put up. The theme I've chosen is autumn, and it's loosely based off this chapter from my Chinese textbook.

Heka: Please note! It has been re-edited!

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Title: The Long Goodbye

A single red leaf fell lazily from the sky, twirling gently like a forgotten memory.

On a bench, she stared at it; her maroon scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and blew into her cooling mittens.

As usual, he was late.

She looked left and right slowly, for the thousandth time. Along the lane where she waiting for him, the trees on both sides were all aflame with the colours of fall; the reds, oranges and brilliant yellows blending together in a cacophony of the season, their rustling in the wind a song in its own right. Her hair moved gently. He always mentioned that it was like autumn, his favourite season.

And it matched his eyes too…

Looking up, she noticed a singular crimson leaf, drifting down from the tree above her. Lifting her hand, she plucked it from its slow dance of inevitability towards the ground. Holding it delicately by its stem, she examined it carefully – its size and shape, slightly larger than her entire hand and the unmistakable form of maple. She smiled wistfully. They would soon be sitting in the snow in the backyard of his house in winter, pouring maple syrup onto the frozen ground and eating the crushed ice directly from the ground using the large colourful plastic spoons both had bought specifically for this purpose.

The Maple Spoons, she had playfully christened them when they were first bought back when they were in middle school.

Reaching into the light blue paper bag that was sitting beside her, she fingered her Maple Spoon with a tint of bitterness.

They would never do this again.

Blinking away the sudden sting in her eyes, she tucked the leaf carefully into the paper bag and continued to wait, her hands on her chin, her elbows propped on her knees.

He was going away, to study. Far, far away.

And he only told her last week.

Typical of him, really. She should have expected such flippant behaviour from him. Though she wasn't very sure whether she wanted to kill him or hug him for making into the college of his choice without telling her.

'Oh… Riku dear… you know I only took so long to tell you so that you'd spend more time worrying about missing me than actually scolding me!'

Ooh, she could have slapped him really; the sight of his easy smirk, appearing and disappearing like quicksilver as he clasped his arm tight around her shoulder.

She shut her eyes in anger as she continued waiting for him. She was going to kill him.

However all that was forgotten when a clear voice called out from the far end of the lane, and her head spun to heed the unmistakeable wail of her name.

'Rikuuuuuuuuuu!'

She winced. He was always wanted to be this distinctive and she instinctively turned away from the bounding figure that easily gained the attentions of every single passer-by on the lane and fervently hoped that he missed her sitting forlornly on the few benches scattered along the long winding lane.

Oh god, at twenty three, and he was still acting like a six year old.

And he was carrying… bags. Bags which jangled with things…

Generally, she had rationalized: Dark carrying bags which jangled didn't always bode well for the recipient of such bags. She remembered the last time she had peeked into one of those bags; she had been unduly rewarded with a huge salamander staring at her, blinking occasionally in an almost affronted manner. Then Dark (after swearing her to eternal silence) had told her about a prank on a particularly fierce teacher, and she thanked her lucky stars that she had nothing to do with it.

She stared as he approached her, changing from a little colourful dot of noise to a much more substantial and solid being of more colours and yet more noise, completely forgetting that she had told herself to hide from him earlier on upon hearing her name.

Naturally, he spotted her and beamed.

'There you are!'

Falling onto the space next to her, he let his items drop and allowed himself to catch his breath, his exertion showing itself in little puffs of clouds which dissipated as soon as they were formed. He was wearing a scarf knitted with rainbow colours, a deep purple overcoat which blended well with his hair and black pants, his shoes clicking softly on the stones as he tapped his feet excitedly.

'Hello Riku!' he panted, grinning at her.

She smiled back fondly. What else could she do? She was forever amazed at how he could act a quarter of his age, despite being two years older than her.

Then to her surprise, he enveloped her in a hug.

'It's so nice to see you again!' he exclaimed, his voice muffled in her turtleneck.

'Dark… you just saw me… yesterday,' she choked back in his embrace.

'I know, but it's forever nice to see Riku during autumn, waiting for me.' She could feel his smile.

'That's because you always come late.'

'Have you ever heard of being fashionably late, Riku?' he smirked as he broke from the hug.

Riku narrowed her eyes. 'Yes. And you're not going to try that on me.'

'Why I already did…'

Riku growled. 'I know. Hence…'

'I'm sorry about being late today,' he continued. 'I know it's the last time and all…'

She bit her lip. Don't say it! she willed. She knew he was leaving. He didn't have to bring it up.

'…But I really was held up by a dear old lady this time.'

She blinked, taking a few minutes for his statement to sink in and then she groaned. He was still using that excuse? This was his favourite excuse for being late. She had absolutely no idea why nice old ladies were so gravitated towards him, like bees to honey. She rounded on him, regardless of the fact that he looked like a hurt puppy cowering in the onslaught of her rage.

