By: K-c
A/N: BONJOUR! I'm glad that the last chappie satisfied everyone! Well, to make you guys feel even more special, here comes ch. 12! Wow! I can't believe I'm already on this chappie! It seemed like it would take much longer than this! Oh well! Here ya go!
Disclaimer: I do not own KH characters or FF characters or any of that stuff.
Ch.12: Angels Have Their Flaws"Nobody knows the story of tomorrow's dawn . . ."
Yuna's POV:
Please . . .just please . . .come and find me . . .don't leave me out here . . .
I shivered and shook my head of soaking wet brown hair out of my eyes. The rain had ceased and the storm seemed to have been moving on, leaving the world behind it dripping wet. The cold air still remained, though, freezing the rain on my skin and turning my hair into icicles (or so it felt). It was still night, but the sun was going to rise soon and bring warm air back across this land. I couldn't see the dawn, though, on the horizon because trees surrounded me. My back was aching from leaning up against the tree that I had taken refuge in and my stomach continued to growl painfully. I couldn't feel anything in my legs or arms and no matter how much I shook them to produce some warmth, I received none.
What did I do to deserve this? All I wanted was to bring a bunch of my friends down here for Spring Break, but I only received misery. Even if my actions were a little too drastic for the measures, I wasn't thinking straight and all I wanted to do was run and hide. How would I have known that I would only end up getting lost in the middle of the woods in the middle of a thunderstorm stuck in a tree and left to freeze to death?
I sighed quietly to myself and breathed in the morning air. Birds started to chirp around me in the trees, signaling the coming day not too far away. It wouldn't be long before somebody came to find me . . .if nobody does, then I'll have to go and try to find my way back to the house on my own . . .maybe it would be easier to find in the daylight?
A sudden sound caught my ears and I looked around below me for the source. It sounded like footsteps crunching on the fallen leaves and squishing in the mud. Someone was coming this way . . .I squinted in the fading darkness to see anything that could be moving and be my savior. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see a single thing. Then, suddenly, it was right underneath me. The sound of footsteps was crossing below me and I caught a quick glimpse of something red. My heart started to pound as my blood pumped inside of me with excitement.
"UP HERE!" I screamed as loud as I could to the person below me. The footsteps ceased and there was a moment of silence as I leaned over the branch I was sitting on and waving my arms, trying to catch the attention of whoever it was.
"Up where? Is that you, Yuna?" a voice that I immediately recognized as Tidus' called out to me, sounding as if he was facing the opposite direction. The anger that I had been feeling toward him all through the night seemed to melt away instantly . . .he had come to find me . . .he truly cares about me . . .
"I'M UP HERE!" I called out again, flailing my arms around wildly, hoping to catch his eye. There was more silence that followed it. Turn around! Turn around! All at once, I wobbled back and forth and lost my balance. I started to fall forwards and off of the branch that was high up off of the ground. I reached my hands out to grab something, but I only grabbed air. I let out a little squeal of surprise as I fell down. The air rushed past me and I closed my eyes . . .but then I landed . . .on something soft . . .that groaned in pain . . .
" . . .Tidus . . .?" I whispered quietly, feeling my hand on what I had landed on and felt his soft locks. My heart raced and I quickly leapt off of him, embarrassment seizing me. In the meager light, I saw the red form slowly rise to his feet and face me. I didn't know what to do; I just stood in silence, hoping that he wasn't mad at me or anything.
" . . .I'm sorry . . .I should've been more care—"
I was swept into a tight embrace and my words choked. There was no need to finish my sentence . . .everything was all right . . .I hugged him back, tears of happiness and gratitude rolling down my cheeks. To be in his arms . . .to be in his presence . . .it was a wonderful feeling . . .something that I never wanted to forget . . .
"I . . .I was so worried about you . . .I've found you . . .I've found you at last . . ." he whispered softly in my ear as he hugged me tighter, his wet clothes pressing up against my already soaking body. I closed my eyes and smiled for the first time in a while . . .he pulled back from our embrace and suddenly pressed his lips upon mine firmly. I was slightly taken aback from this action, but I kissed him just as much. My blood was pounding through my veins and my heart throbbed continuously as we kissed.
