Author's Note: Hey you guys :) Sorry for the long wait, this is another dangerously long chapter. But hopefully you'll all enjoy it because it took a lot of time and effort.

The last chapter was probably my favorite to write and I'm glad everyone seemed to like it. It was actually quite personal because I went through a little bit of that (and still am to this day). You can hang around a group of people, but there can be a great deal of distance between yourself and them. Personally, I hung around a group of people but it's like we never connected. What hurts is that I'd see pictures of everyone in my "group" going off to places and having a good time, never inviting me or anything like that. Even to this day, it hurts. I'm not a saint or anything, but I still think that after everything I did for said people, a little bit of appreciation or concern would have been nice. Just thought this subject was something people could relate to and I'm glad I got such a positive reaction out of it.

I wanna thank all those who faved and read. You guys are awesome. Plus I can't forget my reviewers Frooky90, Khaotic Kal, Sayonara Yasashii Akumi, thedistraughtnobody, Kanika Meskhenet, Queen Micky and animechick247. Thank you everyone!

This chapter has more RoxasxJasmine in it. Haha a LOT more XD. There's some TifaxCloud, SoraxKairi for sure and of course RikuxJasmine/Faye. Tell me what you guys think and happy reading! Thanks once again for all the support :)

-Skye

"I don't know about this Tifa," Jasmine stared at her reflection skeptically as Tifa ran a comb through the latter's hair. "Are you sure I can pull this off?"

Tifa smiled and tossed the comb on her bed. "What are you talking about? You look great."

Jasmine ran her fingers along the zipper of her leather jacket. "This is definitely a step up from my sweat pants and hoodies." For the evening, she donned an outfit of black on black. She wore a halter top with a square neckline that tied like a corset in the back. The top overlapped a pair of dark skinny jeans and to finish it off she wore towering black, platform, peep toe pumps.

"I agree," Tifa gave the young girl a spin and admired her work on making Jasmine over. "This style seems to suit you a lot more. I'm just shocked you could fill out that top. I used to wear it when I was in college."

The heat rushed to Jasmine's face. "It's not like I'm a wall, Tifa," she said indignantly. "I know I'm not as big as you but sheesh!"

Tifa broke out into hearty laughter and grabbed a red ribbon that sat on her dresser. "Just be glad you've got something there that's natural." She tied Jasmine's hair into a loose side ponytail. "Are you looking forward to tonight?"

Jasmine's shoulders slumped forward. "Honestly, no. I really don't like interfering in other people's lives. It's not my place."

"Then," she fluffed Jasmine's hair before knotting the ribbon again, "why are you doing this?"

"Supposedly to help out a friend," Jasmine answered plainly. "I told Riku that after this, I'm not getting involved."

Tifa gave her a suspicious look. "The same Riku who gives you grief? Honestly Jasmine I don't understand this one bit." But Tifa had a slight idea of what was going on. She just didn't say anything because she wanted to see how this would all pan out.

Flashback

Tifa pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine, listening to the pitter-patter of the rain hitting her car. After a long day at work, the relaxing sounds of the rain seemed to wash away all the stress and tension.

She buttoned up her leather trench coat, grabbed her purse and headed for the entrance on the side of the house. At least the side of the house had a large awning to protect her from the rain. She walked slowly to the backside and opened the side gate and walked along the stone pathway into her backyard to the side door.

Once she'd escaped the rain, she leaned against the wall of the house and just watched the rain fall. All thoughts of work faded away as she stared into the dark sky. Thoughts of bills, shopping trips, training waitresses and chefs disappeared.

But a certain blond gentleman entered her mind, causing her to sigh heavily.

'Cloud…'

Shaking her head to put that thought away, tossing water droplets everywhere, Tifa fished out her house keys and headed for the side door/window to the kitchen. When she finally looked up though, she saw something she never would have imagined. Tifa brushed her sleeve against the glass to get a better view of what was going on in her house.

That silver-haired boy whom Jasmine complained about, Riku, was standing in the kitchen with Jasmine.

