A.N.- Special thanks to Anatoria, twirlingdevine, and sorasky for the reviews! And thank you to anyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed this story so far, you guys are awesome! Oh and as far as the timeline goes, chapter 8 takes place on Wednesday, so it's two days after the last Chapter. Basically, it's nearly two weeks into summer. It's about the end of June, and the next month is July. I have a lot planned but without further babbling, enjoy!

P.S.- I suggest listening to the songs the chapters are named after while you read, after all I listen to it on repeat while I write them.

WARNING: This chapter has some... relatively suggestive content, nothing explicit though. T rating, just a heads up.

Riptide (by Vance Joy)


"Friends and family, we are gathered here today to-"

"Oh, cut the crap Axel, you better have woken me up at eight o'clock this morning for a good reason." Riku mumbled, causing the rest of us to laugh. The red headed pyromaniac started a group message at eight o'clock this morning. All the message read was "EMERGENCY MEETING, CID'S, 9 AM" and he wouldn't respond to any of us when we asked what was so urgent.

Cid's was relatively empty due to the fact it was a Wednesday morning. The seven of us sat around the long bar-like counter at the front of the shop and Axel stood on the other side. Tidus was still at his athletic training camp. We all had a bagel or donut (courtesy of Cid) in front of us. The seating order went Roxas, Namine, me, Sora, Riku, Xion, and Selphie. Roxas had made it clear that he wanted to be as far from Xion as possible, though Namine didn't seem to be as affected by her presence.

"Alright, I'll get to the point." He said, shaking his head at the interruption and reaching into his back pocket. "But you're gonna regret throwing your attitude around in a second Riku, because... I have planned an awesome day trip to the Deep Jungle!" He pulled out several tickets from his pocket as he finished. Sure enough, they were the signature dark green tickets. All of our jaws dropped and we just exchanged surprised looks at each other. The Deep Jungle was a brand new amusement park that had just opened up in the spring. It's main attraction was it's huge obstacle course that was nearly impossible. Only a handful of people had beaten it since it opened. The obstacle course was what made it so much different from other parks. It was difficult, but that made it all the more fun. Of course, none of us had been there yet, we'd only heard about it. It was really hard to get tickets due to its high popularity.

"Are you serious?" Riku exclaimed, jumping out of his seat and reaching for the tickets Axel held in his hand. However, the red-head held the tickets above his head, way too high for the younger boy to reach them.

"Completely, but I'm not sure one of these is labeled 'For silver-haired pretty boy with an attitude problem'." Axel teased with a slight smirk. I laughed along with the rest of them as Riku scowled, and Axel caved in and handed out all our tickets.

When he handed me mine, I examined it carefully. "So, when are we going?" Sora asked beside me. I looked up and glanced at my boyfriend next to me.

"Well I heard on Friday, they're giving concert tickets for Melodious Nocturne to the winners, so I reserved ten spots." Axel said, leaning against the counter.

"Wait, ten?" I asked, looking up.

"Well the rules are that you have to be partnered up when you do the obstacle course. You can't do it by yourself or in a big group. I figured the eight of you will pair up and that left me out so I got one for Larxene too." He explained.

"And you said it's Friday? As in this Friday, that's two days from now?" Roxas asked from the end of the counter.

"Yeah, I know I should've asked you guys first in case any of you had work, but I wanted to surprise everybody."

"Well, me and Roxas are off. What about the rest of you guys?" Sora asked, looking back over me.

"I'm off." Namine said from beside Roxas. The rest of the group looked at me, since I was the only one left with an actual job.

"I had a morning shift, but I think Yuffie would be willing to cover." I said.

"Great, so it's settled then." Axel said, looking around at all of us. I glanced down at the ticket in my hand once again, feeling excitement set in. These tickets were probably really hard to get and I was psyched for Friday. Sora and I would be unstoppable.

"Thanks Axel, it was really thoughtful of you to do this." I added, smiling up at him. The rest of the group chorused my thoughts and we all sat for a minute, discussing car pools and partnerships.

"Alright kids, as much as I like you guys you should probably get going." Cid said, walking out from the kitchen in the back room. I glanced around and noticed that a few customers had wandered in during our little meeting.

