Author's Notes: Thanks for keeping up with the story! Whether or not you're celebrating the holidays, I hope you have a good and safe time.

Warning + Sort of spoiler alert for this chapter: Things get graphic in this chapter so for anyone who doesn't want to read anything sexual, I've section it off like this: At the beginning I will put "xxx" and at the end you're see a line across the page. I know not everyone wants to read the graphic parts so I've made it a little easier to skip.

Hope you'll like the next chapter!

Sibling Rivalry (Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Namine side of the story)

Chapter 40: Solace:

"Get a room you two!" Kairi loosened her embrace from Sora's neck and turned around to Selphie who grinned with her hands on her hips. Kairi shook her head as she smiled. That seemed to be the only thing they heard since school started. Ever since their friends found out about their trip, they've been constantly teased by them.

"Are you heading to the island?" Kairi asked, curious.

Selphie shook her head. "No. I heard a storm was coming so I think everyone will just go home." Selphie waved toward them. "See you guys later!"

Sora and Kairi watched as she took off. Then, they looked toward each other. "I'll walk you home."

Kairi nodded. "Sure."

Outside, the sky was filled with dark clouds. At any moment, it could start to rain. The two walked alone until they stopped in front of her door. He smiled toward her. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

Nervously, she smiled toward him. Another idea came to mind. "Well…if you have some time, you could come inside…"

A surprised look came on his face. "I thought that I couldn't."

"My parents are out and won't be back until later tonight. We could hang out a little more and help each other with our homework." She giggled. "Or really I could help you with yours."

He shook his head and grinned as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not that bad off." A little uneasy, he lifted his head to her. "If you're sure…"

Happy, she nodded and opened the door. "Hello?!" her voice echoed inside of the huge house. There was no response. He closed the door behind him as she looked back toward him. "Doesn't seem like anyone is here. I didn't think so. Xion usually hangs out with Roxas and Namine usually stays after to work on her art. We have the house to ourselves."

He nodded as he smiled. "Cool."

She stepped over toward the fridge. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Sure." Kairi grabbed two cans out of the fridge. Afterwards, he followed her to her room. Curious, Sora looked around. The only other time he had been in her room was when they were little.

She closed the door and sat down on the bed. "Wanna get started?"

He nodded and sat beside her. "Sure."

They pulled out their books and papers from their bags. Time seemed to flow by as they worked together. During their studies, Sora let out a yawn, bored. He lied on her bed on the opposite end from her and took his book with him. He tilted his head against his hand as he let out another yawn. Things were quiet and reading was putting him to sleep. Then, he lifted his eyes to Kairi across from him who was focused. Her back leaned against the pillows as her knees were bent upwards and her book was in her lap. A faint smile curved at his lips. She did look cute while she worked. His eyes traveled further down from buckled knees to her feet pointed inwards. A slight blush came to his cheeks. His eyes blinked a few times as he looked away. The memory of their trip came to mind. They hadn't been alone like this in months. Then, he looked over toward her. His eyes traced along the edge of her inner thighs... "Sora?"

"Hm?" He responded automatically at the call of his name, but he was lost in thought.

"Sora?" Kairi leaned forward with her hands against the bed, which caught him by surprise. He jumped and leaned back as red still covered his cheeks. She gave him a curious look. "Do you want it?"

His eyes widened. "What?!"

She giggled at his weird reaction. She pointed toward his book. "The answer? Do you want the answer to the question? You've been stuck on that same page for what seems like hours."

He smirked. "It hasn't been that long. I think I can get it." Kairi grinned. She placed her back against the pillow and continued working. Sora relaxed a little. He looked back at his book, but it was hard to concentrate. Nearby, he heard a sigh. When he looked over, Kairi turned on her side with back turned to him. She stared down at the book in front of her. Sora's eyes traveled along her legs toward the curves of her hips and thighs. Her skirt was slightly raised up. At first, he hesitated, but then, he couldn't resist. His fingers grazed the bottoms of her feet to her ankles. The first giggle caused him to stop for a second, but it couldn't be helped. Her grin was infectious. He lightly tickled her again which caused her to giggle. She sat up. Tired from reading, Kairi stopped and let out a sigh as she gave a sad smile. "I wished that we could spend more time like this."