"Um . . .sorry to ruin this touching moment, but do you think that this would be a good time to signal the others?" a sarcastic voice spoke up from out of nowhere from somewhere behind Tidus. We broke apart and I squinted to see silver hair glinting in the rising sun. Riku was here too . . . how embarrassing! I blushed deeply and looked away quickly. The others . . .who would that be? Maybe Sora is out here as well looking for me . . .maybe Kairi joined him as well . . .All of these people came out to look for me in the woods in the pouring rain . . .risking their lives in the lightning . . .Gratitude welled up inside of me like a gigantic balloon. These are my friends . . .these are my friends . . .
A loud and high-pitched whistle ripped through the silence and made me jump out of my skin. Tidus had his two fingers together and was blowing through them to issue that deafening screech. The shrill sound echoed through the dense forest, repeating itself over and over again. Another shriek pierced the new silence as he whistled again, obviously listening for some kind of response. We waited in silence . . .not hearing a single thing.
"Where could they be?" Tidus asked to himself more than anybody else after he whistled yet again. His voice was so full of concern and worry and I took his hand and held it in mine. His hand was freezing and felt almost dead, but in a matter of seconds, it was warm again. The sun was now almost completely over the horizon (from what I could see beyond the trees) and things were becoming visible. I could see the volcano looming up over the trees in the distance, the sun shining off of the wet leaves on the trees on the side of it.
"I knew it," Riku muttered under his breath irritably and leaned up against the nearest tree. Tidus and I looked around at him, waiting for an explanation for his words. "I knew those two would go and get lost as well. I shouldn't have even brought them along. So now we have to go find them, too. This is pathetic . . ."
Tidus broke away from my grasp and walked over to Riku and stood before him. He was glaring at him, almost all of his fury shining through those sky-blue eyes of his. Riku showed no emotion to this reaction, just a very bored look. This only seemed to make Tidus even angrier.
"You know what? You can just go on ahead and leave for all I care. Good luck trying to find your way out of this damn place, but if you don't wanna stay with us, go on. Leave. I don't care . . ." he growled from in between clenched teeth. Riku smirked in a casual way and moved away from the tree and past Tidus. At first, I thought he was going to leave for sure, but he turned around to stare at us, that smirk still visible on his face.
"Are you two coming or what?" he asked us coldly and turned around to walk away. Tidus and I exchanged quick and confused glances before catching up to him. We walked at a slightly slow pace through the woods, plowing through the mud that clung to my sandals and soon submerged my feet. Every now and then, Tidus would stop and give another screeching whistle to only receive silence. My legs wobbled from underneath me from being numb and not moving for eight hours and a couple or times I stumbled and almost fell to the ground, but caught myself before doing so. I had no idea where we were going to try to go looking for the "others", but Riku seemed to be knowing exactly where he was heading and Tidus and I just followed his lead.
Kairi's POV:
I opened my eyes grudgingly and blinked a few to let my vision settle on one object. I was in a cave . . .and I was soaking wet . . .and freezing cold . . .cave . . .cave . . .cave? CAVE! THAT CAVE!
I sat bolt upright and glanced frantically around the small chamber of stone, trying to recollect on my thoughts. Sunlight was slowly creeping into the darkness that surrounded me and I could hear birds chirping cheerfully outside and faraway. I tried to move, but a sharp stinging in my leg caught my attention. I looked down to see a black jacket tied tightly around my bright red ankle. It was throbbing in pain and seemed slightly swelled and bruised. I turned around and saw a sleeping form right beside myself. I almost jumped backwards in alarm at his peaceful face.
He's right beside me . . .his jacket is on my ankle . . .I don't remember a single thing past the part of us entering this cave and he was carrying me . . .that's all I remember . . .what had happened in those few hours? He looks so tired . . .like a worn man who worked all day long to only receive a few precious hours of rest for his weary eyes. His lips were tinted in a light and almost unnoticeable blue shade and his face looked completely pale. His site frightened me . . .is he okay? Is he ALIVE? No . . .wait . . .he was breathing . . .
