Trust the Unseen ( Passion )
#27. fear - (still here)
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, its characters, settings and the like. These words, however, are mine.
She woke with a silent scream, sitting abruptly and holding her hand to her head. Her breathing was erratic, but she didn't hear it. She could only hear the sound breathing of her two best friends, Riku and Sora.
They had decided to stay at Kairi's house for the night; to stay together. They'd become inseparable ever since they'd returned home.
She'd been having vivid dreams lately, though she didn't dare tell the other two. They'd already been through enough -- the last thing they needed was to worry about her. Again.
This time though, this particular issue, she didn't think she could keep to herself. It was a darkened thought, circling and circling through her head, coming closer and closer intent on driving her mad.
No, she had to tell someone.
She looked from Sora, who was sleeping on the floor haphazardly and snoring loudly, to Riku, who was sprawled across the couch silent as ever.
Standing quietly, she walked across the cold hardwood floor, stepping over Sora ever so gently, stopping only when her knees had hit the couch.
"Riku...?" She whispered softly. But it was enough.
His eyes drifted open lazily and he raised his eyes to hers. His eyebrows furrowed and he frowned slightly, raising himself up onto his elbows. "What's wrong?"
She lowered her eyes to the floor and felt herself shivering. She could feel the faintest burn of her cheeks as she tried to find a way to word her request. "I uh... Do you mind if I...?" She began, but was grateful when he seemed to read her mind. He moved himself as close as he could get to the inside of the couch and raised the blanket covering him.
She smiled and slipped in beside him, snuggling up to him. He draped an arm over her waist and laid his chin on the top of her head, sighing. Despite the fact that there was no more room between them, she tried to move closer.
"Riku...?"
"Yeah?" He asked sleepily.
"... You're not..."
"Going to leave again... Are you?"
Riku tightened his arm around her slightly at her words. "Now why would you think that?"
"I just..." She bit her lip. "What if you're needed again? What if... The King calls you back there for something?"
Riku's eyebrows furrowed again, though she couldn't see it. He shifted slightly, not in discomfort, but to bring her closer to him. "I'm not going to go anywhere without you." She seemed to relax a little at his words but he could still sense that something was bothering her; there was something more. "What else?"
Kairi closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "I've been having dreams lately. Not really nightmares, but they're vivid; enough to scare me a little."
"What're they about?" He asked, fully awake now.
"I just... I see a lot of heartless in my dreams." She shook her head. "And I always manage to get through it enough so that I come to a door... Most of the time it would just start to open and then I'd wake up but..." She swallowed. "This time I saw both of you on the other side and then you just... Disappeared."
"Kai." Riku said with a reassuring tone, hugging her tightly. "We're not going to disappear, alright?"
"I was so alone." Her voice broke and Riku felt a warmth seep into his shirt -- she was crying. "I was always alone. Nobody knew, nobody understood what was going on. I was so lost without you guys."
Riku's heart broke -- she'd never said anything of this before now. He nuzzled the side of her face and kissed her cheek, whispering reassuring words. After a while, she quietened down to a mere sniffle.
"Promise me... You'll be right here in the morning." She asked, looking up at him. "Don't leave."
"I promise, Kai. Go to sleep. I'll be right here." He said, his eyes locked with hers.
She lowered her head down onto his chest and almost instantly she was asleep.
This time, she had no dreams, no nightmares.
He was there, just like he promised.