"What is he doing here?"

And then less than a second later, he had wrapped his arms tightly around Jasmine, who seemed to be frozen from shock. He seemed to be speaking to her and his face reflected pain. Tifa looked closer. Jasmine's face was slightly obscured but from what she could see and from her body language, Jasmine seemed quite relaxed in this position.

It was so intimate and it caught Tifa off guard. Was she really looking at the same boy?

Jasmine sighed a bit and leaned her head back so it was obvious that she was comfortable with Riku even though something was off.

"I'd better give them some space and talk to her later…" And with that Tifa headed back to her car.

End of Flashback

"It's like the two of you are bonding," Tifa stated, putting on her best smile. "I don't hear you talking about him with disgust anymore. Have things settled down?"

Jasmine threw a pair of her sneakers in her purse for later on. High heels at an amusement park was not an adventure worth trying. "Not really. He's still the same pain in the butt jerk, he just calmed down considerably. We do get along occasionally."

"I know…" and then Tifa deadpanned, "I saw you two yesterday after I got home from work."

All the color from Jasmine's face drained and she hoarsely said, "Oh my goodness…"

"I'm not upset, Jasmine," Tifa reassured her. "If anything, I'm a little stunned." She took a seat on the end of her bed and ran her fingers over the patterns in her comforter. "One minute, you hate each other and the next…it's almost like you guys are in a relationship."

"We are," Jasmine tried to gain composure. "We're in a partnership."

"Partnership? Of what kind?"

Jasmine threw her purse over her shoulder. "We're working together to help out a friend. And we just talk outside of school, nothing dangerous there."

Tifa frowned a bit at the tone Jasmine was using. It was nonchalant and bland. "It sounds like you don't care about him at all."

"I'm not a heartless shrew, Tifa," Jasmine said as she headed for the door. "It's nothing that needs to be worried about."

"But do you care about this young man? I mean, it seems like you're trusting him more."

Jasmine paused in the doorway and mused over the thought. 'Trust huh? Well, maybe I am a little bit.' She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I trust Riku a little, but I'm just waiting and watching. Getting too comfortable can really screw you over one day."

Roxas grabbed Jasmine by the hand, pulling her through the hallway of the art building. He'd barely said five words to her from the time she arrived. Once again, her appearance stunned him and Roxas always felt like a lump of stupidity whenever she stepped out of her school uniform.

He gulped but kept his eyes on the hall, weaving himself and Jasmine through the throngs of people. Several teachers, administrators and several art critics turned out for the event. One of the things that the school was famous for (besides it being catered to the affluent and its academics) was its visual and performing arts program. Scouts and recruiters from all over searched for young talented artists for their schools or companies and occasionally, someone who stood out was fortunate enough to be selected.

A sharp whistle startled Roxas and he froze, shortly after that being tackled by a certain red-headed, green-eyed best friend of his. "You know," Axel cooed, "I waiting here for you for almost twenty minutes."

Jasmine stepped back and watched the two tussle. "I think it's my fault, Axel. He was waiting on me," she admitted sheepishly.

Without looking at her, Axel replied, "well he knows I hate standing around here. I look like some weirdo."

"Who said you weren't weird?" Roxas teased, shoving Axel away.

The redhead placed his hands in the pockets and rolled his eyes. "You're the last one to talk, buddy. I ought to embarrass you in front of…" When Axel's eyes hit Jasmine, a mischievous smile spread across his face. "Oh, now I see why you kept me waiting."

Roxas slapped Axel roughly across the back. "Stop checking Jasmine out. It's creepy."

"As long as I don't touch her, I'm not doing anything wrong."

"Dude, she's still a minor."

"Hmm…how old is she again?"

All while this conversation took place, Jasmine decided to sneak off and see what Naminé had been working so hard on for the past few months. The only time Naminé had given Jasmine a peak was when she showed her the colors she was using. All she asked was Jasmine's opinion and that was it.

'I wonder what it looks like.'

"Jasmine!" a familiar voice cried. "Over here!"

