Author's Note: This is my first fic so go easy please! I had been wanting to write a Riku/Kairi since I like the pairing. One aspect of this fic was kind of inspired by one of ChibiFrubaGirl's fics, I would have let her know I was doing this, but I have no way of contacting her except through reviews and I thought it would be a little tasteless to talk to her about my fic in a review for her fic... Please get a hold of me and we can talk about it, I would definitely be willing to work something out if you're unhappy, ChibiFrubaGirl.

Rated for some possible language and adult themes. Also, this takes place after KH2 and there are possible and probable spoilers of the KH1, KH:CoM, and KH2 variety. So if you are for some reason reading KH fanfics without having played those games and care about spoilers, you are a little stupid, but turn away nonetheless.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, anything Disney, or... anything interesting, really.

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Riku looked up from his almost-finished lunch to see Sora walking up to his table talking to the new girl, Garnet. She transferred about a week ago but it seemed like her "new" status would stay with her until the school got another new student, possibly next semester. Just one quirk of attending a tiny high school.

"...her heart stolen so we had to go save her! Riku and I ended up getting separated, but we found each other eventually. While we were separated I met Donald and Goofy, they were looking for--"

"Not this story again!" Seifer interrupted from another table as Sora and Garnet got within earshot. "You can't seriously tell me you're believing this, Garnet. He's been babbling about this insane story ever since he and Riku came back after being missing for a few months."

Garnet kind of smiled in a way that showed she didn't really believe what Sora was saying but didn't want to be so rude as to tell him that. Sora didn't notice the half-smile, though, "Come on, she asked me to tell her! I know it would probably be hard to believe, but it's true! You believe me, right Garnet?"

"Well, um..." Stuck between hurting Sora's feelings and being made fun of by Seifer, she thought fast, "I don't know yet, you should tell me more of it before I decide if I believe it."

Riku laughed to himself as Sora went back to his story. He looked at the remnants of his lunch again, deciding he couldn't eat any more, though not necessarily out of fullness. As he stood up to go, Sora looked up at him.

"You're not leaving already, are you Riku? I'm just getting to the good part!"

"That's ok, I've heard this story a few too many times. See you in a bit, Sora." Riku waved to Sora and Garnet.

Riku pushed his way through people who were still in line for food and people who were just coming in to mooch off of their friends. Once he got outside, he felt much better. The cafeteria and hallways always bothered him. Somehow his school of 600 or so students was still ridiculously crowded. He made his way to a grassy area where he liked to sit and think. It was an inclined area that led up to the baseball field, so it was easy to sit or lay comfortably.

As he sat down, he saw Tidus, Wakka, and the others playing hacky sack. He thought to himself what a silly game that was. Riku decided to lay back so that he could feel the warm sun over him with the prickly grass underneath. It was a really beautiful afternoon. Then Riku heard a familiar voice calling him. He looked around and saw Kairi walking up to him.

"What are you up to, Riku?"

"Oh, just relaxing. If you're looking for Sora, he's in the cafeteria." As he finished his sentence, he noticed Kairi begin to pout. He really couldn't help but be taken by how cute she looked with her lips pursed like that. She was such a warm and happy person, though, that she never looked quite right pouting.

"If I was looking for Sora, I would have asked you about him or gone on looking..."

"Oh, I just thought--"

"...that you would much rather be around him." A voice inside Riku's head finished. He couldn't bring himself to actually say it though.

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"Well," Kairi gave up on pouting and went back to grinning, "don't worry, it'll take a little bit more than that to upset me. I was just a little taken aback because I came over here to talk with my buddy Riku but he just pushed me away to talk to Sora instead. If you want me to let you relax by yourself, you could have just said that."

"Oh come on Kairi..." Riku began, "quit giving me such a hard time. You know I love being around you." Riku's expression as he finished that sentence must have been amusing as he realized what he had just said.

"Did I really... just use the word 'love' in the same sentence as 'you' directed at Kairi...?"

Riku's face began to flush and he suddenly wished he could notice something very interesting in the direction away from Kairi.

As Kairi watched Riku go from a startled expression to beet red, to frantically searching for something to look at away from her, she couldn't help but giggle.

"Riku, you should learn how to hide your embarrassment a little better. Anyways, I need to go see if I can mooch some food off of Sora, I'll talk to you later, Riku." Kairi said as she stood up to begin walking away.

"Wait!" Riku yelled, reaching for her, "You just came over to bug me? You didn't have any real reason for interrupting my peace?"

"Umm..." Kairi brought a slender finger to her chin as she raised her eyes and thought, "nope, not particularly." Kairi then put on a slightly malicious grin and continued walking toward the cafeteria.

"So she was just looking for Sora. I guess that's to be expected... She couldn't have just come out and told me that, she's not that kind of person."

"You don't deserve that kind of treatment though, she's way too nice to you. I doubt she knows all of what you did when you gave into the darkness. She couldn't to still treat you the way she does. I wonder if she believes Sora's censored version of the story where you 'got separated' but still helped him out. Pah! What a load, where does he come up with that kind of stuff?"

"But I gave into the darkness for her..."

"That doesn't matter, you 'sacrificed' yourself for her and gave into the darkness for what? For Sora to come along with his pureness and save her anyway."

Riku's thoughts wandered and he had a mental image of Sora and Kairi in the cafeteria, joking and giggling with each other and both of them being honestly happy.

"She would be a lot better off with Sora, If I could just see her as only a friend, everyone would be happy. My happiness isn't very necessary though, I don't deserve it..."

The school bell broke him from his reverie so he began to try and shake the doubting voice off and gather his things to go to class.

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Author's Note: Well, there's the first chapter. I think I'm happy with it, please review and let me know what you think of it. If you feel you need to be harsh go ahead, I'm tough so I can take it. XD

Something other than Riku-self-bashing should happen in the next chapter. Or not, I make no promises. This is after all a rather angsty fic.