Ansem's instructions had been simple: close your eyes, picture in your heart where you want to be, and the star shard will take you there.

When Naminé first regained her senses, she thought that she'd failed and had ended up back in Ansem's office. A firm carpet greeted her, and the hum of technology filled the air. But when she picked herself up, she was far from where she'd been moments ago.

She knew Radiant Garden's castle fairly well, yet the place she was in now almost put every room in the castle to shame. A ceiling stretched high above her head. The balcony she came to rest on circled around the entire room, with the center dropping down to the lowest level. The room had three levels, all connected by colorful slides, and storefronts decorated the outer wall.

Even Radiant Garden's market hadn't been this intricate. The difference was that, where the Garden's market had diverse wares, every shop here sold toys, ranging from babies' doll houses to large robotics.

She was definitely in the right place, but there was still one problem: the place was completely empty.

"Hello?" she called out, despite the burning sensation in her throat. "Riku?"

No answer, but as she circled the floor, one front called "Game Store" made her halt in her tracks. Pictured on a giant human-sized cardboard cutout, sat Yozora exactly as she'd remembered him in her vision.

"There you are," she said and approached. Getting a longer look at him, she supposed he could resemble Riku. The way Yozora sat back so casually against his seat, crossbow in one hand and red sword in the other, seemed Riku-esque.

Without another moment to waste, she entered the store only to encounter the man's face dozens more times on posters and game covers. If he really was nothing more than a fictional character here, then he was certainly a popular one. She wondered why the hero of a story would act so aggressively towards Sora.

In the very back of the store sat a large screen with a controller in front of it, and as she got closer, she realized the screen wasn't blank.

It appeared as if Yozora's game was playing itself, with large mechs similar to the ones displayed around the store fighting each other in a large city-scape.

No, not just any cityscape, the very one from her visions.

And the game wasn't just playing itself. A name was displayed across the top next to the steadily rising score.

"Riku!" She stumbled forward and rested her hands on each side of the screen. She doubted he could hear her, but sure enough, the small figure darting around the map, evading bullets and robots alike, was the very man she'd been seeking.

Upon closer inspection, a magical aura revealed itself around the controller sticks, wisping off of them like smoke.

Their best clue at finding Yozora right now was through this game, so Riku must have somehow unlocked it with his Keyblade and entered it himself. He was winning, but tracking him became difficult as more and more enemies continued to spawn.

Before Naminé could talk sense into herself, she gripped the magic-infused controller with both hands. The feeling of having one's body transferred into data wasn't unfamiliar to her, but it was nevertheless disorienting. She found herself thrust into another reality, that of the scene she'd just been observing from the other side of the screen.

A glass platform caught her fall, which rattled slightly underneath her impact, and just as she was taking in her surroundings, a loud crack shook her foundation. From a nearby rail, the large mechs that Riku had been fighting were stomping straight for her, and with each additional step, the glass beneath her grew less safe.

Luckily, identical rails lined all sides of the platform, so she took off running towards the opposite side. While she'd love to help, she was ill-equipped for a battle like this.

Just before reaching safety, the floor broke beneath her, and her hand barely caught the railing just in time. As she tried to orient herself and look for safety, something firm and strong grasped her wrist.

The aquamarine eyes above her were a more than welcome sight to all but the growing pain in her throat. Still, she managed to speak.

"Riku."

"I got you," was all he said before hoisting her up with ease. Below her, a half-dozen machines turned to scrap in an electric field. He quickly scanned their surroundings and pulled her further from the edge. "Naminé, how did you get here? What are you doing?"

There was imperativeness to his voice, and she wasn't sure whether it was annoyance that she'd barged in on this quest of his or concern for her safety. Maybe a little of both.

"Making things right," she said, "I need to talk-" a bout of coughing cut her off. When Ansem had spoken of urgency, he hadn't been joking.

Riku, though listening, hadn't picked up on her ailment yet. "It's not safe to talk here." He pulled her along further, and she lacked any strength to resist. Finally coming to a stop, Naminé almost panicked at the giant mech standing before her. "Relax, this one's not piloted. Hide in here until I come for you, okay? It's almost over."

She glanced back and forth between him and the pilot's seat. How much time she had left, especially with how quickly the Hanahaki was blooming with him right there, she didn't know. But she nodded anyways and climbed her way into the tight compartment with his help.

