Rena took a deep breath and looked at him. He sat there with his eyes on his clenched hands, not moving. "Riku…?" she said uncertainly.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She sighed. "Because I didn't want you to know."
"Why not? You could die and you didn't want me to know, is that about right?"
"But it's not as simple as that."
"Then why won't you just explain what it's like?" His voice was growing colder by the second.
She hesitated, then rested her hand on his shoulder. "Riku…Don't…" There were tears in her voice. "Please…I…"
He shrugged off her hand, stood, and took a few steps away from her.
"Riku…" She sighed and bit her lip until she got herself under control. "I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure."
"But now you are?" His voice was soft.
"Yes."
"So how long do you have?"
She shook her head. "I don't know."
"Why did you come here?"
She was taken aback by his question. "What?"
"Why did you come here if you knew I was just going to get hurt," he demanded his voice taking on an unexpected edge.
"I already told you, I didn't know!"
"Well you should have figured it out. You shouldn't have come here." Their voices were rising, getting louder as their conversation went. Soon they'd be shouting. "But you came anyway. How could you be so heartless?"
There was a shocked silence. Riku couldn't believe he'd just said that and wished for all the world he could take it back. He turned to look at her. Rena had tears in her eyes again. "Rena…I'm sorry…I just…couldn't control my anger…" She said nothing for a long time. He was afraid she'd leave, though he knew he'd deserve it if he did.
Finally she spoke. "Just because you have a heart doesn't mean you have to be so cruel!"
"But you have a heart, too."
"I know I do. I know I do because you just ripped it out and stepped on it." He cringed. "But really," she continued, "sometimes I don't feel like I have a heart at all."
"What do you mean?" He took a few tentative steps toward her. She didn't back away.
"It's just…I was raised by Nobodies. I was created by Nobodies who didn't know how to feel. You may just be learning how to control you emotions, but I'm just learning to have them." She shook her head. "You once said people never change, but look at us Riku. Look at how different we are. Look at how far we've come."
"That just means we have farther to fall."
She shook her head. "I don't know how you can say that."
"I don't know how you can't."
She laughed bitterly, trying to wipe away the tears that were falling down her face. "We're so different…"
"Well, they say opposites attract." He sat on the arm of the chair and gently pulled her toward him. He pulled her hands away from her face and wiped her tears away with his thumb. Before he could pull his hand away she grabbed it and held it close to her. When their eyes met he saw that there were yet more tears in her eyes.
"I'm scared Riku," she whispered. "I don't know what will happen to me."
"I know…I should have thought…" He held out his arms. "Come'ere," he said gently, pulling her into his embrace. She cried into his shoulder. "You shouldn't have come back," he murmured. "You could have…you wouldn't be…dying…" He hated the sound of the word.
She shook her head and pulled back so she could look at him. He kept his arms around her. "Even if I'd stayed away, I would have died without you."
"I know." He pulled her to him again, willing with all his might for her to be wrong, though he knew she wasn't. She would die and it was his fault. If he had just stayed away from her in the beginning, this never would have happened. "Will it hurt you?"
"I don't know. It might." She laughed softly.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Just remembering something. This old saying… 'It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.' I'm starting to wonder if it's true."
He didn't answer but held her tighter. Silence fell between them.
"Riku…?" she whispered.
"Yes?"
"Promise me something?"
"Anything."
"Promise you'll stay with me…until the end…"
He smiled sadly. "I wouldn't dream of anything else."
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"They've been in there for hours. What could they possibly be doing?" Kairi and the others were standing outside the door, pacing in the hallway. They had heard every word they'd shouted at each other and most of what they weren't yelling.
"Kairi, calm down. This is a big deal for them," Roxas said from his position on the floor. His knees were drawn up to his chest. He rested his head on them, his hands in his hair.
Hayner was watching him from across the hall. He stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Did you know about this?"
"Hayner!" Naminé scolded, shocked that he'd even suggest something like that.
"No, Naminé, it's alright. I deserve it," Roxas told her, grunting as he rose to his feet. He looked straight at Hayner. "No, I didn't know. I mean, I did…but I didn't…" He looked at the floor. His head was beginning to ache.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I don't know." He put his hand to his head, his eyes squeezed shut. Naminé put her hand on his shoulder.
"Roxas? Are you alright?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." She knew what that really meant. No, I'm not fine but more important things are happening so forget it until later, ok?
Sora rose. "Hey, I think they're coming out."
He was right. A moment later the door opened and they emerged. Riku had his arm around her. All signs of her tears were gone, though tear tracks were still visible on her face. She looked around at them all, eyes hovering on each of their faces. She was memorizing them, never wanting to forget them.
"Rena? Are you okay?"
She looked at her friends and smiled. "Yeah…I am now."
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Riku and Rena spent the next few days together, neither leaving the other's side for long. Riku even skipped half of his classes so he could stay with her. Sora and Kairi had explained enough to his teachers for him so they would understand and let him be. He would have done it himself, but repeating it over and over again would just be too painful.
They had three beautiful days of bliss together. And then the fourth day came.
It was dinner time and they were all getting their food. Rena hadn't been feeling too well that day, but thought nothing of it. Maybe she was getting a cold or something.
Riku had gone ahead of her and was already at their table, waiting for her. She had her food and was walking toward them when she stopped suddenly. She felt her tray slip through her fingers and fall to the floor with a clatter.
She put her hands to her head. Pain. Sudden, piercing pain. It was her whole world and it encompassed her. She ground her teeth together, determined not to scream. She looked up and saw Riku running toward her. She felt herself falling, and then…nothing.