Naminé, who appeared angelic in a knee-length white strapless dress, rushed over to Jasmine and wrapped her arms around her. "You made it."

"Wouldn't miss it," Jasmine smiled. "Now, let's see what my favorite artist has been working on. I'm ready to be dazzled!"

They linked arms and headed to an area near the back that was dedicated to her. Jasmine's eyes widened in wonder at the dozens of watercolor paintings Naminé had created. From sunsets, to paintings of the ocean and to landscapes, the blond artist had done it all. They were all very realistic but had a touch of fantasy to them with the choice of bright colors. Jasmine was like a child looking at the stars for the first time. She was mesmerized.

"And this," after a couple stepped away from the next portrait, Naminé pulled Jasmine in front of the easel, "is the one you helped me create."

Jasmine gasped in surprise. "Nam….oh my god…"

"Speechless huh?"

Jasmine nodded. 'It's a painting of…me.'

True to her word, that's what Naminé had painted. It was a portrait of Jasmine standing in front of a gold mirror wearing a simple white dress that reached her knees. In the reflection was an image of Jasmine (with noticeably longer hair) in a black dress with a sly, furtive smile on her face with a fierce stare in her eyes. But the action in the portrait was what was most mind boggling. The "dark" Jasmine was falling back in the mirror with her arms around the "light" Jasmine's waist. The girl dressed in white had a look of fear in her eyes and was reaching out to something for help.

'But she'll fall regardless,' Jasmine reasoned, figuring out the story behind the portrait. 'The one in the black dress is gonna take her off into the darkness. She can't escape no matter what.'

"Well," Naminé clasped her hands together, "what do you think? Be honest. I won't get mad if you don't like it."

"You think I don't like it?"

She looked to the painting, and then back to Jasmine. "Well actually you haven't given me an opinion at all."

"…it's amazing," Jasmine breathed. But even though she found the painting to be breathtaking with a good use of color with the background (the dramatic purple drapery and accents of blue in the nighttime sky), she found it eerily accurate. It was like Naminé was analyzing her and knew that there was more to her than what she was telling everyone. "I'm honored actually that you used me as a model."

Naminé took Jasmine's hands and squeezed them tightly in hers. "I'm so happy! I was scared you'd be mad that I kinda put you out there without asking. In fact, I'd like to use you as my model for more of my pieces. Is that alright with you?"

There was no way anyone could deny someone as sweet as Naminé. "If you really want me too—"

"Of course I do. I'm just happy you like it!" Once again the pair met for a friendly hug. But as Jasmine patted Naminé's back, she couldn't ignore the feeling of heaviness in her stomach. Having someone silently call out what you were trying to hide, no matter how good the other person's intensions were, was still cause for worry.

Roxas had managed to ditch Axel for a moment and had isolated Jasmine in an empty hallway. She leaned back against the lockers while Roxas stood in front of her.

"…and I think Axel spotted one of his old friends so he just took off," Roxas finished.

"That man is odd," Jasmine stated with a chuckle. "Has he always been so strange?"

Roxas shrugged his shoulders. "Probably so, but I can always count on Axel. I trust him completely."

"It's nice that you have a friend like that," She shook off her leather jacket and caught Roxas' eyes on her. "Is there something wrong?"

"Uh, umm," he blushed and turned away, "no. You just—err, look really nice. It's a different look."

Jasmine smiled and while he was staring off somewhere else, she pulled her top up. 'Don't want anything falling out. How did I let Tifa talk her into wearing this shirt?'

"But," he cleared his throat, "he's always been there for me when I needed him. He's like an older brother to me and Naminé. He likes you too."

A dark eyebrow shot up. "Then what's with the creeper act?"

"He just thinks you're hot," he laughed nervously. "If you were older, I'm sure he'd try to ask you out. I guess I'm lucky it turned out differently and you were my age."

"How so?"

Roxas' smile from earlier faded and he looked to his feet, shoving his hands in his pockets. Jasmine noticed his discomfort and tilted his chin up with her hand.