Before summoning Braveheart and running back into the fray, he paused and regarded her fully. "It's...nice to see you."

She only had time to smile in return. Once his back turned to her, she closed the hatch with the push of a button. The sounds of scraping, electric humming, and distant combat became muffled within the concealed cabin.

Unexpectedly, the interior came to life. The display, several buttons, and two control rods were all illuminated with bright lights. She briefly recalled Sora piloting these from his memories, and a tempting voice grew in her mind.

Why don't you help?

An experimental tossle of one of the control sticks sent one side of the machine lurching forward, and pressing the button on top threw the same side into a wide punch. Naminé, having also been thrown aside, clung to the lever for life and quickly found the buckles to strap herself in with. She could guess what the triggers on the levers did, if the other robots' guns were any indication

A cluster of mechs appeared just down the railing in front of her, and fortunately, Riku was causing more of a commotion and had drawn their attention. That was about to change. Firmly settled in and ignoring the pain in her throat, Naminé aimed both arms at the group and pulled both triggers, firing off lasers in their direction. A few were knocked to the ground, and before any others could react, she flung both control rods forward. The machine jolted with a thrust, barreling straight for the group.

The interior and safety restraints made the collision bearable, but Naminé was still unprepared for the jarring sound of crunching metal. Every enemy that had materialized was pushed over the edge and crushed beneath the weight of her machine's fall. It had enough autonomy to right itself and recover, but there was so much damage and smoke around her now that she couldn't tell where it was coming from. The only thing she knew was that there were no more enemies around.

Naminé stumbled from the machine as smoke billowed all around her, but ash wasn't the only thing suffocating her lungs. She received a painful reminder when Riku's voice called out to her. "Naminé! Are you okay?"

The air slowly cleared, revealing his location on top of a nearby railing. A short distance away from her, a sparking blue portal materialized. It differed from the dark portals the Organization had used, but its appearance made her believe it was Riku's path forward to finding Yozora.

A loud thump drew her attention back to Riku, where he'd just leapt straight from the railing to the ground.

"That was amazing," he chuckled. "We need to get you a trainer." His expression quickly fell, however, when he finally took in her state. If her light head and unsteady legs were any indication, it wasn't good. "Naminé," his voice drew more concern, "what's going on?"

The portal between them whirred with electrical energy and began to shrink. She was out of time. If Riku needed to find Sora, she needed to just let him go.

"Riku, I'm so sorry, I-" her voice caught in her throat. She wasn't sure whether the flowers or her own nerves were blocking her voice, but a heavy cough quickly answered her own question. Her legs forced themselves to move towards him. He began to do the same, looking to her as if he couldn't quite believe she was real.

"Wh...why are you here? How?"

"I need-" pain wracked her throat with each twitch of her vocal chords, but she had to finish. "-to see you. To tell you-"

To tell you I'm sorry.

To fix what I broke.

To say that I love you and not take it back.

A violent pulse in her lungs sent her reeling forward, and she caught herself on the cold metal. More words tried to come from her mouth, but nothing could either enter or exit her lungs.

Breathe.

I-I can't breathe!

She pushed herself onto her feet, taking much more effort than expected. Her only saving grace was that the pain had begun to fade into numbness.

The portal was nearly gone, but Riku could still make it. Just go, she would've said if only her voice allowed it. When he stopped to glance between her and the door, she thought that maybe he would go.

Then he turned his back on it and ran to her.

It still didn't feel real, coming so close but still being too late. Even now, she could feel the flowers crawling up her throat. Another painful cough sent her over again, her hands barely able to catch herself anymore.

Please, not yet.

"Naminé!" Hands gripped her shoulders and sat her upright, and she came face to face with the man she'd run away from. A once over from him, and she could tell he already knew what was happening. The sickness he knew nothing about was taking her over. His eyes just seemed to ask all of the questions that she couldn't answer. "We need to get you to Aerith. You'll be okay."

She shook her head, one of the few parts of her that she could still control. Maybe she could no longer speak, but she could pray in his ability to read her lips before the flowers grew too much for even that. In a desperate attempt to get his attention, she weakly touched a hand to his cheek, an act of affection that a healthier version of herself would be too afraid to initiate.

Riku, she formed his name with her lips and hoped he'd understand, I love you.

