14.

The next few days settled into a mostly peaceful rhythm. Riku showed him more of the island sights; they spent most of a full day with Kairi shopping in the bazaar. Ienzo met a few more of Riku's other friends as well, and like his parents, they were somewhat mystified by his "alien" presence. Already Even had messaged him asking him when he would be done "lazing about" and when he could be expected back, but Ienzo hadn't responded. He didn't want to think about Radiant Garden right now.

He knew at some point he'd have to tell Riku the whole ugly truth of his past, and while he knew Riku was unlikely to vilify him for it, he nonetheless wasn't looking forward to it. He was content in their soft, sweet bubble, in this reality that they were just a normal couple.

They made out often and tried touching each other several more times, and each time Ienzo would draw so awfully close to just coming already. Riku tried doing it a few different ways, but it really did seem to be his mind stopping it all from… functioning. Ienzo wondered if at some point he'd just get so pent up his body would win the fight. He hoped it would happen soon; all of these hours spent getting hot and bothered and going nowhere was practically making him ache.

Riku said that day was "cooler", so they would go to this mysterious falls at last. "It's a hike, but an easy one," he told Ienzo. They took the bus (which itself was a fascinating and strangely nostalgic experience; he couldn't be sure if he had vague memories of taking a streetcar with Even) to the trailhead, and when Ienzo looked up at the incline he almost balked. At least this all seemed to be shaded by trees. This might be easy for Riku, who was physically fit and had probably gone through far harder on his journeys.

But Ienzo was a sedentary researcher.

Noticing his trepidation, Riku squeezed his hand. "I promise the first part's the hardest, and then it all gets really gradual. It's worth it, I swear."

"It better be. You may be carrying me out on a stretcher."

True to form, the first incline was utterly nightmarish. Between the humid air and his general softness, Ienzo was struggling to breathe, and he felt like a quitter every time he had to ask for a break. There was not a part of him that wasn't sweaty, and he found himself glad he'd actually bought a pair of decent climbing shoes like Riku had advised. He actually felt dizzy. At the top, he had to sit and rest against a rock. Riku didn't even look out of breath. "You okay?" he asked, cautiously.

"I'm alive," Ienzo said, still gasping. "Barely." Once he had caught some semblance of breath, and drank down some water, they kept going. It was easier, but not as easy as he'd hoped, and he found it hard to appreciate the wildlife. Ienzo tried to push through the pain. At first he thought the noise he heard came from his heart throbbing in his ears, but it turned out to be the falls. At last, at long last, they reached the peak.

And Ienzo understood. "Oh," he said, softly.

"It's thought that the islands formed out of the magma from volcanic explosions," Riku said, in a low voice. "That volcano is right there. But over time… and I'm sure you understand the science of it better than I do, the volcano became a spring."

"Oh," Ienzo said, utterly losing eloquence. Suddenly it didn't matter that he was hot and sweaty and nauseous and his legs would be aching for days.

He'd seen a lot in his days as Zexion. But again, he'd never been there to be a tourist, to appreciate the worlds he was trying to strike down.

There were crystal and mineral patterns in the falls caldron all the way down, in at least a dozen colors, glimmering faintly in the diffuse sunlight. The freshwater flowed from the top, almost deafeningly loud, to a large pool at the bottom, the water a slight bluish color from the minerals. Ienzo could see a manmade path weaving all the way down, a wooden safety rail lining it. The water washed up onto a shore of black sand.

Riku took out his phone. "Want a picture of you with it?"

"I'm sure I look awful."

"You look like you've conquered something."

Ienzo rolled his eyes. "Only if you'll join me."

It took a bit of fineagaling to get an image that was halfway decent. This settled, they started making their way down. "Weird, normally this place is packed," Riku said. Only a few people were down swimming in the caldron. "Oh well. I won't question it."

"It's the semifinals," Ienzo said. "Your father was talking about it."

He laughed. "Design by accident."

The walk down was fairly easy, but Ienzo dreaded the climb up, then down again. He'd worn his bathing suit, at least. They had a quick, simple lunch. At least here by the water it was mercifully cool, and Ienzo nearly moaned aloud when they finally eased in. Considering it was springwater, it was cold, but a welcome cold. The water had a slightly metallic tang against his lips.

"Worth it after all?" Riku asked, smirking.

"God, yes."

They floated here a while, just enjoying the water and each other's company. Eventually Ienzo felt brave enough to explore by the falls, where the water got deeper. The mist threw up so much light that the bands of rock glimmered.

At some point they had to leave, though, and by that point with the hike up and the swimming Ienzo was exhausted. Considering aside from the climb out of the caldron it was all basically downhill, Ienzo hoped this would be easier.

It wasn't. This side of the trail was less shaded, for example, and the heat felt all the more brutal now that he was reasonably cool. His calves were starting to cramp, his nausea had returned, and now on top of it he was starting to feel weirdly faint, trying to figure out why.

"Ienzo?" Riku prompted, but his voice sounded like it was underwater.

The next thing he was aware of, his head was in Riku's lap and there was a cold cloth over his face. Riku was on the phone, his voice shaky. "Yeah, dad, the trailhead. No, I don't think I need any help. Thanks a bunch."

He blinked and tried to sit up, feeling weaker still.

"Easy. Easy. I thought the stretcher thing was a joke."

"It was," Ienzo said. "I'm sorry. I'm fine now."

"No, you're not," Riku said, sternly. "You've got heat exhaustion. If you keep pushing it it'll get worse. Drink this." He handed him a bottle of water. "You're probably dehydrated too." He dabbed the sweat off of Ienzo's face.