'What?'

'She was old and frail! She was asking for directions!'

'Dark!' she yelled.

'What? You couldn't really expect me to deny a sweet old thing like her the way home right?' He had a characteristic grin on his face now as he knew that she really wouldn't hurt him, especially today. He then leant back on the chair, looking up at the trees with a sigh. 'The trees are very beautiful this time of the year.' His red eyes softened as he turned back to look at her.

'Don't change the subject!'

He pouted. 'She was a really sweet old lady!'

Riku didn't know what to say, especially when faced with the Dreaded Dark Pout. Fiercer women had been known to quaver before it. She took a deep breath and turned away in a huff. Damn it.

He shrugged with a laugh and put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

'I know you love me for this, Riku.'

'Shut up.'

There was a short silence as Riku buried her head in her hands. The agony of it all…

'Riku! Don't be too sad! Today's the day!'

Riku lifted her head in surprise and wariness. 'What day?'

'The day that you bid farewell to me!'

At his sentence, she froze, remembering getting a call from him earlier this morning.

I am flying off tomorrow; can you come and see me today?

He had asked it in such a quiet and simple manner so unlike him that she had been almost afraid to say anything except to agree to come, even if she had originally planned to do something else today. The squeeze in her heart had been undeniable. She had to stop telling herself that it was the last time that she was going to hear from him in a long, long time. Then he gave her some instructions and hence she had arrived there with the bags.

And now he was acting like it was nothing.

'How can you be so damned cheerful about it?'

'Because,' Dark smiled gently, looking into her eyes, 'if I don't smile for you, who will?'

Riku's breath stopped for a moment.

Then her mind interfered.

'I'm not that depressing now; am I?' she squeaked in alarm.

Dark laughed and placed his hand on her cheek. 'Please smile more for me, Riku, at least for today. You really have no idea how…'

He stopped as though in pain and looked away suddenly, dropping his hand like she had burned him.

Riku's cheek that was so warm with his hand on it, felt cold. She suddenly had to know his answer. She stopped his hand.

'How? How what?' she persisted.

Dark took a deep breath and turned back to her, his eyes blazing. 'How wonderful you look.'

She coloured and looked down. She had seen his eyes and what they held. 'Oh.'

But she wasn't so sure about what they meant yet.

There was another brief but stifling silence. So different from the ones they've had before, Riku thought absentmindedly. They had silences like this before but they were full of things that didn't need to be said, and she loved the silences they had together. It meant that they had reached that standard, that level of friendship that couldn't be expressed in words. And it didn't need to be expressed. At least, that was what she believed until today.

Then Dark clapped his hands, snapping her out of her reverie.

'Now, on with today's programmes!'

'Wha-?'

'I had great ideas for today. You're not supposed to be whiny about anything at all!'

'When was I ever whiny about anything?'

'Excellent reply, Riku.'

And with that, she was whisked off into a whirlwind of experiences.

She was dragged to all their regular hangouts, the first destination being the arcade. They spent a few hours there, whiling time away by playing games and trying to beat each others' high scores before he pulled her away to enjoy the sights from the amusement park's largest Ferris wheel where they spent some time just sitting and enjoying each other's presences, before beginning to reminiscence about the past.

The past years they spent together, making sure to study hard and get into the same school. The sheer complexity of them being best friends though they weren't in the same class or had the same activities as each other puzzled many in their school, until someone found out that they were neighbours as they always went home together. Her being teased for being too boyish and him defending her… His popularity in school… A certain escapade which involved the girls' toilet, some screaming and a broken window… the punishment which inevitably happened later…

Then there was the fact that she had a crush and she confided in him. Back then, he hadn't told her about the nanosecond which his breathing had just stopped and his heart had just refused to move. However it was over extremely quickly and he clamped it down and went on encouraging her to tell the boy, who happened to be in the same Art class as him.

A few days later, she had come back all stiff and tight-lipped, refusing to tell him what had happened between her and the boy, only waiting till they were alone in the sanctuary of his living room before breaking down completely and telling him in between tears that the boy had rejected her as he liked her prettier and more fashionable twin sister better.

His first reaction had been to embrace her and to comfort her, telling her repeatedly that she was even more beautiful than her sister, and that the boy wasn't worth her tears if what he was going after was looks. Then he had entertained himself with ways to waste the evil, heartless piece of worthless scum all in the comfort of his mind while she slowly stopped crying in his arms.

He was glad she stopped crying. He wouldn't be able to control his anger if he found out that the boy had permanently damaged her ego and self esteem with his callous words. And he would enjoy himself, by thoroughly making the boy pay.