He began to stir in his position and grunted in a groggy sort of way. The image of us being in my closet popped back into my mind and I drifted off into a daydream. This is almost exactly what had happened between the two of us a couple of days ago . . .only that I'm the one that's hurt and needs cared for. Maybe he thought of this as a way to repay his debt . . .by taking care of me and making sure that nothing happens to me . . .he . . .was caring about me . . .why does he do these things? What makes him stop and tend to me before himself? Is it something that I do?
"You're awake . . ."
I snapped out of my daze to look down and see his bright blue eyes shining in the rising rays of sunlight as he stared up at me, a small and very gentle smile on his purple lips. The ski under his eyes had a dark shadow underneath them and there was a tinge of red in his eyes that added to the sleepy look. Nonetheless, though, he was smiling up at me in a happy and relived sort of way. Had I given him trouble in the night? Did I do something wrong? He couldn't answer my questions and he remained silent as I stared at him with these thoughts running through my head. A couple moments of silence passed between us as usual and I looked away from his temptingly beautiful eyes.
"Listen . . .about last night . . ." he started, his voice taking on the tone of an upcoming question. I braced myself for whatever he was going to ask me, but he never got the chance to. A quiet little whistle came from faraway and echoed on past us. I froze where I was, listening intently for another chance to hear the sound. Sora, too, sat up from his spot and looked out toward the mouth of the cave, squinting in the bright, early morning sunlight for any sign of movement or the source of the whistle.
" . . .Was that—?"
"Yea, it was," he told himself more than me, still staring out in front of him like a watchdog. It hadn't occurred to me before then that Tidus and Riku were still out there, looking for Yuna all night. Here we were . . .sitting in a little cave . . .all safe and snug . . .when they probably searched all night. The whistle . . .that means that they have found her! They were probably all coming to look for us now . . .I felt like such an idiot . . .getting lost on a search party . . .
Sora stood up suddenly and caused me to jump out of my skin from this sudden movement. I watched him as he waved his arms around to someone I couldn't see. The sound of shouting from far-off and the rustling of footsteps over leaves and splashing through mud reached my ears, and I, too, stood up beside him to try to catch a glimpse of everyone else. I couldn't tell what they were shouting at each other, but I recognized Riku's voice and my heart started to pound. He . . .was . . .here . . .I'm going to look weak and pathetic again . . .and in front of him, of all people.
Tidus suddenly appeared before me, running up the hill and through the trees and bushes with Yuna trailing behind him, holding his hand. She had a huge grin on her face and when she saw us inside of the cave, her grin spread even wider. Bringing up the rear was none other than Riku himself. He was coming at a mild jog, not looking too happy about finding us. The pounding of my heart ceased and almost died when he shot me a dark glare. Was he still mad at me? I suddenly felt weak and deprived of strength. My arms, which had been holding me up, started to shake and I collapsed in a heap on the dirt floor. My head was spinning like a carousel and I felt like I had to puke.
"Kairi!" I heard Tidus and Sora shout in unison as someone wrapped their arms around my shoulders. I didn't respond, fearing that if I were to say a word, I would only throw-up in the process. I felt as if all of my muscles had been taken away from me and I was just a pile of nothing. I could hardly breathe and I couldn't move an inch.
What's . . .wrong with me . . .?
"We have to get her back! Come on, help me!" I heard Sora order to the others, his voice fading in and out of my ears. I felt more hands reach under me and pull me upwards, suspending me into the air. I opened my eyes, but I only saw darkness. There was no difference between my closed eyelids and the world around me that seemed to be vanishing with every second. A loud ringing in my ears that started out as a little squeal was slowly becoming louder and louder with every breath I took. I gasped for air, but I only ended up shuddering in despair. I can't breathe . . .
I . . .can't hear you . . .
LATER
"It's all right . . .she only blacked out,"
"It's still my fault, though! Why does everything bad happen when I'm around her?"
