I'm back everyone!!! Good News I took the SATs last week so now there should be no more reason for me to be late in updating anymore. I would like to thank everyone for their reviews; it makes me happy to see that so many people like this story. With that said I give you Chapter 8. Enjoy

"Aww Sora aren't they adorable?" Kairi whispered to Sora as she gazed at the couple on the other side of the training area. In order to not get caught spying they had to keep the door ajar, but that was enough for both Kairi and Sora to see what was going on.

"Come on Kairi let's get out of here," Sora complained he didn't want to know what Riku would do to him if he caught them snooping on him and Namine.

"Sora stop being such a scaredy cat," she replied as she continued to watch her sister. She felt the smile creep onto her face, so this was Riku. He was really cute she had to admit; no wonder Namine always had him on her mind. Kairi tried to keep from squealing as Riku pulled Namine's sleeping figure closer to him, and Namine lean further into his chest.

'How did I get pulled into this?!' Sora thought letting out a big sigh.

He watched Kairi from the corner of his eye. Her shoulder-length hair gently cascaded over her shoulder and her blue orbs held a child-like glow to them. Probably the most noticeable feature was the smile that lit up her face. Actually if it were even possible, Kairi's smile could've brightened the entire hallway. Now he remembered how he got dragged into coming with her.

Flashback

'Oh crap I'm gonna be late!!' Sora thought as he frantically made his way up the huge marble staircase into the castle. As soon as he had made it to the top on the stair he put his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. That was when he heard a giggle coming from his left. Kairi stood about four feet away from him.

"Sora you lazy bum, your late," Kairi said while walking over to him.

"Sorry Kairi I uh...training practice with Riku took a lot longer than I thought," Sora replied while giving her his trademark grin.

Kairi did not seem all too pleased with his excuse. It may have been a poor excuse to say to the younger princess, but it was the truth.

"It's okay… I guess I can forgive you," Kairi said letting out a slight chuckle.

Sora let out a sigh of relief; he didn't ever want to face the wrath of a woman. He heard from his friend Tidus back when he was living on Traverse Town that it was the worse thing that any man could be put through.

"Sooooo Sora where is your friend?" Kairi asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He shrugged, "He's with Namine...more than likely he's still training. Why?" Sora asked becoming suspicious of the red-head's intentions.

"I just wanted to meet him...my sister means a lot to me and I want to know what he is like."

Okay now Sora was confused, wasn't Namine supposed to be engaged to that prince that Riku despises more than anything?

"Uh Kairi?" she looked up at him. "Isn't Namine already engaged? Riku said something along that line last night."

Kairi was silent for a moment. "Yes it's true...Namine is engaged to Roxas, but I don't like him. There is just something wrong about him...and Namine really isn't too crazy about him either."

The silence continued to drag on as both teenagers were deep into their thoughts.

"Hey I've got an idea!!" Kairi shouted out almost making Sora jump out of his shoes. "Let's go spy on Riku and Namine."

Kairi noticed the color leave Sora's face as she mentioned the idea. Spying on Riku would be a bad idea, especially after the last time he had attempted something so childish. Sora actually thought that Riku was going to kill him last time, just the thought of it made him cringe.

"Sora?" Kairi asked concerned for her friend.

"No not a good idea...spying on Riku equals very bad idea Kairi," he replied frantically waving his hands at her.

"Aww are you scared?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

"N-no I-I'm not scared," Sora cursed himself for stuttering.

Kairi suddenly grabbed on hold of both of his hands. "Please Sora??" she asked giving him the puppy dog pout.

Sora immediately felt his heart pounding against his chest, what ever she was doing to him it was working. Kairi didn't let up, she was a very persistent girl.

"Fine...fine let's go," Sora said as they began to walk down the marble stairs. He heard her shout in victory right behind him, he also didn't notice that he was still holding onto her hand. It was strange how it was very hard for him to say 'no' to her.

"Thank you Sora," Kairi said, tightening the grip around his hand. Sora only replied with a sigh.

'Riku's going to kill me if we get caught.'

End Flashback

Sora continued to watch his best friend hold onto his princess while she slept. His mind began to wander as to how exactly Kairi had convinced him to participate in this little spy mission. He looked over to her again; he didn't understand at all what was going on with him. Something about Kairi was different than other people, every time that he was with her it seemed he felt the need to protect her and make her happy. Just seeing her smile again had made his day, maybe even if Riku did find out about this and give him the biggest headlock of life he wouldn't have cared, her smile was worth it all.

"Sora look he's leaving," Kairi stated.

Sora returned his gaze to Riku's retreating back as he carried Namine out of the training area through the other set of double doors.

"See Sora I knew we wouldn't get caught," she said looking back to him in triumph.

Sora laughed at the girl's antics, "Yeah I'm glad we didn't...trust me Riku isn't someone you want to anger."

He slowly got up from his kneeling position and cracked his back slightly. Kairi did the same and began to brush the dust off of her lavender purple gown.

"So what do you think of him Kairi?" he asked the red-head.

She nodded in approval, "I think that Riku would be perfect for Namine. There's just one problem standing in their way."

"Roxas," they said in unison.

"Hmm looks like great minds think alike," Kairi said touching Sora's forehead with her index finger.

"Y-Yeah," he mumbled. Why was he stuttering so much?

"Your Highness!" Both Kairi and Sora looked behind them to see a brunette haired girl with bright viridian green eyes walking over to where they stood.

"What is it Olette?" Kairi asked as the girl.

Olette was one of the maids who was in charge of cleaning the younger princess' bedroom. She used to play with Kairi and Namine all the time when they were younger.