"You're right. Thanks for the food Cid!" Sora said as we all hopped off our chairs and started making our way to the door. My hand automatically went for his hand and I felt him lace his fingers through mine as we walked out the door. We'd only been together for a few days, but it felt natural. It wasn't the forced kind of hand-holding, I did it without a second thought. However, if I had been thinking, I would not have grabbed his hand because I knew what would follow when I did.

"Sora... Kairi... why are you guys holding hands?" Selphie asked timidly from behind us. I stopped walking and looked down at our hands, realizing that they were intertwined. I pulled it away from him so fast you'd think I got burnt. I looked up at Sora who was wide-eyed but smiling and I couldn't help but blush as I tried to rack my brain for an excuse.

"Don't you guys know? They're a thing now. Geez, you'd think it was Valentine's Day with the way you guys are getting together." Axel said as he breezed by us. "Well, looks like you've got a bit of explaining to do, see you later!" He called over his shoulder as he turned the corner of the town square.

I glanced over at the rest of our friends. Xion, Riku, and Selphie didn't look shocked or anything, which was weird because they were all completely unaware of the new development in our relationship. Namine was just smiling at us and Roxas looked like he wished he had left with Axel.

"Well it's about damn time. I was getting pretty tired of all the flirting and obliviousness." Riku said with a smirk before the rest of them burst out laughing. I felt my face heat up at their reactions.

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked, running a hand through his spiky hair. He looked just as confused as I did.

"Oh please! You guys have been like this since middle school. It was actually painful to watch you two dance around each other all the time." Xion explained as we started walking back towards the beach.

"You mean you guys knew?" I asked, my hand finding its way back to Sora's.

"Yeah, sorry guys but everybody knew. Why do you think Cloud pushed your buttons so much Sora." Selphie said.

"Alright, changing subjects, I can't believe Axel got us tickets to the Deep Jungle." Namine said. I shot her a thankful look and she just smiled back.

"Oh that reminds me, I should let Tidus know about that." Selphie said, whipping out her phone.

"Tidus huh? I never thought I'd see the day when Selphie Tilmitt got a boyfriend." Riku said with a light teasing tone.

"It's not like that Riku, we're friends." Selphie said with a roll of her eyes. I laughed at the display. Those two fought like cats and dogs but when it came down to it, they cared about each other.

"Alright, whatever you say. As fun as this was, I'm stealing Xion away. We'll catch up with you later." Riku said. We all said our goodbyes as the two walked off towards the pier, well, almost all of us. Roxas had stayed silent ever since we left Cid's. We all knew why, and we all knew better than to address it.

"So, what time are you guys getting off?" I asked curiously as we walked up the stairs and onto the boardwalk. Surf's Up was just over a block away, and the guys had the same shift as always.

"We're getting off around three again. At least, I think." Sora answered, smiling down at me.

"Well we're gonna be at the beach all day anyway. You should stop by when you're done." Namine added. I nodded and glanced behind us at Selphie who was a few steps behind us.

"You're still coming, right Selphie?" I asked. She nodded and I smiled at her. We had planned a girl's day the night before, and due to all the... drama that had happened in the past week, we had thought it best to leave Xion out of it. I had nothing against her and neither did Selphie, she was our friend. We just weren't sure how Namine felt about the whole thing.

We arrived at Surf's Up, interrupting my thoughts and ending my time with Sora.

"Well, I'm gonna go set up on the beach, meet me down there!" Selphie said before practically skipping down the ramp and onto the sand. I laughed at my friend's bubbly personality before turning back to Sora. He smiled down at me and I beamed back up at him and it felt like a scene from some chick flick that was over the top mushy but I was so happy that I just didn't care.

"I'll see you later, okay?" He said, his eyes locked on mine. I just nodded and stood on my toes, pressing my lips against his before pulling away.

"Don't give Wakka too much trouble." I said. He just nodded and I smiled and turned around, walking down the ramp. Namine was right behind me, and she was shooting me one of those looks that she has.

"What is it Nam?" I asked lightly as we made our way over to where Selphie had laid down her towel and was already lathering on the tanning oil.

"You guys are just cute together, that's all. You're in the honeymoon phase where you're all blissed out over each other and it's about time too." She replied with a laugh at the end.

"So you knew all this time too, huh?" I asked, fanning out my own towel next to Selphie's and taking a seat.