"Don't blame yourself, it could've happened to anyone. You just happened to be there at the wrong time. I think it might have been just from exhaustion, the cold, and her ankle. She's going to be fine, now,"
"Will you all just shut up? All she did was zone out and you act as if she went into a coma!"
Riku . . .it's . . .you . . .I opened my eyes but only saw a blur of colour. The ringing in my ears had ceased for the moment, but the repercussions of it seemed to echo through my mind over and over again. Their voices sounded so far away . . .they seemed like they were millions of miles away from where I could possibly be. Where was I? Was I back at the house, or was I still at the cave? How did I get here? Am I okay?
"See, look! She's waking up!" I heard Yuna's voice announce anxiously from that faraway place they were at. The spinning and whirling of colours started to slow down and I could now focus on one thing instead of 3,000. Yuna's worried but grateful face was staring back at me, her green and blue eyes filled with happy tears. Behind her I saw Tidus standing, Sora sitting, and Riku sulking in a corner. As I looked around, I noted that I was, indeed, back inside of the summer home in the main room on a white leather couch. Above me was the skylight with beams of newly produced sunshine radiating down and onto the floor, signaling a bright and cloudless day after the storm. I sat up too quickly and my head pinged with sudden pain. Yuna tried to push me back down, but I refused. I faced Sora and stared at him until he lifted his face out of his hands and looked over at me. Seeing my recovery, he smiled wide and hurried over to my side. We kept our eyes locked on one another for a moment, smiling at each other.
"I'm sorry I caused you all so much trouble . . .I don't know what came over me," I mumbled under my breath sheepishly, now averting my gaze to the wooden floor covered in sunlight. There was an awkward moment of brief silence until a loud coughing sound came from over in the corner Riku was standing in. I glanced up at him and when he saw every eye on him, he quickly acted as if nothing was wrong with him. He must have been out in the rain all night and now he had a cold from it. He was that devoted in the search that he didn't even stop and sit down when he started to feel sick . . .
I looked back at the faces of Yuna and Sora. "Don't worry about it . . .you just needed rest. You're fine now . . .but your ankle is sprained. That won't be a problem either . . .just some relaxation will do the trick!" Yuna assured me cheerfully, giving me a warm and tender smile. I smiled back at her, grateful to have such good friends such as these . . .
"You guys are the best friends I could ever have!" I declared happily and giggled in a giddy way. Yuna and I embraced and when I pulled away from her, I saw shocked expressions on the faces of Riku and Sora. I glanced back and forth from the two of them, completely confused by their reactions, when they both looked away and at the floor, a sad glint now noticeable in their eyes. I didn't have time to question their actions, though, because at that moment, a very hungover Selphie stomped into the room, her hair sticking up everywhere and dark circles under her eyes. She slumped over to the fridge, opened it, took out a carton of lemonade and poured herself a glass. She didn't say a word as she staggered back up the stairs to the second floor with her completely full glass, but it was enough to break the silence. After she had gone, Riku stepped up the stairs as well and up to the third floor. We didn't hear anything else from him besides the slamming of a door for another five minutes.
Sora left the room next, followed by Tidus who said he was going upstairs to change out of his clothes. Yuna and I were the only ones in the room and even she left for a moment to get a pack of ice. As she flipped through the channels on the television on the couch across from me, I sat and thought about what was up with Riku and Sora. I recalled on the whole night and everything I had said to both of them . . .everything I did . . .I couldn't find a single thing wrong. I couldn't remember what had happened after I started to feel weak and cold . . .but I probably just fell asleep . . .The bag of ice that was resting on my red and swollen ankle numbed the pain and made it feel better. I was fortunate to fall down half of an extinct volcano with as much as a sprained ankle. I still felt like I was causing every trouble, though . . .
"Hey . . ." a voice came from above us, ripping me from my thoughts. I looked up and saw Tidus standing on the third floor, leaning over the railing and peering down at us. He was now wearing an unbuttoned light blue shirt with a white muscle shirt underneath, and another pair of khaki shorts. Yuna was looking up at him also, the T.V show she was watching previously not as vital as before.