"You started something, so finish it," she said gently.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to form words with the heat of Jasmine's touch shutting down his brain. "Because I think he might be able to win you over."

"Axel can be charming in his own way, although I'm not seeing it right now, but how do you know that he'd be the kind of guy I wanted?"

"I just think about it whenever we all hang out 'cause he's extra friendly with you."

Jasmine's hand slipped and she placed her glasses in her purse. As she rubbed her temples she told him, "That will never be an issue. Unless, "she teased, "I suddenly find myself attracted to redheads with tattoos on their faces in the future."

"Don't say that," Roxas rolled my eyes, "let's not give him the satisfaction of knowing—"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her vibrating cell phone. There was a text message from Riku saying that it was time to leave so they could go about with the plan. "Looks like it's time to go and hook up our best friends. This should be fun."

Roxas didn't want her to leave just yet. It always seemed as though she had to disappear whenever he wanted to talk. But then again, he could never get out the words he wanted to say when he had the opportunity. He always froze up at the last minute.

"I don't want you to go," Roxas took a step closer to Jasmine.

"Haha well I'm gonna have to go in a second. Don't want the old man to have a reason to give me crap," she laughed. But when Jasmine finally met Roxas' gaze, her heart picked up the pace. This look was much different from what he had always given her. Usually his eyes were either filled with confusion or light from laughter. Now they were determined and coated over with something she had never seen.

Ever so gently, he pinned her to the lockers and took her face in his hand. "He can wait. What's the worst thing he can say?"

She felt her insides squirm. Their foreheads were touching. "It's Riku. I'm sure he can think of something."

Roxas scoffed.

Their noses touched now.

"Well he can deal with me later."

Before Jasmine could open her mouth to say something Roxas gently pressed his lips to hers, silencing Jasmine immediately.

'Oh. My. GOD! He's kissing me! Roxas is kissing me!'

A few seconds later Roxas pulled back, his face a light shade of pink. "I'm sorry," he apologized, stepping away from her. "I shouldn't have done that."

Jasmine felt torn. She had slight feelings for Roxas but then she still wanted to just be friends because somewhere along the line things would get complicated. But Jasmine couldn't deny that she felt a tiny spark when he kissed her just then. No matter how miniscule it was.

"I'm so sorry, Jasmine," he repeated sadly, head drooping forward again.

Swallowing hard, she gently grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled him towards her. "Don't say sorry again," she whispered before kissing him again, this time more aggressively.

Roxas was a bit startled at first but when his mind processed the fact that she was actually kissing him, he let go of everything, slid his thumbs into the belt loops of her jeans and kissed her back enthusiasm.

Neither of them had known how much time had passed but when it was all over, Jasmine's back was against a wall and her phone was practically screaming at her. "Roxas…"

He seemed to be lost in his own world, continuously stealing kisses. "Yes?"

"I have to go now. Seriously."

'Dammit, Riku.' Roxas frowned as he backed off. For interrupting his time with Jasmine, Riku's scheme has to work. "I guess I need to let you go now."

"Yeah, that'd be a good idea." She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and gathered her things. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Roxas planted a kiss on her cheek and sent her off. "Whenever you can. See ya."

Jasmine didn't reply, but she grinned while she looked over her shoulder. 'What a night…I'm sure I'm gonna regret this later.'

"This is a cool restaurant," Kairi said as she set her hoodie in her lap. She turned to Sora who sat next to her in the booth. "What do you think Sora?"

Sora observed the restaurant in wide eyed wonder. It really took the whole, tropical island theme quite literally. It was an outdoor restaurant surrounded from all sides and angles by exotic plants and flowers. The lighting was actually quite dim, giving off a romantic vibe and the soft contemporary music accentuated it. "It's like being in some kind of forest."

"I'll say," Jasmine agreed, trying to not be so absorbed in her surroundings herself. "Riku, where did you find this place?"

Riku, who ordered a round of drinks for the table, said, "Actually, my cousins took me here one time when they came to visit. The food is good and this place caters to teenagers and young adults. That's probably the main reason I like it here."