"Yeah." Sora smiled toward her. "We will soon. This is our last year in school. Soon, it will be the rest of our lives."

Kairi wondered what the future held for them. She turned her attention back to her paper. "All right! Onto the last question."

Sora became interested. "And then what?"

Kairi shrugged. She didn't really have anything else in mind. "Whatever you want to do after I guess."

A smile curved at his lips. "Really…?"

"Sure." She looked toward her paper as she started writing her answer.

A mischievous grin crossed his lips. Sora got up off of his stomach and sat up in front of her. He slipped in between her legs and placed his hands on her hips. A nervous look came on her face as she looked up at him. The move surprised her. "Then we should hurry."

"What?" Kairi was at a loss for words. He gave her a faint smirk. He moved in closer to her. His lips brushed against the skin of her neck and placed a kiss. A shiver ran through her body. "I…Um…?" she stammered as she could feel him kiss her neck more. It was hard to think at that moment. He moved away from her and met her gaze. She glanced between him and her bed. Her fingers fiddled through her scarlet hair. "We-we really should finish…"

Sora smirked as he tilted his head. "It really was a fun vacation."

Kairi smiled fondly at the memory. "Yeah…" Then, she looked at him surprised. His finger slipped through the opening in her tie and loosened it from around her neck. Her eyes lowered to a close as she felt his lips press against hers. She leaned back against her pillows as he came over her.

Minutes later, they parted from each other. One by one, he loosened the buttons of her shirt. "I never thought we would get the chance for us to be like this." His hand slid along her stomach, opening her shirt a little more. Her eyes lowered to a close as she could feel his hand squeeze the cup of her bra. Then, he reached up and started to untie his tie. "Did you figure out the last answer yet?"

She smirked at him. "Yeah…but I don't have to tell you." She reached up and slid the tie from off his neck.

Jokingly, he sighed. "I guess I can just make you."

"You can try." Kairi let out a giggle as he moved in toward her again. His hands spread her shirt out further. Against her stomach, she could feel his hands unbutton his shirt. A trail of kisses was placed from her neck to chest. She breathed out as she closed her eyes, feeling the touch of his lips. He reached down and slid her underwear further down her legs. A little worried, she looked up at him. "What if someone comes back?"

Sora smiled to assure her. "We can still make it look like we're studying. Not everything has to come off." As he leaned in closer, his hand traveled along the side of her leg, underneath her skirt.

Later, Namine opened the door downstairs and closed it behind her. Today was tiring so she decided to head back early. She headed upstairs toward her room. She thought about seeing if anyone else was there, but she was too tired to check. Things were quiet upstairs as she walked passed the doors. She headed toward her room until she heard a sound. It made her stop in place. Surprised, she looked back. She wasn't sure what it was. Curious, she stepped back toward Kairi's room since it was the only door that was closed. It didn't sound like anything or anyone was there. It made her question if she just heard things. Afterwards, she shook her head. She walked away toward her room while she tried to decide what she wanted to do first now that she was home. All of a sudden, she heard another sound. It couldn't have been in her mind this time. Uneasy, Namine stepped back toward the closed door that led to Kairi's room. Quietly, she tilted her head toward the door. The sound was faint, but the voice inside let out an audible whimper.

"A-Ah…" Kairi closed her eyes as she could feel another light, playful pinch at her collarbone. Her body lied flat against her bed as he hovered over her. Sora lifted his head from her right shoulder. His fingers continued to tease underneath her skirt. Another sigh left her lips as she felt him slide his finger in once more. Her back to arch against the bed. It seemed that he had complete control of her body. Outside, before Namine could step back, her feet tripped against the carpet and she fell back against the floor. Her bag swung forward and hit the floor beside her. Once Kairi heard the noise, quickly, she separated herself from Sora and sat up. "What was that?"