"I'm goin' for a walk . . .wanna come?" he finished, coming down the stairs to where we were. Yuna stood from where she was sitting, desperately trying to hide her eager face. I can't go walking with them . . .and even if I could, I wouldn't because they should go alone . . .
Yuna hurried over to the door and slipped on her sandals. "I would love to!" she declared happily, waiting patiently by the door for her companion to join her. Tidus reached her, took her hand, and they exited the house without another word. I sighed quietly to myself with a smile in and now-silent house, watching their retreating figures turn and walk along the beach in the morning sunshine. I almost felt jealous in a way of their beautiful and fantasy-like relationship. How could something be so perfect without any flaws? Everybody has flaws . . .even angels . . .
Yuna's POV:
I blinked in the bright rays of light and trudged through the damp and soggy sand. The texture between my toes felt kind of strange, but I didn't stop to pick it away. Tidus had a comforting grip on my hand and was stepping nonchalantly through the dunes of sand. All around us, things seemed to springing to life and waking. Seagulls cried out from above us, circling around and around for any sorts of scraps from the storm last night to feast upon. Little crabs climbed out from their safe and dry tunnels under the sand, and bird chirped merrily from inside of the forest. The sun was now above the volcano and was still rising higher and higher as we walked along. The waves lapped the shore, tickling my toes with its' foamy surface and washing away the sand that had been clinging onto them dearly.
We walked without saying a word, with nothing but the waves to accompany our silence. Tidus suddenly stopped walking and stooped to pick up something off of the ground that I didn't have time to see what it was. He held out his hand to me and opened it to reveal a pretty spiral seashell. It was a light green colour with blue speckles all over it and it shined in the rising daylight. I didn't know what to do . . .why does he always make me lose my words!
"Here . . .for you,"
I hesitantly took the shell from the palm of his hand and looked up to meet his stunningly beautiful blue eyes. My heart started to pound and I felt my face turn a deep rouge. I averted my eyes to the ocean that was reflecting the sunlight, trying to find the right words to say. I had so many things running through my mind and I didn't know how to put it simple and not have it come out as a jumbled up pile of crap. I clutched onto the shell in my left hand, hoping it would somehow give me the answers I needed.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked me when I took my hand away from his involuntarily. His voice was pitched with worry and concern and I turned around to look at him. I tried not to make him think that there was something wrong—but there was something on my mind. I took a deep breath and prayed that it wouldn't come out wrong.
"There's something going on with Riku and Sora . . .they've been acting so strange lately. Do you think . . ." I trailed off, gulping down some excess spit that had built up in my throat. This wasn't going the way I had hoped it would. Tidus' eyes were shining with confusion and they seemed to beg for answers. I drew another long breath and finished my question.
"Do you think that it was a mistake to bring them both here?" I blurted out rather quickly. Noticing that I had said something strange, I blushed and looked down at the sand. It was true . . .ever since we came here; I felt like we were walking on thin ice before it broke and fell to pieces and those two would kill each other. I just wanted to bring Sora along because he's a friend to all of us . . .and I brought Riku along because him and Tidus are friends. I know it wasn't my fault that they hate each other, but I still felt like I was the one who caused all of this. I dug my toes into the damp sand and waited for his response. There was silence at first, where I could only hear his breath, the birds, and the waves.
"Those two are just confused about what they think of some other people . . .if you ask me, I think that Kairi is the reason for all of it—not that she's to be blamed or anything!" he added quickly, seeing my shocked expression. He grinned sheepishly, then looked serious once again.
"But . . .what can one girl do?" I asked him quietly, thoroughly confused by his words. I have never thought that an actual person was the reason for their fighting . . .I thought it was a lot deeper than that . . .Tidus took my hand again and smiled back at me, his eyes sparkling in the light. For a moment, I thought that he didn't even know how to respond to my question, but after a while he took a deep breath and answered.