Ienzo did, realizing how thirsty he was. "I tried to be careful."

"No, it's my fault. The island heat really is brutal, and you're not used to exercise like that." He sighed. "Even if you were careful your body still got overwhelmed."

"And not in the way I'd like," he muttered.

"Gather your strength for a few minutes. I used Cure on you, but you should still take it easy. My dad'll drive us back. I wonder if we should take you to a doctor-"

Ienzo felt mortified. "I don't think that's necessary. The bus is fine."

"I don't want us to wait out in the heat more than we have to."

Ienzo exhaled. Somehow this felt like another thing he had failed at.

"Really, Ienzo, this even happens to islanders," Riku tried to reassure him. "I should've known better."

"At least we got a pretty picture out of it."

When he was finally strong enough to carry on, it felt late. They weren't all that far from the road at this point. Riku had wanted to carry him, but Ienzo drew the line there. He was more grateful than he wanted to let on that Matsuda was waiting for them.

"Hey, you're a true islander now," his father said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. "It's happened to all of us at some point or another."

"I told you," Riku said.

Ienzo wished he could enjoy riding in a car more. It was smaller, lower to the ground, than the bus, and much cooler inside. "Thanks for this. I'm sorry to interrupt your workday."

"Ah, I had to run an errand anyway," he said blithely. "You don't think we need to go to the-"

"No, no, please, I'll be alright," Ienzo said quickly.

Ienzo was still feeling a bit dizzy. He had to cling to the banister to get up the stairs. Riku insisted he lie down. His skin felt hot, strangely enough. Riku tugged the curtains shut. He heard Riku leave the room and then come back a few moments later with something pink in a mason jar. "Here. This'll help. Mom's recipe. It happens all the time to the neighborhood kids."

Ienzo sipped. He tasted more coconut, some other fruit, and below it all the oily slickness of potion. "I'm so sorry. I ruined the day."

"No, this is on me. I should've known you'd push yourself and not say anything, cause I would've done the same thing." He sighed. "Drink it all. I'll get you more."

The juice helped, though he didn't feel good by any stretch. He wanted to get changed, to get cleaned up, but he just felt weak and exhausted. "If you're tired, rest," Riku told him.

"If you'd rather go do something while I'm just lying here-"

"No," he said, firmly.

After two jars of the juice, Ienzo fell asleep, and wondered if it was something in the medicine. When he woke at last, he realized it had been hours, and the early morning sun was peeking out between the curtains. Dazedly, he looked around for Riku, found him nowhere.

Groggy, he took a shower and went to take the mason jar back to the main house. True to form, it hurt to walk, and he winced.

"Oh, Ienzo, how are you feeling?" Mariko asked, startling him.

"Much better," he said. "Thank you for this."

"I always keep a pitcher of it in the fridge in summer. Sometimes I swear the weather is only getting hotter." She sighed.

"Where's Riku?"

"Well, he came down a little while ago asking if I thought you needed anything else. I said maybe something nice for breakfast." She smiled a little. "He should be back soon. Can I get you anything? Anything at all? You know what, I'll go make some coffee." She flounced off into the kitchen, her loose shawl fluttering behind her.

Ienzo found himself again looking at the photos on the mantle. Riku's parents' wedding day, photos of a younger Riku in school. Matsuda holding up a large fish, his son grinning toothily, the front two missing.

"...Here you are, dear," Mariko said.

"Thank you so much," he said.

"Why don't we go sit on the patio while we wait? You can see the ocean."

He followed her. The temperature, for some reason, felt much more bearable, despite the hot coffee. They sat on a pair of wicker chairs facing the small yard.

"Alright?" she asked him.

"I was just thinking it's no longer so warm."

She chortled. "That's not true. You're just forming a callus."

"To the heat, you mean?"

"Yes. I thought this might happen. Riku was in a panic, Matsuda wanted to take you to the clinic. I've seen this before and I said you'll be right as rain. And you lived, right?"

Ienzo sipped. "Thank god for that," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Well. It has been nearly two weeks."

"Already? The time is flying." He almost said that if he were too much of a burden he would be happy to go stay elsewhere, but then he remembered that Mariko would find this rude. "Is there anything I can do to thank you for the welcome you've given me?"

"That's not necessary."

"I insist."

She thought about it. "How about you make us one of your dinners, from your world? You explained, but I'm dying to know."

Ienzo smiled. "That I can do."

They both looked out at the ocean for a few minutes. Finally, Mariko said, "You've had a hard life, haven't you?"

Ienzo looked at her. "What makes you say that?"

"You… and Riku. There's a certain… darkness, in your eyes. Something a little haunted. At first, with him, I thought it was teenage angst. But I think he's gone through a lot more than he lets on. You too."

Ienzo blinked. "I suppose that is true," he said. "This… beautiful life, the three of you live here. That all feels so abnormal to me."

She nodded sadly.

"I'm… an orphan," he admitted. "My adoptive family, well meaning as they initially were, did not raise me to live an average, happy life. It's making me realize what I've missed."

"I see," she said. "Well. You're always welcome in our family."

Ienzo felt a sudden wave of teariness. "That's very kind of you."

After another moment, "you love him, don't you?"

Ienzo took a quick breath. "I think so."

She reached over and squeezed his hand once. "You're good for each other."

The back door opened. Riku was carrying a paper bag and a drinks carrier with what looked like smoothies. "Oh… Ienzo. You're up. How do you feel?"

He looked at him. In the early morning sunlight, his silver hair carelessly braided over one shoulder, Ienzo knew. "Better. Much better."