"You could say that. I've known for a while how Sora felt about you actually, but I was never sure about you. I had a feeling though." She said smugly, plopping down beside me.

"Hey, you're the one who managed to sneak around with Roxas for months, mind telling us about that?" I asked. Selphie shot up faster than the time I told her that Victoria's Secret AND Forever 21 was having a huge sale.

"Ooooh I wanna hear about this." She said and I laughed as I watched Namine blushed.

"There's not much to tell guys." She said quietly, but the smile tugging at her lips totally gave her away.

"Oh please, your face says differently." I said, laughing as I talked.

"Come on, you were always sweet little Nam, never been kissed and all that and now you're with Roxas! In the words of our classmates, 'undateable, broody, hot' Roxas. You gotta give us something." Selphie was pratically vibrating with anticipation.

"Alright, well what do you guys want to hear about?" She said, finally caving in.

"Well you guys have been together six months, right?" I asked.

"Since the 26th, yes."

"How'd he ask you out? How'd you guys even get that close?" I knew they were friends but they must have been better friends than I thought.

"I'll start from the beginning. Sometime during sophomore year, Sora mentioned that Roxas wasn't as... intimidating as everybody made him out to be. I listened to what he said and tried to talk to Roxas outside of the group. He was pretty tough to crack, he really didn't want to talk to me at first. I'd always ask him basic questions and I slowly learned more about him, but it was just what was on the surface. It was what everybody else knew, he never told me anything with substance. We talked about schedules and the rest of you guys, but I didn't know anything real. So I kept pushing. And one day, I was just working in the ceramics room at school and he walked in and asked 'Why me?'. I knew what he meant. I didn't have to keep talking to him, especially when he made it so hard. But I saw something else, I knew there was something under that rock hard surface, something more. There was someone I wanted to know, like, really know. And I told him that. He plopped down next to me and asked another question. He asked 'Let me ask a question for a change. Why do you love art so much?'. So I told him why and ever since that day, we never stopped talking. I learned something new about him everyday.

"As far as asking me out, he did that the day after Christmas. Well, he didn't really ask, it just... kind of happened." She said, her cheeks bright red and a small smile on her mouth.

"Oh really, and how did it just kind of happen?" I asked, sending her a smug smile. She just blushed even more if that was possible.

"Awww, Namine you guys are so cute together. So what's he really like, ya know, beneath all the brooding exterior?" Selphie asked, taking her sunglasses off and tilting her head to the side.

"It's really hard to say. It sounds stupid, but I really can't remember not knowing him the way I do now. He's very complex, and he does everything with intensity. Some days we have conversations that last for hours, and other days we barely speak, but it's in a good way. We spend those days with each other and all, we just don't need words."

"Wow, you guys even sound intense." It came out joking but it was true. The way she described their relationship was so deep and complex and intense, that when I compared it to mine and Sora's (despite it's current blooming state), it seems so different. That's when it dawned on me. "Have you guys said... the L-word yet?" I asked.

"You mean love?" Selphie asked. I nodded and turned back to Namine, anxious for her answer.

"Yeah, but we don't throw it around every day. It's something that we both take really seriously." She said, a light pink tinging her cheeks.

"Wait, I'm not trying to be rude or nosy but have you guys... you know?" Selphie asked, her eyes wide. My eyes widened as I realized what she meant.

"No! No we haven't I mean..." Namine stumbled over her words and she was as red as a tomato by that point. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes for a moment before looking around us to see if anyone was listening. "No, we haven't had... sex. I mean, we've done some... stuff, but Roxas is just really..." She trailed off, and I could tell she wanted to tell us, she just couldn't find the right word.

"Really what?" I asked, suddenly worried for my best friend's relationship. Is he pushy? Was he trying to get her to do something she wasn't ready for or didn't want to do?

"He just really doesn't want to rush things." She said, the same shy smile spreading across her lips. I sighed in relief. " Despite all the rumors, he wasn't lying that night of truth or dare." My mind flashed back to the first night of summer, and despite the haziness, I remembered what she was talking about. 'Oh yeah, Roxas is a virgin too'. I glanced over at Selphie who looked a bit confused but I'd have to fill her in later. "I can tell that he wants to, he just doesn't want to push me or anything. It's really sweet actually. He says that he doesn't want to do anything until I'm absolutely ready for it. And usually, he can read me like a book, but..." She trailed off again, biting her lip and looking down at the sand.