"Your father wishes to see you," Olette replied after catching her breath. "I am to escort you to him so if you would please come with me," Kairi nodded in response and slowly turned to Sora.

"I have to go...I'm really sorry Sora," she apologized.

"No really it's okay Kairi, go to your dad," he replied giving her a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "But

before you go I want you to have this."

He pulled a small lilac out of his pocket that he had managed to pick without her looking. Kairi stood there shocked, nobody had ever given her a flower before and lilacs were her favorites.

"Oh Sora thank you!" she exclaimed while taking it from his hand. Sora shivered slightly when their fingers brushed against each others.

"Tomorrow then," he stated before turning around. Kairi watched him walk away from her, the lilac held firmly against her chest. She felt a blush rise to her face as she went over the event that just took place in her head.

"Tomorrow," she said even though she knew he was out of hearing range. Olette smiled at the lilac that was in Kairi's hand. Maybe one day she would be the lucky one to receive a flower, but today she was going to be happy for her friend.

'There's always tomorrow,' she thought as Kairi and her began to walk the other way. She hoped that she would meet her true love someday soon as well.

With Riku and Namine

Riku walked slowly down the hallway towards his bedroom. The only things that could be heard his footsteps echoing off of the walls and the rise and fall of Namine's chest. They had been sitting on that hard wooden bench for about fifteen minutes and he was worried that Namine would have a stiff neck due to sleeping in the wrong position. So he carried her out of the training area and was currently heading for his room where she could actually sleep on a bed. It was strange to walk down the hallways at this time of the day without running into somebody.

'Mickey must have everyone out on patrol,' Riku thought as he approached the wooden door that lead into his bedroom.

Making sure not to wake Namine, Riku used his foot to turn the knob opening his door. At least now Namine would be sleeping on a comfortable bed and not on some hard bench. He placed the princess gently on the bed, placing the covers over her so she wouldn't get cold. Riku left her bedside for moment to go into the small den that he had neglected to use before, grabbing a few extra pillows to place on the bed for her. When he pulled another pillow off of the futon something dropped down onto the floor, a book of some kind.

'This looks like Namine's sketchbook,' he thought as he bent down to pick it up.

The smell of pencil shavings filled his nostrils as soon as he had opened the book. Flipping through the pages, he examined all of the drawings; most of them were landscapes of sunsets and many of the castle gardens.

'She's a very talented artist...much better than I can draw.'

Riku couldn't even draw a stick figure to save his life. It was then that a particular sketch had caught his eye. The boy's back was toward him, hair going to his shoulder, and a necklace of some sort hanging on the fingers of his left hand. It was him when he was eleven years old; he was amazed that she remembered exactly what he looked like at that time. Riku also felt a feeling of happiness knowing that she had thought about him just as much as he thought of her.

'So are you just going to admit you love her yet?'

Riku sighed, that inner voice of his was back, and he was really getting used to it not nagging him all the time.

'Don't you have something better to do than bug me?!'

'No I like bugging you. It is my job after all and besides...you can't deny it to yourself forever.'

Riku's aqua gaze was cast down to the ground, anyone who passed by him would think he had some infatuation with the carpet.

'She's a princess.'

'That isn't stopping you is it Riku?'

'It's just that-'

"R-Riku!? Where are you?" he heard Namine's frantic voice calling out.

Without a second thought Riku dropped the sketchbook, and ran at the speed of lightning to the room where he had left the blond haired princess. A sense of relief passed through his body as soon as he saw that Namine was safe and sound on his bed. The only thing wrong was that she was tossing and turning in her sleep. Riku made his way over to her bedside, grabbing hold of one of her hands. Tears were streaming down her face; it pained Riku to see her having such nightmares.

"I'm right here Namine," he whispered in a calm voice, his grip tightening around her hand.

"Please don't...leave!"

Leave? The thought had never even occurred to him, he was never going to leave her. He was happy with the way things were at the moment, besides the whole Roxas problem.

"I would never leave you...don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise," he reassured her, hopefully his words could reach her.

Namine nodded in response, her breathing had started to slow, and the nightmares were going back into the depths of her mind. Riku continued to stroke her hand to assure her that he was right beside her.

"Don't ever leave Riku," she pleaded.

"I won't...I'll be right here when you wake up Namine."

Then there was silence, the calm atmosphere had returned once again. Riku pulled a chair that was nearby up to the bed, took a seat, and laid his head on the edge of the mattress. If there was ever such a thing as paradise he would have considered it right here with her. Heck anywhere would be paradise to him as long as she was by his side. This must be what it feels like to love somebody. He felt his inner self smirking back at him, like he had finally convinced Riku to open up.

'See there is not use in denying it.'

Riku ignored the voice and continued to watch the sleeping girl. Eventually he began to feel his eyelids grow heavy, meaning that sleep wasn't too far off. No matter how hard he fought off the exhaustion it just came back.

'I must've used up more energy in that sparring match than expected,' he thought.

He didn't want to fall asleep, what he wanted was to stay and continued to watch Namine sleep. Riku wanted to treasure the time he had alone with her while he still could. After all time was running out for her. No longer able to fight it off any longer Riku unwillingly closed his eyes letting sleep take over him.

Again I apologize about the delay of the updates, but now that the SAT is over with I can update more often. I hope you enjoyed all of the fluff this chapter provides. Oh and I just got the idea of adding Olette into the story, and wanted to know if you guys would like her to play a more important role in the story. If so I need some ideas pretty please gives puppy dog pout R&R Please