"You'd be surprised. With guys like those two, throw a girl like Kairi in between them and they suddenly mature like crazy. The only problem, though, is that they both fall for the same girl and all hell breaks loose," he chuckled softly, obviously thinking that what he said was humourous. I didn't know whether to laugh or not. What he said was so new to me . . .it hadn't dawned on my before then that they both loved Kairi . . .but yet . . .it was so logical. Sora had always liked Kairi, but Riku never seemed to. In contrary, he always acted as if he could care less about her. He was so immature about a week ago . . .then . . .suddenly he changed. It was . . .strange . . .
"But don't worry," he assured me quickly, placing a warm hand on my cheek and staring deep in my eyes. His face was about four inches from mine and my face was burning in heat.
"True love will find its' way eventually . . ."
LATER (AT NIGHT)
Riku's POV:
I stood outside of the door that would later haunt me in my dreams, taking continuous deep breaths. Turning back now was an answer—but no, I had to get some answers. Why am I acting so afraid to talk to someone? When did this side of me show up? I have tried and tried again to cover up what I really was thinking so many times before . . .but it wasn't working this time. I couldn't fake it . . .not anymore . . .
I turned the knob of the door and slowly pushed it open, hoping and hoping that nobody could hear me. The only thing I saw at first was darkness surrounding the entire room, but after a while, my eyes adjusted to the moonlight coming in through the window. The light was illuminating her bed and where she was (thankfully) sleeping soundly. I didn't want to move from where I stood, but I had to. My heart was pounding like crazy inside of my chest, telling me to turn around and go back upstairs to my room . . .but I couldn't leave now . . .I've made it this far . . .
I took a slow step and cringed when the floorboards underneath me creaked quite loudly. I glanced up at her, the breath caught in my throat, but she didn't move or acknowledge my existence. I let out that breath that I was holding and took more steps towards her bed until I was standing right over it. I slowly sat down on the edge of it, trying to not make so much movement. She still didn't wake . . .not even stir . . .
Look what you've done . . .you've made me go crazy over you in a matter of days . . .but what exactly did you do? Did you say something that just made me snap inside? Do words have an effect like that? Can they alter someone's personality, thoughts, and perspective? Can they do that? Can you tell me why you insist on confusing the shit out of me every time I even look at you? So . . .what now? What can I do now that will make this stop?
God, what the hell is wrong with me? It's not like it's the first time for me to be with you . . .and near you . . .Still . . .still, I feel so nervous. I'm shaking like crazy and I don't even know why. I can hardly breathe and here you are—breathing and dreaming like nothing in the world is wrong. I hate how you can be so innocent and oblivious. I hate how you can just smile and walk away when you leave me here, screaming at myself. I hate how you make me feel so guilty. You make me feel like I'm always doing something wrong, even though I'm not. You don't try it, I know, but it just happens. I can't really describe how it works . . .but . . .I just feel guilty. You did this to me. You went right ahead and poisoned my thoughts so that I only think about you . . .you put me into this trance and under your spell. And I was stupid and careless enough to fall for it. You're playing with my mind and just making me apologize for every little thing that I do and don't do. Do you know what you're doing to me? Do you even have a clue?
And yet . . .I still dream about you every night . . .and long for you to be near me. It's not a spell . . .it's a curse. It's a curse . . .but I like it. The way you smile . . .the way you laugh . . .it just captivates me . . .I can't stop thinking about you. You're always on my mind . . .and yet . . .it doesn't bother me too much. I like thinking about you . . .watching your every move . . .always listening for your voice and counting your breaths. I like the way you apologize for every little thing you do . . .even if it wasn't your fault . . .you still fall down in front of everybody and spill your heart out . . .
Now . . .now, you don't even realize it. You think I'm mad at you . . .and maybe I am . . .but I don't want you to think that. I want you to walk around with that goofy smile on your face like always and try to fix every damn problem around you. I want you to not know these thoughts running through my head . . .I want you to promise me these things . . .but not wake up. I'm sorry for everything. I know that I did all of it intentionally . . .but I never meant to shout at you . . .I never meant to let those feelings fly out of me and hurt you like they did. When . . .we were in that car, drunk out of our minds . . .I hope you realized that I only wanted to keep you as innocent as you are. I didn't want to hurt you . . .or make you feel like you did something wrong . . .I never want to do that . . .And . . .when I yelled at you at school the next day . . .I was just frustrated with myself about what I had done, and I exposed my inner feelings too quickly and in the wrong tone. Just . . .please forgive me. If you can, just forget about everything and maybe we can start off new again and not play this game anymore.