"But what woman!?" Selphie asked, nearly falling off her towel in anticipation. I smirked at her even though I felt exactly the same way.

"But I want to." Namine rushed out, her face immediately flushing with her confession. Selphie squealed and fell back onto her towel and my jaw dropped in surprise. Who knew little Namine could be... not so innocent? "Guys, please don't tell anybody, especially Roxas. It's just I've been thinking about it lately, okay?" She pleaded. Selphie and I nodded, and I knew neither of us would tell anybody.

"Don't worry Namine, your secret is safe with me. The only reason I asked was because I wasn't sure how much of the rumor mill was true and I did not want one of my best girl friends getting chlamydia." Selphie exclaimed, making a gross face. I laughed, of course she'd be pre-occupied with safe sex and not the juicy details. It was Selphie after all. We all laughed for a moment before we settled down and I thought about the conversation we just had.

"If you think you're ready, then go for it Nam." I encouraged, shooting a smile at my best friend. "Roxas will treat you right, I can guarantee that. But if you don't mind me asking, would you guys even be able to... you know what with parents and all that?"

"Um, about that... I've slept over his house before." She mumbled, tracing circles in the sand.

"You what?!" I asked, surprised by that bit on information.

"We don't do anything other than sleep Kairi. Okay, maybe we make out a bit, but that's it. Anyways, getting back to the point, his parents are divorced, and he lives with his father. His father is a doctor at Destiny Island Memorial Hospital, so he has night shifts sometimes." She explained.

"And your parents just let you go?" Selphie asked.

"Well, I kind of tell her I'm going over to Kairi's and she doesn't question it." Namine admitted, looking over at me with a smirk. Wow, Namine was definitely not as innocent as everyone thought.

"But instead you sneak over to Roxas's and spend the night together." Selphie finished, piecing the puzzle together for herself.

"Exactly. You guys know how my parents were out of town the last few days of school?" She asked. I vaguely remembered her saying something about it, and apparently Selphie did too because we nodded.

"Well that night I asked Roxas to spend at my house. You know, for a change and we talked about it." Namine said, her cheeks still burning. I'm pretty sure the color hadn't left her cheeks once this whole time. "He said that whenever I decided I was ready, he'd make it special. And I've been thinking about it more and more lately so I guess we'll see." She finished.

"Aw, I didn't know Roxas could be so sentimental." Selphie said lightly.

"I know, he'd kill me if he found out I was telling you guys all this. But I can't help it, it feels so good to finally tell somebody." Namine said, leaning back on her hands, tilting her head up to the sun.

"Don't worry Namine, everything will stay between the three of us." I reassured her.

"Speaking of everything, how are you and Sora Kairi?" She asked, her eyes glancing at me sideways as she smirked. It was my turn to blush as I felt my face heat up.

"Yeah Kairi, how come I just found out about this today!?" Selphie asked, bolting back up into a sitting position. Oh how the tables have turned.

"It just happened three days ago Selphie." I said, laughing. "We were kind of nervous to come clean, we didn't know how the group would react."

"Trust me, you had nothing to worry about. It was inevitable, we could all see how you felt about each other." Selphie said, giving me a kind smile.

"So, what have the past three days been like for you?" Namine asked, the smug look still very much in place on her blush-free face. I returned her smirk and was about to wipe it right off her face

"Filled with lots and lots of sex." I said, very seriously despite my smirk. I burst out laughing the second her eyebrows shot up to her hairline and her mouth gaped open like a fish. "I'm totally kidding! There was definitely making out but nothing more than PG-13 I swear." I said, laughing as her and Selphie shot each other looks.

"Not funny Kairi, I thought you were serious for a second." Namine said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Seriously though, how's it going with Sora? I mean, you guys have been friends for so long, isn't it kind of weird being in a relationship after all this time?" Selphie asked.

"No, not at all. It's really easy. I've had feelings for him for so long, and now that I get to act on them it's great. I'm dating my best friend, that's what every girl dreams about. Everything with him is so natural, you know? We're not in love, not yet. I love him and I have deep feelings for him, but listening to Namine about her and Roxas... we don't have that. Not yet. But I know we will." It was like I couldn't control my mouth, and my brain had no control. The words just kept tumbling out but it was a good thing. I watched as Selphie and Namine smiled at me and I felt the heat creep up my neck and into my cheeks. "Cheesy and stupid right?"