"When my aunts and uncles would come to visit, we'd always end up at these up-tight restaurants where I'd be afraid to sneeze," Kairi laughed, a beautiful sound to Sora's ears. "It's always 'sit up' or 'don't look around' or my favorite, 'stop looking so bored' and I was always ready to fall asleep at the table."

"Or," Sora tapped Kairi's shoulder, "like the time my parents took us to see that opera. Kairi, I'm sorry but I couldn't do it. I knocked out ten minutes into it."

She placed a hand over his, making Sora's face flush red. "I know and its okay. I would've joined you too. It was kinda cute though."

Riku and Jasmine shot each other quick glances, knowing what the other was thinking. Stealthily, Riku took out his cell phone and sent Jasmine a text. Just a sneaky as he'd been, she read the message and grinned.

"Let's play with this a little bit." Was what Riku said.

"I can picture it," Jasmine began slowly, "Sora, all dressed up, looking great and then falling asleep."

"At least you weren't snoring," Kairi added. "That would've been embarrassing."

Once the waitress delivered the drinks, a blue-ish, cocktail-looking like beverage, Jasmine took a sip of hers. "That's so cute," she said with a sly smile. "Sora, you're actually really adorable."

At Jasmine's comment, Kairi began to stiffen up while Sora laughed nervously. "Nah, I'm just okay. I wouldn't say adorable or anything like that."

"And he's humble too," Jasmine turned to Riku, an all-knowing look in her eyes, "but don't be modest. You're cute, deal with it."

"Yeah, Sora," Riku leaned over the table, "accept the woman's complement."

"Haha," Sora scratched his cheek, "thanks Jaz."

"Just calling it as I see it, you don't have to thank me for that. I mean, c'mon now. It's fairly obvious."

"I always saw myself as the plain type," Sora smiled but looked down at his menu.

"You're not plain, Sora. Far from it!" Kairi blurted out, blushing once she caught herself.

'Bingo', Jasmine and Riku thought, watching the pair of sophomores struggle for the right words to say.

Riku smirked and typed away on his phone, sending Jasmine another message. "Well done. We'll take care of the rest at the amusement park."

"Be my guest," Jasmine responded, sitting back in her seat.

"It's about ten minutes away from here."

"Huh, I thought you said it was close…"

"Haha ten minutes is close. Just sit back and enjoy dinner."

Jasmine rolled her eyes and drew another long swig from her glass. "Fine."

"That was so good," Jasmine told Riku once they buckled up their seatbelts his car. Sora, who drove a midnight blue BMW sped past them, deciding to go ahead and just meet them at the front of the amusement park. "I haven't had pasta that good in a while."

"Good," he said with a slight smile, "I thought you'd like it. That's why I ordered for you."

They sat there in the parking lot for a good two minutes, each going off into their own thoughts. While Riku tried to figure out a good plan, Jasmine leaned against the door and sighed.

"You don't have to pay for me, you know," she said with a huff.

"What are you talking about? Why wouldn't I pay for you? This is a date…" and then he quickly added "-ish. This is a date-ish."

"I could've taken care of it you know." Jasmine rubbed her eyes. "Just because I don't have the kinda cash everyone else has, it doesn't mean that I can't pay for things on my own."

Riku cracked his knuckles. "I wasn't thinking that…it's just how I work. I don't let my date pay for an outing. Especially when it's my idea."

"I can accept that," she breathed, sinking into the seat and falling into silence.

"What's wrong, Faye?" Riku asked gently. She'd been slightly off the whole night. From the time when she first got into the car to come to the restaurant, till now, she hadn't been totally herself. "Did something happen that I didn't know about?"

She was silent but the reason why she was upset was clear.

"What did Roxas do?" Riku asked finally, not really wanting to hear the answer but at the same time, knowing that he needed to.

Her face reddened. "He kissed me."

Riku gripped the steering wheel and started the car. Luckily for him, Jasmine couldn't see how he was practically ready to tear off the wheel, driving faster than usual in addition to that. "What's the problem? He didn't force himself on you, did he?"