But you still don't realize it . . .
I stroked her soft, red locks gently, now knowing that she won't wake. The strong scent of some tropical fruit came from her hair and I smiled in a way that was so unnoticeable, only I could know I was smiling. I slowly stood up from her bed and walked back across the room to the door. I turned back around only once to get one last glance at her before I left and then stepped through the doorway and closed it quietly.
Kairi's POV:
I opened my eyes and saw that I was in some sort of blurry house that I couldn't tell who it belonged to. The front door was open and it was pouring down rain outside and completely dark. After a bit, the form of Riku started to materialize in front of my eyes. I couldn't make out much from his appearance, except that he was looking somber.
"I have to go now," he whispered softly in a dark tone of voice. His eyes were as cold as ice, glinting in the meager light coming from car headlights on the driveway. I couldn't move or say a word to him . . .I was frozen in this place . . .
He turned around from where he was standing and walked away from the door and down the front steps. I reached out blindly to him, suddenly able to move but all I grabbed was air. Riku vanished into the rain and all around me were spinning colours. I found myself in a completely dark space of nothing with only black and more black surrounding myself.
I closed my eyes again and opened them to see the bedroom I was sleeping in now around me. My breath was coming in short and quick and I was covered in a cold sweat. I shook my head, sending my red hair flying in all directions and waited for my heart to slow down. I covered my face in my hands and smoothed them over my cold cheeks, trying to calm myself down. It was just a dream . . .but it seemed so real. I could see every breath he took in front of me, the way his eyes glowed in the headlights and the way he sounded when he spoke those words. It just seemed so real . . .
Panic suddenly seized my chest and I swung my legs around the side of my bed and ran to the door, my nightgown trailing behind me. I flung open the door, my feet moving without me telling them where to go. They led me to the stairs to the third floor and I clambered up the wooden steps frantically. I just had to check . . .that's all . . .I reached the top of the stairs and took a left to the rooms where the boys stayed in. I slowed down now and slowly opened one of the doors. In the dark room, I saw nothing but darkness. After my eyes had adjusted, I noticed a bag by my foot, which I recognized as Sora's. This wasn't the right room . . .
I closed the door to that room and moved to my left to the next door. I turned the knob and waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. When they did, I saw Riku's belongings scattered aimlessly about the room. The bed that was positioned in the far corner was completely empty, though. The panic that had died away slightly in my chest rose once again as I stared at the messed up sheets on the bed. I stepped over to the window across from the bed and blinked in the moonlight. From this window, I could see almost the entire beach from up above. Something strange caught the corner of my eye and I squinted in the bright light to see what exactly it was. It was a person . . .Riku . . .
Riku's POV:
I didn't notice at first, but after a couple of seconds I heard it again. It was the sound of footsteps coming towards me from behind. I didn't turn around . . .already knowing who it was. I must have waken her up when I tripped over her suitcase and fell against the wall . . .
"Why are you here?" I asked, rather coldly. I didn't want to sound rude . . .I was trying to be as nice as possible . . .but she just frustrated me so much. There was a little sound of panting as the footsteps came to a halt directly behind me. As silence wavered between us, I started to regret saying that to her. Why does everything I say come out wrong when I'm around her!
"I . . .thought you were leaving . . ." she whispered so quietly, I could barely hear her at all. Her gentle little voice was high-pitched in worry and sadness. I felt a strong feeling of pity towards her . . .but what was she talking about? I turned around to face her and saw that she had tears brimmed in her eyes. The sight of her tears took me aback slightly and I wanted to look away again, but stopped myself before doing so. Her eyes were averted to the sand and she fumbled with the ruffles of her lavender nightdress absentmindedly. I wanted to ask her why she thought I was leaving, but I suddenly blurted out to her what I had wanted to say to her for the longest time before I could stop myself.