Curious, he sat up with his knees pressed to the bed. "I don't know. Is someone here already?" Not only could she hear Kairi's voice through the door, Namine's eyes widened in surprise more as she recognized the other voice. Kairi got up as she quickly worked to button her shirt and peeked outside of the door. When she looked around, she didn't see anyone in sight. She searched the hallway, but no one was there. Curious, Sora stepped out beside her as his pants hung unbuttoned and unzipped around his waist and his shirt open. "Anything?"

Kairi looked around one more time. It was strange, but she was sure she heard something at her door. "No, but… I'm sure I heard something."

Sora let out a smile. "Maybe it wasn't anything." Pushing the distraction aside, he wrapped his arms around her waist as he rested his head on her shoulders. "Besides I thought you wanted to finish doing homework."

She placed her hair behind her ear as she looked back at him. "I don't think what we were doing was a part of the assignment."

His grin was infectious. "It was apart of mine." Kairi let out a slight giggle. Playful, he kissed her ear. She followed him back inside and closed the door behind her.

After things turned quiet, Namine stepped out from her room. From further down the hall, Namine could hear another giggle escape from Kairi's lips. Her eyes traveled down disappointed. From what she saw, she realized how far their relationship had gone. Inside, it surprised her and at the same time saddened her. No longer did she want to stick around while they were the only two there. Quietly, she slipped passed Kairi's room and headed downstairs. She placed on her shoes and headed out of the door.

Riku glanced out of the window as he noticed the rain pouring down heavily outside. It was loud enough that he could hear it pounding against the roof. In the background, the television was turned low as it was the only light that lit the room. There was nothing on that caught his attention. All of a sudden, he heard a knock at the door. Confusion became written on his face. He had no idea who would be at his door especially now. Curious, he opened it. Once he saw who it was, he stood, stunned. "Namine?!"

"I didn't know where else to go…" Her head lowered toward the ground.

Riku moved aside and let her in. He noticed the look of disappointment on her face. Namine walked in silence and he closed the door behind her. Riku was surprised that she came to see him. "What are you doing here? You're all soaked."

"Do you mind…if I stay here for a little?" she asked.

Riku looked a little concerned. He didn't understand what was going on, but he wanted to help. "Hold on a second."

Namine waited until Riku appeared again with a towel in hand. He held it out in front of her. "Here. You can sit if you want. You look tired."

Namine lifted her eyes to him. "Are you sure? I don't want to get anything wet."

Riku placed the towel against the top of her head and dried her a little. "It's fine. Do what you want." Namine sat down and took over drying herself. "I'll get you something warm to drink." He looked back at her one more time before he headed into the kitchen. He had no idea what would have brought her over to his house.

Namine continued to dry her hair. Her eyes lowered toward the ground. Then, she noticed a cup held in front of her with steam coming out of the top. Namine placed the towel around her neck and took the cup. "Thank you."

Riku sat beside her. "What would make you walk all the way in the rain?"

The memories of earlier flooded back to her. "I just…had to get out of there."

"Where?" he asked curious.

Namine stared toward the ground. "Home…"

Riku looked a little confused. "Did something happen?"

At first, she was unsure if she should tell him, but lately, he had been the only person that she could really talk to. "Well…" She looked toward the side. "I…I guess…" Finally, her eyes landed on Riku. "I guess Sora and Kairi have…taken the next step in their relationship..." her voice faded toward the end.

A look of confusion came on Riku's face. "Next step?"

Namine stared at him in silence as he searched her eyes for the answer. Besides the affection they showed in front of them, what else was there? "Something…closer…" she hinted toward him. Her eyes lowered as she grabbed onto the cup tighter with her hands. "Something…more physical…"

The answer finally hit him. His eyes opened a little more in surprise. "Ohh…!"