The same look he'd given her before with furrowed eyebrows reappeared, only now she possessed no strength to alter his memories. With her hand still on his face, she tried to reach into his mind to atleast fix what she'd broken, but when she closed her eyes, she only felt the tempting pull of sleep. She fell forward, but the repeated frantic call of her name drew her eyes open again.

Riku was above her now, but enough of her senses remained to know that it hadn't been the metal plate that had caught her fall. A strained glance down revealed fingers curling around her shoulder, and she wished she could better feel his touch. The virtual world around them, having decided they'd outstayed their welcome, had begun to fade as well. Soon they'd return to their material world, and she'd be gone.

When she met his eyes, however, the face that greeted her a second time differed vastly from the first. His eyebrows now were raised, with a hint of a smile breaking through his saddened expression. Something light fell onto her face, and she thought it to be rain until she noticed how red his eyes had become.

She'd never seen Riku cry before, even through all of his vulnerability, and hated being the cause of it.

The small star shard that she'd used to find him slipped away from her onto the ground. His eyes followed it, and understanding crossed his expression. Her fingers began to fall from his cheek, and before her vision faded, he gripped her hand desperately and regarded her with a pained tenderness that only he could give.

"Naminé, I..."

Maybe she should've tried harder to leave him and her feelings for him behind. Or maybe she should've just gotten it all removed by force from the beginning, since she obviously lacked the strength to let it go on her own. But something about how his eyes had held hers in that final moment, as tear-filled as they'd been, had made taking the risk worth it.

"Oh, what a familiar star."

"We remember you."

"The one who got a second chance."

Naminé had no eyes to see, but she remembered the voices. They belonged to the many stars in the Final World, whose perished hearts had not yet crossed over.

"So young, and back again already, the poor thing."

She wanted to sink down and cry, but with no body to do so with, she was left to the nothingness. Sora would not come for her again, and she could no longer feel Kairi's heart. How did she end up here again? Why couldn't she just move on?

"You...you're Sora's friend, right?"

Naminé remembered this star, the one who Sora had spoken to during his trial here. The one who couldn't say her name.

"I was," she answered.

"You can tell me what happened if you'd like."

"I love someone, but they don't love me." Though she had no mouth to speak, thoughts manifested themselves in the empty space, free for the taking for any passerby.

"I didn't know you could die from that," another voice said. "You still love them, even now?"

"Yes," Naminé answered. "I still love him."

"I...understand how you feel," the nameless star said. "But are you sure he doesn't love you?"

"I'm sure," Naminé answered. "Why?"

"Because your voice is getting quieter."

"What?" Naminé asked.

"Naminé!" a muffled voice broke through the thoughts swirling around her. His voice. She tried to answer, but she couldn't respond from where she was.

"You're leaving us again," yet another voice said.

"Maybe someone will come for us someday."

"No one's coming for me," Naminé reasoned. His voice was just her memories clinging to any sense of familiarity. That had to be it.

"Stay with me, please! I can't lose you again!"

There he was a second time, and she was sure he'd never spoken those words to her before, atleast not in her memories. Her heart flared with a warmth that bordered on pain.

"Riku, I don't want to leave you or my friends. But I was foolish."

"Maybe she'll be lucky the third time." The stars around her, too, were getting quieter.

"Farewell, young one," came the nameless star once again. "If we meet again, hopefully it's somewhere else."

"Come back, Naminé." Riku spoke to her as if he was calling her back from a panic attack, only with desperation pouring through the cracks in his voice.

"I think...I am." The nothingness around her shifted to a heavy weight on her chest.

Her chest. A part of the body she was regaining. And with a body, came the needs of life. A heart to beat, nerves to feel and move, lungs to breathe.

She gasped for air.

There was a sudden shuffle beside her, real and tangible, and a silhouette she couldn't make out hovering over her. Traces of silver revealed themselves as her vision returned to her, before her eyes met aquamarine.

His voice, quiet but solidifying, soon found her.

"You're okay." It wasn't a question, but a clear statement spoken with a relieved smile, like he needed to speak it into existence. For her, he was the only real thing in her sight.

She blinked, and the rest of him came into focus. Her vocal cords found some semblance of strength. "Riku?"

"You're okay," he repeated, and her senses swarmed to life as she was squeezed tightly on all sides.