"No, I think it's great that you're so happy." Namine said, her smile genuine and her eyes sincere.

"Yeah, it's about time. I just hate being the fifth wheel." Selphie joked, nestling back onto her towel and slipping her sunglasses back over her face. Namine looked at me and I knew we were thinking about the same thing.

"So Selphie, how's Tidus these days?" I asked innocently.

"He's good. He says training camp is really tough but it's paying off. He also said he's in for Friday, but I haven't told him any of this coupley stuff. There's way too much to explain over text." She rambled on and on, clueless as to what we were trying to hint at.

"Then why don't you call him?" Namine asked subtly, the tone in her voice suggesting something more.

"Because it's not like that guys." She sighed, sitting back up and taking her sunglasses off, once again. She tends to do that in the middle of a discussion. "We're friends. He's good looking, yes. He's kind and thoughtful, yes. But those are basic facts. He'll make a great boyfriend for somebody, don't get me wrong. But we're just starting to get to know each other. Besides, next year I'll hopefully be in some early admissions program at Hollow Bastion and he'll be training for football or blitzball at the big athletic college he goes to. Maybe he'll even end up at Radiant Garden University. I hear it has a wonderful sports program."

"Okay, I get that you're just getting back your friendship back. But if you think he's such a great guy, why don't you think it's worth the risk?" I asked. She sat up and looked at me pointedly.

"Say we do get together or something after getting to know each other, which would take a while. What happens when we go our separate ways in less than a year? What's the point if you know there's an expiration date on the horizon? It's not like that with you guys and your boyfriends. You could very well all end up at the same college, and you have such a strong foundation. I don't even know Tidus's middle name yet. I've spoken to his mother about twice in the past four years. And who knows, maybe it wouldn't work out. Trust me guys, I don't think about Tidus that way. Maybe if this had happened a year or two ago, it'd be different, but I'm good with my life. I have an awesome group of friends, I'm getting to know someone that I've missed, and I have a shot at valedictorian. Life is good, I'm happy. So don't worry about me guys, I don't need a boyfriend. To be honest, I'm not even sure I could fit one into my AP's next year." She finished with a laugh.

I felt the guilt seep in as I realized how much everyone's been pestering her about them. I understood her. She had a right to like who ever she wanted, and maybe she didn't like Tidus. And if she did, she didn't see the outcome to be pleasant, so why risk it? I'd known Selphie for years, this was the girl who brought a calculator to the mall so she could calculate sales tax and whatnot. She neverdid anything without thinking it through to a T.

"Sorry Selph, I didn't realize it was like that. I just wanted to make sure you weren't holding back your happiness for some dumb reason like 'What if he doesn't like me back'." I said, taking a shot at my own self esteem. She merely laughed and slipped her sunglasses back on.

"It's okay guys. I'm lucky to have friends that care so much. But Mr. Sun is the only man I need in my life." She sighed with content and resumed her tanning. For a smart girl who knew how bad the sun's radiation was and how it could cause skin cancer, Selphie sure loved tanning. But that was who she was, and she was my best friend for it.

I just shared a smile with Namine and we started lathering up in sunscreen. Selphie may be willing to risk her skin for some color, but if health meant being pale and pasty, so be it.


"That's gonna take some getting used to." Sora said, staring at the girls as they made their way down the ramp. Roxas just rolled his eyes and shoved his friend. The both started laughing as they turned around and walked through the doors. "You know, I thought things would kind of be different now but it's all still the same. You know, except for the kissing part."

"That's because you and Kairi might as well have been together the past six years." Roxas said, rolling his eyes as they walked behind the counter and relieved Neku of the morning shift.

"Yeah, I guess so. Speaking of our girlfriends, you and Namine huh?" Sora asked, plopping into one of the chairs since the store was empty for the moment.

"Who would've guessed, right?" Roxas asked, playing with the display case.

"I didn't mean it like that. You guys are so different compared to me and Kairi. For example, we're both so alike. Outgoing and friendly. Then you and Namine are different. She's so simple and clean, and you're like a rubix cube. But it works." Roxas wasn't really sure what to make of his friend's rambling so he just looked at Sora, confused. "What I'm trying to say is she's good for you. You two kind of balance each other out."