Namine shrugged as if it was nothing as she looked toward the side. "I guess… it was bound to happen at some point."

"Hmm…" Riku became concerned. Then, he looked over at Namine. "But that doesn't make it any easier on you. I thought you were over this by now."

Namine let out a sigh. "I thought I was too..."

Riku stood up from the couch. "Well you can stay here if you want. My parents won't be back for a while."

Namine looked over curious and surprised to hear. "How long will they be gone?"

"Most of the night," he replied.

A gentle smile curved at her lips. "Thank you." Quickly, Namine stood up worried as she noticed that her clothes were still wet. "Sorry! I must be getting everything wet!"

Riku remained calm. "It'll dry."

Namine placed her hands behind her back as she smiled. "Thanks." Riku nodded toward her. Namine took a look around. "I've… never really been to your house before."

Riku nodded toward the side. "Come on. I'll show you around." Namine followed Riku and stopped by the kitchen first. It was a descent size like hers. He led her into the hallway. "Over there is my parents' room." He pointed further down the hall. "There's the bathroom." Then he stopped in front of an open door. "And this is my room." Namine stepped in and looked inside. She placed her hands behind her back as a smile came to her lips. "Your room…it's really nice." It was neater than she expected.

Riku leaned against the door as he crossed his arms. "You don't have to say that you know."

Namine turned to him and smiled. "I really do like it." After things turned quiet, she let out a yawn.

Riku returned a faint smirk toward her. "You can sleep here for a little too while if you want." Then, his lips parted as he stared her. He noticed the way her wet, white shirt stuck to her and revealed every detail and curve of her body.

"Riku?" When he snapped out of it, he noticed Namine with a curious look.

A serious look came to his face. He walked passed her and searched through his drawer. "I'll get you something to wear. I don't want you to get sick."

Namine looked down surprised at herself. She didn't seem to notice as much anymore. "Oh! Thank you."

"In the meantime, I can throw your clothes in the dryer. You can't go home like that." Namine looked surprised. She was touched that he was taking care of her. He gave her a shirt and a pair of shorts that she could wear. "I'll be back after you change."

Namine gave a faint smile. Then, she looked over at him. "Sorry... I didn't mean to put you out of your own room."

Riku glanced at her one more time as he smiled a little. "You're not. I'll be close by if you need anything." Afterwards, he stepped out of the room. Namine looked around his room one more time. Just by looking alone, she felt like she started to learn more about him. Little things that he hadn't shared with her before. Afterwards, she tried to remove to unzip her skirt, but it was stuck. She struggled a little. Finally, she let out a sigh. "Everything okay?" she heard a familiar voice behind her. Surprised, she looked behind her to see Riku walk back in.

She kept her head down as she tried again. "It's stuck." He walked in toward her. Nervous, she laughed. "It can be a problem sometimes." His fingers grabbed onto her zipper and managed to get it loose. He stood up straight as their eyes met. "Thank you." For a moment, they stared at each other as they tried to read what the other thought. Then, his eyes lowered toward the ground. "I'll come back."

"It's okay. So? Where would you like me to sleep?"

His eyes traveled over toward the bed. "You can take my bed if you want."

Namine shook her head. "I already feel like I'm kicking you out of your room. I don't want to kick you out of your own bed."

"It's okay," he assured her.

Namine smiled toward him. "Thank you for helping me again. I… didn't know who else to turn to."

He shook his head. He didn't mind her being over. "It's no problem."

"I'm glad that you're here. You've really helped me."

Gently, he smiled toward her. "It was nothing."

Namine turned away from him as she started to unbutton her shirt. Uneasy, he looked down. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

Riku stared toward the door. "Sure."

Namine looked back toward him. "I haven't seen you talk to anyone else."

Confused, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "What do you mean? I talked to you guys."

"I meant…I was just wondering if…you found someone you were interested in," she said curiously.

His eyes traveled toward the side. "Not really."