When she heard this from him again, she had laughed and brushed it off easily, before thanking him for being there and convincing her that the boy wasn't worth it, else she would have still be suffering from it, like a girl in a comic she had read earlier during her high school years.

However Riku couldn't stop the rush of emotions which had risen when he had brought this particular incident up. She hoped her blush wasn't that obvious – he probably didn't know how much of an effect his words had on her at that time.

That was when the ride had finished and the attendant had courteously told them to leave so that other people could have a chance to enjoy the ride. Both refused flatly, just for the heck of it as they hadn't finished talking yet.

They left the amusement park, laughing at the same irate attendant who had tried unsuccessfully to chase them away for the past few hours, before sitting down at the nearest bench, and spending more time talking to each other, this time about how they met.

How he had bumped into her carrying some paints… how she had shrieked about her clothes as they were her favourite shirt and jeans…

How she found his books lying irresponsibly at the library and finding out who their owner was when she kind heartedly offered to return them… and the ensuing argument…

Finally, they had lunch – cum – dinner ('Lunner' or 'Dinch' as he called it) at their favourite restaurant, just before returning back to the park where they had met earlier, as the sun was setting. They stood together, with their bags dropped on the ground next to them, and just watched the red sky.

'Did you have fun today, Riku?'

She nodded, breathless with the experience and joy, her own water vapour curdling into little clouds at her mouth.

'Good.'

'Did - did you?'

'I did too, Riku. Thank you.'

'What did I do? You brought me around…'

'You allowed me to bring you around, instead of saying that I had wasted your time.'

'But I never…'

'Hush. See, the sun is setting.'

Dark never told her to be quiet before. Thus she kept her silence then and they watched the sun set, the wind singing softly through the trees, the falling leaves whispering as they fluttered towards the ground.

'Have I told you why I liked autumn so much, Riku?' he asked, breaking the silence.

She shook her head slowly, still lost in the moment.

He turned her to face him and smiled again.

She looked up at him and tilted her head questioningly. Dark grinned at her, his eyes filling with emotion.

'It was because that was when I met you.'

And he quickly enveloped her in a hug again, pulling her deeper into his form, never wanting her to forget him or otherwise.

He had to do it. He didn't want her to see him cry.

Riku felt his heart beating loudly in her ears, heard his ragged breathing, remembered that she would never hear and feel such things again or even see him again… and within a heartbeat, felt the tears drop.

She instinctively buried deeper into him, putting her arms around him.

'I'm going to miss you.'

'And I'll be thinking of you,' his voice answered, rumbling at her shoulder as he tried to control his emotions and tears. 'Why did you think I asked you to bring everything that showed what we did together?'

She lifted her head in innocent surprise. 'You wanted them?'

'Yes, and no, Riku. Do you want to trade?'

'I take your things and you take mine?'

'Very smart. I wonder why you didn't go to Oxford.'

She laughed, stopping as he wiped her tears away affectionately. This gave her a chance to look at his face and see the tell-tale signs of crying. She bit her lip, feeling the tears well up again.

He kissed her forehead gently, putting all the feelings he had for her in that small show of affection.

He told himself that she could understand it. And looking at her face, he was very much inclined to believe what he had just said.

Her face was flushed slightly and her eyes were closed. She had felt something, something very important in that little kiss and it warmed her heart and soul. It told of comforting things, like a cup of hot cocoa on a cold night, or a listening ear whenever she needed it or a reassuring arm on her shoulder whenever she was sad. It spoke of how the person who gave it to her would be with her in her heart… always.

She unconsciously placed her hand over her heart. She wanted to keep this feeling with her forever.

It was like his last gift to her.

He smiled down at her, guessing that she had understood his feelings. He placed both hands on her shoulders.

'Riku, I want you to remember this: love everyone around you and life itself. Don't think too much about things! There's so much out there to live for. Chin up!'

He patted her head, stepped back and waved genially.

'Goodbye,' he said simply. He never was one to drag out things. Riku hugged herself and waved weakly. It had gotten so cold, so suddenly.

'Goodbye.'

'Don't forget. We shall see each other again right?' he called as he walked further.

She nodded wordlessly, the tears streaming down now; she had no more control over them.

She watched as he turned and walked away slowly in measured steps, and suddenly all she could remember was the leaf that she left in her bag. She reached out her hand and opened her mouth, ready to call him back.

Then she stopped and smiled. It didn't really matter. He would like it anyway.

And as his figure faded into the darkness, she sent out a silent prayer for his welfare, wishing that the autumn winds would bring him back again.

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Heka: And done! I think the ending's too cliché.

Shigure: You evil person!

Dark: WE'RE JUST FRIENDS?!

Heka: I dunno, I didn't really like the idea of a full blown Dark x Riku, so I decided to do one that had mere hints of, which are so much more tantalising.