Why does it always have to be a storm?
Riku set his eyes straight ahead, trying to ignore the pellets of ice-cold water assaulting his face and the sting of the wind in his eyes.
He had no coat—hell, he had no shirt either, only pants and what, at one time, were intact boots. The things seemed closer to sandals at this point.
But, on a night like this, what did it matter?
The door slammed shut behind him, but he did not worry; Nadia was fast asleep after a glass of warm milk and Kairi was still holed up in her room. Riku latched the door shut and left the protection of the house for the full brunt force of the wind.
Nature challenged him. He kept walking.
He could barely see at first, but, in a moment's time, the man adjusted. He'd adjusted to more difficult things before. This was by no means the worst storm he'd been in the middle of.
Though…it might very well be my last…
No, he couldn't think like that. If he did, he'd lose all motivation.
I need to get through the days I have left… Whether I have a million or a hundred…
One foot in front of the other. That was the way. The wind tried to knock Riku down but he refused to bow to it. He had to complete this mission. He would not accept defeat.
When will the next headache come? I may only have a few minutes.
He looked in the tree house and on the boat and even in the Secret Place, although there he only paused at the opening and called inside to hear his voice echo within the stone cavern.
Funny…he'd sworn he'd seen Sora head around to this part of the island…
Wait. There was one place Riku had forgotten to check.
The old shack where we stored our supplies. That's where you're hiding, isn't it, Sora? You couldn't stand the Secret Place either because it holds too many memories for you… Of good times and of dark times…
Riku pushed open the door to the shack and stepped in. At first, he was just glad to have the constant push of the wind fade from his skin. Water dripped off his soaked body as he lingered in the dark.
"Who's there?"
"Your best friend," Riku replied, a bit of dry humor in his voice.
Sora groaned and turned over. "Come to finish breaking my jaw?"
"I would like to," the silver-haired man replied. "But I'm being the bigger man here and giving you a chance to explain yourself, bastard."
"Could you not call me that—for once?"
Riku clenched his teeth and ushered a long sigh through them. He gripped his fists so tightly he broke the skin of his palms. As blood ran between his fingers, he slowly breathed in and out.
"You know," he began in a very low and threatening voice, "I want to strangle you now, Sora, for what you did to Kairi. You broke her heart. You don't deserve to live."
"…I know."
"Why the hell did you do it then?"
"That I don't know," Sora replied, frustrated. "It's just, you know, she loves you so much too. I didn't want her to make a decision she'd regret later—"
"No, you're wrong. Kairi doesn't love me."
"She does!"
"No. Don't lie to me, Sora. I heard her tell you that she didn't care about me at all—"
Sora froze. "You heard that…?"
"That was an accident, okay? The point is—"
"The point is she took that back later and admitted she does love you!"
Sora was sitting up now, maybe standing, and he was growing more frustrated and angry by the minute.
Riku held his forehead with one hand, cursing on the inside. Damn, she did? This makes things more complicated… Damn, you don't love me, Kairi! You can't!
"Ev-Even if she did say that, she certainly doesn't love me in the way she loves you. She's waited for you for ten years, Sora. Why can't you open your eyes and just see that!"
"But you two—"
"So we did. So what? It's all over now. All over."
"I know that, but…"
"But what? Look, you don't even know how it happened, all right? How she…how she told me it was over."
Sora was silent.
Riku ran his tongue over calloused lips. "Nadia wasn't too old then, only about a year. I was so…" He stopped momentarily and clamped his eyes shut. He wouldn't let himself be taken back to that time, that time that was among the happiest in his life. "I was so in love with Kairi and Nadia. I was content. It was like I had a chance to be part of a real family… You know how miserable I was growing up, right? I wanted to have a real family for the three of us. I even wanted more children. I wanted it all.
"I decided to ask Kairi to marry me so my selfish dream could come true. We had a romantic dinner and then took a walk on the beach with Nadia. It was…it was the best evening in my life, so relaxed and peaceful. I took Kairi aside and gave her a ring carved out of a pearl I'd found. It was then… It was then that she told me…"
The air inside the shack was heavy and still. The walls rattled against the wind and the rain. The men were reflective and motionless.
Riku felt something inside him seizing up. He couldn't say anymore about that day Kairi told him…
"I care for you, Riku, but I still love Sora. I really thought I could forget him, but I don't think I ever will. I'm so sorry… I thought I could forget him… I'm so sorry…"
"I'm sorry it happened that way," Sora said, his voice a whisper weaving through the dark.
"No, don't say you're sorry. I'm sick and tired of people being sorry for me!"
"Riku—?"