Though she lacked both the cognizance to feel his warmth and the strength to return the gesture, she still smiled. He seemed to pick up on her state and laid her back down. She wiggled her toes and fingers until her full senses returned.

"What…" she regarded him again. He looked just as exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes. "What happened? Where are we?"

"We're in Aerith's spare room. I brought us back to Radiant Garden with the star shard." As he said that, the wooden natural interior did resemble the healer's home. Riku continued, "You were sick, remember? You collapsed, started coughing uncontrollably until you couldn't breathe. You were turning cold and-" He turned away. His fist that rested on her bed slowly opened to reveal a familiar bloodied flower. "Hanahaki, Naminé?" He shook his head, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Her heart sank. He knew. Of course he knew now. Aerith had probably told him, and all of the evidence was right in front of him.

Tears blurred her sight as she reached forward and touched his face. Closing her eyes, she sought out the old shattered memory. It rested in the same place she'd left it, in pieces right beside the fake memory.

He deserved to know the truth, even if it shattered the friendship they'd built. Far down the road, if she was lucky, maybe he'd let her back in and rebuild a semblance of what they'd had.

"I did tell you, Riku." Her magic reached into time through his memories and began to piece the truth back together. "I'm so sorry."

"What do you-" he froze as the repaired link clicked into place, replacing the lie he'd known. His brows furrowed. "You- you changed my memories?"

Abruptly, his warmth left her side as he stood and paced to the room's opposite wall. His gait was heavy, and she braced for him to become angry or simply leave the room altogether.

"Why?" he asked. "You didn't even give me a chance to-"

"I know," she muttered. "After everything, you didn't deserve-" she stopped herself from rambling. There were no excuses. "I'm so sorry, Riku. I was too much of a coward to face the truth that you didn't…reciprocate." She swallowed the word that had controlled so much of her life. The word that she desperately wanted to say and hear back in return.

"You didn't think I…"

After a few long, heavy strides, he was beside her bed again. Instead of standing over her, he sat in the bedside chair and regarded her intently.

"Naminé, do me a favor. Sit up and breathe for me." She did as he asked, taking a deep breath in. "What do you feel?"

She tilted her head to the side. "Nothing? I don't understand, I-" her hand came up to her throat.

Nothing.

She felt nothing.

She could breathe again. Painlessly.

He watched silently as the realization hit her. She took a few more deep breaths just to be sure. With her airways clear, she swore to never take easy breathing for granted ever again.

"The Hanahaki is...gone?"

"Seems like it."

"No." Her hand held her throat more tightly. Panic set in, and she felt around for a scar. "Did they remove it?"

"You still remember me, don't you?"

Each of their little moments together were etched permanently into her memories. She did more than just remember him. Looking into his eyes, seeing everything he'd gone through, knowing all that he was fighting for, she did more than just remember him. She still loved him.

But if she hadn't had surgery, and her feelings hadn't changed, then how-?

Her heart stuttered, causing her breathing to shorten all over again. All that could escape was a quiet cry. She held out a hopeful hand, and he quickly grasped it between his own. "Riku." Though her airways were clear of flowers, she now found herself choking back something else entirely. "You mean you…?"

"I...I do, Naminé."

To her surprise, she let out a tearful laugh. Maybe it was shock, disbelief, irony, overwhelming happiness, or everything wrapped into one burst of emotion. "But, when I said-"

"I know," he stopped her. His gaze drifted away from her aimlessly as he revisited his true memories. "My mind is racing with everything." He held her hand tightly within his own to tell her he was just gathering his thoughts. Eventually, he shook his head and regarded her with both softness and worry. "But I can't believe you were just going to let yourself die, Naminé. Why?"

A part of her had gotten lost as her hand rested snuggly in his grasp. If she possessed more courage, she'd have joined her free hand in this tangle of fingers. Instead, her thumb ran over the contours of his palm. This had quickly become a new unspoken form of communication between them.

"I convinced myself it was my punishment for…what I did." She breathed and kept her shame from sinking her back underneath the covers. "I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

He let out a long sigh, but stayed close. "Nothing you could ever do is worth letting yourself die over, Naminé." His voice was barely a whisper, his jaw tense. "But it's alot to take in right now."