Namine looked at him for a little longer. Then, she let out a smile at the fact he was being a gentleman. "You know…During the summer, I was… nervous about what I had to draw during art school, but then... you get used to what you see. The body can be a beautiful thing." Afterwards, she reached behind her as she loosened the hooks of her bra. "I also wondered what it would be like to… to be with another person in a way you haven't before. Have you?"

He scratched his head as he looked off toward the side. "I don't know… Maybe…" his voice trailed off quiet. Riku started to walk away to give her some time alone, but then felt her hands grab his. A little red filled his cheeks. He noticed the way she smiled at him and how her uniform was open and loose around her. His eyes traveled away from her as he tried not to stare.

Namine let go of his hand. "You've been there when I needed you, but I haven't done the same for you."

Confused, he turned his head to her. "What are you talking about? You've been a good friend." At his response, she let out a gentle smile. "Now get changed." He turned away from her as he put his hands in his pockets.

Namine finished getting undressed. Afterwards, she reached for the clothes on the bed, but then she stopped. A thought came to mind. After some consideration, she came to a decision. She breathed out as she closed her eyes. It was risky, but she wanted to try. "Ready…"

Riku turned around. Right away, his serious expression changed to surprise and nervousness. "Namine?!" She stood with her arms across her chest as she smiled nervous. His eyes tried to travel anywhere but her. Still, it couldn't have been helped. "W-What are you doing…?"

Nervously, she looked down. She fiddled with her fingers. "Do you think…that someone would think…that I was pretty…?"

The look on his face became sincere. "Of course." His eyes traveled toward the side. "I can put everything in the dryer if you want."

Without looking at her, he walked over and reached for her clothes on the bed. Feeling more comfortable, her arms lowered at her sides. Lightly, she grabbed onto his wrist. "I think… that can wait. I think…I want to try…if you want to…" her voice grew quiet.

Nervously, he rubbed the back of his head. "Wouldn't you rather with someone else?"

She reached over and grabbed his hand. "Unless you rather…?" When he didn't respond, Namine stood up on her toes to reach him and pressed her lips against his. His body froze in place. Several thoughts and emotions crossed over him. After a little time, she parted from him and gazed into his eyes. It was hard to read what he was thinking. Lightly, she kissed him again in an attempt to find out. Both of them breathed out.

He opened his eyes to her. "The last time you said this wasn't right. How is this time any different?"

Her eyes searched his. "Apart of me…wished you would've done it again." Inside, he was surprised to hear that, but remained calm. She grabbed onto his hand and pressed her lips to his one more time before she walked backwards from him. She sat back against his bed with her knees up as she never took her eyes off of him. Her fingers intertwined. "It will just be the two of us…right? We could try and…see…"

He stepped over toward her and sat on the edge of the bed. "You sure about this?"

She gave him a sincere look. "I want to know…what it's like…"

"Hm." His eyes traveled toward the side. Inside, he was curious. Namine sat down beside him as she looked up at him. She placed her hand against his cheek and turned his head toward her. Softly, she pressed her lips against his. His eyes lowered to a close as he became more relaxed. She leaned backwards as he leaned forward. Riku wrapped his arms around her back as his body pressed against hers. Curious, her blue eyes searched his green ones as to what he would do next. Soon, he tilted his head down and kissed her. Less, his mind and body started resist the idea.

XXX

Things started off slow between them. Her hand slipped underneath his shirt. She could feel his hard chest and stomach. The heat from his body felt warm against her cold skin. They separated for air as their eyes met. She let out a smile toward him as her fingers brushed against his short, silver hair. She thought about before when she joked about his long hair. Noticing her look, he let out a smirk. It seemed they were thinking the same thing. He tilted his head down toward her face. Their lips met again as their eyes lowered to a close. The kiss between them became more intense. His tongue brushed against her bottom lip before he slipped in completely. Her lips parted more. Her tongue followed the rhythm of his. Heat began to run through her cheek like his. After he separated himself from her, he sat up. He reached over along with her and pulled his shirt up from off his body. A serious look came to his face as he stared down at her. This would be their last chance to turn back.