"Honestly, Sora. What the hell is wrong with you? You broke Kairi's heart and you're just laying here being jealous of me? Kairi loves you. She doesn't love me. She doesn't love anyone else. She wouldn't have waited ten years for someone she hadn't given her heart to!"
"Riku—"
"Go back to sleep, Sora. But, if tomorrow isn't the day you get down on your knees and beg for Kairi's forgiveness—if you don't make her happy—then I swear to God I will strangle you—and then throw you out to sea for the fishes."
"…I understand."
"Good night, Sora," Riku mumbled as he left. And goodbye, my friend.
~*~
Kairi heard the back door slam. The woman thought she had heard it before (she hadn't been able to sleep all night). Now she was sure she heard it.
Two door slams. That meant that someone had gone and returned.
Sora?
She paused at the foot of the stairs. She didn't want to see Sora. She had been mourning over him all day. She certainly didn't want to face him with tear-stained and sleep-deprived eyes.
He already thinks I'm naïve as a child. I don't want him to think I'm immature emotionally, too.
Kairi tiptoed to the kitchen. She saw Riku at the table. He was leaning heavily on one elbow, holding his head with the attached hand.
She got closer. He was soaked through.
"Did you go out for a midnight jog or something?" Kairi whispered from immediately behind the man.
He jumped, then slowly turned around and looked up at her. "Hey."
Kairi pulled up a seat next to him, her eyes probing for an explanation.
"I was just taking a walk."
The wind blew up then and caused the windows to quake.
"In that?"
Riku offered her a tired smile. "Guess so."
Kairi folded her hands tightly in her lap and stared down at them. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?"
"You should really get some rest."
"I can't," she sniffed, throwing her arms around him. She didn't mind that his chest was wet and frigid. Underneath was his slow and steady heartbeat. Underneath was warmth that she had once known so well.
Riku hesitated before placing one hand on the woman's back. "Kairi…"
"I can't stand it, Riku! Why did he have to say those awful things to me? Why did he lead me on first—just so he could really destroy me?" Her tears began to mix with the rainwater that covered his body. She squeezed closer to him, almost clawing into his bare back.
"I don't think he meant to…"
"Whatever!" she cried. "Like he didn't know what it would do to me! He knew full well!"
Riku rubbed her back gently, and she pulled closer to him.
"I don't care about him at all! I don't need him if all he can do is insult me!"
"Kairi…"
She resituated her arms—to around his neck. "Riku, oh Riku…"
"Kairi, I can't…"
The woman kissed his cheek. "Riku, I'm sorry I rejected you all those years ago. I…I need you close to me now…"
"Don't do this. Please."
She squeezed him tightly. "Riku…"
He pulled her arms away. He let her slide back into her own chair, disbelief covering her face. Maybe a little disappointment, too.
Riku let his eyes rest on Kairi for a long while. "Come on, Kairi. This isn't what you want, is it?"
"No, it is—!"
"I'm not the one you want. You still love Sora."
"But I love you too, Riku!"
He faced away from her a little and…gulped? "Don't kid yourself. You told me before that you could never forget about Sora."
Kairi gasped. That's right… When he proposed. I remember.
The woman pulled the hair away from her face. She sat up straight and talked very quietly, very slowly. "I know, Riku. I loved you, too, and I would have liked to marry you. But it would never have been fair to you! I still…I still had feelings for Sora. I didn't want it to be that way, when you were there for me a hundred percent…"
"And why is tonight any different? Because you had a fight with Sora?"
Kairi felt a dagger twisting in her heart. Oh, God… Riku… You're so right. I was about to… Just because…
Riku came to her then and touched her hair gently. "Kairi… There isn't anything I want do more right now than hold you in my arms. But it would be wrong. Unfair, like you said. For…for all of us."
"Riku…" Kairi was crying again now, but no longer were they tears of self-pity. She was crying for Riku and all the pain she had caused him. They came rushing back to her, then: all the times he had been there for her, all the time knowing she could never return his love.
"Riku… Please tell me there is something I can do for you now?"
He smiled a soft and sincere smile. "Yes, there is. I want you to let Sora grovel and mend your broken heart, Kairi. I want you to be happy. For me, all right? Can you do that?"
The wounds from Sora were still fresh, but she promised him, "I will try my best, Riku. For you."
"All right." He pulled his hand from her hair, started to walk away.
"Wait." Kairi grabbed his wrist and climbed over the chair until she stood next to him. "I still want you to hold me…one more time."
Riku opened his arms and she nestled herself into his strong embrace, listening to his heartbeat. It was racing much faster than before. He's so warm… Riku, I'm sorry… I wish… I wish I could…
"I love you, Kairi," Riku whispered, grasping her firmly.
Kairi felt so safe in his arms.
"And I love you…"
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One—two chapters at most—left. Ooh, the story climaxes!