"I-I understand," she managed to say as her world crashed in on itself all over again. She was a fool. To think, this all might have been avoided if she'd only waited a moment longer on that fateful night. "If it changes things, and you want to leave again..."

"No, I...I think I just need time, Naminé."

She couldn't change the past, only move forward with full honesty. And time, time she could give now.

"Anything you need."

"I need to go back out anyways, but I'll return." He lifted his head and looked into her eyes intently. The next words from him would both soothe and sting her heart. "I promise."

Riku departed shortly after with the same star shard. The official reason was to finish his mission and retrieve the gummi ship, but Naminé knew what he needed. In all honesty, she needed time to recover as well.

Her only hope was that she now knew better than to fall into the same well of despair. Riku would return, and change his mind or not, they would talk.

With all means of transportation between worlds gone, that meant that Naminé's friends from Twilight Town couldn't visit, so she was left to herself and her company in Radiant Garden.

She finally thanked Ienzo for looking out for her and inviting her friends over when she'd needed it.

"It was no big deal," he'd said. "It's what anyone would've done."

But, like everything else he'd done, that wasn't true. The apprentice went above and beyond in all of his tasks, to the point where Naminé didn't quite feel comfortable calling him an 'apprentice' anymore. Perhaps Ansem agreed as well, but Ienzo had yet to acknowledge his position and the respect it deserved.

Aerith helped her recover, slowly rebuilding her strength and teaching her breathing exercises to regain her lung and diaphragm capacity. During their time together, the healer had never brought up the obvious. Not because she hadn't noticed, but more likely because she'd wanted Naminé to initiate the conversation.

So a few days into her recovery, she did.

"I should've told him sooner," she said during their morning meditation in her garden.

Aerith smiled with understanding. "You did when you were ready. Any sooner might have felt rushed for either of you."

"What if I still rushed him regardless?" She ducked her head low, focussing on the grass beneath her. "If this disease had never found me, how long would it have been before I'd even realized how I felt?"

The healer giggled. "Considering what almost happened, waiting any longer would've been deadly. As far as the Hanahaki itself?" She reached over and placed a hand on Naminé's arm. "We can only speculate so much on the 'what if's. Sometimes we make mistakes, and sometimes we're thrust into a bad situation. All you can do is focus on how you can make the future better. You're a smart girl, Naminé, and more in touch with your emotions than some who are much older than you. And though Riku may not communicate it, I think he's been aware of how he feels for a long time. You should've seen the look on his face when he carried you in."

Naminé lifted her gaze to the flowers surrounding them in Aerith's field. They no longer reminded her of a ticking clock, even as their bloom had grown significantly with the changing seasons.

"I guess obsessing over what could've happened won't help with making things right."

"You're right." Aerith smiled. "Why don't you practice what to say to him this time?"

"P-practice?"

The woman nodded gleefully. "Say what you love about him, what you want to do together, things like that."

"I…," Naminé paused and glanced back down at her hands in her lap. "He's quite handsome."

"There you go!" Aerith clasped her hands together. "What else?"

So she continued, slowly at first, but the more she spoke, the more that new reasons came to mind, mostly to do with his heart. All the while, Aerith sat across from her with her head held in her hands, listening with fluttering eyelashes.

"You see?" Aerith squeezed Naminé's arm. "A little vulnerability, and it all starts pouring out."

To keep her hopes from soaring too high, Naminé avoided talking about him again for the following days. She'd expected Riku to get right back to his mission, to search for Sora within Yozora's virtual world, and not return for atleast another few weeks. With her affliction gone, she no longer had a time limit.

So when she'd expected to take an evening stroll alone through the gardens a few days later, only for his silver-haired silhouette to emerge from behind an archway, it took him speaking to finally convince her that he was real.

"Naminé." He called her name like the word itself was fragile.

"Riku." She froze. "Y-you're back." He made no move to close the gap between them either, so she remained still, waiting.

"Are you healing okay? It hasn't...come back, has it?"

A pit formed in her stomach. Why would he be asking that unless his feelings had changed? Through her frozen panic, she managed to shake her head, and he let out a relieved sigh.

All the practice in the world couldn't prepare her for the nerves washing over her now.

"I've been thinking alot," he said abruptly before she could apologize again. "I mean, not just recently. Since the night before I first left, really."