"What you said back there earlier . . .about us being the best friends you could ever have . . ." I started off, my tone unlike my own. I was confusing myself by my words, but they just stumbled out of me. I shifted my eyes to the sand and I could feel her eyes now upon me. They were probably all big and shining with tears . . .I don't want her to cry . . .
" . . .I didn't want to believe it . . ." I mumbled under my breath slowly, not being able to control my thoughts. I felt her stare burn against me and I turned back around to face the ocean. The moon shone down upon us and gave everything a silvery glow, casting little light on the ocean's wavy surface. I breathed in the salty air and felt the blush on my cheeks grow even more. I can't let her see me like this . . .
"Ever since I knew you—hell, since I first met you, I've liked you . . .even though I may have acted like a complete jerk to you . . .it was only because you made me so nervous that the first thing I could think of doing was being obnoxious . . .and, well, during these past few days, I've been trying to act more nice to you . . .but as you can tell . . .it hasn't been working. I don't want you to hate me or think that I hate you or anything . . .so, if I gave you that impression . . .it's not true . . .and . . .I never considered you 'a best friend' . . .never . . ." I muttered quietly, still not facing her. She didn't say a word after I broke off and the waves were the only thingsshattering the silence. Her silence started to annoy me . . .why wasn't she saying anything? What did I say wrong this time? Oh shit, she probably hates me now! Anger began to bubble up inside of me and I couldn't control myself anymore. I clenched my fists together and bit my lower lip in frustration.
"Well, why are you still here? I've said what I had to say so why aren't you leaving?" I shouted suddenly to her, letting that anger shoot out of me like bullets. When I only heard silence, I thought she had left, but there were no retreating footsteps sounding from behind me. I turned back around and saw that she was still standing there, fidgeting with her dress bottom, eyes still on the sand. I saw a shining tear fall from one of her eyes and land on the sand. Oh crap! Now I did it! I made her cry! I let myself go again and made her only hate me even more! She didn't say one word to me that would piss me off and now I explode at her and make her cry . . .I'm such an idiot . . .
"Because . . ."
She looked up from the sand and at me; tears rolling down her cheeks, making them shine in the moonlight. The sight of a small smile on her lips startled me and I stared at it in wonder. What could she be smiling about?
" . . .Because . . .I think I love you . . ." she whispered gently, that smile still noticeable on her rosy lips. Feeling the blush rise up on my cheeks yet again, I spun around, determined not to let her see it. She didn't just say that to me . . .it was my imagination . . .but . . .why can't I get that little phrase she just said out of my head? It kept echoing endlessly through my ears and made my heart pound like crazy. Why . . .was she saying that? Why . . .is it that even after all the things I say to her . . .she smiles and says . . .that?
Arms suddenly wrapped around my waist and I grew ridged. She hugged me tightly, pressing her face onto the back of my shirt. I remained where I was, afraid to move . . .
I didn't hear any sobs issuing from her . . .but I could feel them soak into my shirt. This is the girl who I treated like shit . . .this is the girl who I have loved for forever . . .and this is the same girl who is hugging me without a single word. And yet . . .this can't be her . . .
She released me gently and I heard her footsteps heading back up to the house. I didn't move . . .I didn't breathe . . .I couldn't breathe . . .I was so confused about every little thing. The images of us being at my garage, in the car at the bar, and in the school hallway flashed through my mind and caught the breath in my chest. How could we have so many bad moments . . .and yet still forgive each other? How . . .is that possible?
How . . .can she even like me?
A/N: THERE YA GO! sigh I hope this one wasn't boring. I thought it to be rather interesting . . .I LOVE writing in Riku's POV . . .he's just got so many things on his mind because he doesn't talk much! Hottie . . .:ahem: Well, I hope y'all enjoyed this!
OOO! I forgot to mention! I got entered in this competition for KH fics and I have to send in the finished copy of this by July! Woo! I'm so excited (and yet so stressed out and nervous!) for this contest! Wish me luck!
Thanks you to all of my editors for the help on this chappie! (10! Holy crap!) Your guys rock my socks!
Updation soon!
K-c