Hearing the slight edge of danger had Jasmine shaking her head furiously. "No, no, he wasn't. Promise."

"Okay then. What's wrong?"

She blew her bangs out of her eyes. "It…" she sighed, "It didn't seem right and even though I like him a little bit, I regret it."

"Because now he's gonna have expectations of you," Riku finished. "Knowing him, he's probably so happy about it that he's not gonna even think about the possibility of you not really wanting to be with him." He cleared his throat and switched lanes. "What's so wrong about being with him? I think Roxas could make you happy."

Jasmine removed her glasses and slipped off her shoes. 'He sounds kinda down.' Once her sneakers were on her feet, she asked, "You really wanna look out for Roxas, don't you?"

"I'm looking out for the two of you," he told her. "Believe it or not, I actually care about you."

She smiled sadly and slipped into her leather jacket. "I believe you, Riku. And despite how much you make me want to throw you off a cliff sometimes, I care about you too. But…I suck at relationships. That's why I'm not too keen on being in one."

"Care to explain?"

"I'm not trusting of people. I don't give away trust easily and even after I've been friends with a person for a while, I still don't trust them."

"Hmm, I can see how this translates…wait, you don't trust Roxas," he concluded, eyes widening at the discovery. "That's part of it."

"Exactly," the smile faded. "He's a good guy, but it's always the good ones who end up shocking you the most. And then something happens that knocks you off your feet. Bam! You just got backslapped. It's easier to deal with people who you know you have to keep yourself on your toes for. They don't surprise you as badly and it's easier to move on."

'What in the world has she been through to make her hate people so much?' He thought.

"I've seen that a lot with boys. Well, with me anyway. It's happened so many times that I just think it's better if I'm alone."

'And that's another reason why she won't give him her name,' Riku reasoned, 'she doesn't want to put herself through anything else.'

"But I'm just running my mouth again so don't think about it, really."

"You're being honest, Faye. Don't take it back at this—"

"Oh look we're here!" she cut him off, pointing to the amusement park. "Sora and Kairi must be waiting for us."

Riku frowned and pulled into the parking lot. 'You're not getting off the hook this easily.'

The doorbell rang to the Lockhart household and Tifa, who was half-asleep on the couch, jumped to her feet, stumbling slightly as she reached the door. "Just a sec…"

Once she opened the door, Tifa gasped in surprise. "Cloud…"

He was staring off into space when she greeted him. Once he finally turned to face her, he stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. "Hi, Tifa," he said softly.

"What are you doing here?" She asked sweetly. From his uncertainty and stiffness, she only guessed that he came for a visit. "Would you like to come in?"

He muttered a "sure" before stepping into her home. Tifa watched him as he kicked off his shoes, a little concerned for why he came. "Would you like some tea or coffee?"

Cloud nodded his head and watched her disappear into the kitchen. He'd only been here once or twice, but the visits were often very short and he didn't take the time to actually really look around. He glanced all around the entryway and looked at all the photographs. Several of the people in the photos he recognized, a few he did not. One in particular caught his eye. It was of Tifa at the beach with that dark-haired, hazel eyed girl he'd seen Tifa with.

He picked up the picture and smiled. Tifa's wine colored eyes always seemed to sparkle.

Tifa returned, catching Cloud in the act of staring at the photograph. "Oh yeah, that's when me and Jasmine went to the beach a few years ago."

'Jasmine…that was her name.' He set the photo back down. "I see. Doesn't she live here?"

"Yeah but she's out for the night. I'm looking after her while she goes to school on the island," Tifa told him. "It's really nice having her around."

"I bet," Cloud and Tifa moved into the living room. "How long has she been here?" he took a seat on the sofa, sitting a fair distance from her.

"I'd say," Tifa looked up to the ceiling, counting the months in her head, "about five months or so. She seems to get along well with everyone. Leon, Yuffie," Tifa chuckled, "oh Yuffie adores her. She drives Jasmine crazy though. Zack, Aerith, even Vincent…" and then she said softly, "the only one we haven't been around is you."