He rubbed the back of his head and slouched his shoulders. Maybe he was just as nervous. "Every day, I went over that conversation, trying to figure out what I'd said or done that had hurt you. I couldn't figure it out, and the worst part was, I recalled feeling...happy for a moment. It made no sense."

Naminé's gaze drifted down. It had been her fault, his confusion and turmoil. She hated the thought of causing so much grief when he was supposed to be focussed on finding Sora. Another apology grew and died on her lips. She'd already apologized, now it was her turn to listen.

"Atleast, it made no sense until you put my memories back together. Then it became clear as day. You'd been so heartfelt, so open, so...you. And I froze." His gaze landed anywhere but her own eyes, and the grass shifted beneath his feet. "I froze, not because I didn't like what you said, but because I wasn't expecting it to be directed at me." He took a deep breath, but it was far from a sigh. "No one had ever said that to me before, and I'm sorry, Naminé."

Her feet carried her a step forward involuntarily. "Riku, you don't owe me-"

"I'm sorry because I should've reacted better. I should've realized sooner." Finally, their eyes met, and he took a step closer too. "I couldn't rationalize why I felt happy in the fake memory, but now I know that it was a remnant of the real one. I felt happy because I realized…" His arm, which had been fixed at his side, began to reach out, but stopped. He bit his lips, the widening cracks in the dam around his heart on full display in his expression.

Another deep breath, and he continued. "You're beautiful, Naminé. And smart, and kind, and creative. You're strong, even without a weapon, and your heart is…" He'd said everything so quickly, that Naminé was still processing the beginning when he'd paused. He'd come closer, only by a step, but a noticeable one. "Your heart is real. Always has been, more real than I knew hearts could be. Just with who you are, Naminé, how could I...how could I not fall in love with you?"

Naminé's racing heart stopped in its tracks at those final words. At the word that had held her life by a thread ever since she'd regained her heart.

The look he was giving her in that moment, she'd remember it forever. The pure vulnerability, the wave of emotion pouring from his face, the hopeful smile, the invisible burden being lifted from his shoulders right before her eyes.

Suddenly, she understood how Riku had felt that night, for despite the hundreds of words wanting to escape her lips, all she could do was stare. The pressure built up in her throat, wanting nothing more than to burst, but only coming out in a soft cry. She then remembered Aerith's advice and acted quickly before he could misunderstand her silence.

"I find you quite handsome, Riku," she blurted out, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. Well, that could've started out more gracefully. "You're so strong and brave and grounding. My emotions felt so chaotic at first - some of them still are - but I was never unsure of how I felt around you."

His surprised expression softened, and she wondered if anyone had ever complimented him so much all at once. She took another bold step closer, and he spoke again. "Your art is amazing, I don't think I've told you."

"You never had to. I...like to draw you sometimes."

He chuckled. "I wish you'd show me."

"They're nothing special. I just think you're inspiring. Your loyalty, sincerity, honesty...you always take the lead so naturally."

"You make it easy for me to be myself around you."

"I feel the same."

"Can I kiss you?"

"Please."

Naminé froze, and Riku's eyes widened. Once the words had begun spilling out, they'd become impossible to stop. She'd taken more steps forward without having realized it, and now he was standing so, so close. His hand nervously brushed her cheek, and she shuddered not from discomfort, but from warmth.

She had barely expected Riku to say he loves her, let alone for things to progress as quickly as they had in the last thirty seconds. Kissing had hardly crossed her mind during the past several days, and she hadn't been prepared for him to ask.

Even so, the fact that he'd asked made her heart flutter. He'd always been so caring and attentive, of course he'd want her to be ready. If she wanted, she could still back out now, say it was too soon, and he'd listen in a heartbeat. But as she looked into his aquamarine eyes, held his gaze, and felt his thumb relax against her cheek, suddenly the idea of kissing him sounded divine.

He began to lean in closer, and the world around her swirled. The only anchor keeping her in place was the single point of contact where his calloused palm cradled her. She sought a second when her hand met his chest. A third when their foreheads met, and the pounding beneath her palm revealed just how nervous he was.

For the first time, her inner voice of self-doubt stayed quiet. "Please," she whispered again.

In one fluid motion he drew her lips to his. A jolt of electricity reverberated throughout her body, erupting her heart in the process. Gentle and chaste, his lips brushed over hers like she'd break if he pushed any harder. In her current state of recovery, maybe she would have, but her self-preservation had long since departed.