Red came across her cheeks as she sat up on her elbows. Her hand ran along his abs. Her eyes traveled, taking in each detail of his well-toned body. Nervously, she sat up in front of him. She left small kisses against his chest up toward his neck. A sigh left his lips. It didn't seem as if she would change her mind and already his body became anxious to continue. Thoughts of holding back left his mind. He leaned forward as she leaned back against the bed. He went forward into her waiting arms. He placed kisses against her collarbone and trailed further down toward her chest until his lips stopped at the center of her right breast. Her eyes lowered to a close as she let out a moan. She had never felt a sensation like the one he gave her. His hand brushed along her side onto her other breast where his warm hand had covered completely. Her head tilted back. This was a new yearn, a new pleasure. She became completely taken by him.

Unbearably, her lower half began to ache. Her hips shifted as he pulled her underwear along her legs to her feet. Namine sat forward and pressed her lips to his as her hand brushed against his face. The other ran through the strands of his hair. Anxiously, Riku sat and loosened his belt and pants. He tossed the rest of his clothes aside onto the floor. He pressed his forehead against her as they could both hear the other panting. He leaned forward causing her to lean back onto her bed without breaking their kiss. She placed her hands against the muscles of his back as she held onto him. Her knees raised at the sides of his waist. Soon, she closed her eyes tight as she let out a painful moan. Her nails dug into the skin of his back. She could feel him fill her completely. Riku breathed out as he closed his eyes. As he pushed in, he could already feel pleasure. Her walls already felt tight around him. Slowly, he shifted back and forth as he tried not to reach his end yet. Tighter, she grabbed onto his back as she could feel his muscles tensing. It took some time, but she had slowly gotten used to him. His head lowered toward the side of her neck as he continued to touch her. Her lips parted. The pain slowly began to mix with pleasure. A moan escaped from her lips. The pleasurable feeling between them began to intense. Their minds faded into the background. Sweat dripped from his body onto hers and combined with her own.

When he lifted his head, Namine opened her eyes to him. The next thing she saw made her eyes widened, surprised. A different image crossed her mind as he stared down at her. There was the gentle smile she had come to know along with his spiky brown hair and blue eyes. Her body froze.

At the same time, Riku stared at her stunned as well. For a moment, the image of Namine changed into a girl with short, black hair and blue eyes as her lips were curved into a smile. "Riku?" Riku shook his head and snapped himself out of what he just saw. Below, Namine had a curious look on her face. "Is something wrong?"

Quickly, he shook his head. His body was still anxious to finish. He ignored what he just saw and continued to push harder into her. "No." A growl became mumbled in his throat as he closed his eyes tight and buried his head into her shoulder. "No." The moment became intense between them once more. The image she saw of Sora was pushed into the back of her mind just like Riku's image of Xion. Every muscle in his body tensed. No longer could he hold out. He moved himself deeper as he felt on the edge and caused her back to arch. A loud cry escaped from her lips. Both of them closed their eyes tight as they could feel themselves reach their peaks. A groan escaped from his lips as he released. Exhausted, all the energy was drained from his body. His arms could no longer support him. He moved aside beside her. The only thing they could hear is the other breathing hard. Namine grabbed the blankets and moved them over her body.

After they took some time to recover some, in silence, he looked over toward her. "Are you okay?"

She turned her body toward him and nodded. "Yeah. Do you mind if… I take a bath?"

He sat up beside her and nodded. "Yeah. I'll get some towels for you."

Afterwards, Namine sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed with the covers still wrapped around her. Even though she had given herself to him, she still felt nervous around him. Still, she didn't regret it. "Thank you." Riku sat up and got off of the bed. He threw on his boxer he tossed on the floor. Namine looked over at him concerned as another thought came to mind. She didn't want to be rude. "I'm sorry! It's your house. If you want to go first, that's fine. I can wait."