Cloud straightened up considerably at the sadness in Tifa's voice. As much as he wanted to say something to explain everything, he couldn't. Not yet.

"We've missed you, all of us," Tifa brushed her hair out of her face. "You just disappeared for years. We were all worried."

Cloud couldn't deny it. He did disappear for years. Coupled with his job as a SOLDIER and chasing someone from his past, Cloud had been gone forever. Occasionally he talked to Zack, but that in itself was rare. He'd left everyone behind, including the one person who meant the most to him.

"But like I said," she patted his bare shoulder, her touch burning his skin. "As long as you're safe, it really doesn't matter."

Everything he'd been holding in for years, every word that he'd had saved up for this moment was lodged in his throat. His head dropped in shame at his cowardice and he vowed to one day to release it all. But for now, "I'm sorry" was the only thing he did and could be said at this time.

"I wanna get on the roller coaster!" Kairi pointed to a tall, red/green coaster about thirty yards away.

Jasmine looked up at the coaster skeptically and grimaced. "You wanna go on that?"

Sora, jumping up and down like a child on a sugar high, tugged Jasmine along. "C'mon! It's so awesome! There's no floor so your feet are dangling and there's loop-de-loops and everything! You'll love it."

"I don't know about this," Jasmine eyed the ride cautiously.

Kairi and Sora shot each other mischievous glances. Kairi took hold of Jasmine's other hand and the two took off running towards the line. She looked over her shoulder helplessly as Riku watched his friends drag her, taking his sweet time to meet up with them. Once they were all waiting in the line, Jasmine pouted, watching Sora and Kairi banter about like children.

Riku leaned down and whispered to Jasmine, "What's the problem? Scared of heights?"

"No," she whispered back.

"Scared of coasters? They're not that bad."

She shook her head robotically, watching people exit the ride with their hair askew and their eyes enlarged.

"Then what is it?"

Jasmine stood on her toes and whispered in his ear, "I've never been on a roller coaster because I've never been to an amusement park before." When she was done, she stepped away from him, leaning against the rail.

While Sora and Kairi slipped into their own world, Riku stood in front of her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Are you serious? You've never been to an amusement park?"

"No, not ever," Jasmine replied sheepishly. "My parents never took me and I never went with any friends so this is my first time."

"Not even Disneyland?" Riku gently pushed Jasmine further along in the line as it moved closer to the front. "Please tell me you've been to Disneyland," he pleaded.

The rueful look in her eyes told it all.

'What kind of childhood has this girl had? Who hasn't been to Disneyland?'

Sora, Kairi, Riku and Jasmine were nearing the front of the line. Kairi tucked all her loose belongings in her purse while Jasmine did the same. Riku grabbed her elbow. "You don't have to do this. I'll sit out with you."

"No…" she swallowed. "I wanna do this." Jasmine's hand shook while she watched the cars take off. Sora and Kairi separated off into the first row, waiting for the coaster while Riku and Jasmine took the seat behind them.

Riku, seeing this, took hold of her hand in an attempt to calm her nerves. She looked up curiously, innocence and confusion shining in her eyes.

"Don't worry, nothing is gonna happen to you. Promise. Do you trust me?"

It was as if all her fears and worries faded away with his touch. She couldn't understand this feeling, but it was a good one. Jasmine smiled shyly. "I trust you."

"Is it natural for my feet to hurt so much after walking around this park," Kairi asked Sora as they sat and waited for Jasmine and Riku to bring back hot chocolate. It was almost midnight by now in early December so it was exceptionally cold outside. Kairi leaned against Sora for support and the brunette blushed, happy that she felt so comfortable being with him.

"Only when we've been running around the park for as long as we have," Sora replied, watching couples walk hand in hand towards the exit. His attention then turned back to Kairi who rested her head on his shoulder.