Determined to drown in the man who smelled like the sea, she gripped his jacket and pulled him closer. The sudden movement sent him stumbling forward, and he caught himself around her waist.

"Sorry," he muttered, and she couldn't help but smile.

Her free hand instinctively came up to hold his arm in place. "It's okay, Riku. I love you."

"You-" he kissed her again, letting the rest of his words die but their meaning spring to life.

Unafraid of her fragility, Riku pulled her closer still, leaning down so she wouldn't have to balance on her toes. He shuddered when the hand holding his arm in place traced a line up to his shoulder. A smile quickly grew on her lips, and the hand running through her hair all but melted her.

Why hadn't she thought of kissing sooner? And how could an act so simple affect so many pieces of her? Not just her body, but her heart and her soul. If she hadn't already felt so secure in his arms - and oh, he was holding her so tightly now - the emotions alone would've been too heavy to bear.

One important thing Naminé learned about kissing: she still needed to breathe. She pulled away, breathless but still smiling. A spark she'd never seen in him before had ignited behind his eyes. "I don't understand...how could you forgive me?"

He huffed and pulled her head to his chest. It felt so right, fitting into him like this so perfectly, and her arms curled around his waist. "Of course I forgive you. If I had your powers, and with all of my mistakes, I think I would've been tempted to do the same."

She hummed, enjoying the sound of his heartbeat calming against her ear. "I won't look at or change your memories ever again, Riku. I promise."

He rested his head atop hers. "It's okay to look sometimes. I don't mind."

Even if he gave her permission to see every one of his memories, she doubted she'd be able to bring herself to do so again. Her powers needed to be used for good, and very carefully so.

Speaking of which. "Sora's still out there." She pulled back. "What do we do now?"

Riku's brow furrowed as he was brought back down to reality. Naminé wished she'd waited a little longer, pretended to live in this world where none of their problems existed and all of their friends were safe at home.

"I completed Yozora's game," he said, but his tone didn't sound victorious at all. "It was just a game, scripted. Not the real place." He was already doubting himself and his ability to bring Sora back.

"Hey, this is still a huge step." She leaned down to catch his gaze. "I'm sure we can learn alot about him and his world, and the game's data may give us more leads."

"You're probably right. I don't know why, but I expected to just find Sora and fix everything so easily. I hate feeling so...useless."

Naminé pouted. "You and Kairi are both wrong when you say that." She touched a hand to his cheek, gently guiding him to look back at her. "What was it you said to Kairi? You just have to find your ties to Sora."

The corners of his lips curled into a half smile. "You remembered that, huh?"

She nodded. "Mhm, no memory probing required."

He chuckled and pulled her in closer again. Falling into him was beginning to become second nature for her. To think that she'd thought the most she'd get would be that simple, stiff yet comforting hug in the mansion's white room.

"Besides," she continued, "we're stronger together now, right? No more sickness holding me back."

"You're right." He pushed himself away, holding her at arm's length, and gave her a look that made her heart flare with warmth. His eyes smiled more than his lips did, with an admiration Naminé had never expected to receive. A look like that could easily draw her out from the shadows and sidelines she'd resided in before.

"Come on," she took his hand and turned toward the castle. "Shall we get to work? I don't know how much longer Kairi will be asleep, but there'll be alot to fill her in on when she wakes."

Her arm locked straight when she tried to walk. Riku stayed rooted in place and instead beckoned her back with a gentle tug. His gaze hadn't left her, and Naminé could feel the heat rising to her face.

"Just a moment longer, if that's alright."

Spring had come, and what better way to enjoy it than to stop and enjoy the wildflowers? She'd give him all the time he wanted, but a moment was a good place to start.

A/N: I want to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who's read, liked, and/or commented on this fic. I honestly never expected this idea to take off in my head in the way it did, and it's been wonderful hearing everyone's thoughts. Namiku is the kind of pair that just keeps growing on me the more I think about them, so writing this story has had a huge impact on me. Thank you, everyone, for joining me on this journey, and here's to more Namiku in the future! Much love to you all!

Bonus: I made a playlist for this fic, and I'm making it public now that the story's finished :) It's called "Daffodils of Spring [Namiku]" on Spotify. Feel free to use if you like!