That made much more sense. Roxas smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, I guess. It was about time you got the guts to tell Kairi, though. I was starting to think you two might never get together." He said, shooting Sora a smirk. Sora opened his mouth to reply but before he could speak Wakka burst into the room.

"Wow man you finally got with little red? Never thought I'd see the day. Now quit talking 'bout girls and get to work ya lazy bums!"


"So, what are your plans for today?"Riku's best friend asked as they made their way towards his car. He had given Xion a ride that morning and he parked by the pier.

"Well given the past few days, I figured we should do something fun, something we haven't done in a while, just the two of us." He said, looking down at her. He noticed her eyelashes were longer and darker and that her lips were pinker, but he didn't say anything. She had slowly begun adding makeup to her daily routine, and Riku was starting to get used to it. He thought she looked great either way, but if she wanted to wear makeup then who was he to stop her? He was sure now that she was doing it for herself, and that's all that mattered.

She looked back at him and smiled as they maade their way towards the car. If he was a stranger looking at his best friend, he'd think she was actually happy. He was surprised by how fast Xion had gotten on with everything. It was as if she never really liked Roxas.

"And what would that be? Hopefully something other than surfing and skateboarding." Xion said with a smile as she climbed into the car beside him. Riku had spent the day before with her. They had gone surfing in the morning with a few of their other buddies and later that night, they had tried to go skateboarding, but the skate park had been too crowded. Today, he had a plan, and he knew for a fact nobody would be there.

"It's a surprise." Riku said, his lips curving into a smile as he shifted gears and pulled out of the spot, driving towards the very west coast of Destiny Islands.

"Aw come on, please tell me!" Riku glanced over and Xion was giving him the puppy dog look. He just laughed and shook his head, and when she huffed in frustration he couldn't help but smile even wider. Ever since Monday, she'd been so different and he couldn't help but notice that she was actually... happy. A few minutes passed by in silence and it was almost comfortable except for the fact Xion was secretly sulking on the passenger side.

"Well, if you pay attention to the direction I'm going maybe you'll figure it out." He caved and told her. She sat up quickly and glanced out the window, looking at the road. It was the same road that led up to Leon's house, the wealthiest part of the island. Her face lit up and she turned to face him, a smile on her face.

"We're not going where I think we're going, are we?" She asked. Riku just glanced at her before looking back at the road.

"We'll see." He asked smugly. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she smiled and settled back into her seat.

Twenty minutes later, he pulled up in front of a big, two story house. It was probably one of the best on the islands, not to mention one of the most expensive. Leon's house was a ten minute drive from there (1).

The house was white and had a large balcony across the front of the top story. Pillars ran up from the porch to the balcony and there were rose bushes lining the front of the house. The shutters were light blue and it was the most picturesque house you could probably imagine.

"We haven't been here since April." Xion said, stepping out of the car. She turned to Riku and her smile couldn't be contained. She was grinning and her eyes were completely lit up. "You know how much I love your grandmother and her lake house, right?" His grandmother was one of the oldest, yet wealthiest people on the island and she absolutely adored Xion.

"Of course, why do you think we're here?" He asked, leading her up the concrete stairs and knocked on the big wooden door. After a few moments, the door swung open to reveal a small, silver haired lady with glasses. She looked like a porcelain doll.

"Oh Riku, look who you've brought!" She gushed, her voice one of those high and sweet voices grandmothers tend to have.

"Hello Margerie! How are you doing?" Xion asked, stepping in the foyer and enveloping the frail woman in a gentle hug.

"It's been lovely weather up here. I haven't seen you in so long." She said the last part, shooting Riku a look. Xion just laughed as Riku hugged his grandmother as well.

"Sorry Gran, I'll have to bring her around more often." He said as they all made their way towards the kitchen. There was a pitcher of lemonade and a plate of brownies out and the windows were all open.

Riku knew how much Xion loved this house, and it showed. He watched her walk over to the screen door that led to the back porch. She opened it and leaned out, closing her eyes as the lake breeze blew her hair back. Her lips were curved into the sweetest smile and Riku thought she looked beautiful.