He couldn't believe how adorable she looked and how lucky he was to have someone like her on his arm. She wore a denim skirt over pink leggings, a long-sleeved pink turtleneck and a white, fitted hoodie over that with UGG boots on her feet and a white knit cap over her head. She was like a winter-time angel: absolutely flawless in his eyes. Then she had such a wonderful personality; always polite, but playful and sweet as can be.

Several guys their age walked by, giving Kairi stares up and down. Protectively, Sora wrapped his arm around Kairi's shoulders and sent a glare to keep their eyes to themselves.

"What's wrong, Sora?" Kairi asked, stifling a yawn but not wanting to move from her current position.

"Oh, uh, nothing!" he said quickly. "Did you have fun, Kairi?"

"I had a lot of fun. All those roller coasters, attractions and the food on top of what we ate at the restaurant was amazing," she smiled, "plus we have a lot of pictures so that way we'll always remember this night."

"Usually I hate those photo booths," Sora admitted, sticking out his tongue.

"Aww but you looked so cute!" Kairi searched in her purse for the pictures but Sora placed a hand over hers.

"It's okay, we don't need to revisit that incident. It was so cramped in there."

"But I got some cute pictures of us so we won't forget all the fun we had. They're special."

"I'm glad you had fun," Sora then looked around for any sign of Jasmine and Riku but came up short. "You know, those two have disappeared on us a lot tonight."

Kairi pursed her lips. "Do you think they wanted some alone time?"

"Jasmine and Riku?" Sora scoffed. "The only way they'd want 'alone time' is if Jasmine just killed him and wanted to find a place to stash his body."

Kairi broke out into a fit of laughter. "Don't forget, she's gotta find a way to completely isolate the two of them."

"Right," Sora played along. "There are too many witnesses in the area. She's gotta be crafty. Knowing Jasmine, she probably just poisoned him and is trying to hide the corpse in some bushes. I hope she grabbed his car keys first."

Little did they know, Riku and Jasmine were standing maybe ten feet away from them. They watched the two joke around with each other and it seemed as though all the time they spent alone really brought them closer together.

"Do you see them? It's so adorable!" Jasmine practically squealed in excitement.

"It was a good idea leaving them alone so often," Riku said, "especially after you'd leave those hints and comments. It forced them to think about it."

"I think we've done our job," they watched Sora and Kairi sit close to one another, totally engrossed in their conversation to notice two pairs of eyes watching them intently. "They're heading off in the right direction."

"Agreed…" several seconds later he deadpanned, "There's no way you could kill me," Riku rolled his eyes.

"Oh I bet I could," Jasmine challenged, sipping her hot chocolate.

"In your dreams," Riku downed the rest of his beverage and tossed his container into a nearby trashcan, making the shot.

She sighed. "We're gonna be fighting till we actually do kill each other." They began to walk from around the ticket booth and waved to Sora and Kairi.

Riku then grinned devilishly. "Or until something else happens."

Jasmine caught the double meaning of his joke but didn't think to hard about it. She walked on ahead and smirked over her shoulder. "Oh yeah, or something else…"

Riku paused for a moment and watched her walk on. His mind almost wandered over that thought but he quickly shook it off. No sense in heading off down that dangerous path.

"Did you see them holding hands as they left the park?" Jasmine slid into the car followed shortly by Riku.

"Of course I saw," Riku started the car and smiled in satisfaction. "I couldn't have done this without you."

She slipped her arms into her jacket and yawned. "It was fun. As long as Sora and Kairi are happy, nothing else really matters. Isn't it why we came out here in the first place?"

"Very true, but I wanted to say thanks for everything. You didn't have to come and I really appreciate it."

Jasmine put her glasses in their case and tore the red ribbon out of her hair, neatly tucking everything back in her purse. "You're welcome, Riku. And thanks for taking me to my first theme park. I had a lot of fun."

"Anytime," and then Riku thought, 'as long as I can see you smile, I don't care.'

"At least I can say I finally did it," Jasmine covered her mouth when she yawned and curled into herself while the car drove off into the night. And then, before slipping off into a deep sleep, she added, "and it's all because of you."