He walked toward the door. "It's fine. I can just use the other one."

After they separated, Riku stepped into the other shower. Hot water dripped all over his body. His eyes closed as he rubbed his hands against his face. He was still concerned over the image of Xion he saw and didn't understand why she would appear to him. It made him question what he should do next...

Namine relaxed as she submerged herself in the warm water. Her eyes lowered to a close. The moments of them flashed through her mind. She wondered how things would affect them now. Then, guilt began to grow in her stomach. She placed her hands onto top of it. She didn't understand why Sora came to mind. She thought that she was finally over her feelings for him, but maybe, she truly wasn't. Only time would tell. After she was done, she wore a robe as she used a towel to dry her hair. When she stepped out, she saw Riku walked toward her. Nervously, she smiled toward him. He handed her his shirt and shorts from earlier. "Here. I still have to dry your clothes."

Namine smiled and took them from his hand. "Thank you. I guess I should have worn these earlier."

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

Namine lifted her eyes to him surprised. "Hm. Oh! Yes! I could eat."

Riku rubbed the back of his head. "I'll see what he got."

Then, an idea came to Namine's mind. "Okay, but leave the rest to me."

Riku looked at her surprised. "Huh?" All she left him with was a smile.

A few minutes later, Namine glided from the fridge to the counter as she placed food on the counter as she hummed to herself. Across from her, Riku sat on one of the chairs as he watched her bounce around with a smile on her face. It made him smile in return. She seemed happy. "Did you draw anyone like me while you were away?"

"Hmm…" Namine stopped and took a second to think. "Not really, but I would like to. You have a lot of defining features."

"I'll take that as a compliment." She let out a giggle as he let out a slight chuckle. Then, he became a little concerned. "Are you…sure you're okay?"

Namine smiled and nodded to assure him. "Yes." She placed her hands behind her back. "I'm glad that you let me stay."

"I don't mind." Then, his eyes traveled toward the ground. "Namine…" Curious, she looked toward him. The tone in his voice sounded serious. Then, he lifted his head toward her. "Maybe it's better…if this was only a one-time thing…"

Namine pressed her fist to her chest as she looked worried. Then, her eyes traveled down along with her hands. Her fingers fiddled in front of her. "Did I…do something wrong…?" At first, there was no response. "I rushed things… didn't I? I'm sorry."

Riku shook his head. Inside, he still felt guilt for the image of Xion he saw. Maybe he wasn't ready to move on yet even when he thought he was. He pressed his hand against his chest. "This has to do with me. Something happened back there and…it wasn't fair to you. You were right before. We should've stopped this before it went too far." Namine's eyes lowered toward the ground. "You're still my friend. I don't want to lose that."

She let out a bittersweet smile. It made her reflect on her own feelings. Was she ready to move on? "You're right. I don't want to lose our friendship either."

He looked curious. "You must be upset with me."

Namine shook her head. "No! It was my idea. I wanted to see what it was like and you were only following what I wanted."

He became nervous at his next question. "Was it…okay?"

A blush came to her face as she became nervous. She nodded toward him. "Hmm-hmm." He breathed out a sigh of relief. Namine walked around the kitchen counter. "I should go."

Before she could leave the kitchen, she felt him grab her arm. There was a sincere gaze in his eyes when she looked at him. "Wait! I told you that you could stay. Stay as long as you want. I don't want you to be alone tonight especially if you didn't eat first." At first, Namine stared at him surprised, but then, she nodded. He let go of her arm and she went back to the other side of the counter. As she continued to make dinner, the two glanced at each other and smiled. Things soon began to relax between them again.

The next morning, Riku opened his eyes as the sun shined through his window. His eyes traveled over to see light blonde hair beside him. Gently, she was breathing softly beside him as she was still sleep. A tired smile curved at his lips. He curled more beside her and fell back asleep.

Thanks for reading! I'll be back to update soon!