"That one's a keeper you know." His Gran whispered as she elbowed him in the ribs. He laughed and nodded before walking ahead and grabbing Xion's head, pulling her towards the lake.

"We'll be back in a bit Gran!" He yelled over his shoulder as they walked towards the lake. Riku let go of Xion's hand and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Sorry it's been a while since I've taken you here." He admitted, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.

"Better late than never, right?" Xion asked. He looked down to see her smiling up at him before she sprinted off. "Last one to the canoe has to paddle!" She yelled, already running towards the dock.

"That's cheating!" Riku yelled back, catching up to her in no time. They were both laughing and out of breath by the time they got to the canoe. Even though Xion had lost, Riku ended up paddling them out into the middle of the lake.

"This place is perfect. Remember last summer, we used to come up here at least once a week?" Xion asked. She was leaning on the edge of the canoe, her fingers swirling in the water below them.

"Yeah, except back then, all you ever talked about was Roxas." Riku said, trying to subtly ease into the conversation. Xion sighed and looked up at him, resting her chin in her hand.

"I know. Ever since Monday, I just feel so... free. It's like I let go of this big weight. It's weird, I thought I'd feel something after all of this. I mean, I thought I really liked the guy but... I don't know. I'm not sure I ever really liked him, I think I liked the idea of being with him, or with somebody. And I feel so happy." She finished, smiling and looking down at the water. Riku watched as her reflection smiled back at her. He smiled and placed the oar down.

"I think I get what you mean. I'm just glad you're happy Xi." She looked up at him and for a moment, he let himself think about what it would feel like to be the guy she wanted. But only for a moment, because he knew that it would never happen, and he didn't want to get his hopes up. He was the best friend, almost like a brother. And despite how much he liked her, all he wanted was for her to be happy, even if it was with someone else. And he knew that with her, there'd always be someone else.

"Come on." He said, trying to keep his smile on and his tone light, despite his depressing revelation. "We should get back." He went to put the oar in the water but was stopped by Xion's hand on his wrist. He looked up to see her smiling at him, her eyes warm and happy... and there was something new in there but he couldn't quite place it.

"Riku, thanks for being there for me all that time. It couldn't have been easy, but I'm not sure how I would've done it without you." She said. 'You don't know the half of it.' That's what he was thinking, but of course he couldn't say that. So he forced a smile back on and looked over at his best friend.

"No problem Xion. What are friends for?"


(1) Leon's parents own a shipping company named Squall Inc. that exports and imports all tradable goods from the island, so they're loaded. Riku's grandmother owns Destiny Island Memorial Hospital. That's to explain their wealth in case you guys were curious.

(2) Selphie Namine and Kairi had girls day planned, so they wore bathing suits under their clothes for conveniency. And they brought like tote bags with them for their towels, sunglasses, suncreen/tanning oil, etc. I just didn't feel like explaining all that in the story.

A.N.- The title of the chapter was taken because it's inspired by Riku and his feelings for Xion. And I love it. Sorry if that was short-ish, it was just a filler. I know girls' day and Riku/Xion were longer than the guys working, but to be honest, I feel like the last two chapters have uncovered a lot about Roxas and Sora, and Namine told y'all EVERYTHING about their relationship (ok not everything but a lot), so I ran out of ideas.

On the bright side, the Riku arc is picking up a bit:) However, we'll have to see if he's right or not. In the next chapter, we'll be getting Xion's perspective of their litle *ahem* moment on the lake. We'll also see some of the golden trio next chapter (Riku, Sora, Kairi)

Anyways, the next few chapters will be the road trip to DJ (Deep Jungle) and the whole obstacle course. I'm thinking it'll be split into three parts, which means three different chapters. The next part should be up within the next month because cheer season ends in a little over a week!

I just wanted to let y'all know I'm doing a quick multi-chap soon, along with this one! It'll be Kingdom Hearts, and it'll be Sokai but here's the twist. It's kind of a Titanic AU. But I'm not gonna put it in the crossover section because it really isn't using Titanic characters, all the characters will be KH.

Let me know what you thought:)

P.S.- I know in Chapter one it was Destiny Island Local Hospital instead of Destiny Island Memorial Hospital so let's just pretend it was always memorial, okay? Also, this WILL come up later, so remember it. And so will Riku's grandmother cuz she's adorable